Tool Test: Compact Utility Vacs

How the Vacs Stack Up

Small 4- to 5-gallon vacuums are easy to carry and store, but they still have the power to suck up spills, sawdust, and car-floor debris. Contractor Dave Andrews put these four wheel-less models to the test in his own house, now undergoing a gritty gut renovation. Here's how they stacked up.

Dave Andrews, owner of Andrews Custom Building, in Fairfield, Connecticut, has 25 years' experience as a carpenter.