Top Ten Reviews Verdict
The Shop-Vac 9653610 is versatile and well made for the price, but it isn't the most powerful model we reviewed.
Pros
- +
Assortment of attachments
- +
Super versatile
- +
Onboard tool storage for easy access
Cons
- -
Not the most powerful
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The Shop-Vac 9653610 is a midsized wet-dry vacuum with a bright yellow 6-gallon tank and a lot of attachments. The motor, at 3 horsepower, is about average, and its performance in our tests reflected this, with a good but not great performance. One standout feature is the length of the hose. At 10 feet, this shop vacuum has the longest hose reach of those we reviewed, making it one of the best shop vacuums for large spaces.
Shop-Vac 9653610: Performance
We tested all our vacuums with a mix of mulch and screws, and this shop vacuum had trouble picking up the debris. After the first pass, it was able to pick up most of the screws and over half of the mulch. For the wet cleanup test, it performed pretty well, sucking up water at a speed of 4.68 gallons per second. At 94 dB, it was around the average volume of the best shop vacuums. If you’re looking for even more cleaning, try the Vacmaster VBV1210.
The vacuum is easy to move around and has nice locking wheels that can navigate different obstacles. Its hose, at a diameter of 1.25 inches, is smaller than those of our highest-rated models and likely contributed to its subpar outing in the mulch test. It does offer great overall length, however. The power cord reaches 10 feet, the hose adds another 10 feet, and the storage rack has three combinable extension wands.
The Shop-Vac 9653610 stands out with its total number of attachments. Beyond the extension wands, the rack includes a floor nozzle, crevice tool, and gulper nozzle for a total of six different attachments. They all lock tightly on the lid of the tank. The crevice tool works well for tight spaces, and it's also nice for using the blower function and spraying away loose leaves or sawdust.
This shop vacuum lacks a few things. The tank doesn't have a drain port for removing vacuumed water. The tank fills up quickly, which means you have to bend over and tip it each time it needs to be emptied. It uses both wet and dry filters, but it doesn't have a retainer for the one not in use.
Should you buy the Shop-Vac 9653610?
Overall, the Shop-Vac 9653610 didn't perform as well as some other shop vacuums, such as the Ridgid WD1450, in our tests. However, its total of six attachments and overall length make it super versatile, and it's suitable for both wet and dry use.
