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Milwaukee Tool has come out with a new wireless dust control adapter and remote kit, model 0950-20, which gives remote activation capabilities to any corded vacuum or dust extractor.
The dust control adapter kit comes with two pieces – a wall plug that connects between your vacuum and AC power, and a remote.
Milwaukee says that the remote pairs to the adapter in 3 seconds or less, with LEDs indicating pairing success and operation.
The adapter is said to be compatible with any corded vacuum or dust extractor.
You can pair multiple remotes to the same adapter, which Milwaukee says makes the setup suited for shared working environments.
The plug-in adapter can be used with standard outlets and receptacles.
And Milwaukee also shows it be used with standard 3-prong extension cords as well.
The plug-in adapter looks large in some of the product photos, but Milwaukee says that it only takes up a single spot in standard outlets, leaving the other one accessible for other devices.
The set comes with the wireless dust control adapter, remote, a velcro strap, and a belt clip.
The remote has a range of up to 100 feet. It features a battery door, on/off button for vacuum activation, pairing button, and pairing status LED indicator.
The included strap allows you to wear the remote on your wrist, or attach to the end of your vacuum hose, which is how I would use it.
The included belt clip gives you additional placement options.
Update: The Milwaukee vacuum remote is UL-listed for USA and Canada, and is rated for 120V devices up to 12A.
Price: $119 for the set (0950-20), $49 for each additional remote (0951-20)
ETA: July-August 2022
At the time of this posting, use coupon code TOOLGUYD to save $10 on $79+ orders at Acme Tools. This is a one-time-use code, and Acme’s standard brand exclusions apply.
Discussion
There are a couple of other universal-type corded vacuum activation remotes currently on the market, and it’s good to have more options.
This Milwaukee definitely looks to be compact and portable, making it suited for workshop or jobsite use. Its range – up to 100ft – looks to be another advantage over competing remote activation products.
In addition to being more compact than other options, the Milwaukee also allows for multiple remotes to activate the same AC adapter.
I should point out that, while designed with dust extractor and shop vacuums in mind, remotes like this can also work with air cleaners and other such equipment.
I wish the Milwaukee set was a little less expensive, but there doesn’t seem to be anything else to complain about.
Competing Options
Smart outlets, such as Kasa’s 15A model ($10 at Amazon, $15 for 2), can also work for a lot of remote corded activation needs. If you have WiFi in your workshop or workspace, a Smart Home device (e.g. Amazon Alexa/Echo) plus a smart outlet can cost appreciably less than remote adapters designed specially for shop vacuums and dust extractors.
However, smartphone activation can be slow and cumbersome, and voice activation doesn’t work very well over the noise of power tools, a dust extractor vacuum, or both.
