Milwaukee is expanding further into the realm of jobsite cleanup with a new line of cordless wet/dry vacuums and nearly 2 dozen accessories, including a line of specially-designed AIR-TIP attachments.
Milwaukee says their new M18 Fuel cordless vacuums will disrupt jobsite cleanup with performance-driven wet/dry vacuum solutions that will outperform 3.5 to 4.25 Peak HP corded wet/dry vacuums while maintaining the most durable wheels and hoses.
Separate from the vacuums, Milwaukee’s new AIR-TIP accessories are trade-focused attachments that are fully compatible with other wet/dry vacuum brands.
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Milwaukee M18 Wet/Dry Vacuums
Milwaukee says that their new vacuum line is the most versatile wet/dry vacuum system on the market today.
All of the new M18 Fuel vacuum motor heads, collection tanks, and carts are interchangeable, allowing users to mix and match those products to best suit their needs.
The vacuum tanks will come in three different sizes: 6, 9, and 12 gallon with three different motor heads: a single-battery version, which will come standard with the 6-gallon model, and a dual-battery version, which will come standard with the larger-capacity options. Milwaukee also announced an 6.5 HP AC-powered motor that will be sold separately, and two different carts to haul the vacuums and accessories around a job site.
The dual-battery motor head that comes standard with the 9 and 12 gallon vacuums requires the use of (2) M18 batteries, and it is said to be optimized for High Output batteries.
The single battery motor head is said to outperform 3.5 Peak HP wet/dry vacuums, while the dual-battery motor head is said to outperform 4.25 Peak HP wet/dry motor heads.
The motor heads have 2 settings: MAX-POWER and MAX RUNTIME.
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For the single-battery motor head powered by a full-charged M18 12.0Ah battery, MAX-POWER mode reportedly drives the vacuum for up to 31 minutes or 1,000 square feet of continuous operation, and MAX-RUNTIME mode drives the vacuum ofor up to 47 minutes or 1,300 square feet of continuous operation.
The dual-battery head with M18 12.0Ah batteries operates for up to 34 minutes or 1,400 square feet of operation in MAX-POWER mode, and up to 49 minutes or 1,600 square feet in MAX-RUNTIME mode.
Additional features include crush- and twist-resistant hoses, and reinforced caster and tread designs for longer wheel life.
The vacuum system line will launch with a standard assortment of filters, bags, nozzles, hoses, and extension wands of different sizes.
Milwaukee AIR-TIP Vacuum Accessories
Milwaukee has also introduced an additional line of 19 different accessories under it’s new AIR-TIP line, including several products designed for use in trade-specific settings.
Some of the more unique trade-focused offerings include a long-reach flexible micro hose set, 3pc automotive vacuum tool kit, magnetic utility nozzle, conduit line-puller kit, dust collector, and M12 powered utility nozzle with roller brush.
All of the AIR-TIP accessories will be compatible with any other wet/dry vacuum brand and standard hose sizes with 1-1/4″, 1-7/8″, and 2-1/2″ diameters.
Discussion
Milwaukee already offers quite a few M12 and M18 cordless vacuums, ranging from compact handheld solutions to an M18 Fuel Packout vacuum that can be connected to compatible tool boxes and transport products.
Though useful in certain situations, Milwaukee’s existing cordless wet/dry vacuums are best-suited for smaller cleanup tasks, as they lack the power and capacity of traditional canister-style shop vacuums that are still relied on for more extensive cleanup work.
These new M18 Fuel offerings, however, are a true cordless replacement for the standard traditional vacuums that are ubiquitous on job sites and in workshops, not to mention, kitchens, day care centers, basements, garages or anywhere else one might need to clean up a mess requiring more power than the good ol’ upright home vacuum.
During a recent press demonstration, a Milwaukee brand manager said that more than two years of research went into development of the new vacuum line. They described how much of a “supreme challenge” it was to balance appropriate amounts of power on a cordless platform, to allow for all-day continuous use while also maintaining a level of usefulness and durability.
The modularity of the vacuum system will allow users to customize their setup to best suit their needs. In addition to complete vacuums, including 9 and 12 gallon vacuum kits, users will be able to purchase any of the components separately.
