First Impressions
So ordered mine from Amazon, I find this quite convenient for delivery and they were competitive on price.
It arrived in a big box and as usual the delivery box was oversized for what was inside.
It came in the well packed DeWalt cardboard box, at which point I was already thinking it was smaller than I thought. I took it out and my immediate thought was, "this is smaller than I was expecting!"
So what's in the cardboard box
This is what they call the 'Naked' edition, which basically means no batteries and no case. Which was fine with me as I had a spare case and plenty of batteries.
In addition to the 'extractor' there is an attached flexible hose, a stepped adaptor and a crevice nozzle.
I know its my fault but I then realised I needed to buy the DEWALT DWV9000-XJ Universal Adapter to allow me to connect to my other DeWalt tools that have this function
14 April 2025
DWH161N-XJ 18V XR Universal Dust Extractor
The Why!
In my day to day work life its important to keep the work area clean and minimise mess for the customer.
I was previously using a Dyson Handheld hoover that I had picked up after I decided that dragging my Henry Vacuum Cleaner out of the van was getting a drag and wanted something more handy especially if I was only drilling a couple of holes.
The Dyson had been great but the battery was playing up so I decided I needed a replacement and a perhaps something that looked a little more professional.
I already had DeWalt kit so had batteries available and was already happy with the brand.
I looked online and at DeWalt's own site and decided this was the one for me. I particularly liked that it came with a shoulder strap which would be helpful when standing on a step ladder. There is an on off switch so more convenient than using the trigger on the Dyson
It was also one of the images showing it being used with an adaptor attached to an SDS Drill that contributed to my decision to go with this.
Using it
The fact it firmly attaches to my other tools using the adaptor is a great plus, the downside is that you have to use the stepped adaptor to connect it to the hose. The down side of this is that it frequently drops out of the bottom.
The other issue I had using this connected to any of my tools was the fact that I needed to empty it, a lot! as well as cleaning the filter. I have to say this is a very messy job. The design of the filter traps dust and when you open it to empty/clean it, it drops dust everywhere. In addition to this is the fact that once you have cleaned it and start using it again the power of the suction drops, decreases, very quickly. How they get away with calling it a dust extractor I will never know.
Conclusion
So if you want an occasional vacuum cleaner that uses your existing batteries then this should be fine. As for a professional tool to capture dust whilst working then I'd say try something else. I have ordered the DeWalt DCV501LN-XJ to try as an alternative, watch out for my review of that.
©Copyright. All rights reserved.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.