The new Hilti cordless vacuum enters the fray of highly portable cordless vacuums that deliver less suction power than a full-size portable dust extractor. It’s for more than just general cleanup, though. There are also OSHA Table 1 applications that you can use this vac on.
Pros
- 75 CFM
- HEPA rated
- Manual filter cleaning mechanism
- Lightweight and portable
- Fantastic hose management
- Eco mode for longer battery life
Cons
- No extension wands
Recommendation
With a tight design and higher power than its 18V competition, the Hilti VC 75-1-A22 is an excellent choice as an ultraportable vacuum that’s ready for Table 1 applications.
Key Features
22V Power Source
Hilti designed this vacuum around their 22V battery system, so it’s compatible with their mainline drill, impact drivers, smaller, small grinder, and small rotary hammers.
Getting the power they need from it on this battery means the 9.8-pound bare weight only increases to 11.1 pounds with a 3.0 Ah battery or 11.6 pounds with a 5.2 Ah pack.
Table 1 Ready
The Hilti VC 75-1-A22 is ready for Table 1 applications with a HEPA filter and manual filter cleaning mechanism. Remember, not every Table 1 job requires a HEPA filter, but the cleaning mechanism is a bigger deal across the board.
You’ll find the button on top of the van right under the handle. It’s easy to work with or without gloves.
The filter is also easy to access once you open the canister. It looks like you will need to remove two screws for the tabs that hold the filter in place. You only need to slide the tabs around, though.
You get a collection bag with this Hilti cordless vacuum and we recommend you use it for any concrete work. It doesn’t do you any good to collect all that dust only to release amounts that greatly exceed the PEL when you empty it.
Hose and Attachments
Hilti keeps things pretty simple on the hose and attachment side of things. Both store beautifully out of the way and tucked in tight against the canister.
When it’s time to clean, the hose extends up to 8 feet and has an angled nozzle. A second nozzle is a small, brushed version of a floor nozzle and hiding under the hose on the side is a crevice nozzle.
Since there are no extension wands, any floor-level vacuuming you do will have to be on your knees.
Hilti also includes a shoulder strap, making it easy to carry the vac and keep both hands free.
Performance
Two Modes
Like Makita’s new 18V model, this Hilti cordless vacuum has two modes – Max and Eco. Max will net you 75 CFM – a very impressive number to hit without going up to a 36V platform.
In our testing with the 3.0 Ah battery kit, we were able to run for 13 minutes, 44 seconds and I noticed a slow down in the motor starting at the 12-minute mark. That’s quite a bit shy of what I hope for from a cordless vacuum, but that’s with the compact battery. I expect you’ll see that number near 25 minutes with a 5.2 Ah pack.
Obviously, the suction power you get is nowhere near the massive 300 CFM of Hilti’s 2017 Pro Tool Innovation Award winner (Bosch has a 300 CFM as well), so you need to keep your expectations in check.
One of the nice things is that we measured it at just 70 decibels from 3 feet away. It’s quiet enough to easily hear someone trying to get your attention.
This vacuum gives you the power to clean up dust, wood chips, metal shavings, and small concrete chips. It’s also great as a lightweight dust extractor for concrete drilling when you need to be Table 1-compliant.
Eco Mode
Eco mode will get you much longer runtime – just over 33 minutes in our test and drops another 5 decibels off the sound level. But Hilti doesn’t tell us what it will cost in performance.
That said, there’s a clear drop in power, but it’s still fine for cleaning up light debris like sawdust and metal shavings. Since Table 1 doesn’t give a CFM requirement for anything other than grinding, you’re still technically good in Eco mode.
Capacity
The canister holds just 1 gallon, so the performance and capacity point to a vacuum that does its best work in small areas as you go rather than general cleanup for an entire space.
Price
This Hilti cordless vacuum will set you back $209 directly from Hilti. That’s only about $10 more than we expect Makita’s new cordless vac to run, putting in line with its only major competition at this stage.
Tested Kit – $369
- Hilti CV 75-1-A22
- (2) 3.0 Ah batteries
- Single port charger
- Shoulder strap
Options in other kits include 5.2 Ah batteries and TE DRS-D dust removal system. Pricing on those runs up to $469.
The Bottom Line
Hilti’s use of a 6-cell battery system (21.6V) gives them a power advantage over their 18V competition at 75 CFM. The design team did an excellent job of keeping the overall system tight and functional.
Hilti Cordless Vacuum Specifications
- Model: VC 75-1-A22
- Rated voltage: 21.6 V
- Suction capacity: 75 ft³/min
- Container capacity: 1 gallon (US)
- Dust capacity: 7 lbs
- Hose length: 8 ft
- Power (max.): 0.33 kW
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: $251.85
