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Wet Dry Vacs
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- Lightweight
- Quiet
- Price
- Easy to empty
- Low power, suction, capacity
- No onboard tool storage
- No filters for the finest dust
- Warranty only one year
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, and it's easy to empty. If you need a shop vac to handle larger jobs, reviews recommend the 14-gallon Ridgid WD1450 (*Est. $135) 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 wet dry vacs in its recent review of 23 shop vacuums. 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 Walmart.
Our Sources
1. Amazon.com
The tiny 1.5-gallon Shop-Vac 971-01-00 has been reviewed by only nine owners here, but its immediate predecessor, the similar Shop-Vac AllAround 971-02-00 had accumulated reviews from two dozen. The average rating is high: 4.5 out of 5 stars. One owner writes, "It's great for stairs, window seals, ceilings and I could go on and on. No one can believe how powerful it is to be so small." A couple of people, however, complain about its lack of power.
Review: Shop-Vac 971-01-00 All-Around Wet/Dry Vacuum 1.5-Gallon, 2-HP, Contributors to Amazon.com
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
ConsumerReports.org includes the now-discontinued Shop-Vac AllAround 971-02-00, since replaced by the 971-01-00, in its review of 23 consumer-brand wet dry vacs, comparing it primarily with five other ultra-portable consumer models. Each wet dry vac is ranked based on objective tests, with separate ratings for wet pickup, dry pickup, ease of use and emissions.
Review: Wet/Dry Vacuums, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Mar. 2007
3. Walmart.com
A 1-gallon model, designed to hang on the wall or be hand carried, also gets high praise from users reviewing it here, but one owner recommends the 1.5-gallon Shop-Vac AllAround model as being more capable.
Review: 1-Gallon Shop-Vac Hang Up Mini Vacuum, Contributors to Walmart.com
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