Ferrex 4.0 Peak HP 6 Gallon Wet / Dry Vacuum

Last Updated on October 11, 2023

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Aldi sold this again in October of 2023 for $39.99, which is a whopping $25 less than what we paid for it in October of 2022. 

Broadly speaking, every homeowner benefits from having two kinds of vacuums.

The first is obvious: the traditional indoor vacuum. Whether it’s a big standard model or a slim stick vacuum, you’ll eventually need to clean up the carpet and the couch. Even if you have hardwood floors, you may find yourself chasing down dust bunnies with a vacuum.

The second is less obvious but still important: the wet / dry vacuum. This more industrial appliance is meant to suck up the kind of dirt and grime that can wreak havoc on a traditional vacuum, like residue from a home improvement project. It also is a lifesaver if the work calls for vacuuming up liquids, something you’d rather not have to deal with but sometimes still have to deal with.

You can find vacuums at big box stores and hardware stores. Aldi, ever the seller of rotating limited buys, sells regular vacuums, some of them better than others. The grocer also sometimes stocks a wet / dry vac.

The Ferrex 4.0 Peak HP 6 Gallon Wet / Dry Vacuum (Product Code: 81696 / 27092) is an Aldi Find, which means you can only find it in stores for a limited time. Once it’s sold out, you won’t be able to find it in stores again until it comes back, whenever that might be. This particular item seems to come back once a year, so if you miss out on it this year, you’ll most likely have to wait until next year. Aldi does not have online ordering if a product is not in stock at your local store.

At the time of this post, the vacuum costs $64.99. That represents a $15 increase from 2021. While it is still on the lower end of prices for a vacuum of this size, there are other competitors in this same price range.

Unboxing and Assembly:

The contents of the box include:

• The vacuum cleaner
• A hose
• 2 extension bars
• A crevice nozzle
• A gulper nozzle
• A floor nozzle
• A foam filter for wet vacuuming
• A reusable dry filter with clamp ring
• A dust bag
• A user manual
• A warranty card

The vacuum and some of its accessories.

The warranty is good for two years and is serviced by the Positec Group, a Chinese-based maker of various power tools and lawn equipment. Accordingly, the box states that the product is made in China.

The warranty card. (Click to enlarge.)

The vacuum comes mostly assembled, with the exception of the swiveling castors (wheels), which need to be screwed in with a Phillips head screwdriver. Everything else that needs to be put together can be simply put into place, including the attachments.

There is a detailed instruction manual that is worth reading carefully, especially if you’ve never used a vacuum like this before. The manual isn’t the best: I found myself flipping back and forth a lot between the not-great illustrations and the written directions, which repeatedly reference those illustrations. Everything is more or less there, but a reader shouldn’t have to work that hard to get there.

Using the Vacuum:

According to the packaging, the vacuum’s specs include:

• Power input: 1,200 W / 10 A
• Vacuity: ≥ 16 kpa
• Cable length: 13.12 ft (4 m)
• Hose length: 6 feet (1.82 m)

The vacuum has several features of note. One, it functions both as a vacuum and as a blower. It has ports for each that are as simple as plugging the hose into them. You have some control over the power of the air by using an air-release switch. I don’t know that it substitutes for a dedicated blower, but it might be good for light duty work.

Two, it has a couple of components useful to a wet vac. It has a foam filter, for example. It also has a drain plug at the bottom that you can use when your work is done.

Three, I found it to be both lightweight and portable. With a total weight just under 12 pounds, I didn’t have much trouble picking it up and moving around, and it also has swiveling castors if the bulk is too much to handle.

Four, it comes with multiple accessories and places to stow those accessories. It has a crevice nozzle for tight spaces, a floor nozzle with wheels that functions more like a traditional vacuum, and a gulper nozzle with bristles for getting grit out of, say, upholstery. There are also two extension bars. The vacuum has spaces to put all of these things, including on top of the areas where the castors are. (There are also plastic arms to wrap up the cord when you need to store it.)

Mostly packed up.

I put it through a few basic paces. It seemed to have the horses I would expect a typical vac of this size to have, sucking in dirt pretty well. It performs as expected, and it is easy to assemble, use, and take down. In short, it looks to work as advertised.

I have some unanswered questions, though. I don’t know how long it will work in the long term, and I’m also not sure how easy it will be to find compatible filters and bags when that day comes. Those are things I’ll update this review with as time goes on.

The Verdict:

The Ferrex 4.0 Peak HP 6 Gallon Wet / Dry Vacuum looks like a serviceable entry in the Aldi tools and equipment lineup. It functions as both a vacuum and blower, delivering decently in both areas. While the warranty is good for 2 years, I’m not certain how easy finding replacement parts like bags and filters will be. Time will tell on both that and overall durability.