Our Verdict: The Draper 06489 isn’t the most powerful or feature-packed wet and dry vacuum we’ve reviewed, but it provides great performance for the price. If you need a basic wet and dry vac to suck up spills around the home, while also providing decent dry cleaning performance, then it’s a solid choice. Just don’t expect it to match the performance of pricier models.
Draper 06489
Pros:
- Budget price means it provides excellent value for money
- Strong suction from the 1000W motor
- Relatively lightweight for a wet and dry vacuum
- 12 accessories make it a versatile choice
Cons:
- No advanced features and a very basic design
- Need to swap filters when changing from wet to dry material
- Only a tiny 3.5 metre cable
- Not the largest capacity (which is an issue for bigger jobs)
If you’re looking for a wet and dry vacuum cleaner but don’t want to spend a lot of money, we think the Draper 06489 could be the answer.
It’s a powerful vacuum that can handle everyday tasks and has a reasonably large 10-litre capacity. It lacks advanced features, but the Draper is a great choice if you’re on a tight budget and need a wet and dry vacuum for home use.
How does the suction compare to more expensive wet and dry models though? And is the 10-litre capacity too small for bigger cleaning jobs? Read our Draper 06489 wet and dry vacuum cleaner review to find out.
Overview of Draper 06489 Features
- Can clean both dry and wet materials (although you need to switch the filters)
- 10-litre capacity tank
- Lightweight for a wet and dry vacuum at just 3.8kg
- Comes with 12 accessories for cleaning around the home. These include a crevice nozzle, utility nozzle and shoulder strap
- Short 3.5 metre power cable
- Much cheaper than most wet and dry vacuum cleaners
In-depth Look at the Draper 06489
Appearance, Features, and Design
The Draper 06489 wet and dry vacuum cleaner is a relatively simple model and this is reflected in its basic appearance. There is none of the space-age style you find on modern uprights, but considering this is a vacuum built for functionality we don’t think this is a major issue.
One thing we like about the Draper 06489 is that there is an on-board tool holder. This might sound like a small detail, but can make vacuuming much more convenient. It also reduces the chances of losing one of the useful tools.
However, the Draper comes with a tiny 3.5 metre power cable. This is a surprise, as we’ve found wet and dry vacuums usually include longer cables to make them better suited to larger cleaning jobs. If you’re planning on using the Draper to clean a car, then you’ll certainly be relying on an extension lead.
The lack of proper storage for the cable is something that could be easily fixed by Draper. At the moment, it’s inconvenient to store the vacuum, as the cable often gets in the way.
It’s also a relatively loud vacuum cleaner. This is to be expected from a model with a 1000W motor, but is something to keep in mind depending on the time of day you plan to use it.
Suction Power and Cleaning Performance
The Draper 06489 is powered by a 1000W motor. This is the same motor power as models such as the Numatic Charles, and it provides more than enough raw suction for cleaning around the home.
In fact, we think the Draper can rival the best vacuums when it comes to suction during dry cleaning. It’s surprisingly powerful for such a lightweight wet and dry vacuum.
However, suction power isn’t the only consideration when it comes to cleaning performance. While the Draper does a great job at cleaning hard floors, it’s less effective on carpets. This is largely due to the lack of an agitating brush bar in the floorhead.
Still, it’s not terrible on carpets and is certainly capable of providing a solid clean. It’s just not able to match the best carpet vacuums.
A bigger issue is that it can struggle to pick up moisture when in “wet” mode. It does an acceptable job, but it’s not the best wet and dry vacuum we’ve reviewed when it comes to liquid spills.
A minor complaint we have about the Draper is that the hose is too stiff. This makes cleaning feel like more of a struggle than it should be.
Filtration
The vacuum has a foam filter when sucking water and washable cloth filter for dust and dirt. These filters need to be swapped when you want to change mode.
Unfortunately, swapping these filters is fiddlier than it should be. This is a minor annoyance rather than a deal-breaker, but is something to keep in mind.
We also don’t recommend this vacuum cleaner for people with allergies. It’s a bagless model that relies entirely on a basic foam filter to keep dust trapped, which means that allergens can escape – especially when emptying the vacuum.
