Milwaukee M18 VC2-0 Wet / Dry Vacuum
If, like me, you spend half your life cleaning up after press cars, muddy boots, wet dogs and camping detritus, you’ll know that a decent vacuum isn’t a luxury - it’s a necessity. But dragging a full-size hoover down the path to the outhouse or across the gravel to clean the boot of a test car is, frankly, more effort than I’m willing to put in most days.
Enter the Milwaukee M18VC2-0, a cordless wet/dry vac that promises decent suction, no faff, and the freedom to suck up anything from crisp crumbs to puddles of mystery liquid, all without tripping over a cable.
Now, before we go any further, I’ll confess, I already run Milwaukee’s excellent little M18 Hatchet pruning saw. I’ve got two 5.5Ah batteries that are usually fully charged and ready to go, so the idea of adding another tool to the collection without having to fork out for more batteries was quite appealing. For me, this vac was never going to be a daily driver, more of a “grab-it-when-you-can’t-be-bothered-fetching-the-big-hoover” kind of gadget.
Spoiler alert: it fits that job description rather well.
First Impressions – Built Like It Means It
Typical Milwaukee really - solid, chunky, and red enough to make your eyes water. It’s not small, but it’s designed to be lugged about, so the sturdy carry handle and tidy, rectangular shape make sense. Open the lid and there’s space onboard for the hose, filter, and attachments, which means fewer bits to lose. It feels more “site tool” than “household appliance,” but that’s exactly what you want when you’re vacuuming up gravel, dried mud, and the occasional rogue woodlouse from your 4x4.
The 7.5-litre capacity is bang-on for this sort of compact unit, big enough for a car-clean or quick workshop sweep, not so big that it’s a chore to empty. The hose coils nicely under the lid and stretches to a decent length. It’s not exactly industrial-diameter, but for its size and what I need it for it’s perfectly adequate. It’ll reach into the nooks and crannies between seats and down the sides of dog cages without needing to perform any awkward contortions.
Ease of Use – No Leads, No Worries
The big selling point here is freedom - no cables, no plugging in, no dragging an extension lead across the road. Just clip in an M18 battery and you’re off. For occasional use, that’s a huge win. You can clean a boot full of camping gear or tidy the outhouse in minutes without hunting for a plug socket.
Runtime depends on your battery, of course. Milwaukee claims up to 30 minutes on a 9Ah pack; with my 5.5Ah batteries, I’m getting around 15-20 minutes of enthusiastic cleaning before the power light starts winking at me. For how I use it, that’s plenty as I’m usually bored by then anyway.
Suction is surprisingly good, not Dyson-level vortex power, but strong enough to pull grit from floor mats and crumbs from awkward corners. The HEPA filter does its job well too, catching fine dust and not blowing it straight back into your face (a refreshing change from some budget shop vacs).
It’ll even deal with liquids without complaint. I tested it on the inevitable puddle that collects in the rear footwell after a wet-dog-walk, and it slurped it up happily - though make sure to swap over to the wet filter cartridge first, or you’ll risk wrecking the HEPA filter. With the wet cartridge in place, it handled the job perfectly, leaving nothing but a faint smell of Lurcher behind. Kinda wish we had this a few months ago when we ended up with around 5-litres of dirty water escape from a dishwasher onto the kitchen floor. Muddy Madam used a lot of towels that day.
Noise and Build Quality – The Usual Milwaukee Racket
It’s not quiet. Let’s be honest, Milwaukee tools rarely are. The M18VC2-0 makes a satisfying industrial roar rather than a polite domestic hum, but you wouldn’t expect anything less. It feels tough, the clips are solid, and nothing about it seems likely to snap if dropped. You could easily toss it in the back of a 4x4 and not worry about it rattling itself to bits on a green-lane trip.
That said, the hose does have a tight bend where it joins the body, and I’ve seen others mention that it can clog with larger debris. I’ve not had a full blockage yet, but you can see how it might happen if you’re hoovering up chunks of gravel or dog biscuits the size of your thumb.
Verdict – A Proper Handy Bit of Kit
At around £100 (body-only), the Milwaukee M18VC2-0 isn’t cheap, but if you’re already on the M18 platform it’s a no-brainer. It’s convenient, well-built, and surprisingly capable for its size.
It’s that sort of “always ready” tool that makes you look weirdly forward to cleaning up - well, almost. For me, it’s perfect for cleaning cars, the shed, and small spills when I can’t be bothered dragging the full-size vac downstairs. It’s one of those tools you don’t realise you needed until you’ve got it, and then you wonder how you managed without it.
If you’re part of the Milwaukee ecosystem, it’s well worth adding to the collection. If not, it’s still a cracking cordless vac, though you’ll need to factor in the cost of batteries and charger.
And finally, credit where credit’s due, I bought mine from Big Red Power Tools over in Preston, always great service, and no, I didn’t get any discount. That said, if they’re reading this, any financial help they can offer on a Milwaukee impact driver will be greatly appreciated!
Website: https://www.bigredpowertools.co.uk/milwaukee-m18vc2-0