More than notable on their own, it’s the Air-Tip line of attachments that really make this new line stand out from its competitors, at least on paper.
Little things tend to go a long way when it comes to innovation, and those little things are often something at which Milwaukee excels. That’s true in this case, well. Things like non-marring rubber tips on crevice tools, engraved features instead of cheap stickers or low-grade paint that can be easily rubbed off, paint-filled and clear size identifiers, or adding a separate power source to a spinning brush, have the potential to make good products into great ones.
From what we have seen so far, it looks like Milwaukee is helping tradespeople move a big step closer to a fully-cordless worksite.
Pricing and Availability
The 6-gallon vacuum will be launching in March 2022, along with its constituent components and nearly all of the AIR-TIP accessories. The 9- and 12-gallon vacuums and components will be launching in Summer 2022, along with 2-1/2″ hoses and accessories.
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Wet/Dry Vacuums
ETA: March 2022
- M18 FUEL 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum 0910-20 – $249
ETA: Summer 2022
- M18 FUEL 9 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum 0920-20 – $299
- M18 FUEL 9 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum Kit 0920-22HD – $699
- M18 FUEL 12 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum Kit 0930-22HD – $799
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Wet/Dry Vacuum Components
ETA: March 2022
- 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum Tank 0922-20 – $79
- Wet/Dry Vacuum Cart 0923-20 – $79
- M18 FUEL Wet/Dry Vacuum Motor Head 0911-20 – $189
ETA: Summer 2022
- 9 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum Tank 0912-20 – $89
- 12 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum Tank 0932-20 – $99
- Premium Wet/Dry Vacuum Cart 0933-20 – $149
- 6.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vacuum Motor Head 0931-20 -$199
- M18 FUEL Wet/Dry Vacuum Dual Battery Motor Head 0921-20 – $199
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Wet/Dry Vacuum Filters & Bags
ETA: March 2022
- Large Wet/Dry Vacuum HEPA Filter 49-90-1977 – $30
- Large Wet/Dry Vacuum High Efficiency Filter 49-90-1978 – $25
- Large Wet/Dry Vacuum Foam Wet Filter 49-90-1990 – $20
- Fleece Dust Bags (5pk) – 6 Gallon 49-90-1979 – $30
ETA: Summer 2022
- Fleece Dust Bags (5pk) – 9 Gallon 49-90-1989 – $35
- Fleece Dust Bags (5pk) – 12 Gallon 49-90-1999 – $40
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Wet/Dry Vacuum Tools & Accessories
ETA: March 2022
- 1-7/8” Dust Extraction Adapter Kit 49-90-1980 – $19
- 1-7/8” Round Brush Tool 49-90-1981 – $12
- 1-7/8” Floor Brush Tool 49-90-1982 – $14
- 1-7/8” Curved Nozzle 49-90-1983 – $11
- 1-7/8” 16ft. Flexible Hose 49-90-1984 – $65
- 1-7/8” Wet Floor Nozzle 49-90-1985 – $14
- 1-7/8” 32” to 102” Expandable Hose 49-90-1986 – $40
- 1-7/8” Extension Wand 49-90-1987 – $11
- 1-7/8” Crevice tool 49-90-1988 – $10
- Hose and Accessory Adapter Kit 49-90-1991 – $11
- Hose to Drain Adapter Kit 49-90-1992 – $10
- 1-7/8” 9 ft. Flexible Hose 49-90-1996 – $65
- 1-7/8” Floor Utility Nozzle 49-90-2011 – $10
- Vacuum Tool Storage Bag 49-90-2019 -$60
ETA: Summer 2022
- 2-1/2″ Dust Extraction Adapter Kit 49-90-2000 – $21
- 2-1/2″ Round Brush Tool 49-90-2001 – $13
