Milwaukee M18 0880-20 Review

The Milwaukee M18 stands apart from its competitors because it can tackle both wet and dry work without breaking a sweat. Saturated carpets, nuts, and bolts, loose debris are all a breeze. Moreover, the attention paid to details such as the self-retracting hose and dusting tool makes using this machine very convenient. When it's time to wrap things up, the attachments and hose are secured in the lid of the toolbox-shaped canister — so it's easy to put on a shelf or in a cabinet at the end of your project.

Performance Comparison

Dry Work

With few exceptions, the M18 showed itself quite capable of moving dry materials without clogging, struggling, or leaving a job incomplete. We had this model suck up large, heavy debris such as machine nuts and bolts, lag screws, carriage bolts, washers, and wood screws. Excepting the lag screws, the Milwaukee moved this hardware without any trouble. Further demonstrating its suction prowess, the vac moved a 100-gram cylinder weight like it was sucking a scrap of paper. The Kobalt is the only other vacuum we tested that performed similarly.

For those doing lots of woodwork, this machine can handle heaps of sawdust. We laid out 9 cups of sawdust in a pile, and the Milwaukee gulped it down like a blue whale feeding on krill. This model also has a quality crevice tool for those who need a tool to clean in tight spaces such as between car seats. This attachment can penetrate 8 1/4 inches into tight spots, and it creates focused suction that draws up grains of rice (the material used in this test) as far away as a half-inch.

Wet Work

The ability to clean up wet messes with ease is a real benefit these machines offer. If cleaning up liquids is one of your intended uses for your vac, the M18 won't disappoint. This model will move two gallons of water from a bucket to its canister in just 10 seconds! It'll clean a puddle consisting of 3 cups of water off a linoleum in about a minute, though other models, such as the Craftsman, have better-designed floor tool attachments that can complete this task in about half the time.

The Milwaukee makes up for the poorly designed floor tool with its ability to inhale waterlogged sawdust. We took the 9 cups of sawdust previously used in the dry work assessment and poured 6 cups of water into it to create a lumpy mix. The vac ripped through this challenging material in just over half a minute. Not too bad, considering that other models took three times as long. One of the benefits of the vacuum tube running directly into the canister where other models have an elbow.

The cordless, compact dimensions of these machines are well suited for cleaning out the interior of automobiles. As such, we tested their ability to draw water out of a saturated floorboard mat — a challenging task, to be sure. We let 2 cups of water soak into the carpet in this evaluation and then measured how much we could remove. The M18 got 1 ¾ cups of dirty water back out — about average for the class.

As a final assessment in this metric, we used a water lift gauge to measure the suction power of the vacuums. This instrument is based on how many inches of water a vacuum can lift in a continuous vertical column. The M18 registered 25 inches of water lift, which is near the top of the class.

Battery

The battery assessment is straightforward. We take a fully charged cell and then run the vacuum without a load, meaning that the motor is only drawing air. We allow the machine to run until it dies. The time it takes to get to a fully drained battery is the runtime. We then take the runtime and divide it by the battery cell's amp-hour rating to reach a comparable value across all the models under review.

The M18 has a run time of 23 minutes and 15 seconds. Its amp-hour rating is 5, which comes out to 4 minutes and 39 seconds. That, unfortunately, is about a minute below the class average. However, the short runtime is mitigated by the power it brings to bear, so tasks will take less time to complete.

Convenience

As the name implies, the convenience metric assesses design features that make the user's life easier and the vacuum more effective. Much of the sub-metrics in this category are physical measurements instead of performance tests. The outside dimensions of this vacuum are 16 ¾ x 6 ½ x 12 (L x W x H) inches. That's relatively compact, and when combined with the unit's regular shape, it makes it very convenient to store.

The internally stored hose and attachments are easily accessed. The hose has an above-average extension range — from 24 to 90 ½ inches — with a self-retracting, spring-like structure. At 10 lbs 2 oz, the M18 is well above average for the class though it is average in the noise department. Additionally, the unit comes standard with a HEPA filter can be cleaned out but not wet washed.

Should You Buy the Milwaukee M18 0880-20?

The Milwaukee is a high-performing vacuum that sits right in the middle in terms of price. It is an excellent choice for anyone who wants the most value from their purchase. We especially recommend the M18 for those who find themselves in need of efficient dry cleanups and are not as concerned about battery life.

What Other Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Should You Consider?