[BlackElantraGT]

i have a 4 gallon Shop-Vac brand with a little less hp I believe, and so far so good. It has way more than enough suction for auto-detailing related duties. It's nice and compact and mine also sits on caster wheels for easy maneuverability. We've owned it a few years now and it still works perfectly fine.

I recently started using my 12 gal Rigid $30 vac from Home Depot and as far as performance goes, the Rigid blows the Shop-Vac out of the water. But they each have their pros and cons. The bigger vac is harder to move around. It's louder. The bigger hose can suck up bigger items with less clogging, but the bigger size is not as comfortable to hold. The suction is almost too powerful at times, especially when you have carpet that's not nailed down to the floor or secured properly. Most attachments are too big for auto-detailing use, but its extra suction does make up for it.

If I had to live with one vac at home, I'd take the bigger Ridgid as it can do more. But if I was using this in a mobile environment, then hands down I would pick a smaller, portable yet still powerful unit. I think $50 is a pretty good price for a model of that size and power.