- 2-1/2″ Floor Brush Tool 49-90-2002 – $15
- 2-1/2″ Curved Nozzle 49-90-2003 – $12
- 2-1/2″16ft Flexible Hose 49-90-2004 – $80
- 2-1/2″ Wet Floor Nozzle 49-90-2005 – $15
- 2-1/2″ 9 ft Flexible Hose 49-90-2006 – $65
- 2-1/2″ Extension Wand 49-90-2007 – $12
- 2-1/2″ Crevice Tool 49-90-2008 – $11
- 2-1/2″ Floor Utility Nozzle 49-90-2009 – $11
Milwaukee AIR-TIP Vacuum Accessories
ETA: March 2022
- M12 AIR-TIP Utility Nozzle 0980-20 – $79.00
- AIR-TIP Swiveling Palm Brush 49-90-2020 – $34.99
- AIR-TIP Rotating Corner Brush Tool 49-90-2021 – $19.99
- AIR-TIP Dust Collector 49-90-2022 – $49.99
- AIR-TIP 3-in-1 Crevice and Brush Tool 49-90-2023 – $17.99
- AIR-TIP Conduit Line Puller Kit 49-90-2024 – $79.00
- AIR-TIP 4-in-1 Right Angle Cleaning Tool 49-90-2026 – $24.99
- AIR-TIP Low-Profile Pivoting Brush Tool 49-90-2027 – $29.99
- AIR-TIP 2-in-1 Utility Brush Tool 49-90-2028 – $19.99
- AIR-TIP Flexible Long Reach Crevice Tool 49-90-2030 – $19.99
- AIR-TIP Pivoting Extension Wand 49-90-2031 – $24.99
- AIR-TIP Magnetic Utility Nozzle 49-90-2032 – $29.99
- AIR-TIP 2 1/2″ Magnetic Utility Nozzle 49-90-2033 – $34.99
- AIR-TIP Non-Marring Utility Nozzle Kit 49-90-2034 – $24.99
- AIR-TIP Cross Brush Tool 49-90-2035 – $17.99
- AIR-TIP Long Reach Flexible Micro Hose Set 49-90-2037 – $39.99
- AIR-TIP Rocking Utility Nozzle w/ Brushes 49-90-2038 – $17.99
- AIR-TIP 2-1/2″ Rocking Utility Nozzle w/ Brushes 49-90-2039 – $19.99
- AIR-TIP Claw Utility Nozzle w/ Brushes 49-90-2040 – $19.99
ETA: May 2022
- AIR-TIP 3-Piece Automotive Vacuum Tool Kit 49-90-2019A – $119
MM
Looks like a great series of vacs with a solid assortment of attachments as well.
I’m disappointed there is no combination corded/cordless unit though. These models are tempting, but I’d 100% buy one if I could use it corded as well as on batts.
William
That would have been a real selling point, I will likeley buy one of these anyway. I’m too deep into the Milwaukee platform to look into other cordless vacs.
OldDominionDIYer
I read on another site Milwaukee plans on having a combo battery/corded version as well.
Plain grainy
It looks like you buy an additional AC Motörhead for $189. That will give you corded power if you need it. I wonder if these are 36 volt where both batteries drain at the same time(the dual battery vacs)? The METABO are true 36 volts that drain one at a time. These Milwaukee vacs look great. Quite an investment with the battery price added in. A hepa filter will be offered, that’s a big plus!
William
Yeah, gets pricey if you need to buy batteries, but I imagine many DIYers/Small Contractors etc.. that would buy this are already on the battery platform
Steve
It looks like things are getting more complicated with TTi and Emerson/Home Depot/Ridgid. This an attempt to push Ridgid wet/dry vacs off the jobsite. Couple this with the move of stationary Ridgid tools sourcing being moved to Delta, it looks like a slow motion break-up.
Stuart
Ridgid 12-gallon vacuum: $89.97 with 4,570 units available for shipping/delivery at Home Depot.
Milwaukee M18 Fuel 12-gallon vacuum kit: $799.
I’m not confident that Ridgid will lose a lot of shelf-space to Milwaukee wet/dry vacs at Home Depot.
The Ridgid stationary tools were not made by TTI. When I had a question about their benchtop sander a few years back, I was redirected to Emerson. So, the shift to Delta doesn’t really tie-in to TTI in any way.
