Need a good shop vac for cleaning up after building a deck - recommendations?

Hey everyone, I'm about to start building a new deck in my backyard and I know it's gonna create a ton of sawdust and debris. My old shop vac just died on me last week. Looking for recommendations for a car vacuum or shop vac that can handle wood chips, sawdust, and maybe some wet cleanup if it rains. Budget is around $150-200. What do you guys use?

Dave, skip the car vacs - you need a proper shop vac for that job. I've got a 12-gallon Ridgid wet/dry vac that's a beast. Picked it up for $180 and it sucks up everything from sawdust to wet leaves. The filter system is key - get one with a HEPA filter if you're doing lots of woodworking. Trust me, I've cleaned out enough garages to know what holds up.

Agree with Paul on the shop vac over car vacuum. For decks, you'll want something with good suction and capacity. I use a DeWalt 10-gallon on my jobs - handles sawdust like a champ and the accessories are solid. Pro tip: get the fine dust filter attachment if you're sanding deck boards. Makes cleanup way easier and keeps your lungs happy.

Precision matters here. Most shop vacs have terrible hose attachments that leak dust. Look for one with a locking hose connection - Festool makes excellent ones but they're over your budget. In your range, the Makita 12-gallon has precise fittings and good filtration. Measure your workspace too - some of these units are bulkier than they look online.