We realize that we’ve been inundating all of you with shop vacuums for the last few weeks. Well, you’d better get used to it, because we’re not done yet. This week, however, rather than the same old predictable design, we’ve got something a little bit different. Fresh off our Best Shop Vac article, the DeWalt 4-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac. This toolbox-sized vac not only has the power to take care of business, but it also packs up neatly when it’s done cleaning up. Let’s take a look!
Notable Features
4-Gallon Canister: This model falls on the smaller side of our wet/dry vac spectrum, but it really is ideal for quicker, smaller cleanups. Its size makes it super portable, so you won’t have to try and juggle an awkward shape and a bunch of accessories when you need to move from one cleanup to the next.
Blower: A quick repositioning of the hose allows the DeWalt 4-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac to transition into a low-power blower. Every model we looked at in our buying guide includes this feature, so it’s not unique.
Hose Management: The DeWalt 4-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac comes with an extendable 2′ – 7′ flexible hose. In what is probably the most thoughtful storage design from any of the models we tested, this shop vacuum has a small storage bay where the hose wraps up and stores away into. Since the hose collapses in by design, it’s able to fit in a much smaller space than other shop vacuums.
Cord Management: This wet/dry vac comes with a 20′ cord. With a cord this size on a unit this small, there is plenty of potential for storage to go wrong. That’s not the case here. The cord wraps neatly around some beefy tabs at the back of the unit.
Accessory Storage: Just like the last two points, DeWalt does a bang-up job of designing secure places to store away the vac’s accessories. Side mounts hold the extension wands in place, while a panel at the back of the unit opens up to store the nozzles away.
Included in Kit
- 2 extension wands
- Cartridge filter
- Utility nozzle
- Crevice nozzle
Performance
5 horsepower is a solid motor for the 4-gallon class. It’s able to produce 90 CFM, which is plenty for cleanup on hard surfaces as well as your vehicles.
50″ of water lift is about what we expect, but on the low side of the overall wet/dry vac spectrum when you look at it as a whole. That shows in our pull force test, where the DeWalt 4-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac pulls just 2 pounds, 14 ounces. That’s on par with Shop Vac, but more than 2 pounds less than our Vacmaster Beast. Unsurprisingly, it’s also quite a bit less than any of the larger sizes.
Pricing
The DeWalt 4-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac punches in at what feels like a steep price of $100. Of course, like so many things in this life, you get what you pay for. With this price, you’re getting a really well-built, well-designed, highly maneuverable shop vacuum with a good amount of power. Additionally, that price includes DeWalt’s 3-Year Warranty for added peace of mind. While it is more than others in the same class, it’s also very clearly a step or two higher in quality.
Final Thoughts
One of my biggest complaints about any shop vac or dust extractor nearly always boils down to hose, cord, and accessory storage. DeWalt handles all of these masterfully in their 4-gallon design. Like the other vacs in this lineup, there’s a noticeable move forward in quality between DeWalt and the other guys. That’s a big part of why the price is higher as well.
Looking at the overall package, I’d be willing to sacrifice some of the 90 CFM to bring in more water lift. Aside from that, there’s really not much to complain about.
DeWalt 4-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac Specs
- Model: DeWalt DXV04T
- Motor: 5 HP
- Canister Size: 4-Gallon
- Hose Diameter: 1-7/8″
- Hose Length: 7′
- CFM: 90 Max
- Water Lift: 50″
- Warranty: 3 years limited
- Price: $99.99
