DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hello All,

I am looking to purchase a wet dry vacuum cleaner with auto tool take off and would like to see which is the best one to buy? It would be used for renovation projects, the current one being the total gutting out and renovating of an old cottage.

The options are:

Karcher WD5.200 - £164

1600W Motor
Power tool take off rating – Unsure but appears to be 1600W
25 litre capacity
1 year warranty

Makita VC3511/2 - £191
1100W Motor
1900W Power take off rating
25 litre capacity
L Class classification
Push Clean System
3 Year Warranty

The obvious benefits of the Karcher is the more powerful motor, but how much of a difference this would make I am unsure, the warranty is less than the Makita though. Durability seems to swing the way of the Makita and reputation with some saying that the Karcher has a tendency for some items to break such as wheels and handle. I cannot find anyone at all that has posted a review of the Makita though. Power tool take off wise, most of my tools are below 1900W with some around the 1500-1600W range but my Router is 2100W so presumably that tool couldn’t be used with either vacuum…..

Any advice that would help the selection, or other recommended options within that price bracket would be useful! Anyone had experiences of the Makita?

Many thanks in advance!

Hi, out of the two, I would go with the Makita, especially if you have any of their tools as the hose is more likely to fit. Have you looked at the models by Numatic, in my opinion the best you can get.

As far as the router is concerned, you have to add together the ratings of the cleaner, and the tool. there's a limit, take it as 3000W. So use two supplies with the cleaner on manual.

There is no doubt that the Karcher is more powerful than the Makita but Makita are well recognised in the trade for their durability so there is a trade off to be made here. My personal preference is the Karcher but I have many trade friends who use the Makita happily and would not swap. My opinion is, for Home Improver use, as opposed to trade use, the Karcher is great value. If the machine is to be "used to death" then go for the Makita.

The Wattage rating, as far as I'm aware, is more to do with the cable than the machine. The machine itself is really a glorified extension lead and trying to place a large wattage through a cable designed for a less powerful appliance can cause overheating. I would certainly not put a 2100W machine through a 1900 cable.

We have some useful information on electrical safety on DIY Doctor Project pages. https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/el ... safety.htm

When using any kind of power tool you must unwind all of the flex so it does not overheat (this is why kettle flexes are so short, it reduces the resistance within them) and there are different ratings for different flxes as shown by the following website http://www.rospa.com/homesafety/aroundt ... lexes.aspx

I hope this helps.

Mike Edwards