DeWalt 6 Gallon Poly Wet/Dry Vac vs Ridgid 3 Gallon NXT Portable Wet/Dry Vac

Quick take: The DeWalt 6 Gallon Poly Wet/Dry Vac costs $4 less.

SpecDeWalt 6 Gallon Poly Wet/Dry VacRidgid 3 Gallon NXT Portable Wet/Dry Vac
Price~$75~$79
TypeWet-Dry Shop VacWet-Dry Shop Vac
Suction4 HP5 HP
BatteryCordedCorded
Navigation
FiltrationWashable and reusable cartridge filterVF3500 cartridge filter (VF3700 wet filter sold separately)
CordlessNoNo
BaggedNoNo
Noise
Dustbin6 gal3 gal
Water tank
Self-empty dockNoNo
Auto mop washingNoNo
Hot water washingNoNo
Obstacle avoidanceNoNo
Carpet detectionNoNo
Auto mop liftingNoNo
Multi-floor mappingNoNo
App controlNoNo
Dimensions19.5 x 15.5 x 16.5 in
Weight14.8 lbs12.6 lbs
Warranty3 yearsLifetime

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 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