Editor's Review: Tool-Triggered Shop Vacs

The Milwaukee 8936-20 automatically alters its amperage draw to accommodate different tools. The motor reduces its power consumption when high-amp tools are in use and returns to full power when the tool is shut off.

It is lightweight enough to carry up and down a flight of stairs, although moving it across a debris-covered floor can be difficult given its low-quality casters. It lacks a drain or a water tank, and trying to dump water or other fluids straight from the vacuum is a strenuous and messy chore. Of all the models tested, the Milwaukee 8936-20 has the most expensive bags at $8 each. The vacuum can be used without bags, however, and its low weight makes it easier than other models tested to upend.

The vacuum has a standard cartridge filter that should be cleaned by removing it from it from the machine and either shaking it into a garbage can or hosing it off and allowing it to dry. The filter can be upgraded to a HEPA filter.

Editor Test Results:

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Tool-Triggered Shop Vacs A crew of carpenters reviews five machines that make cleanup easier by capturing dust before it hits the floor by Rob Wotzak