REASONS TO BUY
Dust crusher
High airflow
Tons of suction power
REASONS TO AVOID
Touchy float ball
Shoddy floor attachment
Bulky
Ridgid WD0319 Review
This machine can't be beat in suction and airflow, excelling in dust collection
Credit: Laura Casner
Our Verdict
Few would argue that the Ridgid WD0319 is a perfect wet/dry vacuum. It has an irregular shape, no internal storage for its accessories, and the hose is left to just hang out. Moreover, this model has a limited runtime. What it does have though are knock-your-socks-off airflow and suction and extra-wide hose diameter. Thanks to these features, it earned scores for wet and dry sawdust collection that was only rivaled by the Milwaukee. So, if loose debris like sawdust is what you aim to capture, this machine will not disappoint. Check out how the Ridgid stacks up to the competition in our full review of the best cordless wet dry vacuums.
Editor's Note: The Ridgid WD0319 review was updated on January 11, 2022, with additional information on comparable products and what we would purchase ourselves.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Ridgid WD0319 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best for Dust Collection |  Best All-Around Wet Dry Vacuum | Best Toolbox-Style Wet Dry Vacuum |  Best Bang for the Buck | A Great Value |
| Price | $109 List | $120 List $99.00 at Amazon | $150 List $116.00 at Amazon | $100 List | $119 List |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | For capturing loose debris, this machine is a boss | 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 |
| Rating Categories | Ridgid WD0319 | Craftsman CMCV002B | Milwaukee M18 0880-20 | Kobalt KWDV 0124B-03 | Ryobi P3240 |
| Dry Work (40%) | |||||
| Wet Work (30%) | |||||
| Battery Life (20%) | |||||
| Convenience (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Ridgid WD0319 | Craftsman CMCV002B | Milwaukee M18 0880-20 | Kobalt KWDV 0124B-03 | Ryobi P3240 |
| Measured height x width x depth (inches) | 15 1/2" x 20 1/2" x 15 1/2" | 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" |
| Measured weight (w/o battery) | 8 pounds, 3 ounces | 7 pounds, 8 ounces | 10 pounds, 2 ounces | 10 pounds,12 ounces | 8 pounds, 6 ounces |
| Measured runtime (minutes) | 15 min | 34 min | 23 min | 20 min | 19 min |
| Measured hose length min/ max (inches) | 27" - 92" | 26" - 94" | 24" - 90 1/2" | 24" - 96" | 20 1/4" - 84" |
| Attachments | dusting brush, multi-purpose tool | crevice nozzle, wide nozzle | crevice nozzle, floor nozzle | crevice nozzle, floor nozzle | utility nozzle, crevice tool |
| End of hose diameter (inches) | 1 1/2" | 1" | 1" | 1 1/16" | 1" |
| HEPA rated filter | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Canister volume (gallons) | 3 gal | 2 gal | 2 gal | 3 gal | 3 gal |
| Washable filter | No | Yes | Yes (dry only) | Yes | Yes |
| Battery (volts) | 18v | 20v | 18v | 24v | 18v |
| Measured suction (inches of water lift) | 29" | 19" | 25" | 22" | 22" |
| 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 | No | Yes (sold seperately) | No | No |
| Auxiiary power cord | No | No | No | No | No |
| Dry sawdust clean-up (seconds) | 8 sec | 15 sec | 13 sec | 13 sec | 15 sec |
| Wet sawdust clean-up (seconds) | 15 sec | 42 sec | 36 sec | 51 sec | 42 sec |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Ridgid WD0319 is a singular machine. It forgoes many design considerations that earned its competitors accolades. However, it put all its eggs into the airflow and suction basket, and as such, we could not simply disregard it as a poorly designed machine. Is the Ridgid easy to store? No. Does it have a streamlined design? Absolutely not. Does it have a prolonged battery life? Not even close. But — and this is a significant but — this vacuum eats sawdust like the hose's end is the event horizon of a black hole.
Performance Comparison
This machine disappears sawdust like the Bermuda Triangle disappears ships.
