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If you want to clean up the wood chippings in your shop after a woodworking project, you will need a shop vacuum cleaner – and not a regular vacuum cleaner!
A wet-dry shop vacuum cleaner boasts the ingenuity to clean up wet and dry messes from your shop floor, leaving the shop sparkly.
Some vacuums even have extended cleaning reach to clean every corner of your shop. And with their powerful suction power, you can be sure to remove every speck of dust and liquid spillages from the floor.
As such, they are worth investing in if you own a shop. Here’s our pick for the 4 most powerful shop vacs review.
But you want to invest in the most powerful shop vacuum cleaner to clean your shop excellently. The market has plenty of vacuum cleaners, and you can be sure to find a few substandard vacuums.
When looking for the best shop vacuum for your cleaning needs, you will consider a few features. And these features ensure you land the best deal on the market.
If you are looking for shop vacuum cleaners with incredible peak horsepower, you have come to the right place! We have rounded up some of the most powerful wet dry vacuums.
They might surpass your expectations with their excellent cleaning power as they boast a powerful motor performance.
We have even included a buyer’s guide, increasing your chances of buying the most powerful shop vacuum. So, be sure to read on for more information!
| Our Pick for the Most Powerful Shop Vacs | Product Information | Check Price |
|---|---|---|
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Top | Vacmaster Professional - Professional Wet/Dry Vac, 5 Gallon | Check Price |
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Top | Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet Dry Vacuum | Check Price |
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Top | Vacmaster VWMB508 0101 5 Gallon Wall-Mount Wet/Dry Vacuum with Remote Control Operation | Check Price |
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Top | CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 16 Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac, Heavy-Duty Shop Vacuum with Attachments | Check Price |
The 4 Most Powerful Shop Vacs
Vacmaster Professional – Professional Wet/Dry Vac, 5 Gallon
- 5 Gallon Polypropylene Tank
- 5. 5 Peak HP High Efficiency Motor
- Integrated Hose Storage
VACMASTER VFB511B0201 is an incredibly powerful vacuum cleaner for your shop. It features a motor with a peak horsepower of 5.5 HP to suck up water from the floor.
Due to this astounding suction power, this Vacmaster professional puts many wet dry vacuums to shame.
It features a collection tank that makes it clean wet and dry messes from the floor. This collection tank is rugged and boasts polypropylene material that makes it very durable.
The tank material resists corrosion excellently and withstands impact, making it handle the abuse from heavy-duty usage. What’s more, the tank has an impressive capacity of 5 gallons.
Therefore, you can clean the entire shop without stopping halfway through to empty the collection tank.
Besides vacuuming your wet and dry messes from the floor, this wet dry shop vac easily converts to a blower to blast ground-in dirt from the floor.
It features a blower port specifically for a blowing function. If you need a versatile wet dry shop vacuum, you should consider adding this to your auto shop.
The whole vacuum cleaner is compact, and it has a few intentional designs to thank. First, the integrated onboard storage allows you to keep the hose and the included accessories on this vacuum cleaner.
And this contributes to its compactness. Also, the cord storage for the 18-foot power cord makes the vacuum cleaner compact.
As a result of its compactness, the vacuum cleaner barely takes up space in your shop.
It is also very lightweight, 13.5 pounds for portability. At least moving it within the job site is effortless.
The vacuum cleaner has features that make it a powerful cleaning machine. It impresses with its excellent suction power, and you should consider buying it.
Manufacturer Vacmaster Professional
Model Number VFB511B0201
Product Dimensions 17.8 x 12.5 x 17.1 inches
Item Weight 13.5 lbs.
Horse Power 5.5
Special Features HEPA
Capacity 5 gallons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 5HP High Water Lift Motor. | The nozzle attachment scratches upholstery. |
| 5-gallon rugged tank. | It is a bit loud. |
| It converts to a blower. | |
| 4 Most Powerful Shop Vacs Reviews |
Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP
- POWERFUL & PORTABLE: This wet/dry vacuum has a 5-gallon stainless steel tank & a 4.5 peak horsepower motor. Maneuverable full circumference dolly, & top & side carry handles enhance its portability.
SHOP-VAC 5989500 is a contender earning its rightful place among the most powerful shop vacuums. Considering that it cleans with sufficient power, thanks to its 4.5 peak horsepower motor, it works wonders even in the messiest shop.
It is a truly powerful and portable shop vac for your cleaning needs.
That incredible power sucks up wet and dry messes from the floor. And this vacuum cleaner features a 5-gallon tank for collecting all the messes from your floor.
