Vacmaster Wet/Dry Vacuums (VBV1210 and Beast Series) Review – A 2023 Deep Dive

A Deep Dive Into The Vacmaster VBV1210, 2-in-1 Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum with Detachable Blower

Vacmaster is the most popular brand on Amazon specializing in vacuum cleaners, with a broad-ranging line that provides cleaning solutions for all areas, both inside and outside the home. The Vacmaster VBV1210 model is one of the most versatile wet/dry vacs around and features as the top pick among heavy-duty, 12-gallon models.

Wet/dry vacuums, also called shop vacuums, are in a whole different league compared to simple vacuum cleaners because they can handle both wet and dry cleanup jobs. Whether you have to suck water out of a flooded basement, fallen leaves from your garden, or piles of sawdust from your workshop, it can sweep it all in. Cleaning has never been more convenient.

When we looked through the best vacuum cleaners available in the market, Vacmaster reviews showed it to be the most popular line of vacuums. The Vacmaster VBV1210 2-in-1 shop vacuum was recommended most frequently to have the best value for price overall.

Today we will deep dive into the Vacmaster VBV1210 and all the reasons it might (or might not) be a good product for your needs.

Who’s It For?

This 12-gallon wet/dry vacuum is best suited for all sorts of tasks around the home or shop. Although it is made for domestic use, it can handle heavy-duty tasks without the slightest complaint. Thus it can be used by people who provide professional cleaning services too.

It is the ideal option for home and shop owners who want the least hassle, and an all-in-one cleaner/blower that they can count on for everything.

The blower function wasn’t just added as an afterthought and it works just as well as any standalone blower. You don’t need to buy a separate one once you have this smart contraption!

This vacuum is for you if you:

• Need a hassle-free, all-in-one cleaning solution for both indoors and outdoors.
• Need something lightweight for domestic use, but that can also do heavy-duty work and tackle tough debris.
• Have a yard or garage/workshop where a blower function would be a lifesaver.
• Have children and you find yourself frequently dealing with wet messes. You will also need a good wet vacuum if you are faced with frequent flooding in your house.

This vacuum can help clean your clogged drains, and even a pool if you have one! It is for someone who is looking for a high-quality, one-time investment that can solve most of their cleaning needs.

This vacuum is probably not for you if:

• You need a vacuum cleaner for dedicated tasks like dry floor cleaning. Wet/dry vacs are not the best at cleaning carpets and upholstery. A regular one could do the job better at a moderate price.
• You do not have a yard or a garage where you’d need to use a blower, or you already own a decent standalone blower. The blower feature in the VBV1210 would be a complete waste of money then.

In short, make sure you only buy the Vacmaster VBV1210 if you can put all of its variable features to good use. If you need a floor and carpet cleaner, a regular vacuum with a motorized brush attachment will do the job much more thoroughly (Wet/dry vacs don’t come with motorized brushes because they have to deal with water).

What We Like About The Vacmaster VBV1210 Shop Vac

Without a doubt, the best feature we like about the Vacmaster VBV1210 is that it is such a great all-rounder, allowing users to switch between a vacuum cleaner and a hand-held blower with the press of a button. And it does both jobs equally well!

The blower is easily detachable, and we love that because no one would want to drag along the whole heavy tank while blowing leaves in the yard. It has a 19-foot maximum reach in general, so you can clean large areas within the locality of a single power outlet.

It is powerful, with a 5 peak horsepower motor and a blowing speed of 210MPH. Most people would only ever need a 3.5 to 5 peak HP motor in a wet/dry cleaner, so this one, lying on the upper end, classifies as a very powerful one. Its suction strength is high enough to clean thick carpets and furniture, fast. For wet jobs, it is reported to suck up 1.36 gallons of water in 10 seconds!

Another of its buy-worthy features is its huge tank capacity. It is not even that heavy for a tank that can actually take 12 gallons! This makes it great for long-haul jobs, such as pumping out water from a flooded basement. You won’t have to empty out the tank as many times as other wet vacuum cleaners, which usually have smaller tanks. The drain port is also extra-large; it can empty out the 12 gallons in less than a minute.

