Price Range: $100 - $200

The Milwaukee M18 Wet & Dry Vacuum is a highly portable, cordless cleaning unit capable of handling both liquid spills and heavy solid debris. It efficiently runs off the exact same 18V Milwaukee batteries as our primary power tools. Furthermore, the internal canister is incredibly easy to open and rinse out over the side when you are completely finished.

Why it's Onboard

We originally bought this unit back in Australia exclusively to have on the boat, and it has genuinely outperformed our initial expectations. We constantly use it as both our primary household cleaning tool and our workshop vacuum.

Real-world Verdict

One battery can easily vacuum the entire catamaran multiple times before needing a fresh charge, an it effortlessly sucks up everything from thick dog fur and regular dirt to nasty soapy water and incredibly fine fiberglass dust.

The base unit is a good size to pass in and out of the engine bay and bilge, and while it annoyingly doesn't come with a standing extension stick, we were able to get a generic one that fits. Many other generic parts fit too, like brush heads. 

We’ve found the internal filter is remarkably resilient if it’s maintained well. Ours is over 4 years old now and periodic cleans with a brush keep it working well. There is a replacement in the cupboard ready to go, it just hasn’t needed it yet.

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