We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Milwaukee has been steadily introducing a wide range of backpack power tools, and the M18 Fuel 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum is a particularly interesting product. The Milwaukee 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum promises long-lasting performance, while its clear canister, removable heavy-duty harness, and compact, lightweight form factor go a long way toward setting it apart from competing models. It also has several other standout features, such as a HEPA-rated filter that meets OSHA regulations for respirable crystalline silica dust, cyclonic suction technology, dual power modes, and Milwaukee’s Powerstate brushless motor.
This vacuum isn’t just powerful, however. It’s also quite versatile. In addition to the vacuum itself, buyers also get a flexible hose, a telescoping extension wand, a crevice tool, a floor tool, and a dust extractor adapter. These are all useful add-ons, but there are several other attachments available that can expand the vacuum’s functionality even further. If you’re interested in this Milwaukee backpack vacuum, you’re probably also curious about additional attachments. The internet is flooded with so-called universal attachments for shop vacs, but Milwaukee also makes first-party add-ons, some of which owners have found to be particularly useful.
Milwaukee 9 Foot Hose Accessory
This is a pretty simple one. The standard flexible hose that comes with the backpack vac is a great length for those times that you want to use it in its backpack mode, but part of the brilliance of the Milwaukee Backpack Vacuum is that it’s convertible and can be used as a stationary vacuum as well. In these instances, you’ll probably want a longer hose for a bit more reach.
Milwaukee itself sells a 1-7/8 in. x 9 ft. Pro-Grade Vacuum Hose that is specifically designed to work with the M18 Fuel 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum. Made of a flexible material, the hose has a pivoting joint designed to reduce those pesky kinks that can make a hose difficult to handle and can eventually lead to damage over time. It also has an integrated belt clip.
This hose hasn’t received a ton of reviews just yet, but it currently has a 3.9 out of 5 on the Home Depot website. This isn’t quite as high a score as you might usually like to see, and it seems that there is a reason for that. While the majority of reviewers have been pleased with this hose and its general utility, customers have also complained about its durability. They claim that the hose ripped or broke far too easily and that the build quality isn’t up to Milwaukee’s usual standards. So while the hose may be useful, buyers may wish to be wary if they plan on putting it to heavy use.
Milwaukee M12 Air-Tip Powered Utility Nozzle
Another Milwaukee first-party attachment that you may wish to consider is the company’s M12 Air-Tip Powered Utility Nozzle. This is a powered brush roller that should make job site cleanup easier by adding a bit of automated mechanical cleaning to the front-end of your vacuum nozzle. Not only does it clean up more debris with each pass of the wand, but it can also be useful for scrubbing away at any stubborn dirt that won’t come up from suction alone. It has a 6-inch cleaning width, weighs 2.4 pounds, has a suction control valve for carpets and substrates, an LED light to make it easier to see what you’re cleaning, and a tool-free brush roll that makes it easy to maintain and remove the brush for blocks and tangles.
As you may have guessed from the name, this tool is powered by Milwaukee’s M12 Redlithium battery system, so you’ll need an additional 12V battery to power the head independently of the 18V battery that you’re using in the vacuum itself. Home Depot buyers have given it an aggregate score of 4.4 out of 5, with 83% of buyers claiming that they would recommend it to other customers. The consensus appears to be that the accessory works precisely as intended, provides good lighting, and has lots of power. A small minority of reviewers did, however, claim that they had issues with the tool fitting properly on the hose.
Milwaukee Air-Tip Swiveling Palm Brush
Those who are planning to use the Milwaukee Backpack Vacuum to clean cars, furniture, and other surfaces that require a palm-controlled brush attachment might be interested in checking out the Milwaukee Air-Tip Swiveling Palm Brush. This attachment has a built-in 360-degree swivel joint between the flat, ergonomic brush and the neck piece that attaches to the vacuum hose. This might not seem like a big deal, but anyone who’s ever had to clean a car while fighting a stubborn hose that stops you from getting to the area you’re trying to clean knows how fatiguing that can be. Thus, this Air-Tip extension is a must-have Milwaukee tool for those who want to make cleaning their car a breeze.
