We did not stop the timer when we cleared out any hose blockages, but we ran the test with each vacuum at least twice. And because they’re powered with a battery, they embrace speed and portability. They don’t have the power of the larger models, but they do have enough for most smaller messes, and they’re just so easy to carry around. A rare, important advantage with this DeWalt is that it can be powered with a 20-volt battery or via the attached power cord.
And extra filters, hoses, and nozzles are easy to get in an emergency, as long as you have a Home Depot nearby. The 12-gallon Ridgid is the vac I saw most on job sites and used the most often throughout a 10-year construction career, and it’s the one I’ve owned at home for years. Ridgid gives the vac minor upgrades and tweaks every few years, so the models have changed, but the core positives of the vac have always remained constant.
The DeWalt is really a tool meant for small messes, like drywall dust, sawdust, and wood shavings. In our other test, the DeWalt vac sucked out 2 gallons of water in 11 seconds—more than twice as long as it took the next weakest vacuum (the cordless Greenworks vac). That lines up with the DeWalt vac’s given CFM number—indicating suction—of 31, which is half that of the Greenworks vac. This isn’t an extremely high-powered tool, but it really is convenient to use. This wet/dry vac (aka “shop vac”1) has a large capacity and a powerful motor for sucking up debris.
If you can’t find our pick or you just want a more powerful option, we also like the Ridgid 14-Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac HD1400. This vacuum has more capacity and a more powerful motor than the 12-gallon HD1200, but the identical hose should suck up the same debris. User reviews for this model, like those for our pick, are extremely positive.
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. hyper tough battery 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.
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 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.
So when blockages happened here, they were a little more difficult to clear. We preferred how the Milwaukee hose entered straight into the canister (but using the Milwaukee vac with the accessory lid closed forces a right turn on the hose anyway). Senior staff writer Tim Heffernan has recently been using the HD1200 and is impressed with its versatility as a compact option for multiple spaces within his Queens co-op apartment. He has highlighted it easily cleans up damp and dry dirt, pumice stones, perlite, wet pine needles, cat litter and any random bike maintenance crud spilled on the balcony.
However, for minor renovation work around the house or for vacuuming out the car, this model is a nice choice. I spent 10 years in construction, building high-end homes in the Boston area. Ninety percent of the time, that meant pushing around a wet/dry vac, also known casually as a “shop vac” (though that’s also a brand name). I’ve vacuumed up nails, water, sawdust, insulation, spilled coffee, dumped-over bags of concrete, puddles of paint, and plenty more. That experience taught me a lot about the methods, techniques, and occasional limitations of a wet/dry vac in the field.