Metabo HPT Cordless Vacuum Contender

Tool: 36V MultiVolt Wet/Dry Vacuum-Pod Style

Manufacturer: Metabo HPT

MSRP: $499 (bare tool)

As I replace old and worn out tools, I’ve made it my goal to find a cordless equivalent. Their convenience cannot be overstated especially given they often times outperform their corded counterparts. I’d used and seen several cordless vacuums but had never been impressed. Most of them top out at or below 80cfm (with some advertising sub 40!) and can’t replace any of my corded vacs. While speaking to my local Metabo HPT rep, he mentioned a new 124cfm cordless wet/dry vac that would be hitting the shelves soon and asked if I’d be interested in testing one for him. He assured me this vac would outperform any I’d seen, so I agreed.

After unboxing the vacuum, one thing that immediately stood out to me was the sleek design. It’s low profile “pod” styline is complimented by smooth rolling casters and simple controls. The telescoping wand is well made and easy to use with no slippage once it is locked. An indention in one side of the vacuum accepts a hook on the zoom pipe for storng when not in use. The floor attachment does an excellent job on both hard surfaces and carpet. There is an air damper on the floor attachement you’ll want to open for hard surfaces as this vacuum has the power to suck it to the floor. At this time, a rear mounted tool storage tray is being sold separately as an optional accessory. I do hope Metabo HPT includes it in the future, as it improves the convenience of transporting the unit.

The included filter is an L-class cage type that doesn’t need to be removed when using the vacuum in water. Metabo HPT noted in their manual however, that prolonged use of the included filter with water can cause a loss of suction and they recomment purchasing the nylon filter for water use. Paper bag filters with lower micron ratings will also be available.

The vacuum had no problem removing debris from my shop floor, the carpet in a client’s house, and water from buckets I used for testing. I found its suction to even be adequate enough for hooking to my miter saw, although without HEPA filtration, the fine dust is undoubtedly getting through. On more than one occasion it has been a real lifesaver when there were no extra outlets available and I needed to plane the backside of a cabinet or door with my cordless planer. It managed to contain every bit of visible dust that my plane could throw at it, which meant less cleanup down the road.

Although it holds two batteries, the vacuum is designed to use one at a time and is able to run with only one battery installed or the sold separately adapter. Regardless of whether you use batteries or the adapter, the max run tie on high is billed at 14 minutes. Even though it’s plugged into the wall, the adapter will get overheated and go into fan mode at 14 minutes. The chart below shows run time and specs. If you look at the first column you will see a 75 minute run-time at 57 CFM. That is more than enough time for most sanding operations that require a lower CFM. And, if you think about how you use a vacuum most of the time (short bursts of a couple minutes), this unit can be used for most of a day on two batteries.

So, if you are in the market for a powerful, compact, vacuum where you would not have to bother with cords or worry over electrical availability, the Metabo HPT has proven itself to be a tool worth looking into.