Milwaukee Tool also doesn’t operate within TTI North America, the group that handles Ridgid (cordless power tool-related) and Ryobi products at Home Depot.
Steve
I still think it’s going to make things more complicated with all the players because Milwaukee is going after a market core to Ridgid even if Milwaukee is going for higher end cordless options, they are kind of cutting Ridgid off from that route.
If Home Depot brings these vacuums in something has got to give because they only devote 2-3 bays to wet/dry vacs per store and is almost all Ridgid, unless they take the space away from something else.
I didn’t know TTi wasn’t the former partner for Ridgid stationary tools, I thought they were.
Stuart
TTI made/makes at least some benchtop tools for Ridgid – definitely their cordless miter saws.
Some other Ridgid products, such as their contractor table saw that also used to be sold under Sears’ Craftsman brand, were definitely not related to TTI.
Ridgid’s tool boxes (plastic and steel jobsite) are also not TTI products.
Milwaukee introduced new handheld cordless vacs, but I don’t believe I have seen these in Home Depot’s main aisles, or at least they don’t seem to have taken away from Ridgid’s smaller handheld corded vacs. However, Milwaukee’s cordless vacs tend to appear in large quantities during promotional seasons in front-aisle floor displays.
Fast forward 2 years. How many 12-gallon corded Ridgid vacs will Home Depot sell in any given month? How many Milwaukee 12-gallon cordless vacs?
If this launch will substantially take away from Ridgid’s corded vacuum product sales, wouldn’t that create the potential for a Ridgid 18V dual-battery solution? As Ryobi has proved, TTI NA is very capable of developing competent cordless vacuum solutions. Ryobi tends to be the focus, but there could just as easily be an intermediate Ridgid solution priced between Ryobi and Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee cordless solution costs 10X more than the Ridgid corded solution. There’s going to be some overlap in the targeted customers, but I don’t think it’s fair to expect much competition here.
I am also not convinced that Home Depot will give this system in-store shelf space. Maybe larger stores will devote at most one slot to a single SKU.
Milwaukee’s Packout system didn’t get any shelf space when it first came out, and it was only after the system’s proven success and broader adoption that Home Depot made space for a selection of main-line products.
It’s certainly possible that Milwaukee will grab some of Ridgid’s vacuum sales, but I don’t see this system as a serious competitive threat right now.
Consider the meat aisle at the supermarket. Would the presence of tenderloin impact the sale of ground beef in a measurable way?
jsbson
Ryobi seems to be going 40V for a higher power vacuum. If they ever release it. RY40WD01B
https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/33287201051
Steve
Yeah, I was thinking about this after I posted, the pricing is too high to replace Ridgid, but it’s setting a ceiling over them.
Tom D
I suspect we’ll see one or two at HD and the most of the line special order.
Unless the attachments are enough to convince HD to go in further.
Chris
There’s no way this will push out Ridgid vacuums. The price points are drastically different and the majority of customers aren’t going to pay this much…they would just go next door to Lowes if that happened.
Though it does beg the question of where in the store this is going to reside? There’s so much here that an entire endcap might not be enough space.
Steve
Yeah, I started thinking about that after I posted. It’s not in the same price tier. It’s more of they are putting a ceiling over Ridgid at the high end. You’re right though, where are they going to put them in Depot without taking Ridgid space? Something’s gotta go.
Stuart
I would predict that we might see a front-aisle display with the tool-only 6-gallon vac during a seasonal promo event, maybe in a “buy the vac, get a free battery” type of arrangement.
Steve
Sounds about right and the rest on the website.
Joatman
I can also see “buy a vac, get free accessories”. They integrated the M12 battery in these new systems. Don’t know if this is genius or crazy. I can see numerous incentives offered. This is definitely not for me. I know we all probably think the price is high, which it is, especially when a couple accessories and batteries will add another couple hundred bucks….BUT…..have you seen the price of some of those Dysons and Shark vacs?
SamR
Milwaukee went full throttle on this one!
I see a new trend coming from Milwaukee, two batteries operation and AC corded option.
I like both new features because it opens a new lineup of tools like the one we see here and the M18 mower.
