REASONS TO BUY
Long runtime
HEPA filter
Blower option
REASONS TO AVOID
Awkward hose storage
Narrow end of hose diameter
No tool adapter
Craftsman CMCV002B Review
This do-it-all vacuum excels in wet work and battery life
Credit: amazon.com
Our Verdict
There are a lot of wet/dry vacs out there, but the Craftsman CMCV002B tops them all when it comes to general cleaning and in particular when removing liquids from hard surfaces and carpets. This machine comes with a HEPA filter to prevent the most insidious particles from blowing out the backend, and it has a float ball shut-off, so you know you won't fry your motor when doing wet clean-ups. Our only gripe about this unit is that its external hose storage makes it awkward to stack — a small price to pay for the performance on offer. See it ranked against other top products in our article on cordless wet dry vacuums.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Craftsman CMCV002B | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best All-Around Wet Dry Vacuum | Best Toolbox-Style Wet Dry Vacuum |  Best Bang for the Buck | A Great Value |  Best for Dust Collection |
| Price | $99 List $99.00 at Amazon | $150 List $121.00 at Amazon | $100 List | $119 List | $109 List |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This machine performed well across the board but particularly in wet clean-up and runtime | A compact, powerful tool that can handle just about anything | This competitively priced vacuum is powerful and efficient but lacks in battery life | An affordable vacuum that is tough on wet and dry messes | For capturing loose debris, this machine is a boss |
| Rating Categories | Craftsman CMCV002B | Milwaukee M18 0880-20 | Kobalt KWDV 0124B-03 | Ryobi P3240 | Ridgid WD0319 |
| Dry Work (40%) | |||||
| Wet Work (30%) | |||||
| Battery Life (20%) | |||||
| Convenience (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Craftsman CMCV002B | Milwaukee M18 0880-20 | Kobalt KWDV 0124B-03 | Ryobi P3240 | Ridgid WD0319 |
| Measured height x width x depth (inches) | 13" x 18 3/4" x 10 1/2" | 12" x 16 3/4" x 8 1/2" | 13" x 17 1/2" x 10 3/4" | 9 1/2" x 18 1/2" x 12" | 15 1/2" x 20 1/2" x 15 1/2" |
| Measured weight (w/o battery) | 7 pounds, 8 ounces | 10 pounds, 2 ounces | 10 pounds,12 ounces | 8 pounds, 6 ounces | 8 pounds, 3 ounces |
| Measured runtime (minutes) | 34 min | 23 min | 20 min | 19 min | 15 min |
| Measured hose length min/ max (inches) | 26" - 94" | 24" - 90 1/2" | 24" - 96" | 20 1/4" - 84" | 27" - 92" |
| Attachments | crevice nozzle, wide nozzle | crevice nozzle, floor nozzle | crevice nozzle, floor nozzle | utility nozzle, crevice tool | dusting brush, multi-purpose tool |
| End of hose diameter (inches) | 1" | 1" | 1 1/16" | 1" | 1 1/2" |
| HEPA rated filter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Canister volume (gallons) | 2 gal | 2 gal | 3 gal | 3 gal | 3 gal |
| Washable filter | Yes | Yes (dry only) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery (volts) | 20v | 18v | 24v | 18v | 18v |
| Measured suction (inches of water lift) | 19" | 25" | 22" | 22" | 29" |
| Battery life indicator on machine | On select batteries | On select batteries | On select batteries | On select batteries | On select batteries |
| Blower feature | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tool connection adaptor | No | Yes (sold seperately) | No | No | No |
| Auxiiary power cord | No | No | No | No | No |
| Dry sawdust clean-up (seconds) | 15 sec | 13 sec | 13 sec | 15 sec | 8 sec |
| Wet sawdust clean-up (seconds) | 42 sec | 36 sec | 51 sec | 42 sec | 15 sec |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
While there are several high-quality wet/dry vacuums on the market, we found that the Craftsman CMCV002B's general performance, wet cleanup capabilities, long battery life, and reasonable cost set it apart from the rest of the class. While we think that the external hose storage is a bit awkward, we were pleased with the stock HEPA filter and the liquid overflow shut-off that protects the electrical components from a short. All in all, this machine proved itself to be a reliable goto when you want quick and easy cleanups of your home, shop, or auto.
Performance Comparison
This powerful and affordable vacuum left testers with little to complain about save the hose and battery storage as well as the handle, all of which make it a bit bulky.
