CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 16 Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Wet Dry Shop Vacuum

Why it's worth it

The CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 gives you 16 gallons and a 6.5 peak-HP motor, the largest and highest-rated combination in this guide. It also has a rear blower port and an oversized drain, and the box includes the filter, dust bag, hose and a full set of nozzles.

Sixteen gallons means you stop far less often. On a drywall tear-out or a full garage cleanout, that's the difference between four dump runs and one. Owners who bought this after struggling with a compact vac describe the capacity as the thing that changed the job. If your typical mess fills more than a couple of gallons, the extra drum pays for itself in time you don't spend walking to the trash.

The blower port turns it into a second tool. Flip the hose to the rear port and it clears leaves and grass clippings off a garage floor or a deck in a fraction of the time a broom takes. Neither the DEWALT nor the Milwaukee here does that. If your fall routine already involves moving a pile of leaves, this saves you a separate machine.

From our review of 8 wet/dry shop vacuums, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +Sixteen gallons means you stop far less often
• +The blower port turns it into a second tool
• +The 2-1/2-inch hose swallows debris that clogs narrower ones
• +Everything you need comes in the box

What to know

• –A full 16-gallon drum of water is genuinely heavy
• –The warranty is three years, not lifetime
• –Long-term build quality trails the pricier picks