Champs
I would be sold if they were corded/cordless and a rolling Packout base. Festool makes an extractor in a Systainer package, after all.
Fill out the body with hose and attachment storage. I don’t even care how tall it gets because it would be nimble and stack with other things, unlike a regular wet/dry that’s got the footprint of a La-Z-Boy and the maneuverability to match.
Chris
Did I miss something?
Did they put any thought into hose storage?
Based on the pictures, there is minimal storage/transport space for accessories located on the cart itself. But it’s supposed to be modular…so if I remove the canister from the cart to carry it somewhere, does that just mean my other hand is full of hose and pieces? Seems like an oversight.
Jim Felt
Good catch. But they’ve plenty of time to come up with more add-on SKUs.
Luke
That’s my biggest [only?] complaint with the M18 backpack vacuum. There’s nowhere to put the attachment that you’re not actively using. There’s great storage on it for holding the pole attachment… and that’s it.
What I actually ended up doing was buying some metal table cloth holders (these: https://amzn.com/dp/B00062B2W2) and supergluing the straight side to the canister. It works well enough, but it still makes me angry that Milwaukee just left us to come up with our own solution on something that should absolutely be included on the unit. It’s not like there’s a dozen attachments. There’s literally 2, 1 of which is always attached to the hose.
Doresoom
There’s actually a tiny slot on the side of the black plastic base for the metal hose clip to slide into. You have to remove any attachments though.
Jim Felt
Interesting. We’ve kinda abandoned using ours because it’s not very intuitive to us at least.
Now I’ve got to go look. Geez.
Jim Felt
Stuart.
These potentially look great. But how do they sound? What are their claimed decibel levels? M18 and the 120VAC motor?
For us that would be a deal maker v. breaker. Otherwise: staying with the Europeans.
Stuart
Andrew will cover that soon, but I expect these to be a lot quieter than traditional AC-powered wet/dry vacuums.
King duck
They look nice and hopefully some decent sales on a build your own happen because those kits are stupid expensive
DC
Wow, I was thinking of picking up the 9 gallon model but at $699, I’ll pass and keep on using my big oaf – my 10 year old $99 Ridgid 14 gallon wet/dry vacuum.
Jared
These aren’t packout-related? Just a standalone base design? Seems odd, but I suppose I don’t have strong feelings about that choice.
This feels like a mighty big rollout.
MoogleMan3
Looking forward to this. It’s about time we get a powerful motor with a smaller tank. And I love being able to buy individual components.
If this performs well, I might use it to replace the shop vac in my workshop dust collection setup, which currently uses a 16 gallon dewalt vac. In this case, since I already have all the hoses, fittings, etc. that I need, I’d just get the corded motor, hepa filter, dust bags and 6 gallon bucket. I don’t need a huge bucket since I use a dust deputy with a 14 gallon drum.
Watching this one closely.
Hon Cho
There are places where a cordless vacuum would be nice, but a powerful vacuum will quickly kill batteries so I predict that corded vacuums, at much lower cost and the no-worries run time will stay dominant for a long time.
In any case, kudos to Milwaukee for creating more options and testing the waters.
ken
What are the cfm and water lift specs? Comparing on the basis of peak HP is not a good way to rate the performance of a vacuum. Is Milwaukee hiding something here?
Big Richard
6-Gallon = 87 CFM & 60 in. H2O lift
9-Gallon = 109 CFM & 77 in.
12-Gallon = 114 CFM & 78 in.
Evan
I bought a rigid 6hp with 155cfm for less than $150. Not sure ditching the cord is worth it this time sadly. That’s a hefty price tag for markedly reduced power.
Jeff
Is there enough room for an adapter and dewalt batteries? I refuse to buy Milwaukee batteries for a couple tools.
Jim Felt
I dunno. Does Dewalt even have 12 Amp batteries like Milwaukee?
Big Richard
Not sure if that is a legit question, but yes Dewalt has a 12Ah battery (DCB612) and actually a 15Ah battery (DCB615).
