🗓️ Prices checked on October 27, 2026. They move often: check them again before you buy.
Written by Julien · Reviewed by Nadia on 10/27/2026 (prices, links and availability checked) — our editorial pen names
The Craftsman 9-gallon is the shop vac to beat
The short answer: the best shop vac for most garages is the Craftsman CMXEVBE17590, a 9-gallon, 4.25 peak HP wet/dry vac at $109.99 on Amazon.com (checked October 27, 2026), rated 4.5/5 from 4,877 ratings. It handles sawdust, sanding dust and the occasional flooded basement, and its filters and bags are easy to find.
See the Craftsman 9-gallon on Amazon →In this article
The shop vacs compared · What actually matters · Who should skip a shop vac · FAQ · Our verdict
The shop vacs compared
Six wet/dry vacs from the five big American shop vac brands (Craftsman, DeWalt, Vacmaster, Ridgid and Shop-Vac), from $69.99 to $149.99 on Amazon.com on October 27, 2026. All of them pick up liquids, which a household vacuum can’t do: that’s what defines the category, before horsepower. This guide is part of our Shop Equipment section.
| Shop vac | Tank / power | Price (Oct 27, 2026) | Amazon.com rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craftsman CMXEVBE17590 | 9 gal · 4.25 peak HP | $109.99 | 4.5/5 (4,877 ratings) | Our pick ✅: most garages |
| DeWalt DXV09PA | 9 gal · 5 peak HP | $126.82 (list $149.97) | 4.7/5 (1,749 ratings) | The best rated 9-gallon |
| Vacmaster VOC507PF | 5 gal · 3 peak HP | $69.99 | 4.6/5 (1,374 ratings) | Small space, small price |
| Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 | 16 gal · 6.5 peak HP | $149.99 | 4.7/5 (8,634 ratings) | The biggest tank, stays put |
| Ridgid 4000RV | 4 gal · 5 peak HP | $147.60 | 4.7/5 (1,024 ratings) | Compact, goes in the truck |
| Shop-Vac 5989300 | 5 gal stainless · 4.5 peak HP | $129.39 | 4.3/5 (273 ratings) | Stainless tank fans |
Craftsman CMXEVBE17590 (9 gallons)
$109.99
4.5/5 — 4,877 ratings (checked October 27, 2026)
wet and dry · 4.25 peak HP · 1-7/8 in. × 7 ft. locking hose · filter, dust bag and nozzles included · blower port · tank drain
Good to know: Craftsman lists nine compatible filters and its own dust bags for this vac, sold on Amazon and in hardware stores. On a machine you’ll keep ten years, easy-to-find filters matter as much as the motor.
Check the price on Amazon →DeWalt DXV09PA (9 gallons)
$126.82
4.7/5 — 1,749 ratings (checked October 27, 2026)
wet and dry · 5 peak HP · 10 ft. cord with wrap · rubberized casters · blower port · tank drain
Good to know: $23 below its $149.97 list price on the day we checked. The highest rating of the 9-gallon class and a little more power than the Craftsman, for those who want the yellow badge.
Check the price on Amazon →Vacmaster VOC507PF (5 gallons)
$69.99
4.6/5 — 1,374 ratings (checked October 27, 2026)
wet and dry · 3 peak HP · 65 CFM · cartridge filter for dry pick-up and foam filter for wet · 16 ft. of reach
Good to know: the cheapest vac here, and it ships with both a dry cartridge and a foam wet filter, so you’re ready for spills on day one. Five gallons fits a small garage or apartment storage closet.
Check the price on Amazon →Craftsman CMXEVBE17595 (16 gallons)
$149.99
4.7/5 — 8,634 ratings (checked October 27, 2026)
wet and dry · 6.5 peak HP · 2-1/2 in. × 7 ft. kink-resistant hose · filter and dust bag included · blower port
Good to know: the most-rated vac on this page, and the wide 2-1/2-inch hose swallows wood chips without clogging. Sixteen gallons is big and bulky: buy it for a shop where it stays put, not for carrying upstairs.
Check the price on Amazon →Ridgid 4000RV (4 gallons)
$147.60
4.7/5 — 1,024 ratings (checked October 27, 2026)
wet and dry · 5 peak HP · 15 in. tall, 14 lb · 1-7/8 in. × 8 ft. locking hose · 20 ft. cord · fine dust filter
Good to know: everything stores on board and the 20-foot cord reaches across a two-car garage. The vac for contractors and anyone who cleans the car and the shop with the same machine.
