Craftsman 17764 Review

What the reviewers like:
Reviews praise the extra power and suction provided by the 6-hp motor. Owners like the onboard tool storage too. There's a drain for liquids.

What the reviewers don't like:
This Craftsman shop vac doesn't come with a squeegee attachment for vacuuming liquids, and has the same pleated paper filter that has come in for some complaints when used with liquids. (No special filter for wet use is available.) Unlike Ridgid shop vacs, the motor of the Craftsman 17764 doesn't automatically shut off when vacuumed liquids reach their maximum level. Reviews say similar Craftsman shop vacs emit more dust in the exhaust than do Ridgid shop vacs, which also carry a much longer warranty.

Craftsman 17764 review highlights

The Craftsman 17764 shop vac is also similar to the highly-rated Craftsman 17761 that has the same size tank, but the Craftsman 17764 shop vac is more powerful, and provides onboard tool storage. It's less expensive than the 20-gallon Craftsman 17762 (*est. $110) but it's three inches taller (24.5 inches) so it's not quite as easy to store. All these similar Craftsman shop vacs are priced quite a bit lower than the 16-gallon Ridgid WD1850 (*est. $150), but the Ridgid shop vac emits less dust and carries a lifetime warranty, compared with one year for the Craftsman shop vacs.

Only a handful of owners have reviewed the relatively new 16-gallon Craftsman 17764 at Sears.com, but they give it glowing praise. This model is a slightly smaller version of the 20-gallon Craftsman 17762 tested by Consumer Reports in its review of 23 consumer-brand shop vacs. We found additional evaluations for this shop vac at Sears.com and on the Ridgid tool forum.

Also see full report: Shop Vacs

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Sears.com
Craftsman 17764 Reviews
Contributors to Sears.com

Only a handful of owners have reviewed and rated the Craftsman 17764 shop vac at Sears.com so far, but they've each given it a perfect 5-star rating. This may change, of course, as more owners add reviews. This is a relatively new model, too, so comments are based on short-term use.

2. Consumer Reports
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Wet/Dry Vacuums
Editors of Consumer Reports
Mar. 2007

Consumer Reports includes the larger, similar Craftsman 17762 in its review of 23 shop vacs, comparing it mostly with four other models of similar size. Each shop vac is put through objective tests, then assigned a total score as well as separate ratings for wet and dry pickup performance, emissions and ease of use.

3. Ridgid Power Tools Forum
Comparing Craftsman 17764 with Ridgid shop vacs
Contributors to RidgidForum.com

Several users posting here recommend the similar Craftsman 17762 shop vac over competing Ridgid models, citing its 20-gallon capacity and the range of available accessories. The main point that's relevant to the 16-gallon Craftsman 17764 is that owners here say Ridgid shop vacs are quieter.

Also see full report: Shop Vacs