Plain grainy
I didn’t notice any mention of a self cleaning device. The Bosch has self cleaning that kicks on about every 5 seconds. But something that runs that much can become a maintenance headache. I think Festool has the self cleaning also. I wonder if the AC power head is to make sure the AC is only used on the vac. Selling a power adapter might have users powering tools that aren’t intended to be AC.
Ether
Think they’re going after different market.
Dennis
Oh come on Milwaukee. Where is the Packout compatibility? The carts could have easily been based on the Packout locking system. Furthermore, it looks like the vacuum tops are flat, they could have made them to accept Packout too. The vacuums could have been integrated into a Packout stack and been even more useful, and far more interesting to fans of Big Red.
Big Richard
They did say Packout compatible models are coming later.
Big Richard
The Packout model is coming soon, and it is actually a dust extractor. So it is gonna be crazy expensive.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Vacuums-and-Vacuum-Accessories/0888-22HD
Christopher
700, ..800 dollars???!!!! Suck this Milwaukee!!!
Frank D
Not dual power / hybrid. No self cleaning filter. No storage / organizational features. ” All day ” cleaning with 30-45 min runtime on those expensive batteries …
Big Richard
They also are not Table 1 compliant, which may be a deal breaker for some.
Jp
I was excited until I saw the price……..I may get excited if these come on sale.
Greg
All those accessory tips. Magnetic this Magnetic that. $29.99. The add ons alone crazy expensive.
How did their backpack vac do sales wise as well?
I’ll keep my big orange vac with its (2pk) dust collection bags for $14.ea
Luke
The accessories aren’t pokemon – you don’t have to catch them all. They’re job/trade specific, just get the one or two that meet your needs.
Julian Tracy
Am I missing something here, or are the two most important specs MIA here? Every other higher end vac/dust collector is measured in CFM and they list their decibel ratings?
Who cares how these compare to the B.S. “max 4.5HP” claims that better vacs don’t try to use to confuse buyers.
Before I spend $350-600 on a vacuum, I want to know how they compare to other high end vacs, not how they compare to crappy $30 vacs.
AlexK
Milwaukee, please make a 120 adapter, so I can consider buying a table saw, miter saw and vacuum from you. I don’t need them battery powered, but would like having cord/cordless options. For now, having an 1800 watt inverter generator is my $400 solution when I’m not near a plug.
For now, my “hepa” air filtration is a N95 mask and Ridgid vac.
Love seeing innovations and these vacs have their place, but not for me.
Julian Tracy
Hepa filtration isn’t for you, it’s for your clients so you’re not spewing all that dust into their home.
I can’t stand loud cheap crappy vac’s.
Gregg
I would buy the table saw/miter saw as well for it had 120v adapter. You managed to do it with the tower lights.
Steve
I’m pretty stoked about those AirTip tools. Even if you don’t want to buy a new vacuum, there are some unique options I haven’t seen elsewhere.
Saulac
My experience with Milwaukee vacuum include M12 handheld, M12 box, and M18 backpack. Like the M12s for what they are especially when paired with XC6 batteries. But the M18 backpack is one of the worst tool I bought. So many design faults that it seems the thing had not gone through design reviews and testing. I looked to sell it and it has probably the worst resale value, so it seems I am not the only one don’t like it.
Due to my experience with the backpack, I would not buy these without trying it first (I would not have bought the backpack had I able to try it). I like the modular design. And I especially like yhe design that the intake is on the head, making the tub is just a tub. This will make emptying easier. Not sure why not more shop vacs are like this.
CharlesinRichmond
I like the backpack a lot for what it is. I do wish one didn’t need to clean and swap filters so often.
But I always have it with me when I’m working. More powerful than the great little lunchbox, and much easier to deal with than the big corded festools
Todd
Very expensive, don’t really see the need to invest in something like this. The airtip accessories are interesting but not a fan of the fact they all get choked down to 1-1/4″…sure fire way to have them clog with larger debris.
CharlesinRichmond
This is fascinating. I own almost all the milwaukee vacuums. I will be very interested in the double power when it comes out.
The people above claiming it lacks a cord are just silly, and clearly not contractors, who are the target market.