Cordless Stick Vacuum for Garage Cleaning

[In The Doghouse]

Like many of you I have an attached 2-car garage at my house. It gets leaves and dirt tracked & blown in. To sweep it one needs to remove the cars and other stuff and give it a thorough cleaning. That also raises dust, and at this time of the year pollen, that I end up inhaling unless I wear a dust mask.

I have before used the 14-gallon Ridgid floor vacuum, with great results, but it's corded and cumbersome to use.

I've been thinking about one of the cordless stick vacuums. Something I could quickly use to clean around the steps and the tracking areas and reach under the vehicles if they're there. Something robust that'll **** up leaves and other stuff that ends up on the garage floor.

Any recommendations? A Dewalt battery driven would be a plus.

 

[rust in the eye]

While not used in the garage I bought a Makita and it is great. If not commited to another battery platform I highly recommend it.
Whoops, I doubt it will eat leaves

 

[Skooterj]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-20-Volt-Cordless-Car-Handheld-Vacuum/5013541719

 

[lolaetype]

Not the answer you might be looking for, but I bought a cordless blower and just blow the debris out the open garage doors, then use it to blow any dust off of the cars. It moves leaves and debris from under the cars which I expect would be difficult with a stick vacuum. I was pleased enough with the results I bought a second one for use in the detached garage.

Yeah, I'm sometimes too lazy to walk the 50 feet from one garage to the other.

 

[Bodj Built]

You can find the Dyson units on marketplace for very cheap with batteries that don't hold a charge. Buy a battery adapter on Amazon for your color preference, and off you go.

 

[Sumboodie]

I got one off the Amazon that works ok for dirt and dog hairs, but doesn't **** up pebbles over maybe 1/4" well.
Nor does the M18... it's worse actually.

Amazon.com - KCLASO Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, 550W 45KPA 50Min Vacuum Cleaners for Home, Self-Standing Stick Vacuum with Touch Screen, 3 Power Modes, Rechargeable Battery, Handheld Vacuum for Pet Hair/Carpet/Floor

Shop for the KCLASO Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, 550W 45KPA 50Min Vacuum Cleaners for Home, Self-Standing Stick Vacuum with Touch Screen, 3 Power Modes, Rechargeable Battery, Handheld Vacuum for Pet Hair/Carpet/Floor at the Amazon Home & Kitchen Store. Find products from KCLASO with the lowest prices.

a.co

 

[andyvh1959]

On full voltage the Dyson V10 or later does well to pick up debris, but the MAX setting requires 25v from the battery pack. Middle setting is about 18v to 20v. Low setting is less than 18v. The MAX setting is really meant for momentary heavy pickup, not for constant duty use, which is one reason Dyson V10 batteries don't last as long if run a constant high load. Also, after use the V10 should be allowed to cool down before placing it on the charging stand.

If using the Delta 20v battery adapter to run the V10, be aware the MAX setting may result in the pulsing flow pattern characteristic of lower battery voltage. But on the middle or low setting the Delta battery should work very well. Also the Delta battery packs allow for 2Ah up to 8Ah higher capacity longer run times than is possible with the Dyson battery pack.

 

[BillK]

Not the answer you might be looking for, but I bought a cordless blower and just blow the debris out the open garage doors, then use it to blow any dust off of the cars.

Was going to say the same thing

 

[wolfhawk73]

Was going to say the same thing

Third vote for this route. I started doing it last year when I bought my first cordless blower.

 

[driftpin]

I use my Saylor-Beall air compressor and a blower tip to blow things out, if there are a lot of leaves inside I may use my Hitachi 2 stroke blower, which works well.

If you want a cordless vacuum, we have a Shark PowerPro which works OK. Ours sees house use and not much garage use.

 

[Mike65]

I use the garage air compressor w/blower nozzle to blow debris & leaves out of the garage also.

 

[toolmiser]

How come none of the electric blowers have a vacuum attachment like the gas and corded electric models used to?

 

[Nessism]

The wind blows stuff in my garage also. In the afternoon, you can't use a blower because it just kicks the debris up in the air, and then it comes back in your face. A vacuum would work nice for my application too. Too bad Milwaukee doesn't have a stick vac. I see some cheapies on Amazon, that use a M18 battery, but they would be a gamble.

 

[Stuart in MN]

The OP mentions problems with dust when sweeping, so using a blower probably isn't the solution.

Being able to pick up leaves may be a problem for a stick vacuum, the existing shop vac is really the best choice

 

[ATC]

You'll be hard pressed, if you even can, to find a stick vacuum that will pick up leaves. Especially on a smooth surface...it'll just push them around. They won't hardly pick up chunks of dirt off your shoes either. Keep using the shop vac like you are now.

