This thing sucks, in the good way

I've had the DC500 for over a year now. It's good for a variety of uses. Since it is cordless, it will go anywhere, which is handy for cleaning the car after my child eats crackers.

There are a couple of considerations you should heed with this unit. First, operation time on battery power depends greatly on the voltage of your DeWalt rechargeable battery pack. Second, it fits the XRB (eXtended Run Battery) in the battery housing better than other battery packs. You might have to bend the spring clip slightly to have the battery seat more securely. Finally, it has a limited collection bin and tipping is all too easy. Other than these points, this is a handy workhorse.

The filter is a wash-and-reuse style that is very sturdy. Replacements can be purchased if the filter gets damaged.

The DC500 also functions as a blower, but it isn't very powerful. It will blow excess dust from the work site, but the vacuum function doesn't leave much behind.

I would have liked to see the DC500 be a charger/vacuum, even if it tacked on an additional $50.