Credit: Laura Casner
Dry Work
The dry work evaluation rendered mixed results for the Ridgid WD0319. This model's wide diameter hose, combined with the high airflow and suction, makes it great at grabbing light materials or those with a lot of surface area. As such, this vac did very well at taking up sawdust, washers, and bolts. It did so-so at pulling a 100-gram calibration weight and smaller machine bolts. It couldn't take up the small but dense lag screws at all.
As you might imagine, this machine's unique characteristics make it particularly well suited to dust collection. No kidding, this sucker gobbled up 9 cups of sawdust in a mere 8 seconds. The average for the group is 15 seconds! Unfortunately, this machine is a bit of a one-trick pony, evident in the subsequent crevice test. The bulbous crevice tool could only penetrate our test slot 5 ¾ inches, though its suction had a reach of an additional ⅝ inch, which is top-notch.
Nearly 30 inches of water lift? What a beast!
Credit: Laura Casner
Wet Work
The wet work tests hammered home just how different this machine performs compared to its peers. In this metric, we look at how well the devices will move water uphill, how well they can clean up wet sawdust, as well as their ability to remove liquids from a linoleum floor. We also looked at how much of a known quantity of water the vac can pull from a wet carpet. Finally, we measure the suction of each machine with a water lift gauge.
The Ridgid dominated the entire class in wet sawdust cleanup and the suction tests. No other model even came close. The second-best performer in this test is the Bosch GAS18V-3, with more than double the time. However, the machine's performance fell off sharply in all other sub-metrics. Regardless, its execution of the sawdust and suction tasks was so exceptional that its wet work score was well above average for the class.
The battery life of this model left more than a little to be desired.
Credit: Laura Casner
Battery
Battery life is a key metric and one that shouldn't be taken lightly if you have prolonged work in mind for your wet/dry vac. To put it bluntly, the WD0319 is one short-lived machine. We take a freshly charged battery and plug it into the vacuum to test this. We then run the machine on a healthy diet of air until the charge runs down and the machine shuts off. The interval between a fully charged battery and a dead one is the runtime.
So, what was the Ridgid's runtime? A pitiful 15 minutes. Dividing the runtime by the battery's amp-hour rating for comparison to other models, we find that it's just 3 minutes and 45 seconds. To give you some perspective, the class average is almost 6 minutes. Yowzers!
Odd honey-dos? Check!
Credit: Laura Casner
Convenience
The convenience metric is essentially an assessment of how easy — or hard — it is to use the vacuum. While the Ridgid didn't crush this evaluation, it didn't flop it either. What holds the machine back from a higher score is its size and noise. Because this model foregoes any attempt to provide storage for its hose, it has much larger outer dimensions than its competitors. Additionally, at 83 dBa, it's way the heck louder than the competition.
It's not all bad news for the WD0319, though. The machine is relatively light at 8 lbs, 3 oz, similar to the Ryobi P3240. Additionally, the hose is just about average in length, stretching from 27 to 92 inches, and it is resistant to being crushed by a folding to the side when weighted.
Hose out, the Ridgid is always ready for action.
Credit: Laura Casner
Should You Buy the Ridgid WD0319?
The Ridgid outperformed almost every single other model in terms of sawdust collection and is one of the more affordable options we tested. If you frequently find yourself in need of a quick and powerful way to take care of dusty messes, you can't go wrong with the Ridgid. Just keep in mind that you need to have adequate space to store the bulky machine and may have to change/charge the battery often. However, if you want more of an all-around machine, you may want to look elsewhere.
What Other Cordless Wet Dry Vacuums Should You Consider?
The Ridgid is a fantastic vacuum for specific situations, but if its limitations are dealbreakers for you, there are some good alternatives to consider. The Kobalt KWDV 0124B-03 falls in a similar price range, has better overall performance than the Ridgid in most metrics, except for battery life, which was similar. The Craftsman CMCV002B is a highly versatile machine that may be better for the average household. It does not have any particular specialty but is suitable for people who need efficient sucking power in various situations. It excels in battery life and has a more compact design than most.
—
Nick Miley and Austin Palmer
You Might Also Like
