CB, I have never seen any comparison reports on shop vac's. I can tell you that some are easier to live with. Shop Vac brand has long supported filter bags to catch the bulk of the debris. This is useful since you don't need to tip the can over to empty the unit and you release less dust into the air. There are also small filter bags that cover the factory cartridge filter keeping larger particles from clogging the filter as fast. Both of these strike me as good common sense ideas. Keep in mind that Shop Vac brand also has commercial vacs with higher performace and matching prices. Perhaps you have seen the cyclone lids that you put on 5 gallon paint pails? Adding these items and an additional hose to your vac creates a two stage system which drops the largest wood chips into the pail before it reaches your vac. The Cyclone lid is also available to fit a galvanized garbage can for dust collection systems using 4" hose. I have never tried the Cyclone lids but I'm sure others have and will let us know how well they work.