Craftsman 6 Gallon 3.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac vs Ridgid 3 Gallon NXT Portable Wet/Dry Vac
Quick take: The Ridgid 3 Gallon NXT Portable Wet/Dry Vac costs $6 less.
Which one to buy
Wheels or a carry handle: that is most of this choice. The Craftsman 6 Gallon 3.5 Peak HP at $85 rolls on swivel casters and holds twice as much, so it suits basement spills and small garage cleanups. The Ridgid 3 Gallon NXT at $79 is a 12.6 lb toolbox-style unit with no wheels, meant to be carried one-handed to a workbench, a car or a job site and stacked away afterward.
The Ridgid has the stronger support and the more interesting design. Its owners say its 100 CFM is strong for the size and like the RIDGID Sweep feature, which lets you vacuum floor debris straight up without a dustpan, plus onboard storage for the cord, hose and tools. It carries a Full Lifetime Warranty, though its owners note you must register it to activate the coverage. Their complaints are frequent emptying, a 6-foot hose that limits reach and 48 inches of water lift, which suits light spills more than standing water.
Owners have said little about the Craftsman. On paper it offers the bigger tank, a pleated paper filter and a 3-year warranty, but its 10.25-foot cord is shorter than the Ridgid's 15-foot cord, and it is the weakest motor in Craftsman's lineup.
For a workbench, a truck or a closet, buy the Ridgid and register it. For water and floor-level messes where rolling beats carrying and a 6-gallon tank saves trips, the Craftsman is the better fit.
Craftsman 6 Gallon 3.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac
Go this way if you want a rolling vac with double the tank for basement spills and small garage jobs.
Ridgid 3 Gallon NXT Portable Wet/Dry Vac
The better pick for workbench and carry-along cleanup; register it to activate the lifetime warranty.
| Spec | Craftsman 6 Gallon 3.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac | Ridgid 3 Gallon NXT Portable Wet/Dry Vac |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$85 | ~$79 |
| Type | Wet-Dry Shop Vac | Wet-Dry Shop Vac |
| Suction | 3.5 HP | 5 HP |
| Battery | Corded | Corded |
| Navigation | — | — |
| Filtration | Qwik Lock pleated paper filter | VF3500 cartridge filter (VF3700 wet filter sold separately) |
| Cordless | No | No |
| Bagged | No | No |
| Noise | — | — |
| Dustbin | 6 gal | 3 gal |
| Water tank | — | — |
| Self-empty dock | No | No |
| Auto mop washing | No | No |
| Hot water washing | No | No |
| Obstacle avoidance | No | No |
| Carpet detection | No | No |
| Auto mop lifting | No | No |
| Multi-floor mapping | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Dimensions | — | — |
| Weight | — | 12.6 lbs |
| Warranty | 3 years | Lifetime |
Pros & cons
Craftsman 6 Gallon 3.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac
- ✓Compact and light enough to keep in a car trunk or small closet
- ✓Swivel casters and rear wheels for real mobility despite the small size
- ✓Affordable entry point into the Craftsman lineup
- ✓3-year limited warranty
- ✓Pleated paper filter and attachment set included
- ✗Smallest, weakest motor in the current Craftsman lineup at 3.5 peak HP
- ✗10.25-foot cord is notably shorter than Craftsman's larger units
- ✗No blower function mentioned in official specs, unlike the bigger models
- ✗No published noise rating, weight, or dimensions
- ✗Long-term owner reports for this exact SKU are thin online
Ridgid 3 Gallon NXT Portable Wet/Dry Vac
- ✓RIDGID Sweep built-in dustpan is a genuinely useful, unique feature
- ✓Lightweight and stackable for easy storage
- ✓High CFM (100) for its compact size
- ✓Corded, so no battery runtime ceiling to manage
- ✓Full lifetime warranty on the vac body
- ✗3-gallon tank empties fast on anything beyond a small job
- ✗No wheels — this is a carry unit, not a roll-around one
- ✗Tethered by a 15-foot cord
- ✗No published noise rating
- ✗Ridgid also sells a larger, non-NXT 4-gallon portable (WD4070) that's easy to confuse this with
Craftsman 6 Gallon 3.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac vs Ridgid 3 Gallon NXT Portable Wet/Dry Vac: common questions
Is the Ridgid's lifetime warranty better than Craftsman's 3 years?▾
Yes, as long as you register the Ridgid after purchase, which its owners point out is required to activate the Full Lifetime Warranty. The Craftsman's 3-year limited warranty is solid for the price but much shorter.
Which one is better for water spills?▾
The Craftsman's 6-gallon tank holds twice as much, so it needs fewer stops on a wet job. Ridgid owners say its 48 inches of water lift suits light spills more than standing water, and its 3-gallon tank empties often.
Can either one roll around the garage?▾
Only the Craftsman, which has swivel casters and rear wheels. The Ridgid has no wheels and is meant to be carried by its handle; its owners call that fine for portable use but awkward across a large floor.