Milwaukee - M18 FUEL PACKOUT 2.5 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum

I love my 2.5 fuel. It’s small and not great for everything. I still use my corded rigid shop vac a good bit but this vacuum has been great. I also hook it up to my 7.25” saw to cut trim inside occasionally. Great as a second vacuum. Definitely not a primary but I’m a contractor so we have multiples.

I got it specifically for its size and portability. For big jobs, I use the big, corded Ridgid vac.

I bought the 2.5 packout vacuum because I heard it had better suction and was quieter than my Bauer cordless vac. It is SO much quieter, but the hose stow and length leave a bit to be desired. I just recently bought the Bauer vacuum detail kit ($20 right now with coupon) and it adapts to the Milwaukee for reaching MUCH further when I need it to.

Great vacuums. Have two (the first gen and the second gen pack out fuel). First one went MIA and the second one got taken over by the wife so probably gonna have to get a 3rd one pretty soon.

Great vacuums. Have two (the first gen and the second gen pack out fuel). First one went MIA and the second one got taken over by the wife so probably gonna have to get a 3rd one pretty soon.

I'm a car detailer and I've had the 2.5 gallon for a while. I love it, but yes, the hose is short, I wish it had a longer option. But it is nice that it fits in the same footprint with the hose length.

I have a tiny work area for my woodshop, like, 8×10 storage shed tiny. I use the 2.5 and the particles separator for my dust collection and clean up. I got the longer hose for the separator, and I live my set up now. I just need a couple of Forge 12.0 batteries to really allow it to keep up the demand when I am doing some things.

https://preview.redd.it/34vz6supkove1.png?width=576&format=png&auto=webp&s=b4780f047df557bb43ee40bebdc52a330d99cf8d Get the single battery like this\^ Also, I have heard the corded version is really good. There is also a dual battery version which uses more of your batteries in exchange for more power which doesnt seem to be very appealing for most people.

It looks like I ordered mine around August 2024 so who knows when these vacuum deals might come back. Maybe again in August?

I believe I returned a battery. It was the 8.0 HO battery for about $110 I think. So I kept the vac, returned the battery. For the price I got it for it was totally worth it. Just for fun you should see what expensive the hose itself costs, or the rolling bottom part. Even the filter alone is pricey.

I bought it because I use it at job sites and it's portable. I have a real shop vac for my house since I don't need to worry about packing it around. Why would you buy this for home use?

I have it and it’s amazing for cleaning the car and for cleaning chinchilla cage. It’s what I bought it for and I have no regrets

I love mine! Finish carpenter I’m always using it to clean up dust from cutting and I also attach it to my tools to help with dust control as well

They are different tools for different jobs. People need to quit thinking they can buy 1 tool for 10 different jobs. The 2.5gal is small projects clean up tool. The 5 gallon is for larger area general clean up.

This^ OP said drywall n i immediate knew they're gonna want wheels n accessories. I use my 2.5g fine where my mess is contained but am maxing out it's range

Just a home DIY guy who takes care of cars and the house . The 2.5 fuel is amazing

If this is a vacuum that you're carrying around from one jobsite to the next, then get the 2.5 gallon. If this is a vac that just gets rolled everywhere within the shop only, then get one of the larger ones.

I've owned the PACKOUT 2.5 gallon, the 6 gallon and the 9 gallon. I initially returned the PACKOUT, then bought the 6, thought it was pretty good but tried the two battery 9 gallon. I loved the power and the suction but ultimately it was a bit unwieldy even with its cart, so I returned it and bought another 2.5 gallon PACKOUT. (When you start avoiding using the vac because it's a hassle even though it's cordless, you know it's not really serving its purpose.) It's just a very handy weight and yet still powerful enough that when cleaning an entry rug I have to hold the rug down with one hand because the vac lifts it, and I store it by hanging it on a [48-24-8496 Compact Wall Plate](https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/48-22-8496). IMHO the 2.5 gallon PACKOUT is the sweet spot in terms of power, portability and power usage. If you want a longer hose, an extension hose is available, the [49-90-2014 1-1/4” x 2’ to 6’ Expandable Hose](https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/49-90-2014).

Fuckin love mine

I use packout vacuum, cordless Ridgid shopvac (discontinued),and the m18 shopvac all with bags and filters removed. HD and Amazon sell bags for all kinds of vacuums. I install cabinets so packout is on my tracksaw. M18 on mitersaw, and Ridgid on m18 tablesaw.. I sweep and use m18 and Ridgid because they have more volume . I bolted on a crate on top of my m18 for packout compatibility (before the packout vacuum was released)...crate holds accessories and the hose.

I also use it for detailing and a lot of the attachments provide the extra length I need but admit it’s the Achilles heel for that vac. The diameter of the hose also can cause issues and not sure it wouldnt present a problem for use while remodeling.

I have two of the Packout vacs. "Naughty" and "Nice". Naughty does all of the nasty stuff with a wet filter. Nice does only sawdust and other dry applications with a HEPA filter on it. I have to scrub the Naughty one out pretty regularly to keep it going, but I am incredibly happy with both. I highly recommend the detail hose kit for them. Helps to clean up small areas and get into hard to reach places. I think it is usually around $30. I have considered getting the bigger M18 vacuum because I like the idea of rolling it around to do a lot of cleanup. But so far I haven't been left wanting with the Packout ones I have, so until then I'm gonna stick with them. Plus the Packout compatability makes them perfect for clicking into a stack when I take my setup into a job.

I have two of the Packout vacs. "Naughty" and "Nice". Naughty does all of the nasty stuff with a wet filter. Nice does only sawdust and other dry applications with a HEPA filter on it. I have to scrub the Naughty one out pretty regularly to keep it going, but I am incredibly happy with both. I highly recommend the detail hose kit for them. Helps to clean up small areas and get into hard to reach places. I think it is usually around $30. I have considered getting the bigger M18 vacuum because I like the idea of rolling it around to do a lot of cleanup. But so far I haven't been left wanting with the Packout ones I have, so until then I'm gonna stick with them. Plus the Packout compatability makes them perfect for clicking into a stack when I take my setup into a job.

I love mine. Pair it with a 12Ah Forge battery and lasts a long time.

I enjoy my pack out 2 1/2 gallon vacuum I use it on anything from detailing cars to my construction job and even a little bit of plumbing here and there. My main reason I bought that was for the packout itself and it doesn’t take up a lot of room.

The 2.5gl vac is one of my favorite purchases of the past year. I bust it out instead of a hand vac. I also use it to keep my car clean. No regrets at all.

It’s an amazing vacuum and totally worth the money. Never really had a problem with the short hose. Then again, I cant think of a situation where I’m complaining of a short hose? I’ve use mine daily for about 3 years now doing remodeling.

Bought the 2.5 pack vac to pull out for small projects and clean ups. Quickly has become one our most used tools.I have touched my large shop vac maybe once since buying this thing.

I use a m18 fuel vacuum. Definitely not cheap if you don’t own the batteries

Milwaukee M18 Fuel vacuum. Even better if you're in a trade and already own several Milwaukee batteries/tools. 

I use a Milwaukee on construction sites, it'll be fine for a vehicle

No dude it's perfect, it's a small easily maneuvered with good power. It's the size of a boom box from the late 80's lol tho look at them at home Depot and you can make your choice. All 3 are sold there.