Thousandaire here. I’m your competition and have the Festool ecosystem. The Hepa vacs are compact and relatively quiet. They do an excellent job of dust collection when tools are attached. I used my ETS125 sander to prep a wall for repainting and there was almost no dust on the floor to clean up after. Added bonus: The tool plugs into the vac for automatic start/stop and there’s a Bluetooth accessory for remote starting. The little MIDI has become my go-to vac for quick cleanups. For reference I have the MIDI, the 36 (bigger version for saws and dust intensive activities, a Bosch 14 gal Hepa with the auto filter clean feature (thumps the filter at regular intervals), a DeWalt shop vac (the newer silent series), and two Ridgid 16 gallon shop vacs for general construction debris.
All my regular shop vacs have Hepa filters and I run fleece (not paper) bags. I buy the fleece bags on Amazon. The fleece bags work so much better than paper bags and they can be filled all the way without degradation. When I change them, the filters and inside of the vacuum container are virtually dust-free. The only downside is the vacs get very heavy when the bags start to fill.
Rigid vacs....I have a big 16 gal one that ive had since 2005....only had to replace filter and the on/off switch.
I also have a 4 gal Rigid for smaller areas and jobs.
Go to the pawn shop and get a construction vac (wet/dry vacuum). Never have to worry about suction, never have to worry about the mess to be picked up, bag or canister, works on any surface. Usually it'll be a Home Depot Rigid, so attachments and bags will be easy to find.
And if you're really lazy, you can go a year or more without emptying. Like you might need to change the filter first. Oh! And it uses HEPA filters.
Miele.
But if I had the room for it, I’d love to have a vintage Electrolux or a Hoover just for show.
Edit: of course a RIGiD NXT shop vac as well. This is one case where the Home Depot house brand gets really good reviews.
I also a VersaMatic left over from a previous place, which I don’t use. Not sure if they’re still made? Or maybe no longer imported into US? They’re great if you have wall-to-wall carpeting, which I don’t anymore. It’s a “hotel vacuum”. A skinny upright that can slide under furniture.
My m18 Fuel vacuum is my new favorite tool. Homeowners always appreciate a clean work site and this thing makes it insanely easy. It’s compact, has good battery life, and stores the attachments inside. Plus I have the pack out gear so it clips right on. I use a big ass corded rigid vac for the really messy stuff though.
rg996150
