WALLY WURLD TOOL ALERT: Hart SS DirtSucker for 30 Bux https://www.walmart.com/ip/HART-8-Gallon-6-Peak-HP-Stainless-Steel-Wet-Dry-Vacuum-VOC812SW-3701/106550327This is for my fellow eevBloggers here in the states; a clearance sale you might be able to get in on if you're lucky and one of your local Wal-Marts has one or two still available for sale online.
Wally Wurld recently issued a price rollback on their most expensive Hart Shop-Vac; so when this came through my inbox yesterday, I jumped on it. They didn't have any in the store to buy in person (I drove right over and checked), but the website said my local store had 4 that could be purchased online for pickup next day, and the checkout promised they would substitute another unit of equal value if they didn't have it. So I bought and sure enough, got the email while I was out doing other errands that it was ready for pickup.
In case you don't know, Hart is WalMart's current "Value Line" of Chinesium housewares and tools; their answer to B&D repeatedly getting
by Horror Fraught.
I'm not sure if they're disco-ing the whole HART product line, or if just their dirtsuckers. I've actually shopped similar-looking units (as in, I'm sure it's exactly the same thing with other colors and name on it) sporting the Stanley and Craftsman brands for $120-140.
This one has of course the primary attraction of a stainless-steel tank, but other things made me look twice too:
Tank Drain (so many of the budget Shop-Vacs omit this now) to dump water with some measure of control
Great big 140mm wheels on back so it actually rolls in the shop & on the driveway
Nice big tilt handle like real industrial equipment
2-inch hose: I consider this a reasonable compromise between 3-inch "real Shop-Vac" hose and the 1 1/8-inch hose usually provided with the budget models
Reasonable power for size: 6A Peak/LRA is pretty average; but rated 11.5A at 120V is pretty much exactly same as my "real" Shop-Vacs. Almost 2HP
Tall format means okay for shop use, but should still be very handle-able for cleaning stairs.
Things I found once I got it home and fondled it:
Ooodles of suction, but moderate noise thanks to huge 7-inch dia x 6-inch pleated filter
Oversized rocker power switch with very light, smooth action
Good assortment of useful attachments, including a floor squeegee for the gulper nozzle that looks like it'll actually work
Assembly was very simple and straightforward even without RTFM; and all the bits for the wheels actually have screws to hold them in.
Bottom line of course is still the bottom line: How long will it last? For $30, I think it'll be hard not to get my money's worth.
mnem
*Shop-Vac suckage FTW*