Best Shop Vacuums · head-to-head

Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum vs WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum is cheaper at $143.48. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum or WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac?

The WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac wins 1 of the 1 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0. The Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum is the cheaper at $143.48. Get the WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac for the stronger spec sheet, the Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum to spend less.

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Key specs, head to head

The numbers that decide it, drawn to scale — longer bar wins, the accent bar is the stronger figure.

Max airflow (CFM)
Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum 70
WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac 167

Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac
US price $143.48 Walmart current retail price $260.99
BrandShop-VacWORKSHOP
Released
Tank capacity gal 5 16
Peak hp 4.5 6.5
Max airflow (CFM) 70 167
Hose diameter (in) 1.25 in 2.5 in
Cord length (ft) 6 20
Wet dry Yes Yes
Blower function Yes Yes
Release

Sources — Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum: shopvac.com (verified 2026-06-19). WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac: tractorsupply.com (verified 2026-06-19).

What's the difference between the Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum and WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (5 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Tank capacity gal: Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum 5 vs WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac 16
  • Peak hp: Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum 4.5 vs WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac 6.5
  • Max airflow (CFM): Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum 70 vs WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac 167
  • Hose diameter (in): Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum 1.25 in vs WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac 2.5 in
  • Cord length (ft): Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum 6 vs WORKSHOP WS1600SS 16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Cart Vac 20

What reviewers say

Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.

Shop-Vac 5989300 5-Gallon 4.5 Peak HP Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum

Only one whitelisted tester (Reviewed/USA Today) hands-on lab-tested this exact Shop-Vac 5989300; it ranked among the weakest in a six-model roundup, praised for light weight and attractive stainless design but faulted for poor suction and rust-prone steel. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)

Praised: Light weight and easy to carry; Attractive stainless-steel industrial design.

Flagged: Poor suction; one of the weakest in the roundup; Stainless-steel tank may be susceptible to rust.

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