5. Wessex 18L Wet & Dry Vacuum – Best budget buy (UK only)
If you’re looking for a cheap wet and dry vacuum as a shop vac for a garage or another area of indoor/outdoor hard flooring, this Wessex model could be for you. It doesn’t clean floors with water or a cleaning solution. Instead, it’s just there for vacuuming up wet spills, dust and chunky debris.
It comes in three sizes: 18, 20 and 30 litres. We tested the 18-litre model on sawdust, dust, dirt, mud and on a water leak and found it to be powerful and effective. It has 18,000Pa of suction and comes with a main brush head, crevice tool and hose adapter that’ll connect to the outlet of some power tools. It has a 1.5m hose and 5m power cable.
You can use it on wet or dry spills but bear in mind that you’ll have to add or remove the bag, filter and a locking nut depending on the task, so it’s not as simple to use as pricier models. You can also use it as a blower, but that also requires adjustments.
As you’d expect from its price point, there are compromises where the build quality is concerned. It’s almost entirely plastic, there’s no angle adjustment on the floor brush and its bags are made from not-very-sturdy paper. You’ll be able to replace them with universal bags, although you can buy ones made for the vacuum from Toolstation for £4.98 for a three-pack.
This isn’t a buy-it-for-life model, but if you need something cheap, it’s a good option.
