Armor All AA255 2.5-Gallon Wet/Dry Utility Vac (Orange)

Armor All AA255 2.5-Gallon Wet/Dry Utility Vac (Orange)

By Armor All · Car Vacuums · Cleaning & Smart Home

  • 2.5 gallon (9.46 L) tank capacity
  • 2 peak HP motor
  • Blower function with 6.5 ft (2 m) hose
  • Accessory storage on unit
  • 10 ft (3 m) power cord

Lowest price seen
~$29.99 (approx.)
from $29.99 at Amazon

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A compact 2.5-gallon wet/dry utility vacuum that doubles as a blower and ships with car-detailing nozzles, aimed at light garage, workshop and car cleanup. No independent lab has tested it, so judge it on the manufacturer’s ASTM airflow figures and check that a 2.5-gallon tank is enough for your job before buying.

Strengths

  • Blower function clears dust and debris once the hose moves to the blowing port.
  • 53 CFM, 48-inch water lift and 95 air watts, all measured to an ASTM standard.
  • At 7.41 lbs with a top handle, it is easy to carry and store.
  • Ships with a car nozzle, crevice tool, utility nozzle and detail brush.
  • On-board storage keeps the hose, cord and accessories together.
  • Double-insulated body means no grounded outlet is needed.

Weaknesses

  • The 2.5-gallon tank is small; larger shop vacs from Craftsman and Shop-Vac sit at similar money.
  • No independent instrumented test from RTINGS, Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, CNET or PCMag exists for this model.
  • The standard filter is not for drywall dust or fireplace ash; fine particles can pass through and damage the motor.
  • The blower only works with the hose in the blowing port, not the normal intake.
  • The cloth filter must go in for dry pickup and the foam sleeve must come out after liquid pickup.
  • The vac no longer appears on Armor All’s own website and Cleva’s direct store lists it as sold out, so it may be legacy or discontinued.

Verified specifications

ModelArmor All AA255.
SKUAA255; UPC: 810131260972.
Tank capacity2.5 gallons (9.46 L).
Motor6 Amp, 120 V ~ 60 Hz; 2 peak HP.
Airflow53 CFM, tested to ASTM standard at the end of the included hose.
Water lift48 inches, tested to ASTM standard.
Air watts95, tested to ASTM standard.
Bloweryes; the hose moves to a separate blowing port.
Hose1.25 in (3.18 cm) diameter, 6 ft (1.8 m) long.
Power cord10 ft (3 m).
Cleaning reach16 ft (hose plus power cord combined).
Weight7.41 lbs (3.36 kg).
Filtersreusable cloth filter for dry pickup, foam sleeve filter for liquid pickup.
Replacement filtersVFF21 (foam, wet) and VRC2 (cloth).
Electricaldouble-insulated, so no ground connection is required.
In the boxvac assembly, hose, 2-in-1 utility nozzle with brush, crevice tool, deluxe car nozzle, blower/adaptor nozzle, detail brush nozzle, foam sleeve filter, reusable cloth filter and operator’s manual.
Storageon-board storage for the hose, cord and accessories; built-in air and noise diffuser; automatic shut-off to prevent overflow; dust-sealed switch.
Warranty2-year limited under household use, 90-day limited for commercial, industrial or rental use; proof of purchase required.
Full research notes and sources

Filters, upkeep and running costs

Maintenance is simple by design: clean and dry the tank before storage, swap filters between wet and dry use, and clean both filters periodically. The foam sleeve handles liquid pickup and the reusable cloth filter handles dry dirt. Replacement foam (VFF21) and cloth (VRC2) filters come from Cleva, and the manual includes an exploded view and parts list, so some parts are user-serviceable. Cleva also lists a fine dust cartridge (V2CFF), dust collection bags (VDBT) and a car claw nozzle (V12CC), so consumables stay available even if the vacuum itself is a legacy model.

Drywall dust and other jobs to avoid

The manual warns against vacuuming drywall dust or fireplace soot and ash with the standard filter, because those fine particles may not be captured and can damage the motor. It also rules out flammable liquids and explosive dusts. For that kind of cleanup, a fine dust cartridge (V2CFF) is the safer fit where Cleva still sells it.

Price and value

McCoy’s Building Supply lists the orange AA255 at $52.99, Cleva’s direct store shows it at $75.99 marked sold out, and Walmart carries the black AA255W variant at $67.99-$69.99. At the low end it is a tidy value for a compact vac with a blower and car nozzles. Near the top of that money, you are paying for compactness when bigger shop vacs from Craftsman and Shop-Vac sit at similar prices. With no independent lab test anywhere, the ASTM airflow figures remain the best performance data you get.

Which model this is

This page covers the Armor All AA255 2.5-gallon wet/dry utility vac in orange, sold under ASIN B003M2F7NI and distributed by Cleva North America under license from Armor All/STP. The same body also ships as the black AA255W at Walmart; that is a color variant, not a different capacity. The manual identifies the model as AA255 with 2.5 Gal / 10 L capacity, and Cleva’s spec page confirms the SKU AA255 and UPC 810131260972.

Sources

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