Milwaukee has come out with a new M18 cordless air blower, model 0884-20, that is designed for quick jobsite cleanup tasks. Despite its compact size, the new air blower can move 100 CFM of air at up to 160 mph.
The air blower comes with a 9-inch extension nozzle and inflator/deflator attachment. Milwaukee M18 Li-ion batteries and a charger must be purchased separately.
Advertisement
One thing to note – you probably shouldn’t use the blower as depicted in this product image, at least not without safety goggles! Actually, you should always wear safety glasses or goggles when using compressed air or air blowing products of any kind. Wood chips and metal flakes CAN bounce up and into your face. It will happen the one time you don’t wear safety eyewear.
Features
- 2 modes: user-selectable choice of variable speed or 3-speed operation
- Lock-on switch
- 100 CFM
- 160 mph max air speed
- Weighs 2.6 lbs
- Tough crush-resistant nozzle
MSRP: $99
ETA: Soon
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Buy Now(via CPO Tools)
Advertisement
Lenny
Wow! That looks like something I would never need or use.
JOSH GUHN
You will be surprised. I got a Makita for Christmas and I have used that thing to clean my garage floor and inflate the kiddos pool toys. Now time to switch since I have all Milwaukee!!!!!!!
Mike
That picture is maybe the worst application for the product. I do love the concept actually. Faster then getting an air hose, or maybe at a job without a compressor. I’ve even been doing jobs outside and got the gas blower out to clean up that fine dust that doesn’t sweep up well.
Noah
How about a small shop vac or dust buster. Leaf blowing a wood shop seems like a terrible idea!
Javier
I thought it might be decent for blowing leaves but after seeing it in the guys hands it looks too small for that. Would just be limited to blowing work dust. Still not a bad idea but for $100 it’s not worth it. I had seen the blower before but thought it was bigger. For that money I would rather get the m18 vac, that also includes a blower and the price is better justified since it’s a wet dry vac.
Gregg
Looks like it makes more of a mess than anything. I do not see these selling very well.
Gregg
Now if that was a small portable vac I might be interested!
Jim
If it is similiar to the Maikta LXT 18, you can place the nozzle onto the exhaust port, attach a bag, and use it as a vacuum.
I find it extremely useful. It is variable speed. You can quickly (air) sweep a mess together into a corner and then scoop it up. Yes, if too high you can create alot of dust.
I also use it too blow off the deck and air sweep the sidewalk and drive after cutting and edging the lawn. Much easier and lighter than firing up the Echo gas blower. With the garage doors open, it makes quick work of blowing out the random leaves.
I am aways amused by the guys that vac large flat work areas with a shop vac. Back and forth, back and forth, hoving over a pile of dust waiting for it to get all sucked up, clearing out the clogged hose. Then, after filling the drum (or $5+ Festool bag), emptying it out into a trash can. In 1/4 of the time, I can broom sweep the whole mess up, use a scoop to deposit it in the trash can, and take a minimal amount of time using the vacuum to finish the detail work. Less effort, less noise. Plus, I don’t suck something up unintended and have to poke through the debris to find it.
Phil
Dammit, Milwaukee, take my money aready!
I have an ancient Toro electric blower. I use it for the usual stuff you’d use a leaf blower for, plus cleanup during construction (mostly outdoors), clearing leaves from shrubs, etc, etc. A while ago I got a cheap B&D 20VMax string trimmer with a free blower similar to this Milwaukee. I often use a leaf blower while cleaning and detailing vehicles. The cordless thing is adequate in this regard, I use it for frying out engine compartments after steam cleaning, drying off the entire vehicle after washing, cleaning truck beds, etc. The big problem with the B&D is the 10 minute run time on wimpy batteries and the six hour recharge time. I take the blower and the trimmer with me camping to spiff up the site, boost the campfire, blow leaves off tents, canopies and awnings and other handy uses. This blower with adjustable speeds would work even better in all these various tasks, sometimes just a small breeze is needed instead of a blast, and the latest 4.0 AH batteries I have should more than double the run time, not to mention be far more available as far as batteries (I have about a dozen now).
I wonder why it took them this long to make this?
Karl
I will wait for the Fuel version.
Theron
Who is the primary marketing target for these things? Carpenters working at a residence is the only one I can think of. They can clean up their outside saw station with it I guess. I’m a commercial construction plumber, and I can’t see any use for this in any trades I work with. It’s too little to be useful for any yard cleanup. If that product photo is from Milwaukee, I have a lot of concerns. What’s next, an M12 shoe tying machine?
Garrick
I always enjoy looking at other peoples shops. The one in the photo I can only hope is not a real shop.
Notes:
The dust pan with a SCRUB brush (maybe why he isn’t SWEEPING the dust pile up)
Amateur wall of tools and bench top, but lots of expensive 18 volt batteries.
