If you’re looking for a cheap wet and dry vacuum to use as a workshop vacuum for a garage or other area with hard floors both indoors and outdoors, this Wessex model could be right for you. It doesn’t clean floors with water or a cleaning solution. Instead, it’s only suitable for vacuuming up wet stains, dust and coarse dirt.

It comes in three sizes: 18, 20 and 30 liters. We tested the 18-liter model with sawdust, dust, dirt, mud and a water leak and found it powerful and effective. It has a suction power of 18,000 Pa and comes with a main brush head, a crevice tool and a hose adapter that can be connected to the socket of some power tools. It has a 1.5 m hose and a 5 m power cable.

You can use it for wet or dry spills, but keep in mind that you’ll need to add or remove bags, filters, and a locking nut depending on the task, so it’s not as easy to use as more expensive models. You can also use it as a blower, but that too requires adjustments.

As you’d expect at this price, there are compromises in build quality. It’s made almost entirely from plastic, the floor brush has no angle adjustment and the bags are made from paper which isn’t very sturdy. You can replace them with universal bags, although you can also buy bags specifically designed for the vacuum cleaner from Toolstation for £4.98 for a pack of three.

This is not a model you buy for life, but if you need something cheap, it is a good option.