Besides the impressive collection tank capacity, the tank boasts stainless steel construction for durability. It resists rust and stains throughout the vacuum cleaner’s lifespan.
Therefore, this highly durable vacuum cleaner outperforms a regular vacuum cleaner.
Even though this is a vacuum cleaner, it also performs the function of a blower. And it’s pretty good at it.
It churns out an impressive airflow rate of 175 CFM, sufficient to blast tough, in-ground dirt from the surface. The unit features a 6-foot cord length for cleaning areas a bit far from your wall outlet.
The 7-foot hose gives you an extended reach, which is pretty standard.
The accessories include 3 extension wands, a crevice tool, gulper and floor nozzles, a filter bag, cartridge filter, and foam sleeve.
Since this 5-gallon wet dry vac includes all the necessary accessories, it gives your shop an all-around cleaning. Therefore, it is another excellent buy.
Manufacturer Shop-Vac
Model Number 5989300
Product Dimensions 14 x 14 x 21 inches
Item Weight 12 pounds
Horse Power 5.5
Special Features Bagged
Capacity 5 Gallon
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 5HP powerful suction. | It is challenging to assemble. |
| 175 CFM powerful blower. | The motor isn’t very durable. |
| 5-gallon stainless steel tank. | |
| 4 Most Powerful Shop Vacs Reviews |
Vacmaster VWMB508 0101 5 Gallon Wall-Mount Wet/Dry Vacuum
Error: Unknown Link TypeVACMASTER VWMB508 vacuum cleaner has one of the best cleaning reaches, making it a favorite vacuum cleaner for homeowners, shop owners, and garage owners.
Even if you mount this vacuum on a wall, it still reaches all the dirty spots with its 21-foot hose. But you want to unlock the maximum reach by plugging its 20-foot power cord into a far-away wall outlet to clean the entire shop or garage.
It also packs serious cleaning power, thanks to its 5HP motor. You will use the featured remote control to control the power output of this powerful vacuum cleaner.
Besides using the remote control to adjust the performance of the powerful motor, you can use it to control the blowing function.
Yes, your vacuum cleaner easily converts to a blower to blast ground-in dirt. And it includes a nozzle for use to blow away dead leaves and dust from your shop.
The blowing function is quite impressive as this vacuum boasts an incredible airflow rate of 110 CFM. This model features 4 cleaning nozzles for various cleaning modes like many other wet dry vacs.
You have a nozzle for wet pick-ups, and another nozzle for dry pick-ups, besides the crevice tool and blower nozzles. Therefore, this is a multi-functional vacuum cleaner.
The 5-gallon tank is spacious enough to handle your cleaning needs. Whether you want to clean your car seats or carpet, this vacuum cleaner meets your cleaning needs.
It is also relatively portable as it weighs 22 pounds. That means you can carry it across the worksite while barely using any effort.
Since it has the power and will to clean, you should consider adding it to your shop.
Manufacturer Cleva North America
Model Number VWMB508
Product Dimensions 21.2 x 13.3 x 20.7 inches
Item Weight 22 pounds
Horse Power 6
Special Features Wall mount
Capacity 5 Gallon
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 5HP cleaning power. | The motor isn’t very durable. |
| 110 CFM blower. | It is a bit heavy. |
| It features a remote control. | |
| 4 Most Powerful Shop Vacs Reviews |
CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 16 Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac
- HEAVY-DUTY: Powerful 6.5 Peak HP provides extra power for large projects in the garage, shop and on the jobsite
- BUILT-IN BLOWER PORT: Rear blowing port on this wet dry vac allows for quick cleaning of leaves and grass clippings in your garage and outdoors
This CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 vacuum cleaner boasts heavy-duty performance. And it’s easy to see why it is a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner. Right off the bat, it features a 6.5HP powerful motor.
This motor provides the extra power to suck up ground-in messes from the floor, leaving your shop sparkly.
This extra cleaning power makes it the vacuum cleaner of choice for messy shops and garages.
What’s more, it sucks up wet and dry messes. Since it is heavy-duty, it features a 16 gallons tank to handle the most demanding cleaning tasks.
With such an incredible collection tank capacity, you will not stop halfway through to empty the tank. That means you can complete cleaning your shop in a short time.
Once the vacuum cleaner locks on dirt, it never lets up, sucking everything in its cleaning path.
The 7-foot hose and 20-foot power cord give you excellent cleaning reach. As a result, you will clean every corner of your shop without plugging the vacuum into another wall outlet.
