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The Entry-Level DustBuster
Pros
Lightweight, portable, cheap & effective; good for nooks & crannies; ease of use
Cons
Short battery life; long charging time; strong side exhaust
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
It's not perfect in every way, but for those times when a full-size vacuum is too much, just grab the DustBuster. Switch on, dirt's gone!
As I now live in an apartment with hardwood floors and a few rugs, the need for a full-size upright vacuum has pretty much evaporated. Still, when a broom, brush or Swiffer just won't cut it -- for ex., on small rugs & furniture -- it's time to break out the DustBuster (DB for short). I chose the cheapest model, the CHV4800, though for a little more money, I could have gotten a stronger motor and wet/dry capability. I figured I could live without those advantages.
Not surprisingly, Black & Decker makes little design changes from time to time, so the CHV4800 now available doesn't look exactly like the one in the photo here. Mine is in two-tone white & blue plastic, with a open handle and no base unit; now for recharging you get an AC adapter w/cord that plugs into the back of the DB. If you wish to hang it up, a plastic wall hook is included, with screws & wall anchors. You also get two attachments: a crevice tool and a upholstery brush; when not in use, they snap into the bottom of the DB.
The Ni-Cad batteries need 16 hours to fully charge before the first use; after that, overnight should suffice. You get only about 10 minutes of strong suction per charge, so it's good to plan ahead to use that time most efficiently. By the time the batteries go flat, you'll want to empty the dust bowl (the plastic "nose cone") & clean the filter anyway. It's very easy: one button releases the dust bowl. After dumping the dirt out of that, you also clean the re-usable air filter. You should wash the filter periodically for best performance (if it's clogged, your precious battery power's going to waste).
Because the actual vacuum nozzle is narrow, the little 10 watt motor does a fine job of picking up light debris, so long as the batteries are charged up. It also has a big advantage over conventional plug-in vacuums: its portability allows you to use it everywhere, including places you might overlook if you only had an upright. Obviously, stooping or kneeling to use the DB on a rug isn't exactly fun, but at least the job gets done quickly.
There are a few disadvantages: 10 minutes aren't enough when you've got a lot of rooms to clean -- and the batteries take a long time to charge, considering. Also, the nature of DB design is that air exits the device through slots on each side. Depending on the kind of mess you're cleaning up, this blowing air could make your job more difficult. Luckily that has not been an issue for me yet -- placing the exhaust ports anywhere else would probably not help. I can live with it.
There's a 2-year warranty against defects, should you need it. The instruction sheet is very thorough, and printed in English, French & Spanish. For small cleaning jobs around the house (or car), the DustBuster will suffice. This is my first DB, and so far I'm satisfied. Someday I might get another one, a more powerful model, perhaps. No doubt that's what Black & Decker hopes, too.
Not surprisingly, Black & Decker makes little design changes from time to time, so the CHV4800 now available doesn't look exactly like the one in the photo here. Mine is in two-tone white & blue plastic, with a open handle and no base unit; now for recharging you get an AC adapter w/cord that plugs into the back of the DB. If you wish to hang it up, a plastic wall hook is included, with screws & wall anchors. You also get two attachments: a crevice tool and a upholstery brush; when not in use, they snap into the bottom of the DB.
The Ni-Cad batteries need 16 hours to fully charge before the first use; after that, overnight should suffice. You get only about 10 minutes of strong suction per charge, so it's good to plan ahead to use that time most efficiently. By the time the batteries go flat, you'll want to empty the dust bowl (the plastic "nose cone") & clean the filter anyway. It's very easy: one button releases the dust bowl. After dumping the dirt out of that, you also clean the re-usable air filter. You should wash the filter periodically for best performance (if it's clogged, your precious battery power's going to waste).
Because the actual vacuum nozzle is narrow, the little 10 watt motor does a fine job of picking up light debris, so long as the batteries are charged up. It also has a big advantage over conventional plug-in vacuums: its portability allows you to use it everywhere, including places you might overlook if you only had an upright. Obviously, stooping or kneeling to use the DB on a rug isn't exactly fun, but at least the job gets done quickly.
There are a few disadvantages: 10 minutes aren't enough when you've got a lot of rooms to clean -- and the batteries take a long time to charge, considering. Also, the nature of DB design is that air exits the device through slots on each side. Depending on the kind of mess you're cleaning up, this blowing air could make your job more difficult. Luckily that has not been an issue for me yet -- placing the exhaust ports anywhere else would probably not help. I can live with it.
There's a 2-year warranty against defects, should you need it. The instruction sheet is very thorough, and printed in English, French & Spanish. For small cleaning jobs around the house (or car), the DustBuster will suffice. This is my first DB, and so far I'm satisfied. Someday I might get another one, a more powerful model, perhaps. No doubt that's what Black & Decker hopes, too.
