Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it is no longer available. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.
The Vacmaster VJ507 is an inexpensive shop vacuum with a lightweight design and onboard storage. Its 3-horsepower motor is about average and performed decently in our tests. Despite the lack of a noise diffuser, it is comparatively quiet. At 92 dB, it had the second-lowest volume of the shop vacuums we reviewed.
We tested this vacuum in house with a mix of six screws and 2 ounces of mulch. It was able to pick up all of the screws in one pass, but it left behind bigger pieces of debris. It only vacuumed 65 percent of the mulch in our trial run. The hose has a diameter of 1.25 inches, which isn't wide enough to pick up large pieces. For its wet-dry vacuum capabilities, we switched to a foam sleeve filter and sucked up 2 gallons of water. The motor was able to clean the entire mess in a little over nine seconds. That means you'll fill up the entire tank in less than 30 seconds. If you need a machine with a bigger tank, take a look at the Vacmaster VBV1210.
The vacuum is easy to move around and has a 6-foot hose, which is relatively long for its small 5-gallon tank. It lacks customizable tools, however. It comes with three extension wands, but only one floor nozzle. You can use the shop vac as a blower, but it doesn't have a blower nozzle you can work with. It's portable, but it isn't the best vacuum for cleaning out a car. The tighter spots in a car need a crevice tool or concentration nozzle. The Vacmaster doesn't come standard with either. The manufacturer offers these tools online, but they are sold separately.
For dry vacuuming, this shop vac has a cloth filter, which needs to be replaced more often than other types. We'd prefer a reusable cartridge filter, but the cloth filter didn't get as dirty as others we tested. Still, you should expect to replace it at least once every six months.
The Vacmaster VJ507 is a good, compact wet-dry vacuum that could use a bit more length. Although the tank has four separate attachments, three of them are extension wands. That doesn't give you a lot of options. Overall, there are better lightweight vacuums available.