As you’d expect from a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner, it features a rear port for blowing grimes from your shop.
If your shop has leaves and grass clippings, you will appreciate the massive power of your blower vacuum cleaner.
The drain port on the tank is oversized for fast tank drainage. The cleaning hose features the brand’s DUAL-FLEX TECHNOLOGY, making it very flexible to resist kinking.
And this works to make the unit more durable. The Hepa filter traps micros from the air to ensure the air exiting via the exhaust port is clean for breathing.
If you want massive cleaning power for your oversized garage, you should consider buying this heavy-duty vacuum cleaner.
Manufacturer Emerson Tool Company
Model Number CMXEVBE17595
Product Dimensions 21.03 x 23.8 x 26.7 inches
Item Weight 26 pounds
Horse Power 6.5
Special Features Heavy-Duty
Capacity 16 Gallon
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 5HP powerful motor. | Unsupportive customer support. |
| 16-gallon collection tank. | The handle breaks easily. |
| Dual-flex cleaning hose. | |
| 4 Most Powerful Shop Vacs Reviews |
How To Buy the Most Powerful Shop Vacuum on The Market
When buying a vacuum cleaner for your shop, you will choose from a market with plenty of vacuum cleaners.
Since not all vacuum cleaners on the market are best for your shop, you will want to choose one vacuum cleaner carefully.
But this requires a buying guide. If you want the best vacuum cleaner for your shop, you will check for the following features:
The Suction Power
The suction power affects the cleaning performance of a shop vacuum cleaner. If the suction power is insufficient, your vacuum cleaner will clean with insufficient power.
As such, you want to pick a vacuum cleaner with sufficient suction power.
Manufacturers express the suction power in Air Watts (AW) or horsepower (HP).
If you see these numbers in the specifications of a vacuum cleaner, then you know it is the connotation for the suction power.
The higher the HP or AW rating, the higher the suction power. And the higher the cleaning power. Therefore, you want to pick vacuum cleaners with higher Air Watt or Horsepower ratings.
Air Watt ratings range from 100 AW – 200 AW. You should pick a higher Air Watt rating if you want unmatched cleaning power.
But suction power in HP varies and peaks at 10HP. The more HP rating you select, the higher the suction power.
So, consider looking for more HP ratings for excellent cleaning power.
CFM Rating
Vacuum cleaners could double up as blowers. Since the airflow rate in CFM defines the power of a blower, you want to check for the CFM rating before buying a vacuum cleaner.
The CFM refers to the airflow rate in cubic feet per minute. The higher the CFM rating, the more air a blower gives in a given time.
If a blower boasts a high CFM rating, it blasts ground-in dirt with sufficient power, leaving the floor sparkly and dust-free.
For this reason, you want to check for high CFM ratings.
The CFM rating could be as high as 200 CFM. The higher the CFM rating, the higher the cleaning power.
If you want a vacuum cleaner that blows all the grass and leaves clippings away, you should look for over 100 CFM.
Such a vacuum cleaner will convert to a powerful blower to remove all the messes from your floor by blowing them away.
The Tank Capacity
A shop vacuum cleans wet and dry messes from your shop floor by sucking them up. The sucked-in debris ends up in a collection tank.
You will then empty this tank via its drainage port. Therefore, the tank is an essential component of any vacuum cleaner.
For this reason, you want to check its capacity before buying a vacuum cleaner.
An extra-large tank capacity is ideal for heavy-duty shop cleaning. If your shop is spacious, you want a vacuum cleaner that cleans its entire floor without stopping halfway through to empty the tank.
The tank capacity is usually in gallons, and the more gallonage, the larger the collection tank. Therefore, consider more gallonage.
You can choose a tank capacity ranging from 5 – 20 gallons. If your shop is large, you want more gallons, probably 20 gallons!
Wet and Dry Vacuuming
Your shop could have wet and dry messes that you want to clean. Wet messes could include oil splatter, and dry messes might include dust and dirt.
When shopping for a vacuum cleaner for your shop, you want a unit that cleans wet and dry messes from your floor excellently.
As such, you should buy a wet dry shop vac.
A wet dry shop vacuum sucks up all the messes, both wet and dry. As a result, it leaves your shop clean and mess-free. Since your shop is bound to have wet and dry messes, you should invest in a wet dry shop vacuum.
You will be sure to leave your floor sparkly if you buy a wet dry vacuum cleaner for your shop.
