RYOBI Battery-Operated Wet-Dry Shop Vac Review
By Timothy Tibbettson 06/15/2023 |
I love having a shop vac around the house but hate plugging it in or dragging the long hose with me. RYOBI has entered the ShopVac game with 3 and 6-gallon battery-powered ShopVacs. How do they hold up against their electric-powered competition?
We spent most of our time with the 3-gallon vacuum because one of the most important uses for us was vacuuming out our vehicles. The 3-gallon vac is well designed and easy to carry. You can vacuum or reverse as a blower. We have yet to look at the owner's manual because it's so easy to use. The hose wraps up into the vacuum and stretches to 6-feet, about the same length as a traditional ShopVac, although pulling the hose the full length isn't as convenient as an already stretched hose. A Crevice Tool and Utility Nozzle are included again, similar to the competition.
We've come used to using this vacuum for cleaning out our cars, but the vacuum sounds about the same volume-wise, but with a louder whiny pitch. Because you have to stretch the house, the vacuum will usually be closer to you than a traditional ShopVac would be, and that might be the reason.
Changing the battery or cleaning the filter is easy. The battery pops in and out on the top of the vacuum housing. The filter sits conveniently underneath the battery, and you open the vacuum similar to other shop vacs.
The big question we assume for everyone is, can this thing suck? Yes, it can, and it's impressive for a battery-powered vac, but a little short of their electric competition, and even some battery-powered vacuums. For example, the Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM) is 45, while comparable electric vacuums of the same size have roughly 62 CFM. While this might not seem like a big difference, it does mean that the RYOBI vac is about 30% weaker than the plug-in competition. Step up to the 6-gallon RYOBI vac, and you'll get 80 CFM; however, that's now half the CFM of a comparable electric vacuum.
Most online reviewers love this vacuum, but most reviewers say the vacuum has good suction, without comparing the CFM differences. Still, for lighter duty shop vac needs, the RYOBI vac is convenient and easy to use. Many of the RYOBI products have been more than adequate around our household, and the RYOBI vacuum is no exception. If I had to do this all over, I would have purchased the larger, 6-gallon vacuum.
We spent most of our time with the 3-gallon vacuum because one of the most important uses for us was vacuuming out our vehicles. The 3-gallon vac is well designed and easy to carry. You can vacuum or reverse as a blower. We have yet to look at the owner's manual because it's so easy to use. The hose wraps up into the vacuum and stretches to 6-feet, about the same length as a traditional ShopVac, although pulling the hose the full length isn't as convenient as an already stretched hose. A Crevice Tool and Utility Nozzle are included again, similar to the competition.
We've come used to using this vacuum for cleaning out our cars, but the vacuum sounds about the same volume-wise, but with a louder whiny pitch. Because you have to stretch the house, the vacuum will usually be closer to you than a traditional ShopVac would be, and that might be the reason.
Changing the battery or cleaning the filter is easy. The battery pops in and out on the top of the vacuum housing. The filter sits conveniently underneath the battery, and you open the vacuum similar to other shop vacs.
The big question we assume for everyone is, can this thing suck? Yes, it can, and it's impressive for a battery-powered vac, but a little short of their electric competition, and even some battery-powered vacuums. For example, the Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM) is 45, while comparable electric vacuums of the same size have roughly 62 CFM. While this might not seem like a big difference, it does mean that the RYOBI vac is about 30% weaker than the plug-in competition. Step up to the 6-gallon RYOBI vac, and you'll get 80 CFM; however, that's now half the CFM of a comparable electric vacuum.
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Most online reviewers love this vacuum, but most reviewers say the vacuum has good suction, without comparing the CFM differences. Still, for lighter duty shop vac needs, the RYOBI vac is convenient and easy to use. Many of the RYOBI products have been more than adequate around our household, and the RYOBI vacuum is no exception. If I had to do this all over, I would have purchased the larger, 6-gallon vacuum.
