Milwaukee has come out with a new M12 cordless spot blower, model 0852-20, and it’s primarily designed as a compact cleanup tool.
The new Milwaukee M12 Compact Spot Blower features a 2-speed electronic speed switch and variable speed trigger, for speed adjustments and optimized control. Its small size makes the new blower highly maneuverable and improves access in tight spaces.
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The blower has an axial-fan design and comes with three attachments – a short rubber nozzle, long extension tube, and wider floor-sweep-style nozzle.
It has a “cruise control” lock that locks in the desired speed to help avoid user fatigute.
Product imagery shows just how compact the new blower is. You can use the round rubber nozzle or broad sweep nozzle directly on the tool, or at the end of the extension tube.
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With the extension tube, the new M12 blower looks to be nicely sized for blowing away debris on the floor.
Milwaukee says that the blower can run for up to 15 minutes at high speed with an XC 6.0Ah battery. Lower speeds will extend runtime.
I find it curious that this is an M12 tool, as opposed to M12 Fuel, meaning it’s not advertised as having a brushless motor, but this is likely to provide for lower pricing.
Key Specifications
- 110 MPH air speed
- 175 CFM air volume
- Weighs 3.3 lbs
Price: $79 for the bare tool (0852-20)
ETA: August 2021
Buy Now via Home Depot
Buy Now via Tool Nut – available for preorder
Discussion
This looks great!!
I often use 18V/20V Max-sized cordless blowers for cleanup tasks – clearing sawdust off equipment, blowing dust out of the garage, cleaning the floor where a vacuum wouldn’t easily reach, and things like that. A full-size blower is NOT easy to move in tight spaces. How do you easily blow dirt and sawdust out of the back of am SUV, truck, or van with a long-nozzle tool?
There are small blowers on the market, but I’ve never really liked their performance compared to compact 18V/20V Max models.
The key points about this new Milwaukee blower is that it’s small, light, and reasonably fast. You get 2 speed settings, a variable speed trigger, lock-on mode, and 2 nozzles that can be used on the tool itself or at the end of an extension tube.
Product images make it look small.
Runtime is going to be a compromise, though – 15 minutes of max runtime at high power on a 6Ah battery. But, with this being described as a compact spot blower, that should still be plenty. For bigger cleanup tasks, you’ll probably want a larger tool anyway.
Hammer1963
Looks like it would be an ideal tool for shop and worksite cleanup along with patio and deck clearing. Might even drag it into the house to wrangle the dog fur rodeo out the door
Lance
Meh. My 18v Makita DUB182 is a very low power blower, but it has nearly as much CFM and WAY more velocity. The short rubber tube makes “actual” spot cleaning very easy (vs this M12 and it’s large pipe design). It’s very limited when it comes to clearing larger spaces, and I doubt this M12 will be any better.
Job site style cleanup basically needs more power than this, unless you’re only blowing light dry sawdust. This thing is not going to move wood scraps, nails or dirt/rocks.
If it was Fuel and moved twice as much air, maaaybe… but not as a weak brushed motor axial fan design.
MM
I have a similar feeling about these small blowers. They are nowhere near as effective, convenient, or economical as having air blow guns hanging on coiled hoses in a workshop that run on shop air. If I’m working outdoors then clean-up either isn’t much of an issue at all, or it calls for a big blower, like a proper outdoor leaf blower, and I find most of those to be fairly anemic anyway. If I’m working indoors then I want to vac up the dust, not blow it around.
And speaking of economics, I also think that these mini-blowers are outrageously expensive. They are incredibly simple compared to most cordless tools–no metal parts outside the motor. There are no complex or precision-requiring parts like gears, reciprocating or slide assemblies, no adjustments, no hinges/pivots, etc. It’s just a plastic housing, a switch, and a motor with a fan stuck on it….yet they’re also priced about the same as far more complex to make tools like basic drill/drivers?