This attachment also comes with a storage bag and three swappable brush attachments: A stiff bristle brush head, a soft bristle brush head, and a rubber bristle head, each designed to specialize in different kinds of cleanup. The tool is compatible with 1-1/4-, 1-7/8-, and 2-1/2-inch diameter hoses, such as the one that comes with the Milwaukee Backpack Vacuum.
The attachment has 4.2 out of 5 stars on the Home Depot website, with 80% of customers stating that they would recommend this product to others. The vast majority of written reviewers state that its ergonomic and rotational design, as well as its strong scrubbing capabilities, make it a valuable addition to any carpet or upholstery cleaning kit. There were only a few negative reviews, with one notable complaint being that some people found the attachment too tall for cleaning tight spaces, such as under seats and pedals.
Milwaukee Air-Tip Non-Marring Utility Nozzle Kit
Scrubbing power can be important, but there are also a lot of situations where you might be cleaning something a bit more delicate. Glass, plastic, leather, painted surfaces, and even hardwood finishes can scratch easily. Even if you don’t noticeably gauge the material, repeated scraping can cause these kinds of surfaces to lose some of their luster as micro-scratches wear away at their polished surfaces. This is where the Milwaukee Air-Tip Non-Marring Utility Nozzle Kit comes into play.
This kit comes with two attachments: The Air-Tip Non-Marring Crevice Tool and the Air-Tip Non-Marring Utility Nozzle. These don’t have overly fancy designs. The one major difference between these and the standard versions of these extensions is that the non-marring attachments have a special black resin coating around the edges of the cleaning surface. This material is specially designed for use on finished surfaces, allowing you to clean without marking up the area.
The kit currently has a 5 out of 5 from the few reviews that it has on Ace Hardware‘s website. It also has a 4.1 out of 5 on the Home Depot page, though it’s worth noting that the reviews on this page appear to be mixed with reviews for other Milwaukee vacuum products, so that score may not be an accurate reflection of the kit itself. Users like its range of hose adaptability and found it effective for use on delicate surfaces.
Milwaukee Air-Tip 2 1/2-inch Magnetic Utility Nozzle
Milwaukee makes a wide range of wet/dry vacuums and accessories that can be useful for even the messiest cleanups. Those who need to clean job sites and workshops where a lot of nails, screws, and other forms of sharp metal debris are likely to fall might be concerned about what happens when that sharp metal goes into the vacuum’s dust bag. You don’t want to leave these dangerous items on the ground where someone might step on them, but you also don’t want them to get pulled into your vacuum, where they might damage it. This problem can be mitigated with the help of the Milwaukee Air-Tip 2 1/2-inch Magnetic Utility Nozzle.
This attachment works like a regular utility nozzle, except for several strong magnets integrated into the front and back of the nozzle that catch any metal or debris that might enter. This prevents them from entering the vacuum and damaging the bags and filters inside. The magnets also have a black zinc coating over them to help protect them from rust. There are two versions of this nozzle, but the 2 1/2-inch version is ideal for use with the Milwaukee Backpack Vacuum.
The 2 1/2-inch Magnetic Utility Nozzle has a 5 out of 5 rating on the Home Depot site, with the relatively small number of reviews all being positive. There are a few more reviews on Amazonwhere the attachment has a rating of 4.5 out of 5. Across both platforms, reviewers complemented the strength of the magnets and the value of the product. The few negative reviews appeared to come from customers who had compatibility issues with their vacuums.
Our methodology
I’ve been using power tools for decades and have worked with several shop vac models over the years in my woodshop. To compile this list, I started by taking a look at the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum, examining its features the attachments that come with it to understand its capabilities and out-of-the-box functionality. From there, I looked at the other attachments and add-ons that Milwaukee makes that are compatible with this vacuum. I only considered products that work with the included 2 1/2-inch hose attachment and those that might improve on the vacuum’s stock capabilities.
Once I had a list of items, I examined what customers had to say about them across several retail sites. Many of these products didn’t have an abundance of reviews on any one platform, so I often had to compare reviews across multiple platforms to get a more well-rounded idea of their strengths and weaknesses. I chose products that customers had identified as being particularly useful and sought to inform readers of the weaknesses and drawbacks that some users had described.