 

[MOS3522]

Get some of this stuff, sprinkle it on the floor and sweep. No dust, no pollen.

 

[Racer_X]

Being able to pick up leaves may be a problem for a stick vacuum, the existing shop vac is really the best choice

With 20 feet of hose so you don't have to drag the vacuum around.
Years ago I bought some vacuum hose extensions at Sears and found they made vacuuming so much better(safer around cars, too).

 

[shoot summ]

We have 2 Dewalt blowers, the smaller jobsite, and the larger one. They both get used a lot. The little jobsite blower is the perfect solution for what you want, still kicks up a little dust but not nearly as much as the bigger unit.

 

[danfromsyr]

I know it's not cordless but a wall mount garage vac has a nice long hose.

Amazon.com : wall mounted garage vacuum

 

[In The Doghouse]

Thanks for all the input and discussion. I do have a Dewalt leaf blower that I sometimes use towards the doors but using it throughout the garage blows up a lot of dust and dirt that then settles on the cabinets, grills and other stuff stored in the garage. It relocates some of the debris inside the garage while getting some of it out.

I agree that the shop vac is probably the best idea, but it's cumbersome plus has to be moved to and from the backyard shop. The wall mounted, with a long hose, vacuums look interesting.

 

[Solpainter]

I have a Bissell wall mount car vacuum. It has a 32 ft hose. Bought it at Ollie’s for $80, 12 years ago. Not the power of a shop vac but cleans cars real well. It has a floor attachment that works well. Not good for leaves, the few I get I pick up.

 

[TheClaw]

Second and third the leaf blower suggested by @lolaetype . The nice thing about using a blower is that it also gets underneath benches and cabinets in dirt and leaves that are in the crevices of your garage. The downside is that it can spread some dust around

 

[Leafence]

Like many of you I have an attached 2-car garage at my house. It gets leaves and dirt tracked & blown in. To sweep it one needs to remove the cars and other stuff and give it a thorough cleaning. That also raises dust, and at this time of the year pollen, that I end up inhaling unless I wear a dust mask.

I have before used the 14-gallon Ridgid floor vacuum, with great results, but it's corded and cumbersome to use.

I've been thinking about one of the cordless stick vacuums. Something I could quickly use to clean around the steps and the tracking areas and reach under the vehicles if they're there. Something robust that'll **** up leaves and other stuff that ends up on the garage floor.

Any recommendations? A Dewalt battery driven would be a plus.

Gotta get something to keep the debris from cluttering it up to begin with.

 

[njk4o5]

the KXX brand handheld vacuum takes the dewalt 20v batteries and they haul ***. Good deal for $50. I have bought cheesy $25 ones on temu and they are terrible.

 

[andyvh1959]

For garage type debris and dust I would not use a Dyson cordless stick vacuum. They work great, until they build up a coating of dust in the multi stage filter system and the cyclone section. To the point that even with a full charge on the battery it simply won't run, even if you use shop air to blow out what you think is everything. Nope, shop air will not get it all. And, NO moisture at all. I have twice totally disassembled my Dyson V10 to clean all the internals, and twice replaced the battery pack.

For shop/garage cleanup, I'd only go with a traditional shop vac. Yes its more noisy. Yes it takes up floor space. Yes you need to plug it in. But. It'll pick up all the chunks and dust. It can tolerate picking up moisture and wet debris. It has a lot more power, especially with the right accessories.

Another alternative is a Toro electric leaf blower which can also be used as a vacuum/bagger. Since it has a metal impeller/grinder it can easily handle leanve and small twigs. I bounght mine used for $40 and many times much cheaper because the multi-speed rotary switch fails. I just installed a 120v rated toggle switch and wired it in where the rotary switch was, works great as a blower and sucker.

 

[LopezBart]

For shop/garage cleanup, I'd only go with a traditional shop vac. Yes its more noisy. Yes it takes up floor space. Yes you need to plug it in. But. It'll pick up all the chunks and dust. It can tolerate picking up moisture and wet debris. It has a lot more power, especially with the right accessories.

I have the 16 gallon stainless Ridgid shop vac; it's not too noisy although I wear hearing protection when using it. It rolls pretty readily; one can pull it easily around w/ the hose. I use it to empty the water and steam lines on our steamboats when winterizing; it would also work on an RV for the same purpose.

 

[afinepoint]

Battery leaf blower my brother. The vacuum just does spot cleaning - drill metal files and such. Rarely reach for a broom.

