In this Tool Lab head-to-head, I’m testing five cordless, mid-size wet/dry vacuums on wheels (roughly the 3–6 gallon class) and putting real numbers behind what matters on a job site: airflow (CFM), suction (water column), debris pickup, dirty-filter performance, noise, weight, and a full ergonomics/features evaluation. The lineup is Festool CT(C) MIDI, Hilti VC 4LX-22 T15, Makita GCV03, and STIHL’s SEA 60 and SEA 100. We ran everything at max power with auto-clean disabled when possible, and we measured CFM at the end of the hose with filters installed—so expect our numbers to look more “real world” than bare-outlet manufacturer claims. On performance, STIHL’s SEA 100 led average CFM, and the SEA 60 was right behind it with essentially no performance drop from a full battery to near-empty. Makita was the suction standout on the water column test and stayed incredibly consistent even after the dust box test—almost no drop with a dirty filter. For features and user experience, Festool was the runaway: hose quality, interface, Bluetooth, and overall refinement are hard to beat, even though it took the biggest hit when the filter loaded up. My overall best mid-size cordless vacuum in this group was the Makita dust extractor because it blended top-tier suction (clean and dirty), strong all-around performance, and a robust design. For best value, STIHL SEA 60 delivered a lot of points for a fraction of the price—especially if you’re already on that battery platform.