HILTI Dust Extractor VC 4X-22
Manufacturer: HILTI 
Model number: VC 4X-22
Power source: 22 volt batteryThe Hilti Dust Extractor VC 4X-22 is a recent upgrade to their 22-Volt dust extractor line up. Its touted to have more efficient suction and to accommodate user requests and demands for a larger capacity tank-on-wheels for diamond concrete cutters. Here’s what stands out about this upgrade:
Dust Extractor VC 4X-22 | Multiple Configurations
The dust extractor offers several configurations:
• Vacuum head unit
• 8-liter tank that connects to a backpack set
• 15-liter tank that connects to a wheeled dolly
• Plastic bags for silica dust with a zip tie
• Fleece bags specific to sawdust and other debris
• 6-foot hose designed for the backpack and wall drilling
• 9-foot hose for both configurations
• Bluetooth dongle
• HEPA filter
• Universal wet/dry filter
Interesting Note: The plastic bags have holes that should be inside the tank to prevent suction into the filter, allowing better performance with some dust leakage.
Hilti VC 4X-22 |Runtime and Bluetooth Dongle
The Hilti Dust Extractor VC 4X-22 when equipped with a 255 battery, the vacuum runs for 21 to 22 minutes continuously. However, the vacuum is primarily designed as a dust extractor, connected to a tool that powers on and off with the tool. In this mode, the battery can last an entire day or more.
Hilti provides a Bluetooth dongle that can attach on the hose end or directly on the tool.
We recently used the vacuum and dongle on our miter saw while cutting PVC trim. The vacuum ran all day, in an on / off fashion, and battery was half full at the end of the day. To make sure we used the vacuum, we attached the dongle “font and center,” on the miter saw handle. This reminded us to turn it on and off as we made our cuts. The dongle was designed to preserve battery life, and it worked for us.
Interesting Note on Hilti Battery Charging:
The HILTI charger can charge the battery in less than an hour, reaching 80% in the first half hour. So, if you need a battery sooner, you can pull it off the charger after half an hour and be at 80%. Regardless, having two batteries will guarantee you all-day runtime.
Powerhead Design
The powerhead has a top, folding handle that makes carrying this vacuum easy. There are two large, solidly designed clamps to attach the power head to the vacuum tank. The filter attaches underneath the powerhead and is easily removed. The black flange between the filter and powerhead is designed to install only one way on the power head. HILTI updated this because many users were installing it backward, introducing air into the turbine and blowing out the sides.
User Interface Dashboard
The dashboard on the Hilti Dust Extractor VC 4X-22 is intuitive, and has symbol-like labels to assist users, although I still feel that HILTI could improve their manuals. The dashboard has an on/off, and Bluetooth knob.
There is also an LED indicator to alert users when the tank is full of water. Yes, this vacuum can be used as a wet/dry vac, why I’m not 100% sure, I’d rather use a cheap shop vac for that. Maybe Hilti has a connection for concrete wet cutting. There is also an ECO button on the dashboard which allows users to reduce vacuum power to 60% to conserve battery or when 100% suction is not needed, such as in some sanding applications.
Under the head unit, two stainless steel sensors detect water levels in the tank.
Suction and Power
The HILTI VC 4X-22 certainly has plenty of suction for both tool attachment and cleanup. While not designed for heavy debris and demolition waste, it works well for small cleanups. HILTI sells accessories like floor sweeps and nozzles, making this vacuum suitable for both dust extraction and small service call cleanups.
As I mentioned earlier, I used this vacuum on an exterior repair project ripping PVC trim, on a tablesaw, which creates a lot of dust. The vacuum performed excellently, collecting dust from our miter saw. I’ve also used it to collect sawdust and on a few small clean ups.
Filter and Filter Cleaning
HILTI offers fleece bags designed to protect the filter from sawdust, which is especially bad on the filters, sawdust clings to the filter and resists filter auto cleaning. The dashboard has a push button to power clean the filter. It’s recommended that you cover the hose with your hand to build up pressure and press the power clean button 5-6 times. Doing this effectively cleans the filter better than the regular interval auto clean function.
Note: Tapping the filter or using compressed air can damage it. HILTI offers two filters: a HEPA filter and a universal wet/dry filter, each costing around $50 and will last users a few months.
15-Liter Tank | 2-Wheel Cart
The Hilti Dust Extractor VC 4X-22 tank is engineered with reinforced ribbing to reduce collapsing from the increased vacuum power pressure. The larger tank improves performance by maintaining vacuum pressure inside the tank as it fills with debris. The telescoping cart handle works great at maneuvering the vacuum, users can lock the handle height, by activating a rotating pivot lock. Black supports or stair slides mounted on the cart, near the wheels protect stairs during navigation. The cartwheels are durable, navigating gravel, asphalt, and grass adequately, no issues. The front of the cart is extended and provide excellent stability to the vacuum. I place the vac ion the side wall of my van and it stays put and doesn’t tip over.
The tank cart is backwards compatible with HILTI’s VC 140, allowing for an upgrade or exchange through the fleet program
Backpack Harness | 8-Liter Tank Setup
The backpack setup is designed to be used with the smaller, 8-liter tank configuration. It’s designed for users who are wall and overhead drilling. The backpack harness has 4-tabs that intersect into the powerhead and a red clip that locks it in pace. We found the backpack attachment easy to attach to the powerhead and smaller tank. Its comfortable and easy to use.
The backpack harness has plenty of padding for wall and ceiling drilling.
Anti-static Vacuum Hose and Grounding
To address user feedback about static shocks, HILTI installed internal copper wire inside the vacuum to improve grounding. They also designed an anti-static hose with a conical shape on one end that reduces static.
Conical Adapter
The vacuum includes a conical adapter with ribs on the inside specifically designed for HILTI’s jigsaw and an outside fit for circular saws and other tools like concrete breakers and drills. It also fits our 12-inch DeWalt miter saw, and 7-1/4-inch Milwaukee miter saw.
To connect to my Milwaukee cordless tablesaw I needed to use a different connection adapter, that I had in my bag of tricks.
Room for Improvement
There’s not much to complain about the Hilti Dust Extractor VC 4X-22 other than the cost of the unit. One thing I do notice is that I get annoyed coiling the hose around the telescoping handle. It’s just not as neat and clean as I’d like to see – there was no plan for it. One way I’ve dealt with this is I use a Velcro strap to secure the hose to the vacuum.
Hilti Dust Extractor VC 4X-22 Price
- Vacuum with 8 liter tank: $549.00
- Vacuum with 15 liter tank $649.00
Conclusion
In summary, we like the Hilti Dust Extractor VC 4X-22. HILTI’s upgraded dust extractor offers improved versatility, power, and user-friendly features, making it a valuable tool for various applications, including wet vacuuming if we were ever in a pinch.