The Best Shop Vac: Efficiently Clean Up Messy Dirt and Debris | Autance

The Armor All Utility Wet/Dry Vacuum is especially good for using inside a car as it’s been designed to pick up both wet and dry debris. This model even comes with the right type of accessories needed for cars and motorcycles. One of the top features is the vacuum can be converted so it can blow, which is fantastic for removing dust and debris from your vehicle as well as drying your car grills and wheels. Designed for cleaning both wet and dry spillages, this handy shop vac can really do it all. As a bonus, this powerful vacuum is quiet too, thanks to the built-in air and noise diffuser. It’s a powerful little machine with a 2 horsepower motor that automatically shuts off when it detects that the tank is full.
Additionally, the vac features a 10-foot cord, 6-foot hose and vehicle-specific tools, including a deluxe car nozzle, blower nozzle and detail brush. However, for some, the suction may not be strong enough to pick up ground-in, stubborn dirt and debris.

The Vacmaster Wet/Dry Vacuum is a great option whether you’re looking for a shop vac, car vac or just maybe a good value wet and dry vac. While it isn’t the cheapest product, it has a whole lot of value to offer. For one thing, this product is versatile. The Vacmaster comes with two extension wands, a specific car nozzle for those hard-to-reach places and a utility nozzle too. If that wasn’t enough, the vacuum also has a fully detachable blower with a blowing speed of 240 mph. Not just a small shop vac, this product has a 12-foot cord and extensions, so it’s ideal for larger spaces too. Perfect for both wet and dry clean-ups, this vacuum can help you clean up your car, your garage, or even areas of your home if you’re dealing with tough spots or serious messes.
The 12-gallon tank and list of 11 handy accessories offer both plenty of reach and a lot of value in one shop vac. However, it does have one drawback. It isn’t very great at picking up sawdust, so it isn’t the best choice for woodworking cleanup.

When it comes to power and serious cleaning tasks, the Craftsman 16 Gallon Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum with Attachments is hard to beat. This shop vac runs on a 6.5 peak horsepower motor, and it can hold up to 16 gallons of dirt, debris, and wet messes. It’s designed to be a heavy-duty vacuum, giving you extra power for large projects in your garage, shop, or even inside your car. With a built-in rear blowing port, you’ll be able to blow away leaves and clipping in seconds. An oversized built-in drain lets you get rid of liquids easily. And thanks to Craftsman’s Dual-Flex technology, you’ll get 180 degrees of hose mobility at either end for fewer kinks and hose issues. Plus, with eight attachments and a three-year limited warranty, you’ll be covered for almost anything.

The only real downside to this shop vac is the included dust bag. It doesn’t hold much dust, and it isn’t really great at filtering out dust overall.

Here’s a shop vac that looks as good as it functions. The Shop-Vac Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum boasts a sleek and shiny stainless steel exterior, which makes it stand out visually and enhances its durability for the long term. Forget about a plastic housing that can crack or wear; this machine is built to last. This shop vac provides great horsepower (4.5 peak horsepower) and a nice range of features. It’s made with heavy-duty cleaning in mind, and it’s as great for the garage as it is for the car as it features a handy range of accessories that can be neatly stored on the vacuum body.
One of the main selling points of this product is the fact that it has a full circumference dolly, which makes the vacuum easier to maneuver. However, there are a few disadvantages you might experience. Setting up the shop vac can be a challenge; it requires some assembly, and all of the components may not fit together perfectly. Additionally, the top of the vacuum doesn’t seal, which can be messy for cleanup.

It’s common for shop vacs to be round, bulky, and not-so-slim in design – but the Stanley Wet/Dry Vacuum is different. This easy-to-maneuver vacuum has a lightweight and compact design, which makes it easy to carry and even easier to store. The body of the vacuum has four swivel casters that provide nice maneuverability and make vacuuming smaller rooms a simple task. Plus, the collection tank is slim and narrow, meaning it won’t take up as much space (though it still offers plenty of room for dirt and debris). And this four-gallon shop vac doesn’t cut corners when it comes to power. With a 4 horsepower motor, you’re going to get good suction power. The shop vac comes with several handy accessories too, so you can get to those hard-to-reach areas.
Unfortunately, despite the perks of this shop vac, it does also have some drawbacks. Some components, including the accessories, are made out of cheap plastic and are prone to breaking or weakness. Additionally, the exterior of the vacuum’s tank can easily be dented, which kind of ruins its appearance.

