The big sweep.(wet/dry cleaners)(Buyers Guide)

Unlike their genteel house-vac cousins, wet/dry vacuums are meant for life's meaner tasks. Their place is typically in the basement workshop or garage, where their multigallon capacities and appetite for sawdust, wood chips, spilled liquids, and other rough stuff make them right at home. Lately, manufacturers have been plugging their smallest, portable models for kitchen duty: draining a clogged sink, sucking up soda, or picking up broken glass.

Wet/dry vacs make poor housemates, however. Even the quietest are as loud as the noisiest household models. And while their high-pitched whine is more annoying than dangerous, one model in this report--the Genie SV10-300-20Q--was loud enough for us to recommend ear protection.

Wet/dry vacuums also tend to spew fine dust into the air. That may be a particular problem if you have allergies or other respiratory conditions. Special high-efficiency filters are available for most units, though not for the small portables companies are pushing for use around the house (see "Clearing the Air: High-Efficiency Filters," page 34).

Still, a wet/dry vac's proclivity for bulky and watery waste helps explain why these outsized picker-uppers sell in the millions each year. We divided the 23 models in this report into four groups: large, with a claimed canister capacity of 16 to 20 gallons; medium, 10 to 14 gallons; small, 6 to 8 gallons; and portable, 1 to 2 gallons.

SIZING THEM UP

More oomph is usually better--but horsepower can be misleading. Power claims range from 1 hp for one of the portables to more than 6 hp for the largest units. A higher number tends to equal better performance. But because the numbers denote peak horsepower, rather than actual output while in use, they serve mainly as a guide for comparing models within a brand or size group--not as absolutes to compare among brands. For example, the large Sears Craftsman 17790 and small Ridgid WD 600--CR Best Buys--outscored models from other brands with higher power claims.

Hoses: Wider wins hands down. Even the most powerful motor can't perform well if a narrow hose chokes it off. Most wet/dry vacs come with accessories and a hose in one of two diameters: 114 or 212 inches. While all models picked up small wood shavings, chips, and sawdust, those with the larger hose sucked up light dry and wet debris faster and, often, more thoroughly.