Josh
Not trying to be rude here, but I’m not sure where your getting your CFM numbers from. DUB182Z has 91 CFM (a little more than half of the M12). It’s also a different style of blower, more similar to the Dewalt DCE100B or Milwaukee 0884.
The lower airspeed on the M12 is interesting however. The more you restrict the opening, the higher the airspeed goes. That in turn means more “back pressure”, leading to more power draw (the power required to move air is proportional to the pressure difference times CFM times density of the fluid being moved). My guess is that they had to lower air speed in order to get runtime for the 175 CFM they’re advertising.
So maybe there’s a cleaning benefit to the higher CFM and lower airspeed? I’d say let the reviews on it come out and see if that compromise is actually worth it.
Koko The Talking Ape
Good points, and we have to wait for user reviews as you say. But for this particular use, airspeed does matter. It may matter more than CFM.
Dislodging a piece of debris requires some airspeed. If you don’t have the speed, the thing doesn’t move and the job isn’t done. More CFMs will move air over a bigger area of the floor, but if it’s not moving the debris in that area, then what’s the point? A smaller target spot is worth it if it allows enough velocity. You then have to wave the the blower around, but that’s not hard.
Pressure washers work the same way.
Stuart
Airspeed and volume both matter, but volume tends to be the more important comparative factor.
Volume tends to be dependent on the motor and fan design, speed can be controlled and increased.
Consider a garden hose. You can increase pressure/force by narrowing the nozzle, but you can’t increase the volume.
Koko The Talking Ape
But volume won’t actually move dust and debris. To exaggerate the point, if I could install garage doors on both sides of my workshop (part of the plan), I could have a light breeze moving through the entire volume. The volume is tremendous, tens of thousands of CFM. But all the sawdust stays where it is.
And yes, you can maybe narrow the nozzle to increase the speed. Except that, as Josh says, that requires power, and if you don’t have enough power, then you don’t have enough speed.
So CFMs by itself won’t tell you much. We need a certain minimum of speed, and once we have that, greater volume is nice to have.
So as a way to compare machines, CFMs at a standard speed might be useful.
MM
@Koko
“So as a way to compare machines, CFMs at a standard speed might be useful.”
That’s essentially how industrial air compressors are rated. However many CFM at a given pressure. You need both numbers to see the whole picture. Just pressure or just flow are pretty much meaningless.
Here they are leaving out the pressure variable….probably on purpose, because they likely want to pick one number that’s impressive for marketing purposes while quietly ignoring the rest. It’s funny how some makers of blowers will quote CFM while others quote speed instead (“It blows at 100 miles per hour!
), but I don’t think I’ve ever seen both mentioned.
Koko The Talking Ape
@ MM
Thanks MM, that makes sense.
Metrics for comparing power tools is like nailing down moths. They’ll dodge and evade unless you really think about what’s going on. Look at the “reach” vs “standout” ridiculousness for tape measures.
Josh
Right back at ya with the good points haha
That being said, I’m not totally sure if the intent of this tool is to dislodge debris. I definitely wouldn’t use it to blow dust/oil/grime off of something, and it doesn’t really look like it would be able to do it well if I tried. Looking through the promotional material on the milwaukee website, I think it’s more like a broom replacement, so loose debris that doesn’t need dislodged.
The higher CFM and lower airspeed may be intentional. It could be better to “push” more junk along the ground and consolidate it into a pile rather than blast it with a jet of air (it still very well could be a battery runtime compromise though).
Whether or not it does a better job than a broom, we’ll have to see 😛
Koko The Talking Ape
?
I saw this as a broom replacement too, and that’s what I meant by “dislodging” “debris.” The air has to be fast enough to start the sawdust moving from a standstill. (Static vs dynamic friction.)
Anyway, it isn’t quite a broom either, because it would just blow dust up into the air (if it’s powerful enough). I think that would still help, because it would prevent accumulation, and dust in the air can be cleaned up with air filters or fans.
fred
I does have the advantage on price and size compared to the Makita BUB182Z that we had a few of:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-18-Volt-LXT-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Blower-Tool-Only-XBU05Z/313580799
We got the Makita as part of a kit or promotion – and passed it around. Some of the crews thought it was useful for cleanup – others thought it was useless. We only bought a few more – did not make it a standard item in every truck.
