How Long Does The Battery Last In Ryobi's 6 Gallon Wet-Dry Vacuum & What Does It Cost?

Wet-dry vacuums are one of the more underrated tools a person can have in their arsenal. Most people are familiar with your standard, run-of-the-mill vacuum cleaner for your floor, but a wet-dry vacuum does quite a bit more than you would expect. The reason they are called wet-dry vacuums is that they are able to clean up both solids and liquids, making for an all-purpose tool so you don't have to switch between different tools. These vacuums also work just as well outdoors as they do indoors, which is where you expect to use your vacuum.

The design for these tends to be a little different than your average vacuum. Instead of it all being one solid piece that you push, you have a hose that connects to a large, stationary receptacle to collect everything you clean up, though it does have wheels for transportation. This allows you to be more precise with how you control what you vacuum and easily move the tool when the tank is full. 

To decide which wet-dry vacuum you want, you need to consider two major factors: The vacuum's power source and how large is the receptacle for collection. One company that offers a variety of wet-dry vacuums is Ryobi, the largest of which is 6 gallons. For those who have already invested in Ryobi tools for their toolbox, this 6-gallon wet-dry vacuum will fit seamlessly into that stable of other Ryobi floor cleaners, and you might not even have to buy another battery to use it.

How long the battery lasts will be dependent on which setting you have your vacuum at. There are two sucking modes, one that maximizes the intensity of the vacuuming and the other to maximize the longevity with which you can use it. The high-intensity mode utilizing that included 4AH battery will get you about 25 minutes of vacuuming time, whereas the lower mode will get you about 45 on a full charge. Those usage times will go down for 1.5 or 2AH batteries and go up for 8 or 12AH ones, which are all available from Ryobi. You are able to pick up other batteries from the Ryobi 18V ONE+ system that retail anywhere from $49.97 to $199, depending on either the size of the battery or the number of batteries in a bundle. All of them will work with the six-gallon wet-dry vacuum.

One of the reasons Ryobi power tools are so appealing is the company's ONE+ battery tool system. If a tool is part of this, you are able to utilize the same 18V battery on over 300 different tools from the company, including drills, trimmers, glue guns, lights, and more. The ONE+ system also includes the Ryobi wet-dry vacuum, so if you already have the 18V batteries from other Ryobi tools you've purchased, all you have to do is purchase the vacuum for $149. However, if you do need a ONE+ battery, you can purchase a bundle with the vacuum, an 18V 4AH battery, and a charger for a total of $199.