Two of these cordless electric push mowers, both from Ryobi, receive higher Overall Scores than the top-rated gas push mower, a Honda. The adapter above is a do-it-yourself hyper tough tool set adapter, so you will need to provide the circuitry to make it work. It has been reported that the Ridgid 18V batteries do have built-in over discharge protection.
The DeWalt’s hose is only 1¼ inches wide, compared with 2½ inches for the hoses on the Ridgid models and 1⅞ inches for the hose on the cordless Greenworks vac. The DeWalt vac’s smaller hose, along with its overall power, really limits what this vac can suck up. If you’re looking for a smaller vac that’s a lot easier to move around, we like the DeWalt DCV581H 20V 2-Gallon Cordless/Corded hyper tough tool set Wet/Dry Vac. This vac is substantially lighter and more compact than the Ridgid models we recommend and can be carried like a duffel bag. But considering how this vac is intended to be used, its portability more than makes up for that. This is not a vac to use to clean your entire garage floor or to suck the dirt out of a 1,000-square-foot flooded basement.
A few brands, including DeWalt, Makita, and Milwaukee, sell battery mowers that run on 18- or 20-volt batteries that also power their hand tools, such as drills and circular saws. This means that it will be really easy to interface any other brand’s 18V/20V lithium ion battery pack with some Hyper Tough power tools. The diameter of the hose is also much smaller than that of the hoses on the larger wet/dry vacs.
Performance among our tested models is improving for both self-propelled and push battery mowers, and they offer more value, Trezza says. Several highly rated battery push mowers from Snapper, Ryobi, Skil, Greenworks, Kobalt (Lowe’s), and Atlas are priced at or below similarly rated gas models from Toro and Troy-Bilt. The top-rated Honda gas push mower has competition from an electric Ego push mower with the same high ratings—and the same for predicted reliability.
This might not sound like a lot, but for the way a wet/dry vac is typically used, we never noticed it as a hindrance. But since the Greenworks vac is more powerful, with the larger hose, we think you could accomplish more with it over the course of a single charge. You get the best value from this vac if you already own compatible DeWalt batteries. If you don’t, having to buy a battery and charger makes the investment a little steep for what you’re getting.
Recently, cordless models have appeared that emphasize portability over power. These are more for quick, little messes, like clean-up after a minor repair or home upgrade. In the cordless category, we prefer the smaller models in the 2- to 3-gallon range. One of these might be the only wet/dry vac you need for a smaller home or an apartment.