Adam
Sort of loses some of its usefulness, if they don’t have the ability to use it as an inflator / deflator like the M18 anemic blower. Really the only reason I own one.
RI Guy
Yeah. Same feeling as the m12 dustbuster. Not enough guts. Kinda want it though. Hmm
Jack
Why won’t Milwaukee simply add a port to their battery powered vacuums to blow air? So simple.
MM
It would be a lot less powerful than a dedicated blower because a dedicated blower doesn’t have a filter in the way.
Serendipity
I use my little Makita, the small 18v, to blow off tools all the time, it even does a decent job of sawdust on the floor. I’m guessing this Milwaukee is far more powerful than mine.
Luke
They did! At least on the last one I bought:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/M12-Vacuum-but-also-with-a-blower-for-Jack/314144454
Albert
Now I understand how to post Home Depot links. Thanks!
Dan w
Have you actually seen or used their m18 vacuum? Because it has a blower port..
Jack
I have the original 18v M18 blower for $100 and darn if there’s a blower port. Perhaps time to upgrade this Black Friday.
Albert
The old M18 compact blower came with two cone shaped inflator nozzles, which I believe at low setting could be used in place of an aerosol canister or rubber squeeze bulb. I’ve wanted a small blower for some time to clear leaves from my driveway and to blow dust from electronic equipment. This new M12 blower looks promising, but doesn’t seem to include those nozzles.
Leonard
I have the Dewalt 20VMax jobsite compact blower. It’s the most used cordless tool. I was looking for years for the Makita compact blower but it was crazy expensive.
The Dewalt came along at a great price and I already had batteries.
Besides yard and garage cleanup. I use it to blow the water out of the seams of the car after a wash.
Compact blowers are a handy accessory to have.
Joatman
I second that. I have the same compact Dewalt blower and use the heck out of it. Looks like toy but has incredible power for its size. Can’t recall the specs on it to compare against the Milwaukee. I’m a huge M12 fan, but can’t imagine it out performing the Dewalt. Seems they should have added this compact blower to their M18 line.
Koko The Talking Ape
Gentlemen, which DeWalt blowers do you have? There are three 20V Max blowers available. Thanks!
Jared
Nifty. It does seem pretty anemic, but it is obviously not intended for big cleanup. I think the compact size is the obvious advantage.
Maybe blowing snow off your car in the winter? I’ve done that with my 20v blower, but it is a big large to keep in there at all times.
I’m not sure if this would even be powerful enough to clean off decks and sidewalks (e.g. hard surfaces, but larger areas), but that doesn’t mean it’s useless.
MoogleMan3
This is a day one for me.
Dave the tool
I have the 20v Dewalt compact job site blower and also the Ryobi compact 18v bench top blower. I use these all the time. The Dewalt blower nozzle is twice as long as the Ryobi so I tend to use it for the garage floor and outside for small yard cleanup projects. The Ryobi is just as powerful (if not a tad more) and I use it much more frequently. There is definitely a market for these compact blowers however comparing them to a full-size corded or gas powered blower is futile. They are not made nor intended to compete in that segment.
As a owner of quite a few Milwaukee M12 tools, this small blower caught my interest…until the battery usage time was displayed. Sorry Milwaukee but will pass on this one.
Koko The Talking Ape
Which DeWalt blower do you have? There are three 20V Max blowers: the 100, the 720 and the newish 722. Thanks!
Joatman
https://www.dewalt.com/products/outdoor/blowers/20v-max-compact-jobsite-blower-kit/dce100m1
Jayne Erin Defranco
I know I’ll be getting one of these but I’ll wait till black friday for a deal. I hope…
Jerry Romines
I really like the Milwaukee tools. Seams this tool does not disappoint either. Milwaukee power tools are really good.
