While Craftsman has several models in its shop vac line of vacuums, the CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 Wet and Dry Shop Vac is the one that took the market by storm. This model has emerged as one of the best shop vacs for users looking for a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner for construction sites, home projects, and garages.
In this post, we will review this model in detail, showing you how it performs and how it compares to the competition. Here is what I am going to cover:
- What you will get (attachments)
- Assembly
- How to use it
- Size and capacity
- Performance
- Warranty and returns
- How it compares to the competition
- What customers are saying
CRAFTSMAN CMXEVBE17595 Shop Vac Review
Specifications |
|
AMPS | 12 amps |
Power Tool Type | Corded |
Peak Horsepower | 6.5 HP |
TANK SIZE | 16 Gal |
POWER CORD | 20 feet |
Hose Length | 7 ft. |
HOSE DIAMETER | 2.5 inches |
Extension Wands | 2 |
Nozzle | Car, Wet, and Utility |
Blowing Port | Yes |
Drain | Yes |
Filter | General Purpose |
Tool Weight | 26.6 lbs |
WARRANTY | 3 years limited |
Before we start reviewing this model, let’s see how the CMXEVBE17595 compares with other shop vacs from the same brand.
The CMXEVBE17595 is one of 24 shop vacs by this brand, and it’s one of the most powerful units. It is among the 6 heavy-duty models with a 7-ft long hose, 20-ft long cord, and 2.5-in hose diameter. The only variation among these models is on the capacity and peak horsepower and the blower option.
All the other 12 models have a smaller tank size ranging from 2 gallons to 9 gallons and are less powerful, making them ideal for home use.
What Attachments come with the cmxevbe17595 craftsman
The Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 is ready to use out of the box. The only thing you will have to fix is the wheels, handle and hose holding bracket by using provided screws. If you have a drill, this will take you less than 5 minutes. You can also do it manually using a screwdriver.
The other items you will find in the box are the attachments. They include:
- 1 7 feet long dual-flex hose with a 2.5-inch diameter
- Two extension wands
- Qwik lock pleated paper filter
- A 16-gallon dust collection bag
- A wet nozzle, utility nozzle, and car nozzle
How to Use the craftsman cmxevbe17595 16 gallon
To use this shop vac, connect it to your garage, Jobsite, or household’s 120-volt socket. Now, attach its hose to the inlet port on the unit’s red drum/canister if you want to clean up surfaces. Choose the filter and one of the three nozzles depending on what you are cleaning.
If you want to blow dirt particles and dust, connect the hose to the exhaust port found at the vacuum’s backside.
Who Is This Shop Vac For?
The Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 is made for handling bigger and more complex cleaning projects. It’s a powerhouse with incredible suction, tremendous horsepower, and large capacity.
With its massive 16 gallons capacity and 6.5 Peak HP motor, this Wet/Dry Vac is best for demanding cleanup projects, including removing job site debris, renovation refuse, and construction refuse.
Since this is a wet and dry vacuum, it’s also great for vacuuming flooded water and draining water holding up to 16 gallons.
This wet/dry shop vac offers you three nozzles; wet, car, and utility nozzles giving you more control over the machine’s usefulness. And considering its 2½-inch diameter hose with a Dual-Flex system for 180-degree mobility, this shop vac was sure made with serious contractors, DIYs, wood, and metalworkers in mind.
According to some tests, this shop vac drains water out of a 5-gallon bucket in 6 seconds. On the other hand, it took about 39 seconds to vacuum 50 lbs of sand.
You can also use it at home for tasks such as draining a flooded basement, unclogging sink drains, inflating rafts, and pool toys. Other applications include cleaning the fireplace or a barbecue pit, vacuuming floors and carpets, drying a deck after washing, drying your car, and cleaning the hot tub or fish tank.
How to Assemble and Use the Craftsman CMXEVBE17595
Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 packs a couple of versatile and user-friendly attachments. Its rigid 2½-inch dual-flex hose extends to 7 feet so that you can clean debris and messes on the floor or ceilings. Its POS-I-LOCK mechanism allows easy securing of the hose to the wand or accessories. The three nozzles fit snugly and quickly, letting you comfortably handle messes in your car, utilities, or wet surfaces. The hose’s diameter is 2.5 inches wide enough to support the handling of larger messes and pieces. Detachment is struggle-free and fun as it takes twisting off or releasing the locking tab.
