If you’ve got a basement full of water or a medium-sized shop that you work in regularly, you need a big wet/dry vac with a large capacity, specialty filters, and a whole lot of power. But that’s a waste of a machine if you just want to do light cleaning in your garage or basement, or you need to clean out your car.

You can get a canister vacuum, but to be honest those are such a pain to drag around, especially if you’ve got stairs, and they don’t work in wet environments. There are quite a few wet/dry vacuums out there in the two- to six-gallon range, but if you’re going to use this machine in a limited area, your best bet is to go with a wall-mounted wet/dry vac.

The Bissell Garage Pro is a surprisingly powerful wall-mounted wet/dry vacuum that will reach all corners of your garage, your basement, your car, and with an extension hose, even your house. It has the perfect capacity for small jobs with an easy-to-remove canister, and it’s super quiet. If you’re looking for a heavy-duty shop vac or a dust collection unit, this isn’t the machine for you. If you need some extra cleaning power outside the house, however, you should consider the Bissell Garage Pro.

Perfect for Garage and Basement Use

To be honest, I was surprised to hear that Bissell had a wet/dry vacuum. I associate Bissell with household machines made for carpets and possible a little steam-cleaning. A garage vac makes sense, though, especially since it’s really designed for cars. Although the Bissell Garage Pro really shines as a car vacuum, you can use it for other light to medium jobs around the house as well. Here are some points to consider:

• Good balance between capacity and ease of use
• Slim, wall-mounted design frees up floor space
• Assortment of attachments for practically any need
• Lots of functions around the house

Not Too Big, Not Too Small

With a light-use wet/dry vac, you want a canister that’s easy to dump, a filter that’s easy to clean, and tools that are easy to use. The Bissell Garage Pro earns mostly high marks in all of these categories. The canister is easy to access from the bottom – no lifting – and holds 4 gallons. You can clean the whole garage and both cars before having to dump the canister. It’s not going to work in a flooded basement, but it’s enough for a leaky one.

The filter is a little tough to get to, which isn’t so bad because you don’t need to get to it often. When used appropriately, you’ll get several jobs out of it before the filter gets clogged and you see a drop in power. The key here is appropriate use. This is not a shop vac. You can’t get a HEPA filter for it, and it won’t work with fine dust like concrete and drywall. Stick to regular dirt and it’ll work beautifully.

As for ease of use, it does just what a wall-mounted vacuum should do. It’s quiet and it doesn’t get stuck anywhere. The only thing you have to drag around is the hose. There are LED indicators that tell you how full the tank is, but don’t rely on those. In some machines, they stay on constantly, and in others, they don’t turn on until it’s too late. So just check the canister after every couple hours of use. The canister should be dumped after every wet job, anyway, to prevent mold from forming.

Takes Up Zero Floor Space

Find stud. Attach bracket. Hang vacuum. It’s really that easy, and you’ll never have to worry about tripping over cords or hoses, dragging around sticky casters, or getting the hose kinked around itself, and you’ll have that much more floor space.

It’s easier to install than the Hoover L2310 GUV and has all the parts you need in the box. If you’ve got one of those garages that’s so full of stuff that you can’t even put the car in it, you’ll really appreciate the slim design. If you ever need to, you can take the vacuum off the bracket and carry it around. It doesn’t have any wheels, though, and the cord is only five feet long, so if you don’t plan to mount it, don’t think about buying it.

Accessory Heaven

Some vacuums come with such a variety of accessories that you’ll be scratching your head, wondering what on earth they could ever be used for, but when it comes to in-the-box accessories, the Bissell Garage Pro takes the cake. It’s got just about everything the Hoover L2310 GUV has and a few more. Floor tools, crevice tool, dust tool, upholstery tools, and five auto detailing tools make for a truly complete attachment package, and you’ll probably never need to get another one.

Use It Around The House

Even if it’s mounted in the garage or basement, that doesn’t mean you can’t use the Bissell Garage Pro around the house. First off, it comes with a 32-foot hose. That’ll cover your garage easily, as well as your kitchen and maybe dining room as well. Taking it down and carrying it to another room is a cinch, and even though it doesn’t roll around on casters, the hose is so long that you won’t need it to anyway.

Plus, you can get even longer hoses – I think up to 90 feet – that’ll cover your entire house, or at least the first floor. (If your house is bigger than that, you probably don’t do your own vacuuming anyway.) It’ll do any kind of around-the-house vacuuming you need, plus light leaf blowing, and with the motor in a separate room, it’s practically silent – great for animals and agitated children.

(Almost) Everyone Loves the Bissell Garage Pro

This wet/dry vacuum averages between 4.5 and 5 stars across a number of online retailers, and there are very few complaints that surface regularly. In fact, most customer complaints are about the fact that this vacuum is not a shop vac. Well, no, it’s not a shop vac. It’s a wet/dry vacuum meant for light to medium usage, not dust collection or heavy duty work. Keep that in mind, and you won’t be disappointed.

• “My Bissell 18P0 Garage Pro Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaner is outstanding. It almost cleans the garage by itself while I watch.”
• “It does a good job and it’s nice not to have to go get a vacuum, find an extension cord, etc.”
• “I have had this vac for over a year now and it’s a great product.”
• “After I finished vacuuming all 4 of my cars, I vacuumed the garage! This is one convenient and easy to use garage vacuum.”
• “Quality build, lots of power, and tons of useful attachments that come in very handy. I’m amazed at the amount of suction power from a 30 foot hose, it’s stronger, and *way* more quiet than my trusty wheeled vac with a 6 foot hose.”

Where Can I Get One?

The Bissell Garage Pro, plus shipping, shouldn’t run over $200. There are a couple retailers selling it through Amazon, including at least one with free shipping, so check out the prices there.

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