Air Filtration
Your vacuum cleaner sucks in vast amounts of air that picks up wet and dry messes from your floor. This air will exit the vacuum cleaner at some point via the exhaust port.
The air filter traps the collected dust and dirt, preventing them from exiting the vacuum together with the air exiting the vacuum.
As a result, your vacuum cleaner will only blow out clean air for breathing. The filter is a crucial component of a vacuum cleaner, and you want to ensure it is high-quality.
Hepa filter is the best air filtration system for a vacuum cleaner since it is 99.97% efficient.
That means it traps even the tiniest microns in the air, leaving the air exiting via the exhaust port clean and breathable.
Therefore, consider wet dry shop vacs featuring Hepa filters.
Cleaning Reach
A vacuum cleaner can only clean a given floor space area. But this depends on the hose and power cord lengths.
The length of your vacuum cleaner’s hose and power cord affect its cleaning reach. If these two components are more extended, your vacuum cleaner will reach every corner of your shop.
As such, you want to consider the length of the vacuum cleaner’s power cord and hose.
You want to opt for as much cleaning reach as possible if your shop is large.
Some vacuum cleaners boast a 40-foot cleaning reach. Of course, you can find some models beating this cleaning reach, and they are the vacuum cleaners to pick.
The Cleaning Attachments
A wet dry vacuum cleaner cleans well with the necessary cleaning attachments.
You want to check the cleaning attachments to ensure they clean your shop effectively.
You want to have some essential cleaning tools: crevice tools for tight spaces, a dusting brush for cleaning dust and dirt particles from the floor, and an upholstery tool.
The Noise Level
Usually, the motor creates powerful suction for powerful shop cleaning. But the motor produces sound when it’s functioning.
Since louder sounds can be a nuisance, you want to pick a vacuum cleaner keeping the noise level to a minimum.
Before buying a vacuum cleaner, you should check its decibels rating to know how loud it is.
Since units producing less than 50 decibels (dBA) are generally quieter, you should pick vacuum cleaners keeping the noise level below 50 dBA.
Your vacuum cleaner will quietly clean your busy shop while not disrupting your peaceful employees.
Portability
After checking for all the essential features, you want to ensure your favorite vacuum cleaner requires less effort to transport.
If that is your goal, you should buy a unit weighing fewer pounds. Keeping it below 10 pounds could make your vacuum cleaner ultra-lightweight for unmatched portability.
Therefore, buy a vacuum cleaner that weighs fewer pounds.
FAQs
Are there cordless shop vacuum cleaners?
Yes, you can find a cordless wet dry shop vacuum cleaner that’s as powerful as a corded model. Check out Makita XCV11Z if you don’t want to deal with a power cord.
The vacuum cleaner features a 2-gallon tank, impressive running time, and a 57 CFM airflow rate.
You can find other powerful cordless shop vacs for your cleaning needs. So, consider going cordless if you want to clean your shop during a power outage.
How much suction power does a shop vacuum have?
Shop vacuum cleaners vary in design, meaning you can find some models boasting more cleaning power than other modes.
But generally speaking, their suction power ranges from 100 Air Watts to 200 Air Watts. The higher the AW (Air Watts) rating, the higher the suction power.
And the better the cleaning performance. As such, you want to look for more AW ratings for better cleaning performances.
How long does a shop vacuum cleaner last?
Shop vacuum cleaners are like other cleaning machines, meaning they have a service life. At some point, they will stop working, and you will replace your vacuum cleaner.
But they tend to take between 5 and 7 years to serve you excellently. You will then have to replace them after this period.
So, consider caring for your shop vacuum cleaner to extend its service life to 7 years!
Can I use my shop vacuum without a filter?
Yes, you can vacuum your shop even if your vacuum cleaner has no filter. But you want to do this in an open space.
The filter does an important job of trapping microns in the air. If your vacuum cleaner has no filter, dirt and micros will fly back into the air, posing potential health risks.
Therefore, you want to use your shop vacuum cleaner after installing the air filter.
Wrap Up
After buying the most powerful wet dry shop vacuum, you will keep your worksite clean and sparkly. It is safer to work in a tidy worksite. And that’s a reason to clean your shop.
The most powerful shop vacuum will work excellently to keep your shop looking its best.
We hope finding the best shop vacuum is easier than before since we have rounded up some of the best models for you.
We have even included a guide with a few factors to consider before splashing your hard-earned cash.
That should increase your chances of finding the best deal when shopping for wet dry vacuums for your shop.
Invest in the most powerful shop vacuum to keep your shop tidy and professional-looking.
