Shop-Vac AllAround 971-01-00

The 1.5-gallon Shop-Vac AllAround 971-01-00 (along with its predecessor, the discontinued 971-02-00) wins praise from owners for its low price, light weight and easy portability, despite its tiny capacity and limited suction. Tests show that Shop-Vac models exhaust more dust than the 2-gallon DeWalt DC500 (*Est. $100), which can run on electrical or battery power. However, the Shop-Vac AllAround still has relatively clean exhaust, more power than the DeWalt shop vac and costs half as much. Both models use small-diameter hoses designed for vacuuming dust rather than large debris, which can result in clogs. The Shop-Vac AllAround can accommodate dust bags, so it's easy to empty. If you need a shop vac to handle larger jobs, reviews recommend the 14-gallon Ridgid WD1450 (*Est. $115) for general cleanup of both dry debris and liquids.

We found owner-written reviews of the now-discontinued Shop-Vac AllAround 971-02-00 and its replacement, the AllAround 971-01-00 posted on Amazon.com. ConsumerReports.org tests a larger but similar Shop-Vac AllAround model, comparing it with five other extra-small shop vacs in its recent review of 23 shop vacs. This review is based on objective tests and ratings, but the owners' reviews at Amazon.com give more detail based on longer experience using the AllAround. Similar tiny Shop-Vac models also get owner-written reviews at AceHardware.com, Walmart.com and Epinions.com.