Milwaukee Tool unveiled what it claims to be the first battery-powered, mobile submersible pump for the construction industry at this year’s World of Concrete.
The MX Fuel 1 HP 2” Submersible Pump comes in the form of a backpack to make it easy to move from spot to spot on a jobsite to pump water, eliminating the need to haul around a generator and the tripping hazard of electrical cords. It can also go easily into confined spaces like manholes without releasing fumes that can endanger workers, says Brandon Fredericks, Milwaukee Tool product marketing manager.
(To watch the pump in action, check out the video at the end of this story.)
The backpack console for the 1-horsepower, 2-inch pump weighs about 28 pounds including the 6-amp-hour lithium-ion battery.
The 1-horsepower, 2-inch pump, left, and backpack console with battery at World of Concrete 2024.Equipment World
“Today, they're having to drag a generator out to every single one of those footings,” Fredericks says. “Whereas for us, you can just pick up the backpack, grab the pump and walk it from one to the other.”
In high mode, the pump can run for 20 minutes and pump a total of 2,000 gallons. On low mode, it can run up to 2 hours and pump 5,000 gallons. “There's a ton of pumping that happens on jobsites where you don't need the full output,” Fredericks says.
It takes about 90 minutes to charge the MX Fuel RedLithium XC6.0 battery that comes with the pump. The battery can be swapped out, and it will run on other MX Fuel tools. An optional supercharger can also be purchased.
Fredericks said the battery can be recharged during downtime, in between pumping. For instance, a manhole could be pumped out, and while workers entered and worked, the battery could be charged before heading to the next manhole.
“In that scenario,” he says, “you might be able to get two, maybe even three, manholes or electrical vaults, mechanical vaults pumped out on the same battery, depending on how much water is in it.”
The MX Fuel RedLithium XC6.0 battery is interchangeable with other MX Fuel tools and can be swapped out when it needs recharging.Equipment World
A worker also doesn’t have to stay and watch the pump, thanks to its remote control. It can be clipped onto a vest or put in a pocket, and it will emit a light and vibration when the pump stops due to low water level or battery needing to be charged or swapped.
“There's so much innovation on this,” Fredericks says. “This is going to change the way people think about pumping on jobsites.”
The pump is scheduled to hit the market in the third quarter of this year and retail for about $2,500. The price includes the pump, pump console backpack, one XC6.0 battery and standard charger.
To watch the pump in action, check out the video below:
