BoschGAS18V-02N 18V Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, Battery Not Included

Bought this to clean up small messes in the workshop (garage) or doing repairs in the house. I like the idea that it shares the same batteries as my other Bosch tools but performance was my main criteria. People should read the description before whining about it not coming with a battery. It’s intended market is for those of us who have a Bosch charger and batteries already. Is it a bit expensive given that? Maybe but I don’t need to buy the charger and batteries. If you do, choose another vacuum. To be fair, this is not a shop vacuum. It’s a handheld dust-buster type vacuum. In that sense it works great. I have a hand held vacuum in the house and I bought a couple other hand-helps to compare suction. I had researched all of these to try to get the best performing models. I tested them side by side with the Bosch. At worst, it was comparable with the other handhelds. I did a test of putting marbles on carpeting and noting at which distance the vacuums sucked up the marbles. (I didn’t want dirt in the vacs I would be returning so I used lego’s and marbles). The Bosch bested all of them. Also, the opening in Bosch allows larger objects, like marbles, to get completely sucked in. The other vacs have narrower rectangular opening and marbles/legos got stuck in the opening and fell out when turned of. Not so with the Bosch. Feeling more confident in the Bosch, I took it outside to test on sawdust, etc in my garage, along with the hand-held I already own. The Bosch worked best and now I own it. I do not use it to vacuum piles (I bend over and use a broom and dustpan). I use a small shop vac for cars. I DO use the Bosch to clean the top of my table saw, workbench and power tools, or dust from repairs. I take it, along with my other Bosch tools and batteries, over to Mom’s when I need to fix something. Perfect. That’s what it is for! If you own a $300 hand-held that will suck a golf ball through a garden hose then good for you...why are you looking at this product anyway? The included attachments are the right for their intended purposes. Big messes require a bigger vacuum, obviously! Negative reviews are based on expectations that are not appropriate for this type of vacuum. I like it, use it and recommend it.

This vacuum is great for what it is intended to do - clean up small messes and be very portable. The battery life is very good, and all the included accessories are very useful. It does lose suction very quickly when vaccuuming up trash such as dust or bird feathers, but this is only because the two-stage filtration is working as it is designed to do. The top filter can be removed, cleaned and replaced in 10 seconds. The finer filter takes a bit longer to remove and clean out, but it definitely keeps drywall dust and fine particles from blowing back out into the air as you clean. I have been very happy with this purchase so far!

The 'bare tool' comes with plenty of attachments, including a useful crevice attachment, an extension hose, and a floor attachment. It is well-designed, easy to empty and also to access the filter. I particularly like being able to use my set of Bosch 18V batteries with this, I previously owned similar handhelds with specialized batteries that died (refused to recharge) if I didn't use them often enough.I've now tried out this handheld vacuum by sweeping up sawdust and fir needles on a job site. The suction is average, improved by using the crevice attachment but that also limits the size of what can be vacuumed. With sawdust, the entrance to the debris chamber can clog. The chamber fills up fast, but is easily emptied, though sometimes needs to be tapped to let go of fine debris. The unit is reasonably quiet. I'm happy with it for spot operations, but will continue to use a noisy 110V shop vac for heavier duty jobs.

Sorry, as a user of dust-busters since the late 80s, I've seen all sizes of devices. I just tossed a failing dyson animal because I was tired of the dwindling battery life, the hassle of all the connections. I tossed my dewalt wet/dry vac because it only works with older batteries and not newer 18v lithium and I hate plugging it in. Hell, even my RC car collection with its myriad of connections and different battery types made me rethink things.What I have learned over 20 years: Having a single battery platform trumps most features between brands. So, its a great little vacuum. But more importantly, it uses my big ass (or small) Bosch 18v batteries.I have now ditched all my dewalt 18v tools (and lame LION batteries which last half a year). Since adopting the micro 12v Bosch tools, I have expanded my18v collection for larger types, and to have this little vac use my monster 8ah Bosch battery is literally funny. And the same battery, also available in small 2 and 4ah lighter versions, works on my recip saw, cir saw, flood light, wet / dry vac, "freak" tool I love, and just about everything else. I like that 4 year old Bosch 18v tools work with the latest batteries, unlike some dewalt items. I just got the tiny blower and its so cool for its size. I have never had a single Bosch tool die. I have had a dozen dewalt items die after just a few years of use.We don't want to replace tools with new generation units all the time. And we definitely don't want to constantly replace dying and expensive batteries or deal with compatibility between generations. Hands down the 18v and 12v batteries from Bosch have outlasted everything else I've tried (bye Ryobi). I have 12v batteries from half a decade ago which last just as long as the new ones. Same with 18v.So, yep, good little vac... but more importantly, low cost when used with existing batteries in your collection.This little vacuum is just a vacuum. But it performs well and it use batteries I know I'll have around forever. Bare tool bosch purchases are not expensive. Invest in a 2, 4 and 8ah 18v battery set and you'll have options across the board without the pain and hassle of dying tools and batteries.