Credit: Laura Casner
Dry Work
Given that canister models are designed to pick up what even some of our favorite vacuum cleaners cannot, we tested them on the most challenging material to find their limits. The Craftsman CMCV002B did not disappoint. This unit sucked up washers, nuts, and screws without hesitation. Heck, it even gobbled up a 100-gram weight we put in its path. The only difficulty we encountered was with very large items such as 1 ½" bolts and 1" lag screws. In the Craftsmans' defense, this was not due to lack of suction or airflow but rather to the narrow aperture of the hose end and the hose's spiral interior.
In addition to the heavy hardware tests, we looked at loose debris pick-up, crevice penetration, and suction reach. We used 9 cups of sawdust produced by a chop saw for the loose debris. The Craftsman ate up the pile in 15 secs. While this is not a record-setting time, it is above average, and the machine showed no sign of struggling in the process. As for the crevice test, the vacuum comes with an attachment that allows for 6 ¾" of penetration which is on the shorter side. However, in our built-to-purpose crevice testing apparatus, the vac's focused suction could pull in rice grains from ⅝" away, a performance that is among the best in the class.
Here we see this leading machine right before it attacks a sawdust pile in the dry work analysis.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Wet Work
As the name suggests, the wet work metric analyzes the vacuum's ability to clean up liquid messes. It is in this evaluation that the Craftsman outshined the competition. This model can suck up 2 gallons of water in just 9 seconds! A time matched only by the Ridgid WD0319 and Ryobi P3240. We also performed a puddle on a hard surface test using the floor attachment. Here, too, the vacuum did very well by slurping up 3 cups of water in 27 seconds. The class average was 50 seconds. A well-designed floor attachment facilitated this quick cleanup by allowing for plenty of airflow through the notched leading edge of the tool.
Conversely, the CMCV002B slowed down a bit when tackling wet sawdust. We laid out 9 cups of sawdust mixed with 6 cups of water and let the vacuum have at it in this test. It took the machine 42 seconds — a bit faster than the class average — to eat it up. The real problem that this test revealed was the tendency for the material to stack up at the intake of the canister. Had we collected more sawdust, this could have been a problem over time.
Here we see the potentially problematic stack-up of wet sawdust beneath the intake.
Credit: Austin Palmer
We also saturated a floorboard mat from a car with 2 cups of water and measured how much the vacuum could pull back out. The Craftsman removed almost 2 cups, leaving behind just the tiniest bit of moisture. Finally, we measured the suction produced by the motor. You might be wondering what this has to do with wet work. Well, suction is measured in inches of water lift. The measurement is standardized, and we used a gauge attached to the vacuum, and it showed the CMCV002B to produce 19 inches of water lift. The class average is 22.25. While this is not that impressive, suction is not the whole story of vacuuming performance.
This gauge measures the suction produced by the vacuum in inches of water lift.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Battery
The Craftsman has a high-quality, long-lasting battery. Perhaps you're starting to see a trend here, but in case you missed it, this machine kicked butt in almost every test we ran it through. To assess the battery quality of this model, we charged the battery and, using a clean filter, ran it without a load (just pulling air) until the unit died. The vacuum ran for 34 minutes 15 seconds or 8.56 minutes per amp/hour. The class average was 5.7 minutes per amp/hour.
Convenience
The convenience metric is a grouping of analyses that focuses on how the user interacts with the vacuum. Ease of use is the one area where the Craftsman delivered an average performance. The main issue we had with the vacuum is that its 13" x 18 ¾" x 10 ½" (HxWxD) dimensions are a little bulky and its hose and battery stick out awkwardly, making it hard to store. We prefer compact and self-contained products like the Ryobi.
On the bright side, the unit has a crush-resistant hose that stretches and retracts from 26 to 94 inches. It is also reasonably light at 7 lbs 8 ounces, and its noise output is below average at 77 dBa. Finally, the CMCV002B comes standard with a washable HEPA filter, so you can be sure that the air discharged from the machine is reasonably clean.
HEPA filters are the gold standard for removing particulates from the air. This filter is easy to remove and clean.
Credit: Laura Casner
Should You Buy the Craftsman?
The Craftsman CMCV002B is one of the top-performing wet dry vacs we tested, and in our opinion, is a good choice for almost any type of cleanup job. This machine checks all the boxes with above-average performance in nearly every test metric. The only reason we can think to not buy this vacuum is if you are looking for a niche product for a specific application.
What Other Cordless Wet Dry Vacuums Should You Consider?
As mentioned above, the Craftsman has one of the best overall scores in the group. However, if you are looking for a vacuum that excels in a specific area, other options are worth checking out. Thanks to its self-contained design, the Milwaukee M18 0880-20 excels in dry mess clean up and is easy to store. On the other hand, the extra-long reach of the Bosch GAS18V-3 is perfect for tall ceilings.
—
Nick Miley and Austin Palmer
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