Recently I found myself in need of a third Shop Vacuum. That’s right I need all three for all different uses. Already owning the Craftsman 1 hp Portable Vac and Shop-Vac Hanging Vac, one would think that my Shop Vacuum needs were all met but that could not have been farther from the truth. While cleaning my coal and wood pellet stove this past year, I realized that I need a bit larger Vacuum to tackle all of the dust and dirt coming from the stove’s interior. The coal stove with its ash and dust, and the pellet stove with it’s powdery residue were far too much for the Portable Vac to handle and my hanging Shop-Vac is used specifically for dust collection and sawdust pickups in my shop. I decided to look at Sears and try to find a small to medium sized Vacuum with the features that I wanted. Well, my plans changed very quickly, when my wife got wind of them. It seems she had designs on a better bigger Vacuum for cleaning jobs around the house also. She had her specs and I had mine. Could we comprise and find a Vacuum that both of us could live with? The answer was yes and the Craftsman 3 h.p. 6 gal. Wet/Dry Vac.

Features and Specs For Both Of Us.
This Vacuum kind of looks like a miniature version of R2D2 from Star Wars, and is about 12” wide by 17” long by 17” high. It has a 3 horsepower motor and 6 gallon capacity with the whole unit weighing about 22 pounds. The Vacuum is made almost entirely of a hard plastic material, which seems quite durable. The attachments are 2 1/2“ size, and are fairly standard. You get a 7 ft. hose, two 20 1/2“ extension wands, and a 8 1/2” utility nozzle, which all fit on a built-in storage area. The hose attachment uses the Roto-Lok system, which locks the hose in place but allows the inside to rotate. The filter and foam sleeve are also provided. This vacuum also has a rear blower port, and 4 double casters for easy movement. The push button on/off switch is sealed, and there is a handy handle on the top for easy carrying. The cord length is a very short 6 ft. long, but there is a storage area on the unit for it.

What We Like.
This vacuum is very powerful, and still lightweight enough to carry around the house to do those odd jobs. My Wife seems to be using it more for her household jobs, such as cleaning furniture, drapes, even stairs. I like it for cleaning our stoves, basement, and general overall cleanup. The utility nozzle is wide enough to pick up almost anything that you can throw at it, and the extensions save my back from constant bending. Also these extensions work great for clean around your ceilings. The Roto-Lok 2 1/2” hose system is a wonderful feature that makes side to side movement much easier and you don’t have to worry about the hose coming out of the unit. Having the attachments right on the vacuum is also a plus, but well more on that later. The blower feature is nice for cleaning dust and dirt from very tight spots and blowing out unreachable spots in my stove. We have not used this unit for wet uses yet, but I have on doubt that it will perform well.

What We Did Not Like.
The Roto-Lok system is wonderful, but Sears choose to attach is it at a 45 degree angle facing up and to the front. The problem with this is very simple, the unit tips over to the front way too easily even with the four casters. To make things worse when it does tip over, you need to shut down the vacuum to make sure all the dust and dirt is settled to the bottom. The major thing to remember when pulling this vacuum is pull it by the hose about halfway back. This is sometimes hard to do, but after a few tip overs it becomes a bit easier to keep in mind. Also when the attachments are in place the vacuum becomes a lot more cumbersome. Most times it seems that the attachments are found separate from the unit. A major glaring omission in the attachment area is a crevice nozzle. I don’t know about most of you, but I use a crevice tool more than any other end for almost all of my jobs. Luckily Sears has them for sale for a decent price of $7.99, so I bought one immediately. Also my Wife has complained about the hose being a bit cumbersome for her smaller hands, but to this I say “It’s a Shop Vacuum not a household canister vacuum.” The only other complaint I have is that the cord is about 10 ft too short. A 6 ft cord is not long enough for any vacuum in my opinion.

Does this Vacuum Satisfy Us?
My answer is a reserved Yes. I really can’t fault the vacuum for it’s operation. I think the problems are mainly design flaws that Sears could have easily fixed or remedied. Even with these flaws the vacuum performs up to my Wife and my satisfactions, which is a task that is very hard to do. The fact that my Wife seems to be using this vacuum more than her Oreck or the other portable Craftsman tells me that for her it seems like we made the right decision. As for me, my uses for this vacuum are a bit more few and far between. I clean my stoves and the basement twice to three times a year, and other jobs such as sweeping our cars and quick cleanups are done with the portable vacuum. I do recommend this vacuum, but be aware of the flaws and attachment omission. The tip over problem is something that I can deal with using the method I mentioned before. And since I only paid about $36 for this unit, another $8 for the crevice tool isn’t so bad. So all in all, this vacuum gets the Steelfan and Mrs. Steelfan seal of approval.

Craftsman Portable 1 hp 2 gal. Wet/Dry Vac Review:
http://www.epinions.com/content_113754803844

Shop-Vac 5 gal. 4-1/2 hp Hanging Wet-Dry Vac Review:
http://www.epinions.com/content_73504689796

Thanks for reading my reviews!!!!
Steelfan


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 35.99