My cat barely raises an eyebrow from her workbench drawer a couple of feet off the floor as I blow away below. I do throttle it while passing.

 

[TheClaw]

Battery leaf blower my brother. The vacuum just does spot cleaning - drill metal files and such. Rarely reach for a broom.

My cat barely raises an eyebrow from her workbench drawer a couple of feet off the floor as I blow away below. I do throttle it while passing.

Now, If you could only teach the cat to vacuum!

 

[Codyboy]

I use a leaf blower in the garage and it works good for getting the big stuff out but creates a cloud of fine dust that settles on everything.

For the new shop I have not used the blower as of yet and plan to mostly just use the shop vac.
I don't want dust blown around and settling way up at 16ft.

The floor is pretty smooth and I want to get one of those super wide swivel mop broom like is used in schools. It will make a wide swath and doesn't have the same action as a regular push broom. All that up, down and back and forth motion creates airborne dust. You can see it floating around in the sunlight shining in.

I also want to make a 36" wide head for the shop vac. I was thinking of forming it from kydex plastic.
I would put it on small wheels to let it hover above the floor.
I have found some around 18 to 20 inches wide but thats a little narrow for 2400sq ft

 

[LopezBart]

I also want to make a 36" wide head for the shop vac. I was thinking of forming it from kydex plastic.
I would put it on small wheels to let it hover above the floor.
I have found some around 18 to 20 inches wide but thats a little narrow for 2400sq ft

Take a look at

for an example..... 36" may be tough w/ a regular shop vac.

Of course, with typical GJ overkill, w/ a 240V 3 phase regenerative blower and a VFD one could really go to town....

4.0-4.6 HP (3.0-3.45 kW) 200-450 Volt AC 3 Ph Regenerative Blower Centraction 2RB730-7AT26Z [501685]

surpluscenter.com

 

[rattle_snake]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-20-Volt-Cordless-Car-Handheld-Vacuum/5013541719

This vac is awesome and exactly what I use in my shop. In addition to three other shop vacs that don't really move.

 

[Sumboodie]

Battery leaf blower my brother. The vacuum just does spot cleaning - drill metal files and such. Rarely reach for a broom.

My cat barely raises an eyebrow from her workbench drawer a couple of feet off the floor as I blow away below. I do throttle it while passing.

Akes Huge amounts of dust....

 

[Codyboy]

Take a look at

for an example..... 36" may be tough w/ a regular shop vac.

Of course, with typical GJ overkill, w/ a 240V 3 phase regenerative blower and a VFD one could really go to town....

4.0-4.6 HP (3.0-3.45 kW) 200-450 Volt AC 3 Ph Regenerative Blower Centraction 2RB730-7AT26Z [501685]

surpluscenter.com

Yeah thats sort of what I had in mind except not attached to the vac and have it on a hard line.
And also my vac has all casters and doesn't steer thay well. Heck it won't even drag straight.
Ha thats two words you never hear in a sentence together. Lol

I think if I can control the height off the floor it could get some good sucking action.

 

[LopezBart]

I think if I can control the height off the floor it could get some good sucking action.

A couple of fixed wheels behind the air intake should do it.... or a hard brush...

 

[Leafence]

Gotta get something to keep the debris from cluttering it up to begin with.

 

[mslim]

While not used in the garage I bought a Makita and it is great. If not commited to another battery platform I highly recommend it.
Whoops, I doubt it will eat leaves

I bought a makita because I was already on the lxt battery system. It has extension wands that's good for dust bunnies and floor stuff but I use it mostly as a Super Dust Bunny for picking up scarf and wood shavings.

 

[engineer2]

The Makita stick vac is good for light duty pickup of sawdust, pet hair, crumbs. Atlanta airport uses Makita stick vacs for terminal carpeting. I use mine around the house and the garage. For anything heavy duty I use the plug-in Ridged shop vac.

 

[Glemon]

I have a blower and a wall mounted vacuum. I use the blower more than the vac, quicker, I guess I don't really worry about a little dust in the garage.

The wall mount saves me floor space, so I like that, but it is easier to wind and unwind the cord of a regular shop vac than to wind the long hose around the wall mount vac.

 

[mike93lx]

I have a shark stick vac in the house that must be
nearly 10 years old and it is regularly brought into the garage for cleanup dirt and small leaves. I do use the leaf blower sometimes, but not often

Before the shark, we had a Dyson stick that I never liked.

 

[gahrajmahal]

With the OP’s aversion to raising dust, maybe go old school and try a mop head duster.