Milwaukee 0970-20 M18 FUEL PACKOUT 2.5 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum

Just a pure joy to use with its power and usability. I run the packout system so I wanted to have something that can utilize the storage boxes. I store this on top of my stack and when I'm ready to use it, I can just unravel the hose and press the switch without having to unstack anything. And when I want to have a storage bin to throw garbage into while I'm cleaning up, I can stack on a small box. The power is fantastic, you will rarely find yourself having to go back and forth to make sure it picked up the debris. I use an 8.0 HO with this and the runtime is excellent, you won't have to swap a battery in the middle of a job.

This thing sucks in a good way, the dual speed is great for whatever you need

I’d been using my M12 vacuum since its release and it has served me well. I’d needed something that was Packout compatible since I’ve got mine set up for trim carpentry. The Packout vac and dust collector are a match made in my heaven.

The Milwaukee 2.5 vacuum great. We use it in the shop and for vacuuming out the attic above the shop. Its powerful for a small vacuum.

This is vacuum #3 that randomly stopped working for me. I kept buying this vacuum because of how convenient it is for me on the job site... when it works. The latest vacuum was purchased March 2024 and despite normal, reasonable use, it shorted out in November 2024. It's either a faulty switch function or something with the motor. At $200 this should perform as a commercial grade tool, just as advertised.

Called Milwaukee and was told I would need to ship my vacuum to them so that they could evaluate and repair the product. Typically, I'd just get a brand new one through the Home Depot protection plan. I rely heavily on this tool to complete projects for my clients so I cannot afford the down time if I shipped it in for them to troubleshoot. Having been a loyal customer to Milwaukee and spending over $600+ on these vacuums, I feel that I'm either a total sucker or Milwaukee is sucking up the funds in my wallet.

To the random person that reps Milwaukee that may read this: PLEASE MAKE A RELIABLE PRODUCT! Or price this item at what it is WORTH!

1st things 1st, unless you are doing a pack out system build, the regular m18 FUEL will do you just fine. I got this because I’ve been going on a Milwaukee splurge and well starting the pack out build is in the works. Having the 2 fan speed settings has been nice simply due to the conservation of battery life. On speed two it will give you about 20 minutes of straight run time on a 5.0 ah XC. 35 on speed one. The hose could be longer, but the dang thing is so light it’s not really an issue at all. I wish it had just a bit kore oomph on suction power but for the lightweight portability of it, combined with being whisper quiet (seriously I’ve ran this thing in speed 2 in the same room my newborn and wife were sleeping and they didn’t even stir) who am I to complain. Pick you up some attachments I really really like the long flex hoses but that’s just for my own personal preference they have all kinds but you’ll definitely want them. I have two other vacuums both corded one very expensive high dollar commercial one and one rigid vac that I’ve had for years, and I still find myself reaching for this one every time because it’s usually just one small pile of dust that needs picked up and I don’t want to unroll a whole extension just to grab it. 10/10 on convenience of use, 9/10 for look styling and conventional spot to put the 3 attachments that come with it, 6.7 for suction power, 11/10 for noise. Overall get the vacuum your back and ears will thank you.

Handles are extremely delicate and flimsy. The vacuum itself works great. But be very careful with it!
With a broken handle, it’s almost useless. Very disappointing how cheap it felt and how easily it broke. I’d rather use the old non pack out style with a built in handle. That thing handled abuse for years.
This new pack out one was supposed to make life easier. But now it’s just a waste of money.

I’ve had this vacuum for a few years and it’s one of the best and most used tools I have. I actually swapped the hose for a festool and it has increased that capabilities.

As a fan of packout this item obviously caught my eye. This vacuum has good suction and is reliable in most applications. Most of the time as an electrician I’m cleaning up drywall dust or wire shavings. The only issue I have with this is how the hose is too rigid to allow copper to pass through it easily. They tend to get stuck from time to time. Overall I love it and would highly recommend this product to others.

I’ve been using mine for a few weeks now, works well so far. I have not experienced any problems. I love how light and mobile it is. It has good power definitely awesome for cleaning up dust created from drilling. I really want the attachment for the wall for it. I love how 3 small divider boxes are the same height as the vacuum when stacking. So far so good I really like it.