0915-20
Nexus – The Actual Meaning
I initially saw the word “Nexus” and on first thought I figured it was just a cool sounding buzzword that Milwaukee applied to their latest and greatest product offering. It later occurred to me that I was somewhat familiar with the term “Nexus” through its utilization by a handful of other companies, not in the power tool space. Upon further clarification it turns out that it’s not just a clever buzzword implemented by Milwaukee Tool. This new system is exactly what it says it is, it is a systematic embodiment of the term. A Nexus is a point or series of points that connects independent parts together thus creating a sequence of components that act together to create a dynamic and complete system.
Initial Introduction
It was the middle of June. On an early Monday afternoon I was sitting on my back porch and took a look at Youtube to see what was going on in the world of tools. It was then and there that I came to find out that it was indeed a Milwaukee Monday. I came across a video from VCG Construction talking about some game changing tool announcements coming from the good folks at Milwaukee Tool. That 20 minute video served as my official introduction to the Milwaukee Nexus Modular Vacuum System. Being that I’m also a part of the Home Depot’s Seeds program so I knew that I might have an inside track on snagging one in the next month’s series of campaigns.
A few weeks later and to my surprise, the very first campaign that launched featured two variations of this wet / dry vacuum. To my further surprise, the thing actually shipped within two weeks and by the last half of July it was sitting on my front porch. This has easily been my most intriguing power tool acquisition of all time. From watching a premier video introducing the tool to having it in my possession within a matter of 30 days has never happened before.
First Use – First Impression
My first time using this vacuum cleaner was to pick up a four foot by four foot piece of shattered glass. An outdoor glass top table set that I had ordered came with one of the two glass pieces completely broken. I figured that vacuuming the small pieces of glass would be the easiest, cleanest and safest way to get as much of the glass cleaned up as possible. I loaded it up with an 8.0Ah Forge battery and I put it to work. From the time the hose head made contact with the shattered glass, it did nothing but suck. I could really get a strong sense of just how powerful the suction was just by watching and feeling the velocity and force of the pieces of glass being sucked up.
I was able to get through most of the cleanup before I began to notice that the suction velocity had diminished greatly. I emptied the tank thinking that maybe it was at full capacity. I then went back to work and not much changed from that point. After several unproductive seconds I removed the hose to check for clogs and that is where I came to realize how helpful the 2-1/2 inch hose would have been. The majority of the glass pieces were pretty small, however the few one inch or above pieces proceeded to clog the hose and cause a pretty significant blockage. I was able to agitate the hose a handful of times to free up the clog. In the end it wasn’t a huge inconvenience. I just know now that the 2-½ inch options exist for this very reason.
PACKOUT Convenience
I have to be honest and disclose that at the time of writing I only owned three Milwaukee PACKOUT Small Parts Organizers. After I snapped two of those three small parts organizers on top of this wet / dry vacuum I almost immediately changed my outlook on Packet as a whole. I previously didn’t care to own a ton of Packet cases and boxes and perhaps I still don’t. I do however see a few scenarios where I build out some additional cleaning supplies organization via this wet / dry vacuum and various PACKOUT components. Now that I’ve witnessed how easily these things interlock, I may very well be in store for even more of what PACKOUT has to offer.
Subsequent Battery Performance
I was able to pack one 12Ah (Non-Forge) battery and thoroughly vacuumed my entire 2 car garage floor along with my 10 x 17 screened in back porch. On the back porch, I was able to give it the seasonal top to bottom cleaning that it had been needing thanks to the portability of this vacuum system. It’s hard to say if there is or isn’t a noticeable difference in performance across various Milwaukee battery pack offerings. Obviously runtime will vary from battery to battery but it seems like you’re pretty well covered for a reasonable amount of time regardless of which battery pack you insert. Clearly the 12.0Ah and 8.0Ah will afford you more time at peak performance. This is especially the case if you’re able to level up to the Forge variations of either of those.
Accessories
Between hoses, filters, dust bags and integrations there are a plethora of options to enable expanded use of the wet / dry vacuum. Most general wet / dry vacuums are reliant on a handful of nozzles in order to expand the overall capabilities. Here, Milwaukee has made it a point to incorporate far more into the mix to ultimately transition this from just a wet / dry vacuum into an entry level dust filtration system. Integrations such as the Dedicated Filter Cleaner (0991-20) and the Dedicated Debris Separator (0990-21) expound upon the wet / dry vacuum foundation to give users the ability to set up a battery powered dust mitigation system that can move about various job sites. These offerings along with a HEPA filter option and unit containing fleece dust bags not only makes for a cleaner safer job site but also one with built in cost efficiencies.
Attachments
Sometime in or around 2022 Milwaukee launched a basic yet innovative lineup of close quarters cleaning nozzle heads and attachments. In just under four years since, close to twenty or so individual products have flooded the market under the AIR-TIP sub-brand. Product variations ranging from the Rotating Corner Brush Tool (49-90-2021) or the Low-Profile Pivoting Brush Tool (49-90-2027) give users the complete capability to execute highly specific precision clean up applications. Several of the AIR-TIP attachments can be purchased as multi-part kits aimed at specific cleaning applications. Anything that exists outside of the standard issue wands, hoses and nozzles can likely be found in some capacity as an AIR-TIP attachment.
Adapters
All things considered this wet / dry vacuum doesn’t shine only by itself. Two of the standard issue adapter kits offered by Milwaukee further enhance the expandability options for the unit. The 3-piece Hose and Accessory Adapter Kit (49-90-1991) allows for quick and easy connectivity to most common hose sizes and power tools. On the other hand, the 3-piece Dust Extraction Adapter Kit helps create secure connections to power tools that require a more ongoing dust filtration arrangement. Regardless of either stationary or mobile applications one or both of these kits will drastically enhance the capabilities of the wet / dry vacuum.
Entry Level Dust Mitigation System
One of the best parts is that Milwaukee is making it at least somewhat affordable to enter certain markets for a wider range of consumers. The Nexus system looks to be designed specifically for light to moderate applications. Unlike Milwaukee’s recently released commercial grade 9 Gallon Dual Battery Dust Extractor this wet / dry vacuum system is most suited for quick and easy clean up. The system as well as all of the components create an economical entry point for customers looking for a fairly quick and easy solution. The versatility of the system is the shining point of everything as this can function as a basic wet / dry vacuum or a fully integrated dust mitigation system. With two different dedicated filter components tradesmen from a variety of fields have the capability to maintain a professional grade level of job site organization.
Use Cases + Compatibility
Compatible with ALL Milwaukee Wet / Dry vacuums and Most other Wet / Dry vacuums on the market. Incorporating new products yet maintaining compatibility with Gen 1 product offerings. The practicality of this wet / dry vacuum is out of the world if you ask me. I typically have to vacuum from the bottom up and the last three steps are missed due to a lack of reach. Not to mention I can attach my Double Wall Tumblers to the top just in case I need a refresher while I’m working.
Closing Thoughts
I think the biggest takeaway at this point is the anticipation of what additional components will ultimately come from this arrangement. I have to admit that Milwaukee has drastically altered my outlook on wet / dry vacuum cleaners, dust extraction and platform cross-compatibility. Not only those things specific to various work functions but there’s also storage capability that appeals greatly to most modern consumers.
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