If your power tool doesn’t operate without the T terminal, please see the battery section below. One downside to the DeWalt vac is that the blower port (which blows out all the air the vac is sucking in) is on the canister’s hyper tough tool set side and not the rear, where we would have preferred it. There were a few times we shifted the canister and accidentally blew dust and debris all over the place, since we forgot the blower port was on the side.
Compared with the DeWalt vac, the Greenworks vac has a larger capability—3 gallons versus 2 gallons—and stronger suction. But it lacks a corded option, so the 15 minutes of run time is all you have before a recharge. Because this is a smaller vac and really designed for minor messes, we found the 15 minutes to be plenty of time for any single mess we dealt with. The Greenworks vac comes with two nozzles—one for general use and a crevasse tool—which both tuck into an onboard storage compartment. We also like that the hose, when stretched out, becomes translucent, so it’s easy to see where a blockage is. The hose also easily disconnects from the vac, so clearing the blockage is easy too.
The other suction test we did was to fill a bucket with two gallons of water and time how long it took each vac to empty the bucket with the nozzle fully immersed in the water. We would have liked to have used a larger amount of water, but the smallest vac we tested has a 2-gallon capacity, so we stuck with that. For all of the large-size hyper tough battery benefits, 12-gallon vacs are still manageable for most people to maneuver around their homes or down a set of basement stairs. (It’s awkward, but doable.) As a vac’s size increases, maneuverability naturally becomes more difficult. This small vac can be used either with a DeWalt 20-volt battery or plugged into an outlet.
For the size, this vac is easy to lug around, and it comes with a great selection of attachments. After a new round of testing, we’ve added Milwaukee’s 12- and 18-volt vacuums to the Competition section. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions.
Among self-propelled battery models, more than half earn that distinction, and all receive at least midlevel overall ratings. The top self-propelled battery mower, from Greenworks, is priced lower than the top-rated self-propelled gas model, from Honda. Notably, even those battery mowers that are more expensive to buy may cost you less in the long run. A CR analysis found that depending on the model you choose, the savings on gasoline and maintenance can more than make up for the price difference within a few years of ownership.
If you’re looking for something smaller and more portable, we like the DeWalt DCV581H 20V 2-Gallon Cordless/Corded Wet/Dry Vac. This is a much smaller vacuum than the Ridgid models, and it doesn’t match their capabilities on larger messes. But it’s a real champ with cleaning up little projects around the garage, in the house, or in the basement. Because there’s also a cordless option and this vac is so light, you won’t have a problem using it in a crawl space, a tight attic, or an outbuilding that needs a little tidying, like a potting shed. While the 36-minute run time was impressive, the capabilities of the DeWalt are limited by the small motor and hose diameter. We had no problem sucking up wood shavings, drywall dust, and little bits of this and that, but this vac had problems with anything heavier, like a nail or a screw.
Since wet/dry vacs are often used in an emergency, the cord provides a nice back-up power source, in case you don’t have a battery on hand. And you also have the cordless option for working in a remote location or during a power outage (if you have charged DeWalt batteries on hand). This Ridgid vac has a 12-gallon canister, which is the sweet spot between capacity and maneuverability. With the HD1200, you won’t have to stop and empty it as often as you would with smaller vacs. Compared with the larger sizes, this Ridgid vac isn’t too bulky to empty out, and most people will be able to haul it up a set of stairs with the aid of its conveniently placed upper handle. The HD1200 stands about 2 feet high, with a diameter of about 20 inches (approximately the same as on other 12-gallon models).
The HD1200 is a newer model, with an improved center-mounted handle for easy carrying and a larger, glove-friendly on/off switch. So far, this model has exhibited the same quality we’ve come to expect from similar Ridgid vacs over the years. For structured tests, we recorded the time it took each vacuum to suck up a pile of “workshop stew” that we created.
On other models, like many of the Shop-Vacs, the accessories are on a caddy up at the top; this causes trouble when the hose is moving back and forth over the vac during a cleanup. On construction sites, I’ve often seen these caddies get thrown away as a result of frustration—and then, a month later, all of the accessory nozzles are lost. These heavy-duty vacuums suck up water, sawdust, nails, and screws with equal vigor. We’ve been testing and using them for years, and our favorite is the Ridgid 12-Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac HD1200.