RayRay
I have both the M18 Compact Blower (0884-20) https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Vacuums-and-Fans/Compact-Blowers/0884-20 and full-sized M18 FUEL Blower (2724-20) https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Safety-Solutions/Emissions/2724-20
The M18 Compact Blower has a 3-speed electronic switch, lock-on, variable speed trigger, moves air at 160 MPH & 100 CFM. When I bought mine, it included a 9” extension nozzle & universal inflator/deflator nozzle ends.
The M12 Compact Spot Blower specs say it pushes air at 110 MPH and 175 CFM.
So is that slower air ‘speed’ but more air ‘force’ than the M18 Compact Blower?
How exactly can we compare the two?
Are the M12 Compact Spot Blower tube/nozzles compatible with the M18 Compact Blowers tubes? (Personally, I’m a little envious of that broad sweep nozzle of the M12.)
If we slap the narrow end tube from the M18 Compact Blower onto the M12 Compact Blower will the M12 push air at 160 MPH?
If so the how many CFM at 160 MPH?
Personally the benefits seem marginal and I can’t really see the need for another compact blower if one already owns the M18 compact blower.
Jim Felt
I’ve got the 18v larger one and honestly don’t quite know what to make this junior version.
Stuart. A question “to help avoid user fatigute.” What the heck is a “fatigute”. Google was very helpful.
;-)~
Jim Felt
The Bosch GBL18V-71N 18V Cordless Blower…
I’d forgotten I’d bought this just for my wife to clean up around deck and porch areas. She likes it a lot. But I already had a bunch of Bosch Core batteries and spare chargers so it was an easy purchase for her use.
Slats
I picked up that Bosch unit awhile back when Home Depot Canada was selling it (CDN $59.00) and must admit that I use it more now than my 20V DeWalt. It surprisingly packs a lot of punch for a small and light unit. I only wish it had the variable speed trigger and selectable lock on level that the DeWalt has.
George
” How do you easily blow dirt and sawdust out of the back of am SUV, truck, or van with a long-nozzle tool?”
With a PVC extension and an elbow or two and some duct tape. I use the extension wands from my shop vac with my Stihl blower – fits in the short output tube fixed to the blower and gets taped in place – with one taped-on 3″ 90 degree PVC elbow for blowing out the gutters and add a 45 degree elbow on a short piece of 3″ PVC for blowing out the truck bed.
Diego
Looks like something I can use to inflate my excursion 5 raft. I currently use a Ryobi 40v blower but that thing is loud and bulky.
SawdustTX
I have the old M12 compact blower, model 0884, and it comes with the tips for inflating rafts, floaties, air mattresses, etc. Works great.
Champs
I’m sure some people use M12 for exterior and shop work, but it seems like a system for places where you should be using a vacuum rather than blowing dust around.
Joatman
The little job site model
https://www.dewalt.com/products/outdoor/blowers/20v-max-compact-jobsite-blower-kit/dce100m1
A Tool Guy
I have recently bought the M 12 blower, and I like it! I have been waiting for this for a long time. I have five Makita blowers both 18 V and 36 V. The predominance of my battery operated tools are the M 12s. I think I have about everything m12 made except for the grease gun (my next purchase). Is it comparable to 18v, no, however, for its size and weight, it is a good little blower. I like that I can put the cone right on the blower and dust myself off and still clean up the floor. I will buy one more extension tube, but if you have M12 tools, it worth having. I do look forward to a twin m12 battery blower.
SawdustTX
I’d be interested in this Spot blower compared to the old M12 Compact blower (0884-20), which I’ve used for years, love it, very effective for shop clean up and quick cleaning of the front porch, door mats, etc.
Specs say:
New Spot blower has 175cfm vs 100cfm on the old one. Almost double.
New blower only puts out 110mph vs. 160mph on the old one.
Is the 110mph rating with the normal tip? Is it faster with the rubber “spot” tip?
Love the look, the locking trigger, etc, just wondering about that much less airspeed, which equals “force” when dislodging things, or blowing heavier things.
-Steve