Wednesday, 31 December 2008
18v Milwaukee Flashlight - wet-dry vacuums, milwaukee
This vacuum works great. I find that it works well even as the batteries are going down. It does eat batteries pretty quickly but I'm able to get everything done I need. I also vacuum more often now that I have it. One thing to keep in mind is that is does not come with batteries. It really only makes sense to buy it if you are already invested in Milwaukee tools. Milwaukee 0880-20 18-Volt Cordless Wet/Dry Vacuum
This is a great portable vacuum. My problem is that it was described as having "a long continuous run time." That time is actually, according to both Milwaukee (personal communication) and personal experience, about 11 minutes on a fully charged 18V battery. That was less than I expected and will necessitate buying a second battery. This vacuum with two batteries at $51.18 each becomes a pretty expensive proposition. I can recommend this vacuum only if you are already invested in Milwaukee portable tools and 18-volt lithium ion batteries.
One saving grace is that if you don't anticipate using the vacuum very long at any given time, the batteries do have a short recharge time, so one battery might be sufficient.
This is definitely the Milwaukee Tool quality that I have come to respect. It has plenty of pick-up power and best of all it works with my 18V Compact Li-ion batteries that came with my drill (It also works on 18V Ni-Cad batteries as well). The battery bay has two different mounts that allow the use of either style Milwaukee 18V battery (however, only one battery can be used at any given time). It has a float inside the pick-up chamber that turns it off if too much water comes in. The hose and cabinet are made from heavy duty material making it great for rugged use. It comes with two small wands one of which is for cracks and crevices and the other for general pick up. These are kept nicely tucked away under the lid in their perspective storage areas. The only thing I wish they would have added is a small brush attachment but that is a minor thing. My wife has already snagged it to use on the carpeted steps because of how easy it is to use. Very pleased indeed!
Can vacuum a whole car on one charge. It's very convenient when you don't feel like going for a power cord. The product was too costly when it came out, now it's priced more fair. It's a bit loud, however that is because it is powerful, so, i'm completely happy with the product.
Since I already own several Milwaukee 18V cordless tools and 2 batteries, this was a fantastic addition. For small jobs, this thing can't be beat. Lightweight, sturdy, extremely portable, great suction, good attachments. For jobs like vacuuming the car, picking up sawdust or drywall, and other small projects around the house, this is the first vacuum I go to. It's very well made, and I'm actually really impressed with the hose on it - really high quality and it stretches to probably 5 feet or so, but re-coils nicely. Much better quality than any typical wet/dry vac hose. And since it's a standard 1 1/4 hose, you can add a variety of additional attachments. Plus, you can use it as a blower too.
I have no idea what the continuous run-time is, I haven't used it for more than about 5 minutes straight. But, on a single V18 battery, I can use it intermittently for several weeks (1-2 minutes at a time every 3rd or 4th day) before I need to recharge the battery. This vacuum is compatible with all 4 versions of Milwaukee 18V batteries (V18, M18, M18 compact, and NiCad).
3 limitations: 1.) It's cordless, so don't expect to run it for a half hour straight and vacuum your entire house. 2.) To make it so portable, the storage for the attachments is small. It will only hold the 2 attachments it comes with, so if you add anything else (like a brush tool), you'll need to store them separately. 3.) It's got a special lock-in hose, so you can't take any 1 1/4" shop-vac hose and plug that in.
For what it's worth, my wife rolled her eyes when she saw this show up (thought I was just buying another toy). But she had to admit that she loves this thing now too. Keeps it in the hall closet and it's the first thing she grabs to vacuum up the cat litter off the floor.
If you have the batteries already, it's a great addition. But if you're just looking for a portable vacuum, this is probably close to a $150 investment by the time you're done (just look at the "frequently bought together" section of this page).
I have used it a few times. I love it for cleaning up after house projects. chances are a house project requires another 18v tool so i just bring the vac along and clean up when i am done. not as strong as a regular shop vac but strong enough to suck up screws that fall as well as sawdust.
i would buy it again for sure.
I love this thing for cleaning the car! Just grab it and go, rather than carry the huge house vacuum down, find an outlet, fight with cables and hoses... This thing is easy to pick up and get to where you need it, and even though the hose is quite short, it gets into every place you need it.
Battery life is ok, an XC battery lasts about 10 minutes, but the standard batteries are somewhat useless. I went through one XC and two standard batteries on a thorough cleaning of my car. Just enough juice to get through. You definitely need to be careful to turn the vacuum off when you're not actively using it, because there's not much battery life to spare.
The suction is great, on par with a household vacuum. Dust busters are simply useless compared to this.
I'm in love with Milwaukee lithium tools! If you have xc batteries, or a bunch of standard batteries, I'd recommend this. Having only two standards would not be enough to clean a whole car IMO and would be frustrating. If you had to buy batteries and a charger to run this, it would be way too expensive for my taste.
Two things I wish for:
1. Two speeds to extend the battery - for most things half the suction power would be enough.
2. A rotating brush. - Vacuum - 18v - Wet-dry Vacuums - Milwaukee'
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