Dust/Liquid Capacity
The Draper 06489 has a 10 litre tank. This is a relatively large capacity, although it can’t match the 15 dry litre capacity of the Numatic Charles or the 17 litres of the Karcher WD3 P.
Even so, Draper recommends this model for both home use and car cleaning, and we agree that the capacity should be more than enough for these purposes.
For commercial or industrial usage, however, you might want to look at models with a more spacious tank. It’s also probably not the best choice if you need a wet and dry vacuum for moving large amounts of liquid on a regular basis.
Ease of Use
If you hate the idea of spending hours reading a vacuum’s manual just to find out how to turn it on, the Draper 06489’s simplistic design will be a relief. Instead of numerous features and settings to worry about, the Draper provides powerful suction without fuss.
The only difficult part about using the Draper is when you want to switch from wet to dry mode (and vice versa). This requires swapping the filters. While switching filters is common for a wet-dry vacuum, we prefer wet and dry vacuums that don’t require a filter change, as they are more convenient.
Additionally, we think the lightweight design of the vacuum makes it easy to use both indoors and outdoors. Weighing only 3.8kg, the vacuum is one of the lightest in this category.
Price and Value for Money
The low price of the Draper 06489 wet and dry vacuum cleaner is one of its biggest selling points. With an RRP of just under £70, this is one of the cheapest wet and dry vacuums that still provides strong suction performance. As the vacuum has been available for several years, you can often find it cheaper than this too.
For these reasons, we think the Draper 06489 provides excellent value for money. It doesn’t have many advanced features, but its suction is very strong, and the accessories (see below) make it a versatile choice.
We don’t recommend it for workshops or commercial cleaning though. For those, you’ll need a vacuum with a larger capacity, bagged design, and a longer power cord.
Accessories and Tools
One of the great things about the Draper 06489 is that it comes with a huge set of tools. In fact, there are more tools than we’ve seen included with almost any vacuum! A few examples include:
- Extension tube for reaching ceiling corners and other difficult places
- Crevice nozzle
- Wide angled crevice nozzle
- Upholstery attachment
- Utility nozzle
- Mini cleaning kit
- Round brush
- Shoulder strap
All the accessories are 35mm in diameter, aside from the mini cleaning kit which is 17mm. They are particularly useful for getting into tight spaces, such as inside a car.
One thing that’s missing from the accessory list is a motorised pet tool. These often aren’t included with wet and dry vacuums, but having one would make the Draper more effective at deep cleaning carpets and removing pet hair.
Draper 06489 Specification Table
| Ninja Column 1 | Ninja Column 2 |
|---|---|
| Type | Wet & Dry |
| Bag | Bagless |
| Filter | Foam |
| Price Range | £ |
| Weight (kg) | 3.8 |
| Dry Capacity (Litres) | 10 |
| Motorised Tool | No |
| Hose | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Draper 06489 a Bagless Vacuum Cleaner?
Yes, the Draper is a bagless vacuum. You only need to change the filter when switching between wet and dry modes.
Can You Use This Vacuum Cleaner Outdoors?
You can use the Draper on wet materials, so it’s fine to use it outdoors. However, it’s not waterproof, so you shouldn’t use it when it’s raining or when there’s a chance for it to get wet.
Verdict
Overall, the Draper 06489 vacuum is a solid budget wet and dry vacuum – but it’s not perfect. The main downsides are the moderate capacity, tiny power cord, and lack of advanced features.
It’s also not the best vacuum for carpet cleaning and can sometimes struggle to remove moisture in “wet” mode. While these issues are to be expected from a cheap wet and dry vacuum, it’s important to be aware of the model’s limitations before you buy.
So, if you’re looking for an industrial-size vacuum cleaner to suck up large spills, then the Draper 06489 may not be the best option. But for home cleaning, car valeting, sucking up spilt drinks and other everyday tasks, it does an excellent job considering the low price.
For these reasons, we think the Draper 06489 wet and dry vacuum cleaner provides great value for money.