Note that, even with that 12-gallon storage, it is quite portable, and aided by wheels for movement.

Lastly, it is such a good value for the price with multiple accessories like nozzles and filters included in the main packaging. It even has onboard accessory storage so you can store everything in one place.

What We Don’t Like About The Vacmaster VBV1210 Shop Vac

Admittedly, we find the size of the vacuum a bit big for home use. It cannot be stored away inconspicuously indoors; it wouldn’t fit in regular-sized closets. So you need a place to store the bulky body outside.

Though fairly priced under $100, it is still on the higher-end because of the many features it has. Although it would save you money if you were to buy it for all of its features, it is not recommended if you are looking for a simple vacuum cleaner or are on a budget.

 

 

What’s Included?

The list of accessories included in the packaging is so long that it’s too good to believe for this price:

• 7’ long, 2.5’’ diameter hose
• 2 extension wands
• Utility nozzle
• Car nozzle
• Concentrator nozzle
• Crevice tool
• Blower adaptor
• Cartridge filter for dry debris
• Foam filter for liquids

It really is a full package!

Overview Of Features

• To sum up, an overall list of features for this vac:
• 5 peak HP motor
• 2-in-1 function, easily convertible to a blower
• 210 MPH, detachable blower
• Huge 12-gallon canister
• Extra-large drain port
• Integrated, onboard storage
• Color: blue
• Weight: 17 pounds (bit heavy)
• 12’ power cord, 7’ hose (total 19’ cleaning reach)
• Large, dust-sealed on/off switch
• 7’ x 2.5’’ hose
• Hose, extension wand, nozzles, and filters included in the package

Review Summary

All in all, the Vacmaster VBV1210 Convertible Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum and Blower is the most versatile wet/dry vac out there for home and shop owners. It is your one-stop cleaning solution, and yet, the large number of features do not take a toll on performance or power. Other than the slightly bulky size, there is hardly anything to detract from it.

Although we do not recommend replacing your regular cleaner with this completely (because a regular vacuum with motorized brushes can deep clean carpets and upholstery better), we definitely recommend it if you need a multipurpose cleaning device. This shop vac might suffice as the only cleaning device you need to keep in the house.

It has been voted the top pick for powerful wet/dry vacuum cleaners among users on Amazon – the best in the 12-gallon capacity – and that says a lot!

A Deep Dive Into The Vacmaster Professional 5-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac, Beast Series

Vacmaster has a wide-ranging line of vacuum cleaners, each built for different end-users. While the last wet/dry vac we reviewed from this brand, the VBV1210, was made for home use and for garages and shops, the Professional Beast series is designed for professional use outdoors- at job sites. (You can still use it in the garage too!)

Since this one is also a wet/dry vacuum, it can suck up both dry debris and liquid mess. But what’s different, is that it is more robust and thick-skinned to bear the bumps and blows in an open environment. It is also more portable so that it can be carried around easily by workmen. Interestingly, it has been voted by users as the best wet/dry vac for car detailing as well.

Who’s It For?

This 5-gallon wet/dry vacuum has a tank on the medium-small end, but it really is a “beast” performance-wise, in this low-capacity class. Because of its amazing power, it is a great tool for professionals.

With its small size and lightweight, it has been specifically engineered for people who are on the go. This makes it the best suited for people doing cleanup at job sites. However, the specs do explicitly say that it is also a great tool for shop owners to use around the shop or for cleaning up garages and workshops.

This vacuum is for you if:

• You are looking for a portable cleaning solution for the outdoors.
• Your primary preference is power overcapacity.

This makes it ideal for cleaning up your vehicle as well, as you can easily carry it outside whenever you need it, and it also comes with a special car nozzle to help you clean between the seats.

