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Shop Vacs
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- Budget/portable shop vac Shop-Vac AllAround 971-01-00 *Est. $65
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- Owners appreciate the way the DeWalt DC500 shop vac can run on either regular AC power or rechargeable batteries. Tests show that emissions are low compared with other ultra-portable shop vacs. The long-lasting washable filter is used for both wet and dry pickup, so there's no need to change filters when switching tasks, and users say the filter is easy to clean. Overall, this is one of the best small portable shop vacs available.
- The main complaints we found are lack of suction, and short run time -- about 15 minutes with an 18-volt battery. This portable vac needs to be hand held or set on something high or else you'll be vacuuming bent over. The combination of slick base and top-heavy balance make it liable to tip over or fall off, and we found a few complaints about the hose and attachments coming loose. Some owners express disappointment that the DeWalt DC500 comes with no battery or charger. Instead, it uses the 12- or 18-volt rechargeable batteries and chargers of other DeWalt tools -- handy if you already use other DeWalt cordless tools, but an extra expense if you don't. Also, some owners say tool storage and battery changes can be awkward.
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Plenty of power and run time !!, February 4, 2010I don't know how anyone could not love this thing ? I have owned so many shop/wet-dry type vacs and this has as much suction as ANY 1.25" hose unit, is quieter than any corded one I've used, plus it weighs… nothing, and is cordless ! Just for cleaning stairs alone it's worth it ! There's never an outlet on stairs. I use it with my 18 volt batteries and they last so long I can't ever even see plugging it in. So I am baffled that anyone didn't love it.
Fantastic, January 22, 2010Portable and Powerful, January 8, 2010I bought the DeWault brand because a friend of mine had a similar vacuum but I did not want to pay additional money for the batteries. Thankfully, my dad already had many DeWault tools, so I searched for a… DeWault cordless shop vac. He loved the gift, and it had proven very useful for small jobs around the house such as the fireplace, pet food, and the cars. It comes with a cord so the battery doesn't always have to be used. It also comes with a few hose attachments as a regular shop vac would. The suction power isn't fantastic, but, hey, it's a battery, and I'm not sucking up bricks. Overall, a nice roomy and handy portable shop vac that is a great addition to any DeWault collection.
Great tool for tile repair jobs, November 28, 2009I have been using this tool for about 2 years. At the shopping mall where i work we do ceramic tile repairs every week. This is the best tool we have found for cleanup, it gets all the small fragments and… dust out of the mortar bed. Light weight, good suction.Dewalt quality construction, repeat that to yourself Dewalt quality construction. This is not some cheaply made piece of crap. Before buying one of these we had to use a much larger and bulkier vac. I decided to try a small portable unit, we first tried a black and decker portable. I couldn't even give that one away. We use this for a variety of small jobs and havent been disapointed in it's performance
Great unit, August 14, 2009
DEWALT DC500 2-Gallon 12-to-18-Volt Cordless/Corded Wet/Dry Vacuum |
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Our Sources
In this brief review, Workbench magazine editors pick the DeWalt DC500 cordless shop vac as one of the ten most innovative tools of 2004, but no testing is documented.
Review: DeWalt CD500 Portable Shop Vacuum -- Top Ten Innovative Tools, Editors of Workbench
2. Amazon.com
There are nearly 60 reviews of the DeWalt DC500 published here, which makes it an excellent place to read owner opinions. There are many more positive ratings than negative, but these reviews give a full picture of what you can realistically expect from this portable shop vac. These DeWalt DC500 reviews are a good place to check out its best and worst points in detail.
Review: DeWalt DC500 Reviews, Contributors to Amazon.com
3. Epinions.com
The DeWalt DC500 is reviewed in two different places at Epinions. The handful of owner-written reviews here are very detailed and give a good idea of the usefulness of this DeWalt portable shop vac. One user mentions how well the DeWalt DC500 vacuums pet hair, while another says it's great for vacuuming up spilled coffee. Some owners complain even on a freshly charged 18-volt battery, run time is only about 15 minutes.
Review: DeWalt DC500 Canister Wet/Dry Vacuum Review, Contributors to Epinions
4. Lowes.com
Lowes publishes owners' ratings of products sold here, and at the time of this report, the DeWalt DC500 gets the highest average rating among wet / dry vacuums sold here.
Review: DeWalt 2 Gallon Cordless or Corded Wet/Dry Vac Reviews, Contributors to Lowes.com
The DeWalt DC500 is one of the only professional-brand shop vacs sold at Home Depot. Only a few owners have reviewed and rated it here, but unlike Lowes, Home Depot does allow readers to leave comments, not just ratings. Most comments here are positive.
Review: DeWalt 2-DeWalt DC500 Reviews, Contributors to HomeDepot.com
6. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Consumer Reports includes the DeWalt DC500 shop vac in its review of 23 consumer-brand shop vacs. However, since this is a professional model, and the only cordless shop vac reviewed here, the comparisons are of limited use.
Review: Wet/Dry Vacuums, Editors of Consumer Reports, Mar. 2007
This is another site that publishes owner-written reviews. Only two people have posted reviews here of the DeWalt Cordless Shop Vac, but their comments are useful.
Review: DeWalt Cordless Shop Vac Customer Reviews, Contributors to Handyman-Business.com
Northern Tool publishes ratings and reviews of tools sold here, though this feature is new enough that not many reviews have accumulated. One nice feature of these reviews is an extra question: "Would you recommend this model to a friend?" Yes and no answers are summarized along with the average rating. One review here highlights the disappointment of owners who buy this shop vac thinking that the price includes batteries.
Review: DeWalt DC500 Shop Vac Review, Contributors to NorthernTool.com
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