I don’t see any saws. Where did all that wood dust come from?
In about 20 seconds, that nice shiny new black jacket will be will not be.
OK really though. A portable blower would handy at an outdoor jobsite, to clean off driveways and sidewalks, and the tools and tool set up area at the end of the day. Maybe a quick blast in a shop where there are lots of bits and pieces that are too hard to sweep, and there is risk of sucking up small useful things with a vacuum.
But, since my shop vacuums are also blowers, I haven’t seen the need to add a blower to all the rest of the tools I need to move around and keep stored.
T
Great for blowing out the water that sits in your mirrors and waits until the rest of the car is polished before it decides to dribble down the door. In behind the fuel filler door… basically great for OCD car guys and gals.
Stuart
I really got the feeling that this is for outdoors use, or rough construction projects. For most indoors projects, at least in areas where debris can’t be easily swept up, a vacuum does seem like the better cleanup tool.
This might be great to have near a miter saw or table saw setup outdoors, to clean up chips and debris every couple of cuts or at the end of the day. There are other similar quick cleanup tasks where this might come in handy.
Seth
It really can’t be designed for that. 160 mph and 100 CFM is far too anemic to tackle any outdoor cleanup that isn’t on smooth concrete.
I don’t see it moving chips or chunks, or much of anything on a rough surface. I’d rather have a brush to clean up a saw stand, as then you could at least direct where you want the dust to go and not scatter it everywhere.
DanG
It is a little to small to be used as a lawn and leaf blower. It would be the perfect size to use in Smurf land. If I wanted to use something like that blower I would much prefer a vacuum with a reuseable side bag. This is definitely not on my list of future purchases.
Stuart
Agreed, it’s definitely too small to be used as a leaf or lawn/garden blower.
David Liller
What is this? A leaf blower for ants.
fred
I think we got one or two of the Makita equivalent along with some bundle deal a few years ago. I don’t recall them ever being used. Most of our shops (my home basement and garage shop too) were plumbed up with air pipe and blow guns can be plugged in in may spots – only an arms reach away. But as vacuums have become better I blow dust very infrequently – preferring to vacuum it up.
Tim K
i have the makita version, and find it very useful, although it was a gift and probably would not of spent 100 for it.
i use mine for:
1. finding which conduit pipe is which with out sending a fishtape through.
2. clears out all debris, and water from pipes.
3. i clean my wood working tools before packing up, also blow out my tool box and tool pouch.
4. clean up out side saw dust
5. when washing the car i blow water out of tricky spots where it would be impossible to towel dry.
6. blow the junk like leafs out of the garage.
7. cleans junk out of my gutters easily when up on a ladder.
i am sure i use it for more things, but that is what comes to me now.
Lance J
The Makita version is very handy. Nice quick cleanup of an area, reverse the nozzle and use as a quick vacuum, and it air drys a motorcycle or smaller vehicle nicely without scratching it up, since the nozzle on the Makita is soft rubber.
SteveR
It does look a tad small for a leaf blower. For the use the model is putting this to, he should be wearing a dust mask, and possibly ear plugs. As was pointed out, this activity would require a vacuum rather than a blower; who wants to scatter dust all over the shop? Does this unit come with a diffuser attachment to better concentrate the flow of air downward (or upward) as the need dictates?
I think that $99 for a bare tool like this is too pricey, given that most of the things it does can be accomplished with a shop vac (which many guys already have). If you think back to Economics 101, does the extra (marginal) utility gained by purchasing the product outweigh the expenditure of your scarce monetary resources?
LORDDiESEL
WTF is there a safety on the trigger?
I just shake my head.
Stuart
That could be the “lock-on” toggle.
Jim
I think it is the variable speed knob. Many cordless tool offerings, unlike their corded counterparts, purposely do not have a lock-on switch to limit battery consumption. For some items, like a reciprocating saw, angle grinder or multi-tool, that are often used at random operating angles and positions and not left unattended in the running position, a lock-on (or a slider on-off) switch may be available. But for some cordless tools with a higher power draw like a hand held vac or blower, only in intermittent switch is used.
Eric
I have this little blower and believe me it’s not a little blower in power. It’s just as powerful as my regular full size leaf blower. I use it around the yard to blow leaves and dust. It also inflates things. It works great. I was totally amazed by the little guy.
OnTheWeb
Yes. Cleans out trailers, basement cobwebs. Keeps the sawdust from getting too slippery on a new OSB roof, too. Easily blows the leaves and dust out of the garage without smelling like 2-cycle and can easily be taken any worksite… (who’s going to take a large cordless blower or gas blower to a jobsite?)
Greg
Anyone know if the inflator/deflator attachment will blow up a flat basketball?
If Milwaukee would make a cordless hand-held air pump I could inflate low tires and sports balls with, I’d buy it in a heartbeat – M18 or 12.