The shop comes with a standard filter and dust collection for use when vacuuming solid stuff.
Size and Capacity, Portability, Durability, and Maneuverability
This wet/dry shop vac has an ultra-big bucket with a large drain designed to ease the emptying of liquids. It has a huge 16-gallon tank, which holds enough water, debris, and dust to allow you to dust out and clean bigger surfaces without the need to stop over and over.
Sadly, the shop vac is 26 pounds heavy, making it pretty heavy to handle for many hours. Construction-wise, this shop vac has a heavy-duty plastic bucket coated with corrosion-resistant finishes. The large tank comes with heavy-duty wheels, making the vacuum cleaner easier to maneuver.
Since this wet/dry shop vac comes with three nozzle options, you can control the suction, depending on the nozzle you use and what you want to clean. You don’t expect the car nozzle to generate the same out of air pressure to handle heavy-duty wet pickups and clean, dry debris as the utility nozzle can do.
Likewise, the suction power released through the wet nozzle won’t be equal to the one produced by either the utility nozzle or car nozzle. Sadly, you can only control the suction power by changing the nozzle type. Therefore, this wet/dry shop vac doesn’t have a control feature for suction power.
How Is The Performance Of The Craftsman CMXEVBE17595
Performance-wise, the shop vac has a lot that makes it stand out from the competition. Its bestselling feature is the powerful 6.5 peak HP motor that generates 177 CFM suction power and a 47-inch water lift. With its incredibly high suction power and superior water lift, the machine can effortlessly suction dirt particles trapped inside cracks as well as huff bigger dirt particles with ease.
It also comes with a built-in blower port designed to blow high-speed air to the hose, letting you flawlessly blast out yard waste and clean up grass clippings and leaves in your garage.
The blower port is compatible with multiple attachments. You can easily connect your 2.5-inch wide 20-inch-long corded hose to the blower port to seamlessly blow grass clippings from sidewalks and leaves from the patio. Another noticeable feature adding to the performance of this wet/dry shop vac is the built-in oversized drain, which further simplifies how you empty liquids.
Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 connects to a standard 120-volt power outlet and needs 1440 watts of power to ignite and operate. The longer cord, super filtration, and capacity make this wet/dry shop vac pretty effective for handling bigger and more complicated cleaning tasks. Adding to the machine’s high performance and efficiency is the Qwik lock filter fastening system, which makes it easy to change wet dry vacuum filters. Its lid fits strongly and snuggly. However, it requires keen eyes to align the lid and the latching mechanism correctly.
Warranty And Returns
Craftsman has always stood out as a leader in vacuum cleaner manufacturing. As a trusted name in this industry, they’re known to offer the longest warranty duration. As for the Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 shop vac, you’re getting three years of unlimited warranty. Returns are solely dependent on where you order the vacuum cleaner. If you order it from Amazon or the original manufacturer’s website, you’re assured that the returns will be handled conveniently and efficiently.
What Customers Are Saying
Rated 4.8 out of 5 after 6,283 reviews, Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 is among the top sellers on Amazon. Customers are collectively praising the vacuum cleaner’s powerful 6.5 peak HP motor that generates massive suction power and water lift capabilities. Combined with the long and wide hose suitable for cleaning up any dry matter and sucking any wet substances, this vacuum cleaner is really great.
Many customers have pointed out several features they loved about the cleaner. These include the 20-gallon canister, superior dry/wet capability, high suction power, and 20-foot power cord. Also, customers appreciate that the machine rolls smoothly on most surfaces without tipping. Customers are also happy that this wet/dry shop vacuum cleaner has multiple hose extensions and nozzle attachments that allow for easy cleaning of tight spaces and effortless handling of large cleaning projects.
However, many customers were disappointed by the plastic construction. While the plastic construction is reinforced with a corrosion-resistant coating, it’s not strong and durable enough. Some customers say that the optional dust bag is not very useful because it does the same work the canister does, that’s to collect contents sucked by vacuum. Some customers complained about the lid not fitting snugly and tightly, too.
Conclusion
Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 has stood the test of time and has managed to win the hearts of many property owners and homeowners. Its powerful motor and wider-extended hose have made it a champion over its competitors. It’s currently among the top-selling shop vacuums on Amazon, and its customer acceptance is superb. Compared to other models from the same brand, you’ll discover how powerful and quiet this vacuum is.