The Vacmaster Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum might look a little bulky with its 6-gallon holding tank, but it’s surprisingly lightweight and easy to lift. This versatile vacuum can handle both wet and dry cleaning and with a 6-gallon tank can hold a lot of debris. The addition of a 12-foot cord and 7-foot hose means this vacuum won’t shorten your reach, and it includes two extension wands for those difficult spots that are otherwise tricky to reach. Sometimes it’s the little things that count, and with this vacuum we really like the fact that the accessories can be stored onboard – so you’ll never have to look for those essential smaller pieces. You’ll have everything you need for hard floors, carpets, walls, car interiors, and tight crevices. As an added bonus, this shop vac is weather-resistant and backed by a two-year warranty.

However, because the collection tank on this shop vac is made out of metal, it rusts easily. If you’re cleaning up a lot of wet messes, it’ll rust through quickly – even if you empty it out after every use.

If you’re looking for a professional wet dry vac that will be able to handle small to medium jobs then the DeWalt Poly Wet/Dry Vac might just be the one for you. It’s portable, but still sturdy enough, with a 6-gallon tank to soak up any workshop or car spillages. Built specifically for garage and vehicle use, this shop vac is easy to manage and work with, and it’ll offer enough suction for plenty of different jobs; it can even be used at job sites for daily cleanup. It also boasts a built-in blower port that can blow debris and sawdust from any workshop as well as leaves from a yard. Plus, with ultra-durable rubberized caster wheels, you’ll enjoy smooth swiveling and therefore a smooth vacuuming experience.
This shop vac doesn’t, however, come with any accessories or attachments. That can limit your ability to clean crevices and tight spots.

While most traditional shop vacs are large and bulky, the Stanley Wet/Dry 3 Gallon Portable Car Vacuum shrinks the basic design and makes it portable. This smaller spin on a shop vac is designed specifically for small messes and vehicles, making it the perfect pick if you need to clean up wet or dry messes inside your car. It features a convenient handle for carrying, and its small 3-gallon tank makes it nicely maneuverable. A 3 horsepower motor gives you enough suction to tackle debris, dirt, and liquids, and the three-in-one crevice attachment is great for getting between seats and into your car’s tightest space.s Plus, you’ll get over 10 feet of cleaning reach with the hose and power cord.

However, though you should have decent cleaning reach, the power cord is on the short side. It’s just 6 feet long, so you’ll need to make sure you have outlets nearby while you’re cleaning out your car. You may also want an extension cord.

The Workshop Wet Dry Vac is a great option if you’re looking for serious reliability and speedy performance. This shop vac means business, and Workshop stands behind it with an impressive 5-year limited warranty that provides you with long-term peace of mind. Plus, this shop vac is quick to clean up messes. It has a high capacity for spillages and debris and boasts a 16-gallon tank with a 6.5 peak horsepower motor. This beast can pick up 1 gallon of water per second. The Qwik Lock Filtering System allows fast wet and dry vacuum filter changes, and there’s a large drain port at the base of the vacuum so you can easily empty it. Lastly, the Workshop vac also provides an integrated blowing port that allows the user to blow unwanted debris from the workspace, home or garage.

There is one potential drawback, though. The attachments fit onto the hose with a friction-style fit, which isn’t very secure. They can come loose very easily.

While there are other compact shop vacs on our list, the Sun Joe Ultra-Portable Wheeled Wet/Dry Vacuum is extra small and perfect for cleaning up small messes or spaces that need a shop vac’s capability. Strong suction paired with a convenient 2.6-gallon tank that fits anywhere, you can literally bring this shop vac along with you. The 7-amp, 3.5-horsepower motor delivers great power, and there’s a reusable, washable filtration system that makes it convenient to use on messes of all kinds. Plus, this extra-small shop vac sits on smooth-rolling wheels so you can scoot it along anywhere. And the addition of three accessories means you can easily clean up your vehicle’s carpeting, crevices, and seats.

Just keep in mind that this shop vac is seriously small. It won’t clean up huge messes, and its tank size is limited, so you’ll need to empty it frequently.