Bolts, nails and tile shards were among the tougher things that Consumer Reports' testers used to gauge the effectiveness of wet/dry vacuums. Standard dust bags held 14 pounds of such debris without breaking.

Whether it’s sawdust in your basement or a spill in your kitchen, wet/dry vacs are built to handle the toughest household messes. Some models shoulder these tasks with finesse, but others we tested could add to your dirty work.

Dust bags that surround the filters inside are one way some of these heavy-duty vacuums lighten your cleaning load. The bags, costing $3 to $8 each, keep the insides cleaner for quicker conversion from dry to wet clean-up. They also help the $10 to $20 cartridge filters maintain suction, and should help them last longer by keeping them freer from dust.

Here are the results from our tests:

¢ Wet/dry vacs are one product where bigger tends to be better: The large models we tested usually cleaned the best and provided the most capacity for the price. (At the same time, they were heaviest and bulkiest, and may not be ideal for a multi-level home.) The capacious Craftsman 17762 (Sears) scored the highest of all vacs, regardless of size. (The manufacturer claims the Craftsman can hold 20 gallons of liquid, but our tests of usable capacity placed it at 14.) Powerful and easy to use, the Craftsman comes with cleanup tools and a dust bag. At just $110, it’s a CR Best Buy.

¢ If capturing airborne dust is your target, you may opt instead for the Ridgid Pro Utility Vac WD1850 ($150, from Home Depot) or the Ridgid WD1450 (at $100, also from Home Depot, it’s a CR Best Buy). Neither stacks up to the Craftsman in terms of usable capacity – the Pro Utility Vac WD1850 has 11.5 gallons, while the WD1450 has 10.5. Overall, the Ridgids were standout performers and excelled in our emissions test, which measures how much simulated dust a vac releases while working. Both accept dust bags.

¢ Small models sacrifice performance and capacity for easier portability, making them better suited for trips up and down stairs. Top-rated among the downsized set is the bagless Craftsman 17742 ($60 from Sears). With 6.5 gallons of usable capacity, it holds nearly as much as some larger and heftier vacs.

¢ If you’re willing to trade capacity for compact storage choose the wall-mounted Ridgid Stor-N-Go Cleaning Station WD5500 ($100, from Home Depot) or the stackable Ridgid Pro Pack WD4550 ($100, from Home Depot). The bagless Stor-N-Go provides 3 gallons of usable space and a 20-foot hose, while the mini-sized Pro Pack (its square shape makes it shelf-friendly) can hold 2.5 gallons. It accepts dust bags.