Check the price on Amazon →SENCTRL automatic vacuum switch
$26.99
4.5/5 — 1,544 ratings (checked October 27, 2026)
plug the vac and the tool into it · vac starts with the tool, runs 7 more seconds after · Auto, Off and On modes
Good to know: American shop vacs rarely have a built-in tool outlet. This little box adds it to any of the vacs above, and that’s what makes you actually collect dust every time you sand or saw.
Check the price on Amazon →Prefer stainless steel? The Shop-Vac 5989300 (5 gallons, 4.5 peak HP) was $129.39 on October 27, 2026, rated 4.3/5 from 273 ratings: see it on Amazon.
What actually matters when you choose
The filter decides what you can pick up
It’s the most important point and the least advertised. A standard cartridge catches wood chips and coarse dust. Fine dust from sanding, drywall or concrete goes straight through and comes back out of the exhaust: you think you’re cleaning, you’re spreading it around. For that kind of dust, use a fine-dust or HEPA-rated cartridge and, ideally, a bag. OSHA requires a HEPA-filtered vacuum for cleaning up concrete and silica dust on job sites; it’s a good benchmark at home too. Check the filter before the horsepower. If you sand a lot, read our orbital vs. random orbit sander guide: both have a dust port made for this hose.
Picking up water means swapping the filter
All these vacs pick up liquids, but not with just any filter: a paper dust bag falls apart the moment it gets wet, and many paper cartridges clog for good. Take the bag out and switch to the foam wet filter (the Vacmaster includes one) or a cartridge your manual rates for wet use. It’s the number-one way people ruin a filter.
Auto-start is underrated
An automatic switch starts the vac the moment the tool plugged into it turns on, then keeps it running a few seconds after you stop to clear the hose. On a sander or a miter saw, that’s the difference between actually collecting dust and remembering to do it one time in three. Our best sliding miter saw guide explains why the saw’s own dust bag isn’t enough.
The tank: bigger isn’t always better
A 16-gallon tank rarely needs emptying, but the vac gets heavy, bulky and awkward to move. A 5 to 9-gallon tank is plenty for a home shop and goes up a flight of stairs with one hand. Only go big if the vac stays in one place. And don’t judge on peak horsepower alone: it’s a marketing figure measured at startup, and hose diameter and a clean filter matter more for real suction.
A shop vac also cleans up after other jobs: drilling tile, for example, where you hold the nozzle right under the hole (see how to drill tile without cracking it). For the floors inside the house, a robot does the daily work: our sister site RobotAspirateurs covers the best robot vacuum for a large home.
Also on Atelier Malin
Who should skip a shop vac
- You only need to clean carpets and floors inside the house: a regular or robot vacuum does that better and more quietly.
- You run a table saw and a planer all day: look at a dedicated dust collector; a shop vac is for cleanup and handheld tools.
FAQ
Can a shop vac replace a household vacuum?
No, it’s the other way around: a shop vac swallows what would kill a household vacuum, such as wood chips, debris, water and screws. But it’s loud, bulky and doesn’t groom carpets. They’re two different machines.
Can I vacuum fireplace ash with a shop vac?
Not with a standard model. Fine ash goes through ordinary filters and can hide live embers. Dedicated ash vacuums have a metal tank and the right filtration. Vacuuming a fireplace with a regular shop vac is a real fire risk.
How much horsepower does a shop vac need?
For a home shop, 3 to 6.5 peak HP is plenty. Peak horsepower is measured at startup and says little about real suction; airflow, hose diameter and the condition of the filter matter more. A clogged filter cuts performance whatever the motor.
Should I use dust bags in a shop vac?
A bag isn’t required, but it protects the filter, makes emptying easier and keeps you from breathing a cloud when you dump the tank. For fine dust from drywall, sanding or concrete, it’s strongly recommended. For coarse chips or water, skip it.
How do I connect a shop vac to a sander or a saw?
Most power tools have a dust port, and shop vac hoses come in common sizes (1-1/4, 1-7/8 and 2-1/2 inches). Check the diameters before you buy: a mismatch is the classic annoyance, and a universal rubber adapter fixes it for a few dollars.
Our verdict 🧰
For most garages, the Craftsman CMXEVBE17590 at $109.99 settles it: 9 gallons, 4,877 ratings, and filters you’ll find for years. Want the best-rated 9-gallon? The DeWalt DXV09PA is $126.82, already below list. Tight on space or budget, the Vacmaster VOC507PF at $69.99 comes ready for spills. Only take the 16-gallon Craftsman ($149.99) if it’ll live in the shop. If you sand or saw a lot, add the SENCTRL switch ($26.99) so the vac starts with your tool. And whatever you pick, use a bag and a fine-dust filter for drywall and sanding dust: that’s where cleaning stops being moving dust around. More picks are on our recommended tools page, and this fall’s prices to beat are in our Black Friday 2026 power tool deals.
