![Makita LC09Z 12V Cordless Vacuum]()
I canceled my order for Makita’s new LC09 cordless car-cleaning vacuum. It was a great price, and it looks like a very well-suited kit for what it’s designed for.
But do I need another cordless vacuum?
I convinced myself that the attachments were spot-on for what I need and could use, and I saw ways I could use the tool in ways outside of a car’s interior.
The blower attachment and nozzle looks useful, perhaps even for cleaning computer fans and heatsinks. The brush attachment also looks especially useful. But, once the vac is released, perhaps I can buy just the brush attachment, and find an adapter to mate it with my other vacs.
When the first comments came in, asking how powerful and long-running a 12V-class cordless vacuum could be, that’s when I started to doubt its suitability for my needs. But, maybe that’s all the more reason to buy it, for review purposes.
I think that Makita’s new cordless vac looks expertly designed and well configured for its targeted applications. But, it’s not for me, someone who has great shop vacuums, a car-cleaning hose and accessory kit, and a fairly portable 18V-class cordless vacuum.
I like the throw-away filter/bag nature of this vac, and replacements are fairly inexpensive. Most other cordless vacs need to be emptied, which can be quicker and easier, but also a hassle, depending on the types of material it has collected.
Ultimately, and still sight-unseen, I think this is a compelling cordless vac.
But, I’ve convinced myself that it’s not for me.
Maybe I’ll change my mind again.
My hesitations have nothing to do with the design, its accessories, or the overall package, which I quite frankly think is very well done. It’s the fact that I let myself fall into the trap of wanting a new tool to solve some of the obstacles and frustrations of cleaning out the dirt, debris, sand, and drywall dust.
For me, it probably would have ended up being a uni-tasker, and a solution to a problem I already have other decent solutions to.
I might have allowed myself to get a little lazy, seeking out ideal solutions rather than ways to improve my current ones. Maybe I’ll buy the attachments once they’re available. Maybe I’ll find 3rd party attachments to fit my Milwaukee cordless vac. Or maybe I’ll start cleaning out the car more regularly (I really should) and eventually buy this Makita model next year to make my life a little easier.
In writing up my preview post of the new vac, I discussed why I ordered/pre-ordered one, and the appeal I saw in the design.
I had hesitations about the order, and have been wondering whether increasing review-considerations reasons were strong enough to keep my order, despite waning personal justifications. The final straw came this morning. I looked at how much work I still needed to put into cleaning my workshop and storage areas, and asked myself: “Where am I going to put it?”
Given that my discussion about the vacuum focused on the reasons behind my preordering it, I thought it would be wise to talk about why I canceled that preorder.
The challenge here is how to convey the reasons I don’t want to buy it, while making it clear that I still think it’s a good design and kit configuration.
Frankly, I’m not worried about runtime. If the compact battery isn’t enough, Makita does have higher capacity 12V CXT 4.0Ah battery.
I’m not much worried about power either. Something like this is more meant for maintaining a clean car. Maybe it can handle deep cleaning sessions on a freshly charged battery. But I more get the sense that it’s for once-a-month clean-outs, rather than 6-month seasonal sessions that can take a while.
Sometimes I get hung up on my “right tool for the job” and “best tool for the job” fixations.
But you know what? I should not have preordered this in the first place. I was not looking for a new car-cleaning vacuum. Too often, especially these days, we get wooed by new tools, equipment, and consumer products. We see something and “I gotta have that” emotions take over.
In this case, the added $20 off $100+ promo helped push me from an “I could totally benefit from this” mentality towards “I need this.”
On top of that, there’s a ToolGuyd voice that whispers “do it, there’s a review opportunity here.”
I maintain my hands-off opinion that the vacuum, its accessories, and kit are compelling. But they’re not for me, at least not right now.
