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Head-to-head · Best Shop Vacs

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 0920-20 9-Gallon Cordless Wet/Dry Vac vs Ridgid HD1600 16-Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 0920-20 9-Gallon Cordless Wet/Dry Vac comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.6 vs 4.4). The gap is mostly about Trades on the jobsite, remodel contractors, and Milwaukee M18 platform owners who need cordless wet/dry pickup with PACKOUT integration and don't want to drag an extension cord across a finished floor — read the strengths below before deciding.

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 0920-20 9-Gallon Cordless Wet/Dry Vac
Higher ratedRanked #5 in Best Shop Vacs
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 0920-20 9-Gallon Cordless Wet/Dry Vac
$309

The Milwaukee M18 FUEL 0920-20 is the cordless shop vac to buy if you're already on the M18 platform. Pro Tool Reviews gave it 9.4/10, measured 109 CFM and 77 inches of water lift, and tested the reinforced wheels past 50 miles of jobsite travel. PACKOUT compatibility and the modular NEXUS canister system make it the most workflow-integrated cordless option. Batteries sold separately is the obvious cost catch.

Strengths
  • — Pro Tool Reviews scored it 9.4/10 — the highest rating any vac in this guide received — citing 'fantastic' wet/dry performance
  • — Pro Tool Reviews measured 109 CFM and 77 inches of water lift, outperforming many 4.25 peak HP corded competitors
  • — Up to 49 minutes of runtime per pair of M18 12.0 Ah batteries in Max Runtime mode, plus PACKOUT-compatible cart for jobsite mobility
Watch-outs
  • — Bare-tool price of $309-329 doesn't include the two M18 batteries required to run (add $200-400 depending on capacity)
  • — Even on Max Power mode, runtime caps at 34 minutes — long jobs need spare battery packs
  • — Filter is non-HEPA-certified standard high-efficiency element — for OSHA-compliant silica cleanup buy the 0888-20 dust extractor instead
$309 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Ridgid HD1600 16-Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac
Ranked #2 in Best Shop Vacs
Ridgid HD1600 16-Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac
$199

The Ridgid HD1600 is the all-around heavy-duty corded shop vac at $199 — a 16-gallon drum with 6.5 peak HP, 161 CFM, and a detachable blower motor that genuinely doubles the tool's utility. Pro Tool Reviews ranks the 16-gallon NXT line as a class-leader for CFM, though wet-pickup water lift trails the smaller Vacmaster Beast in raw inches. Workshop owners get the longest cord and hose combo in the test field plus Ridgid's lifetime warranty.

Strengths
  • — 161 CFM published airflow puts it near the top of the corded 16-gallon class — Pro Tool Reviews called the 16-gallon NXT line 'best-in-class' for CFM
  • — Detachable blower motor doubles as an electric leaf blower for garages, sawdust, and grass clippings
  • — 20-foot power cord plus 7-foot dual-flex locking hose gives ~27 feet of working reach without an extension
Watch-outs
  • — Pro Tool Reviews measured water lift at the bottom of the four-vac test group — strong on dry pickup but weaker on wet suction
  • — Filter clogs quickly with fine drywall dust unless you add the optional bag
  • — 24.5 lb empty weight gets unwieldy on stairs when full of water
$199 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

How they stack up

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 0920-20 9-Gallon Cordless Wet/Dry Vac

Vs the corded Ridgid HD1600 16-Gallon NXT at $199, the Milwaukee is the cordless answer at 1.5x the price plus batteries — you trade hose-length-and-cord-length reach for genuine no-extension-cord freedom and PACKOUT integration. Vs the Festool CT 26 EI HEPA, it's two-thirds the price (with batteries), corded-free, but doesn't HEPA filter. The Ridgid HD09001 has the same drum size for a third the price, but tethered to a 10-foot cord. The Vacmaster Professional Beast VFB511B pulls more raw water-lift suction in a much smaller drum.

Ridgid HD1600 16-Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac

The HD1600 is the workshop pick at twice the price of the Ridgid HD09001 — you get nearly twice the drum capacity, 20 feet of cord instead of 10, and the detachable blower head. Compared to the Festool CT 26 EI HEPA at $899, the HD1600 moves more raw air but has no HEPA filtration, runs noticeably louder, and lacks Bluetooth tool-triggering. The Milwaukee M18 FUEL 9-Gallon (0920-20) is its closest cordless cross-shop; the HD1600 is the corded answer at a quarter the price once batteries are factored in.

Specs side-by-side

SpecMilwaukee M18 FUEL 0920-20 9-Gallon Cordless Wet/Dry VacRidgid HD1600 16-Gallon NXT Wet/Dry Vac
Tank Capacity9 gal16 gal
MotorPOWERSTATE brushless (>4.25 peak HP equivalent)6.5 peak HP / 12 A
Max Airflow109 CFM161 CFM
Max Water Lift77 in—
Hose1-7/8 in x 9 ft (crush-resistant)2.5 in x 7 ft (locking dual-flex)
Filter TypeLarge high-efficiency cartridgeCartridge (VF4000)
Power SourceBattery (2x M18 18V REDLITHIUM, sold separately)120 V corded
Runtime34-49 min per charge (HD12.0 batteries)—
WeightNot published (rated for one-person lift)24.5 lbs
Wet+Dry CapableYesYes
Warranty3-yearLifetime (with registration)
Cord Length—20 ft
Blower Function—Yes (detachable motor)
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