Review of the Craftsman 12004 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac
As of this writing, there are 416 customer comments and 157 answered questions for the Craftsman 12004 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac. I’ve read the customer feedback, and then condensed the results into this review. I hope that this helps you when shopping for a shop vac.
Best Features
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Item Specifics
The Craftsman 12004 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac has a 3 peak HP motor that easily picks up both wet and dry debris. It has a durable 6 gallon polypropylene collection tank. You can easily use this shop vac as a blower by attaching the hose to where the air blows out. This shop vac features a large on and off switch and a large handle so that you can easily carry it around. The Craftsman 12004 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac has over 17 foot cleaning reach with the 7 ft. x 1-7/8-inch hose, two extension wands, and 10 foot cord.
Great Price
The price of this shop vac is great, considering that it is a larger shop vac. Many shop vacs that are only 2 gallons are this price. Here is what one customer commented about the price, “For the price and size and power this thing works great. I had it on my wish list for a long time until I decided to take the plunge. I was not disappointed.”
Attachments Fall Off
Unfortunately, the attachments that come with the shop vac do not stay on the hose too well. This customer explained about this issue, “My main issue, however, is the attachments and how they fit together, or rather how they do NOT fit together. As you are vacuuming with one or more attachments in place, very often they come apart from one another. If you squeeze with all your might when you put them together, that helps, but it usually just delays the problem. Being aware of the way you hold the attachments while vacuuming helps.”
Wheels Make It Easy to Maneuver
Customers liked that this shop vac had wheels, so that they could easily maneuver it. While a lot of shop vacs have wheels, sometimes they don’t roll correctly. Overall, the wheels got positive comments. Here is what one customer shared about the wheels, “What I like most about my 6 Gallon vac is that it is easy to move (has 4 roller wheels) around in my garage. I had a 16 GL size Shop Vac but it proved way too large to wheel back and forth especially with I vac’d up water.”
Power Cord Is Short
The hose is 10 feet long. Many customers wished that it was longer so that they didn’t have to use an extension cord. Here is what one customer had to say about the power cord, “The power cord is a bit short, if you’re planning on using in a garage you’ll want to have an extension cord for it, or you’ll be switching to outlets on the other side of the room often.”
Great Suction
According to customers, the suction this product has is great. Here is what one customer commented, “This shop vac is a LIFE SAVER!!! Absolutely changed my life! I have a guinea pig that I love, but the timothy hay gets EVERYWHERE and sticks to carpet. I’ve tried several good quality vacuums such as Shark and Dyson, all of which cannot handle hay. They are not bad products at all — They are amazing, but they are not built to suck up long, tough strands of hay. Enter this shop vac. It is amazing how much hay it can get in one swipe. The suction is actually strong enough to get stuck on the carpet. I have been dealing with so many clogged vacuums for the last 6 years because of this awful hay and it turns out, there was a simple solution to my problem. I had actually come to terms with the struggles of taking vacuums apart to unclog them until my husband started helping me out more and it became too much of a hassle for him to continuously take apart these machines every time he vacuumed. He suggested I look at some shop vacs and I’m so glad I did! One of my favorite useful things I have ever bought hands down. Shipping was fast, the product was not damaged on arrival, and assembly was very simple. Overall, great shop vacuum! Couldn’t be happier!!!”
Does Not Come with Many Attachments/Accessories
A common complaint from customers was that this shop vac did not come with many attachments. Many shop vacs come with a brush attachment and a crevice tool, but this one doesn’t. Here is what one customer had to say about the lack of attachments, “My only complaint would be the lack of attachments; I would like to see a brush and crevice tool. At first I thought this wouldn’t be a big deal, but there are a number of occasions where I wish I had one.”
Power Switch Is Large and Easy to Press
It can be difficult to operate a vacuum when the on/off switch is small. Thankfully, this shop vac has a large power switch that is easy to see and press. This customer explained, “The ‘ON/OFF’ button is large, easy to see, and easy to reach.”
When It Is Sucking Water, Some Water Blows out of the Exhaust Vent
When you are sucking up water, this shop vac will blow some of it out according to a customer. This can make it hard to clean if it continues to blow water out while you are sucking it. Here is what one customer had to say, “The only slight drawback is that when you are sucking up water it blows out the the exhaust port somewhat until you turn it off. But other than that it’s a great vacuum for the price!”
Has a Blowing Option
The blowing option is nice if you want to blow leaves off your porch. Many customers used this shop vac for that reason. Here is one of the many positive comments, “It never fails to do a great job, both wet and dry and I love the blow option when cleaning my patio.”
The Hose and Attachments Blow off When on the Blowing Mode
The blowing mode is very powerful, which is a good thing, but according to customers it can blow off the hose and attachments. Here is what one customer had to say, “I tried using the blower as well. It is powerful, however it blows off the extra little attachments you can buy for it. Seriously, the blower is so powerful, it blows off the hose as well.”
Hose and Attachments Can Be Stored on the Shop Vac
A nice feature is that the hose and attachments can be stored on the shop vac. It comes with a little rack that goes onto the lid so that the hose and power cord can be stored on it. It also has little holes on top of the wheels so that the attachments can be stored on the shop vac as well. This makes storage easy. Here is what one customer had to say, “The vacuum mechanism snaps snugly onto the bucket but is very easy to attach and remove. The hose and attachments storage is really handy – easy to store and transport all in one package. “
Instructions Are Not Very Good
Although some customers said that the assembly was easy, most customers agreed that the instructions could’ve been written better. Here is what one customer said, “If only the manufacturer would create complete instructions. There is nothing in the manual as to how to change the blades in the floor accessory, or which one to use for wet or for dry.”
Pros
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Cons
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Craftsman 12004 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac Conclusion
The Craftsman 12004 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac has a 3 peak HP motor is made to pick up both wet and dry material. The tank is a 6 gallon polypropylene tank. It features a large on and off switch and a large handle. This shop vac has over 17 foot cleaning reach with the 7 foot by 1 7/8 inch hose, two extension wants and 10 foot cord. The Craftsman 12004 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac has great suction and is priced well. Some negatives according to customers are that the power cord is too short and the attachments easily fall off. Other than that, most of the feedback for this shop vac is mostly positive.
Common Questions
Here are some top questions that I found for people considering buying the Craftsman 12004 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vac.
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