DEWALT 20V MAX 1/2 Gallon Wet/Dry Portable Vac (DCV517B)

DEWALT 20V MAX 1/2 Gallon Wet/Dry Portable Vac (DCV517B)

By DEWALT · Car Vacuums · Cleaning & Smart Home

  • 1/2 gallon tank
  • Runs on DEWALT 20V MAX batteries (tool only)
  • Wet and dry pickup
  • Washable filter

Lowest price seen
$169.00
from $169.00 at The Power Tool Store · Checked Oct 4, 2026

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

Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

A cordless half-gallon wet/dry vacuum that runs on DEWALT’s 20V MAX batteries and ships as a bare tool, so the real cost depends on whether you already own a pack. DEWALT publishes no runtime or airflow figure for it, and the same dealers already sell larger 2-gallon vacuums at similar money.

Strengths

  • Runs on any 20V MAX battery pack, so it slots into an existing DEWALT kit.
  • Half-gallon wet/dry tank in a handheld body for small spills and light debris.
  • The washable two-filter design can be water-rinsed instead of replaced every time.
  • Switch between wet and dry pickup with no parts to swap.
  • A three-year limited warranty with one year of free service and a 90-day satisfaction guarantee.

Weaknesses

  • Ships as a bare tool: battery and charger cost extra, and there is no published runtime figure.
  • Flat $169.00 at seven US dealers, at or above what the same dealers charge for larger 2-gallon vacs.
  • Two owner reports on the retailer pool of complete electronics failure, one after about a year with a blown board fuse.
  • No spare-parts catalog found for the filters, hose or power head, so a board failure has no clear repair path.
  • Dealer specs conflict on airflow (40 against 105 CFM), weight and dimensions, and DEWALT publishes none of them.
  • The manual forbids brushes and compressed air for filter cleaning, and its intended audience is contradictory.

Verified specifications

ModelDCV517B bare tool; the manual covers model DCV517.
Powercordless, 20V MAX platform; maximum initial battery voltage 20 V, nominal 18 V. Any 20V MAX DEWALT pack works.
Tank capacity0.5 gallon US.
Hose1-1/4 in diameter, 2.5 ft long.
Filterstwo. A high-efficiency wet/dry filter and a secondary filter that has to stay in the unit.
Filtration claimDEWALT says the Gore HEPA wet/dry filter traps 99.97% of dust at 0.3 microns, a manufacturer claim with no published test behind it.
Cleaningshake and tap the filter; a water wash is not always required; brushes and compressed air are forbidden.
Wet/dry changeoverno component changes needed when switching between wet and dry pickup.
Controlsone-hand ON/OFF switch. Attachments: hose connector, hose nozzle and vacuum nozzle.
Weight3.8 lb per DEWALT. Dealers list 4.0 lb, 4.5 lb and 4.95 lb.
Dimensionsdealers disagree (17.7 × 8.3 × 6.38 in against 17.68 × 8.43 × 6.38 in), so no single figure is reliable.
Airflowdealers list 40 CFM and 105 CFM. DEWALT publishes none.
In the boxthe vacuum and the owner’s manual only. Battery and charger are sold separately.
Full research notes and sources

What it is and what it costs to run

The DCV517B is DEWALT’s half-gallon cordless handheld wet/dry vacuum for the 20V MAX platform, with a 1-1/4 in hose, a washable two-filter setup and a one-hand switch. It is a small-tool design: DEWALT itself classifies it as a handheld vacuum, not a car vacuum, and lists general cleanup, cabinet cleanout, drywall and masonry cleanup and water cleanup as the intended jobs.

The important number is the one DEWALT does not print. There is no runtime figure anywhere in the checked sources. The product page and the manual say only that it runs off all 20V MAX packs “for long run-time” and stop there. Owner discussion on r/Dewalt advises treating DEWALT cordless wet/dry vacs as power-hungry and using at least a 5 Ah pack, though that thread does not consistently name a model. Battery and charger are not in the box, so a buyer starting from nothing should plan around the retailer bundles: one 3.0 Ah battery lists at $298.00 and four 3.0 Ah batteries at $328.00.

Spec numbers you should not trust

DEWALT publishes no airflow, suction, noise, runtime or first-party dimensioned drawing for this tool. Distributor databases fill the gap with junk. One dealer lists 40 CFM, another lists 105 CFM on the battery-bundled variant, and several carry a “0.3 horsepower” attribute DEWALT never claims. Two dealers directly contradict each other on whether the tool has a blower. Weight ranges from 3.8 lb on DEWALT’s own spec block to 4.95 lb at one dealer, and the two published dimension sets (17.7 × 8.3 × 6.38 in against 17.68 × 8.43 × 6.38 in) cannot both describe a handheld body once the 17.7-inch length is compared with its height. Treat any airflow, horsepower or single dimension figure for this vac as unverified.

Tests, owners and reliability

No independent instrumented test of the DCV517B was found from RTINGS, Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, CNET, PCMag or a specialist tool outlet. What passes for review coverage is affiliate pages that restate DEWALT’s bullets and distributor review modules pooled across a marketplace, neither of which involves testing.

The owner evidence is small and more negative in kind than positive. In the Home Depot review pool, one owner reports that both of two 20V MAX hand-held units they bought stopped working, and another reports the unit worked for a little over a year and then quit, with a blown fuse on the battery-controller PCB and no replacement findable online. DEWALT’s visible reply to both is a support-ticket address rather than a parts offer. Separately, an r/Dewalt thread on cordless wet/dry vacs reports clogging where the hose enters the tank, calls them among the worst in the 20V class, and advises a 5 Ah pack minimum; that thread does not consistently identify the model and may cover the larger DCV580H and DCV581H, so treat it as a brand-family caution rather than a DCV517B finding. Two reports are not a failure rate, but they are the kind of signal that should make you check the return policy before buying.

Repairs and upkeep

DEWALT publishes an exploded diagram for the DCV517B and backs it with a 3-year limited warranty, 1 year of free service and a 90-day satisfaction guarantee, but no spare-parts catalog for the filters, hose or power head was located, and one owner could not source a failed board component. That makes the warranty the main recourse rather than a parts channel.

Maintenance is straightforward and specific. Power off and remove the battery before servicing, release the rear latch and lift off the power head to reach the filters, twist the wet/dry filter off, then clean by shaking off excess dust and tapping it into a bin. The secondary filter stays installed unless it is being cleaned or replaced. A water wash is not always required; a brush or compressed air is not allowed. Wipe the housing with a cloth dampened only with water and mild soap, keep liquid out of the tool, and empty dry contents before wet pickup.

Is it worth it?

Only if you already own 20V MAX batteries. With packs on hand, the half-gallon tank, the washable filter and the platform reuse make it a defensible small-job vacuum, and the three-year warranty is above average for the class. Without packs, the all-in cost runs toward $298-$328 through the retailer bundles, and larger 2-gallon corded wet/dry vacs cost the same or less at the same dealers. There is also no published runtime, so you cannot size a job against a number. Check the store panel above for current prices.

Which model this is

This page covers the DCV517B, the bare-tool half-gallon wet/dry vacuum; the manual is written for model DCV517. The UPC is 885911461108. Don’t confuse it with the DCV517M1 kit (battery and charger included), the dry-only hand vac, or the larger DCV580H and DCV581H. The US listing is ASIN B01CKIZ8BA.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

  • No instrumented test of the DCV517B was found from RTINGS, Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, CNET, PCMag or a specialist tool outlet.

Owner reports:

Retailers:

Buying guides for this category

Related products