Is It Any Good?: Harbor Freight Bauer 14-Gallon Wet Dry Vacuum Review

Over the years, Harbor Freight has steadily expanded its Bauer lineup beyond basic power tools. It includes everything from compressors and pressure washers to true-blue shop equipment that’s designed to give value-minded folks a capable alternative to big-box store brands. The Bauer 14-Gallon Wet Dry Vacuum follows that same philosophy and packs the features you’d expect from a premium shop vac into a competitively priced package.

That all sounds well and good, but we want to know how this vac performs in the real world. We spent some hands-on time putting it to the test alongside two well-known competitors, and I’ll share what we learned along the way.

Bauer 14-Gallon Wet Dry Vacuum Performance

Suction Power

Bauer’s 14-gallon vac is powered by a 6 peak horsepower motor that produces up to 115 CFM of airflow. That’s plenty of airflow to handle everything from sawdust and wood chips to drywall debris and other general shop cleanup.

On paper, this vacuum has a slight advantage over the other two models we tested, but we’ll see if that rings true in the end.

Wet Cleanup

Bauer designed this vac so you can quickly transition from dry debris to liquid cleanup in just a few seconds.

Start by disconnecting the motor from the cannister and removing the paper cartridge filter. Now you’re all set to take on standing water, spills, and other wet messes.

When you’re finished, the oversized drain plug makes emptying a tank much easier than tipping the entire cannister on its side. It’s one of those features you may not value until you’re dealing with a sizeable mess, but boy, does it make a difference.

There’s also an internal float valve that automatically halts the suction once the tank reaches its wet capacity.

Blower Function

The Bauer 56579 also converts into a blower by repositioning the hose to the exhaust port. This is pretty common on most shop vacs.

Keep in mind, this won’t replace your dedicated handheld blower, but it’s more than capable of blowing sawdust off a workbench or clearing debris off of your benchtop tools. It’s a nice little bonus feature that adds another layer of versatility to your tool arsenal.

Bauer 14-Gallon Wet Dry Vacuum In Action

To really gauge Bauer’s performance, I set up a series of common vacuuming tasks you’re likely to encounter. On top of that, I brought in two comparable models from DeWalt and Ridgid to see how Bauer measures up. Here’s a quick breakdown of our testing methods:

• No-load Noise Level: The decibel reading from 3 feet with an SPL meter
• Noise Level Under Load: The decibel reading from 3 feet with an SPL meter while in use
• Water Lift: The measure of stabilized vertical water lift capabilities
• Water Suction: How long it takes to collect 5 gallons of water from a bucket
• Large Debris Cleanup: How long it takes to collect 2 pounds of large wood chips from a 3-foot x 3-foot area
• Fine Debris Cleanup: How long it takes to collect 2 pounds of small wood chips from a 3-foot x 3-foot area
• Fine Dust Cleanup: How long it takes to collect 2 pounds of plaster dust from a 3-foot x 3-foot area

Editor’s Note: Our water lift test is not identical to the ones used to determine specifications, so the results vary significantly from what manufacturers report.

Now that we’ve seen the tests, let’s meet the competitors:

There are certainly some obvious variances between these vacs, but we believe they’re close enough in price that curious potential buyers would appreciate the comparison. With that in mind, let’s look at how these vacs fared.

Test Results and Analysis

As you can see, DeWalt and Ridgid really dominated the field here, leaving Bauer with its only win in our water lift test. But before you count them out, let’s take a closer look.

Bauer finished very close after the other two in our fine dust and debris challenges. Moreover, it took the crown by a sound margin in the water lift test, so let’s give credit where credit is due. But what does this actually tell us?

Water lift is a measure of suction strength. The higher the water lift, the heavier debris you can pick up, and Bauer proved itself to be the strongest of the three. Considering it has a stronger motor with a higher rated peak horsepower, that’s a results we anticipated.

On the other hand, CFM measures airflow, or how much air is coming in. The higher the CFM, the faster it sucks in debris.

Every vacuum design has to decide whether it’s going to lean toward water lift or CFM, or try to balance them. Bauer clearly wanted greater strength, and that translates into easier pickup when you’re dealing with larger, heavier debris.

Overall, Bauer did take 3rd place in our bracket, but again, this vacuum presents a solid value for folks who regularly shop at Harbor Freight. It offers plenty of capacity, strong suction power, and a pretty decent suite of nozzles and extensions. That makes it A-OK in my book.

Bauer 14-Gallon Wet Dry Vacuum Design Notes

Size and Mobility

Despite its larger 14-gallon capacity, the Bauer weighs only about 20 pounds before adding in the hose and accessories. This made it super easy to move around our shop, and it’s a great size for a cramped work trailer or van.

The four swiveling casters track smoothly across concrete floors, while the large top-mounted carry handle makes it easy to lift the vacuum over obstacles, such as extension cords and air hoses.

From the top down, the footprint is fairly compact for a vacuum in this class, so it won’t dominate valuable floor space when it’s not in use. And if your garage is anything like mine, this is a major selling point!

Hose and Accessory Management

Bauer didn’t stray too far from the norm in this department. The top handle doubles as a cord wrap, and the casters feature grooves on top for storing your wands and accessories. This is a pretty common style among shop vacs, so it’s nice that Bauer didn’t try to reinvent the wheel.

Here’s a look at the included accessories:

• 2x extension wands
• 7 ft. locking hose
• Crevice nozzle
• Floor nozzle
• Utility nozzle
• Wet floor nozzle

Filter Options

Although this isn’t a true HEPA-rated vacuum, Bauer does offer advanced HEPA filters for this model for $26.99 a piece. Along with these upgraded filters, standard replacement filters and dust bags are also available.

READ
Using HEPA Filters for Table 1 Compliance

Should You Buy It?

The Bauer 14-Gallon Wet Dry Vacuum carries forward the brand’s reputation for high value. Compared to shop vacuums in the same price range, it offers more power and a larger capacity with the kind of everyday usability that homeowners and hobbyists are likely to appreciate.

If value is a high priority for you, Bauer offers solid bang for your buck. It’s also a good choice if you prefer higher suction strength over CFM to clean heavier debris more easily.

Obviously, if you’re looking for something compact and highly mobile, you’d be better off with a handheld vac in the 1 to 3-gallon class. You might also want to consider another option if you’re after the highest CFM to make quicker cleanup of light debris.

My main concern is the warranty period. At just 90 days, I think Pros who use their vacs nearly every day may want more confidence in the form of long-term support.

Regardless, while it may not carry one of the legacy names in the shop vac arena, Bauer offers impressive performance and capacity at a price that’s hard to ignore.

Ready to pull the trigger? Order online or pick one up at your local Harbor Freight for $119.

Specs

• Model: Bauer 56579
• Motor: 6 HP
• Capacity: 14 gallons
• Airflow: 115 CFM
• Amperage: 10A
• Cord Length: 20 ft.
• Hose Length: 7 ft.
• Hose Diameter: 2.5 in.
• Weight: 20 lbs
• Warranty: 90-day