DeWalt 6 Gallon Poly Wet/Dry Vac vs Ridgid 12 Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac
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Quick take: The Ridgid 12 Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac costs $1 less.
| Spec | DeWalt 6 Gallon Poly Wet/Dry Vac | Ridgid 12 Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$110 | ~$109 |
| Type | Wet-Dry Shop Vac | Wet-Dry Shop Vac |
| Suction | 4 HP | 5 HP |
| Battery | Corded | Corded |
| Navigation | — | — |
| Filtration | Washable and reusable cartridge filter | VF4000 cartridge filter, tool-free Qwik Lock swap |
| Cordless | No | No |
| Bagged | No | No |
| Noise | — | — |
| Dustbin | 6 gal | 12 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 | 19.5 x 15.5 x 16.5 in | — |
| Weight | 14.8 lbs | 22 lbs |
| Warranty | 3 years | Lifetime |
Pros & cons
DeWalt 6 Gallon Poly Wet/Dry Vac
- ✓Under 15 lbs — easy to lift into a truck bed or up a step
- ✓Washable, reusable cartridge filter instead of disposable ones
- ✓Built-in blower port doubles as a basic blower
- ✓3-year limited warranty plus 1 year of free service
- ✓Rubberized casters roll easily on concrete and gravel
- ✓Widely stocked at Home Depot, so replacement filters and hoses are easy to find
- ✗No published noise rating
- ✗Some owners question whether the 4 HP figure reflects real running power
- ✗6 gallons fills up fast on bigger cleanup jobs
- ✗Running it without the filter seated will damage the motor — an easy mistake to make
Ridgid 12 Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac
- ✓Strong suction and airflow for a mid-size unit — ranked second only to DeWalt by professional testers
- ✓Tool-free Qwik Lock filter swap
- ✓Built-in drain spigot for easy water removal
- ✓Full lifetime warranty on the vac body
- ✓Affordable relative to its performance class
- ✗15-foot cord is shorter than the 20-foot cords on Ridgid's larger NXT models
- ✗Water lift trails premium competitors like DeWalt and Bauer
- ✗HEPA-rated filter is sold separately, not included
- ✗Independently measured at 88 dBA in use — a genuinely loud machine
- ✗Better suited to dry debris than heavy wet cleanup