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DEWALT DCV517B Wet/Dry Portable Vac Kit Review

Whether wet or dry, small messes don’t stand a chance with the DEWALT DCV517B 20V MAX Cordless 1/2 gallon Wet/Dry Portable Vac Kit. It’s easy to hold thanks to its manageable size and low weight. Also, you won’t suffer from hand fatigue because the handle is ergonomically designed, and the power switch is smartly placed.

DEWALT DCV517B Wet/Dry Portable Vac Kit Review


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Although this isn’t a large wet/dry vacuum, the huge tank holds a lot of debris and liquid. This means you can vacuum for extended periods without having to empty it, making the vacuum great for cleaning dust and drywall from project areas and minor spills in the interior of your car.

Once you purchase one of DeWalt’s powerful batteries, this vacuum will be ready to go whether you use the bendable hose or the flared nozzle. Since the battery lasts for hours per charge, you don’t have to stop in mid-cleanup to replenish the battery. Plus, you get the peace of mind that comes from DeWalt’s multi-year warranty.

High Usability

No matter if you use this cordless wet/dry vac for 5 minutes or 30 minutes, you won’t come away with a tired, sore hand. The vacuum itself weighs only 3.8 pounds, making it featherlight in your hands. It boasts a rubberized palm grip affixed to the looped handle, so you won’t have any trouble maintaining your hold on it.

In order to make controlling the power convenient, DeWalt put the on-off rocker switch on the bottom of the handle, allowing you to turn it on or off with just the touch of a finger. You’ll also appreciate the sturdy base that prevents the vacuum from toppling when you set it down, and its size is storage friendly at 8.4 by 6.4 by 17.7 inches.

Two Ways to Vacuum

The way the DEWALT DCV517B Wet/Dry Vac is built allows you to easily clean in tight and open spaces. For crevices and narrow areas like window sills, simply pull the 1.25-inch-wide flexible hose from the nozzle. Since the hose is 2.5 feet long, you have plenty of workable length to get into those hard-to-reach areas.

When you need to quickly clean a more open area, the wide nozzle comes in handy. Unlike the nozzles on some wet/dry vacuums, this nozzle is integrated into the vacuum’s body. Therefore, you never have to worry about losing it or deal with the hassle of removing and affixing an attachment.

HEPA Filter

Vacuuming can kick up a lot of dust and harmful particles. To combat this problem, the wet/dry vac is equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filter that traps 99.97 percent of dust within its numerous pleats, so you won’t breathe in lung-damaging dust.

Besides its dust-filtering prowess, you’ll appreciate that you can reuse the HEPA filter of the handheld vacuum. When it gets dirty, all you have to do is rinse the filter off with tap water straight from the sink. Even better, you don’t have to take the filter out to suction wet messes, streamlining any clean-up job.

Large Tank

To contain all the dust and water it suctions and extracts, the cordless vacuum has a 0.5-gallon tank, which equates to fewer trips to the garbage can. Between those trips, the tank stays in place thanks to the tank’s durable latch and rubber gasket. In addition, there is a rubber flap at the hose connection that keeps debris from falling out when you turn over the vacuum. However, if you encounter any problem with the vacuum’s performance, you are covered by a generous 3-year limited warranty.

Long-Lasting Power

This wet/dry vac is designed to be used with a separately purchased 20-volt lithium-ion DeWalt battery. Even when the battery is in place, the vacuum is still lightweight, coming in at 4.5 total pounds. Since it is a lithium-ion battery, the suction won’t fade as the battery gets low, and you get up to 5 hours of use in a single charge cycle.

Related Post: Best Wet/Dry Handheld Vacuums

DEWALT DCV517B: A Handy Helper

You don’t have to break out a huge shop vac to clean up minor messes when you have this wet/dry vac in your garage or workshop. It’s small enough to easily grab and go for cleaning the typical post-project dust and debris and even small pools of water. You get an extensive run time from the lithium-ion battery, and you don’t have to use your other hand to flip the power switch.

By including a HEPA filter, DeWalt didn’t skimp on the filtration system either, and the handle is comfortable to hold. Plus, it has a detachable hose, making this a versatile vacuum. Whenever you need to tidy up your work area, you can count on the DEWALT DCV517B 20V MAX Cordless 1/2 gallon Wet/Dry Portable Vac Kit.

Portable Wet-Dry Vacuum | Recommended



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Last Update: 2024-04-26 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About the author

Hi I’m Alex, founder of HouseholdMe.com and I’d like to say thank you for dropping by. Like most of you, the first thing I look at before buying something online is reviews or buying guides. By reading what other people say will help me gauge whether or not a product is good or not.  I am trying to help people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired.

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