I’ve used both the heavy-duty metal, and the plastic versions of the mity-vac. You’re right about the handles eventually breaking on the plastic models, but I still much prefer them over the metal ones. The metal one is very heavy and cold resting on your leg in the winter, and can damage your floor if it falls off and hits with a big thud. The plastic one is much nicer to work with.
The Autozone branded OEM plastic mity-vac carries their lifetime warranty. I’ve broken the handle twice, and just exchanged for new ones both times. I doubt I’ll need to exchange it again. The last unit I exchanged for has a redesigned handle that’s stronger and more ergonomic.