This vacuum is probably not for you if you:

• Need a vacuum cleaner just for home use. You don’t need to pay the extra price for high power and a tough build.
• Seek a higher capacity for big jobs and long drawn out tasks like removing flood water.
• Only want a workaround for dry debris and do not need the wet option.

In short, the 5-gallon Vacmaster professional is ideally suited for jobs that require a lot of moving around, and high power.

What We Like About The Vacmaster Professional 5-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac

This vac from Vacmaster’s Beast series stands true to its name. It is a high-performance, powerful vacuum cleaner, with a 5.5 peak horsepower motor, suction pressure of 82.6’’ water lift, and flow rate of 102 CFM. The 5.5 peak HP is a nice average of the 5 and 6 HP motors we see in powerful vacs. It boasts very high water lift and CFM figures though. Of course, you can get more suction power than this from some bigger models, but when the goal is portability, this one bests others of its size in power.

The Vacmaster Professional, like most shop vacs nowadays, has a blower function too, although this is not the main purpose it was built for. This function can really come in handy at job sites and in garages for blowing away sawdust etc. So it is an all-rounder, with a blower port that allows for easy conversion into a blower.

It has an 18-foot-long power cord which, combined with the 7-foot hose, gives a total 25 feet of cleaning reach. This is great for covering a large radius without having to move the tank around much.

We’ve mentioned how this machine is expressly engineered to bear harsh outdoor conditions like a pro; its rugged polypropylene tank is both corrosion and impact resistant. No knocks and bruises can faze this vac so easily.

The feature we love most is how light this vac is to carry around. That does mean a smaller tank size, but we’re not really complaining! It also has a really sturdy handle fitted on top for hand-carrying.

Just like most other vacs in the Vacmaster line, this one also comes with a long list of accessories for different purposes. These include a hose, extension wand, nozzles, and filters of different types. The cord and all other accessories can be stored on-board, in one place, and within reach.

And the best part? It comes with a 5-year limited warranty!

What We Don’t Like About The Vacmaster Professional 5-Gallon Wet/Dry Vac

We do have some reservations about this vacuum. First off, the small-sized canister can be a disadvantage if one needs to do a big job. But then again, we have got to compromise a little here for the lightweight advantage.

The on-board storage leaves a little to be desired. The cord wrap tabs do a satisfactory job of keeping the power cord out of the way, but the hose holder design could use more thought. On-board storage is not the most secure and compactly built for all the various accessories it comes with.

This vac is moderately priced, but not very budget-friendly, especially for a vac of this size.

 

 

What’s Included?

You’ll get a pleasant surprise when you open the packaging because it includes all the extra accessories and attachments you might need.

• 7’ x 1-7/8” Kink Resistant EVA Hose
• Utility Nozzle
• Car Nozzle
• Crevice Tool
• 1 Extension Wand
• Fine Dust Cartridge Filter
• Foam Wet Filter
• High-Efficiency Dust Bag
• Air/Noise Diffuser

We doubt you will have to buy any accessories separately; this vac comes fully equipped!

Overview Of Features

To sum up, an overall list of features for this vac:

• 5.5 peak HP, high-efficiency motor
• Best-in-class suction strength with 102 CFM and 82.6’’ water lift
• Small 5-gallon tank capacity
• Integrated, onboard storage
• Rugged polypropylene tank
• Color: black
• Weight: 13.5 pounds (very light)
• 18’ power cord, 7’ x 1-7/8’’ kink-resistant hose (total 25’ cleaning reach)
• Has a blower port
• Large, dust-proof on/off switch
• Hose, extension wand, nozzles, and filters included in the package

Review Summary

Although it’s not the cheapest of the lot, when looking for a portable wet/dry vac, the Vacmaster Professional 5-gallon model from the Beast series beats other similar-sized vacuum cleaners with its performance. Users particularly recommend it as a great vac for cleaning your vehicle.

Remember that you might not be satisfied with the inept on-board storage and have to store some accessories off-board.

But, all in all, it’s a great one for outdoor use, and a best-seller on Amazon to top it off.