Use case advice that will many even the crappiest one work 500% longer: Get two. Dry shopvac. Most of them come with optional vacuum cleaner bags like your home vacuum. Get and use them and let everyone who touches it know to check the bag and this is ONLY a dry shopvac. Wet shopvac. This is properly set up for wet pickup at all times. Mark each in a horrendous manner so there is no confusion. One of the reasons people hate shopvacs is the mixing of dirt and water which makes it smell like a dumpster at a Thai restaurant. if you use the above, you should have two pleasant and long lasting items. More on reddit.com

To use wet: remove the paper bag and paper filter. It should have come with a foam sleeve for the inner cage that's used In place of the paper filter when going wet. Once you vacuum the liquid you must empty the vacuum and dry it out. More on reddit.com

I'll say, as others have. I have a Ridgid purchased around 2006. It is a full size model with a blower conversion. I have built 4 houses using it along with my own use around my house and garage (including hooking it up to woodworking tools for dust collection) and besides filters, the only issue I have had was with the power switch, which I changed out for a couple of bucks with one from an auto parts store. When it needs to be replaced, I will certainly pick up another Ridgid. I beat on this thing way harder than an average homeowner and it just keeps going. More on reddit.com

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