Powerful for a battery operated vac...

I've owned several battery operated rechargeable vacs. I have owned this one for about 5 months.

Features:
18 volt battery. That makes it much more powerful than the typical 6 and 12 volt models.
Multi position Vac nozzle makes it easier to use in tighter places. I use it basically to clean the car interiors.
Extendable nose piece extends approx an additional 4-6 inches. It helps reaching in tighter spots such as between the seats.
Separate nose piece features a brush tip for vacuuming furniture.
DUAL SPEED. LOW and HIGH.
Cyclone vacuuming. The dust and debris spins around and around within the collection cup just as it would in many large floor vacs.
FILTER. Removable plastic filter and a replaceable paper type filter which catches fine dust particles.
A side knob can be turned by hand to loosen dirt from the filter without removing it, to help maintain suction power.
Rechargeable stand can be wall mounted or placed on a level surface. Charge light indicates it is ON and CHARGING.

GOOD and BAD:
On the HIGH speed, this vac has tremendous suction for a rechargeable.

On the other hand, I can usually only vacuum ONE CAR before the battery dies. Then I have to wait a good half-of-a-day before the battery recharges fully again.

I suppose the LOW speed would allow the battery to last a little longer. However, since my car mats are usually covered with dirt and grit picked up by everyones' shoes, I use the HIGH speed to do the cleaning properly. If you will use this vacuum for 'lighter' cleaning, it may last longer on the LOW speed.

This vac is not heavy, but it is not light either. The larger the battery, the heavier it weighs. I own BLACK AND DECKER 18VOLT GRASS TRIMMERS which are noticeably heavier then their 12 volt counterparts.

The extendable nozzle works pretty well. It allows me to reach into tight places somewhat. Not as good as a 'crevice' tool on a regular vac, but pretty useful.

However, the extendable nozzle does not lock into place too tightly. That's probably good as it may deter damage to the plastic part if you press too hard. On the other hand, it makes it harder to really clean some tight spots. With a regular vac's 'crevice' tool, you can press down really hard and get inside the carpet fibers, expecially in corners or along a base board in your home.

The filter works well. I have not yet changed it. According to the manual, it should be changed every six months or something like that. I remove the filter after each cleaning and clean it thoroughly. To remove the filter, simply press the button to OPEN the door on the side of the cup and then give the filter a 'half-turn counter clockwise' and it should fall right out. With the filter out, just press it up and down on a flat surface (I use the sidewalk outside) and you will see the dust and debri come out of the filter.

I don't know if I understand this manual properly. I understood it to say the filter can be 'washed'. I don't know if they are refering to the plastic part or the actual micro fiber filter. So, I washed the micro fiber filter with warm water in a bucket and let it dry overnight. It still works OK. It did not fall apart.

I like the stand because it can free-stand on the floor out-of-the-way. It takes up only about a half square foot of floor space that way. The vac folds up very nicely.

The vac does take quite a while to recharge.

I leave the vac on 'charge' all the time. According to the manual, that's OK. The battery is not supposed to over charge or cause damage, as is the case with some other rechargeable tools.

On the bad side, the charger's LED indicator ONLY ILLUMINATES WHEN THE VAC IS IN PLACE BEING CHARGED. Therefore, if the vac is not placed back in its stand, the charger will be left ON for nothing and it may appear to be OFF when in fact it is not.

By comparison, other rechargeable tools may have a separate LED indicator to simply indicate the charger is ON, or, the charger may have a 'chameleon' LED, which is an LED that can change color. For instance, it may illuminate green for power ON and red for RECHARGING.

I like this BLACK AND DECKER CORDLESS VAC. I can only vacuum one car at a time, but I can usually do a thorough job, cleaning the front and back carpets and mats and the trunk carpeting completely.

The unit is all plastic. Needless to say, it is advised to handle it with care. Because it is cordless and hand held, it can be more prone to dropping. Dropping it on a hard surface like a sidewalk could crack it and then it would be garbage.

It works well for small pick-up jobs around the house.

I got it as a gift. My better half said she paid quite a bit for it. The price I quoted is a guess. She won't admit its actual cost.

I WISH THE MANUFACTURERS WOULD MAKE A CORDLESS VAC WHICH COULD USE THE ATTACHMENTS OF A REGULAR FLOOR VACUUM, SUCH AS THE CREVICE, BRUSH AND OTHER SUCH TOOLS.

I previously was using a small one gallon wet/dry electric vac for our cars. However, I was tired of having to connect an ac extension cord and dragging it around outside each time I wanted to clean. So, for me, this vac is convenient and easy. I can quickly clean the car and be done with it.

By the way, that's why I bought the cordless grass trimmer mentioned above. I was sick and tired of all the extension cords being pulled out each time I had to trim around the house and so on. The convenience outweighs the limits for me. The grass trimmer I mentioned is also BLACK AND DECKER. Their tools are good quality, usually, and not as expensive as some other brands.