Black & Decker CHV1400 14.4-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster
by Black and Decker
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black & Decker CHV1400 14.4-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster
Customer Review: And now, the bad news ...
Summary: 3 Stars
Well, like most people have reported here, this product works great. Until the battery goes. Then try getting a new one.
I've had my Dustbuster for a year and five months, and the battery's going. So I checked on Amazon for a replacement. They don't have any. So I went to the Black & Decker website to find one. They don't have any. So I called their customer service line. They were closed due to bad weather. Try later.
To their credit, B&D's instruction sheet gives detailed information about disposing of the old battery properly. You really need to do that, folks, it's toxic. Don't throw it in the trash! Think of your grandchildren, if any.
But the Dustbuster instruction sheet is very vague about getting a new battery. It says to check with your authorized service center or call C/S. Replacing the battery, if you could find one, isn't trivial -- you don't just drop it in, you have to take the Dustbuster apart. You need tools. You have to remove several screws, pull on some plastic tabs, etc. It's not hard, but the mechanically-challenged could have a problem.
I finally located a not-so-local dealer who has the replacement battery. It costs $30.40, plus shipping. In other words, the replacement battery costs the same as buying a whole new Dustbuster! Does that make sense?
If I was a conspiracy theorist, I'd almost think B&D was purposely making it hard to replace the battery. Guess they'd rather we bought a new Dustbuster.
Customer Review: Quite a bit more powerful than you'd expect
Summary: 5 Stars
The power of a handheld vacuum is measured in the same way as that of a powerdrill - the amount of voltage the motor uses. The CHV1400 is one of the more powerful models with 14.4-Volts.
But numbers don't mean much if the power isn't delivered properly. Thankfully, this product does its job very well. It is about as loud as a regular vacuum cleaner, but that's to be expected. It sucks about as good as a full size vacuum - in fact I used it as my sole vacuum until I found a good deal on a full size one!
It handles dirt very well. It will suck up practically anything. I use it to clean up under my baby's high-chair (the parents among you will understand), my stairs (where I don't/can't use the full size vacuum), and in our cars. The on-board crevice tool is great for corners, and for the nooks of carseats.
It holds a charge for about 40 minutes - and I've worked it till it completely discharges. It has two settings, full and less-than-full (no name), and it is set by using the slider button on it's top. I don't see a reason why you would want to use the less-power setting!
It cleans very easily. The clear nozzle comes off, and then the filter and it's holder are taken apart easily. I hand wash them and leave them out to dry after each use. I can put it back together in about 1 minute.
I hung the charger on the wall, and it holds the vacuum securely while hanging.
I recommend this product fully.
Customer Review: Nice addition to your cleaning lineup
Summary: 5 Stars
Kudos to Amazon; I bought this product and got free shipping (5 to 9 shipping days, estimated). It arrived next day! Impressive.
As to the product, it has worked well thus far. Don't expect this little guy to replace your regular vacuum cleaner as some reviewers do. It plays a specific role in your cleaning arsenal. It knows its role well and performs as expected. Nothing more.
The CHV1400 works best for light cleaning. I like to use instead of a dustpan after sweeping with broom. Much easier. It's also great for cleaning along the baseboards and corners when you don't want to mess with getting out the vacuum's attachments.
I haven't had any trouble with running out of charge. Manual states the 14.4V model should last 12-15 minutes per charge. But that is constant use. Usually cleaning consists of only a series of quick uses with this machine, so the 12-15 minute estimate may be a bit misleading. Nice for cleaning up in a car, but if you're going for a deep clean, it would probably be better to drag out the full size vac for the job. But for picking up a few crumbs quickly, this machine will do the job well.
Overall, if you don't already have a cordless, handheld vacuum, this one is worth the money.
Customer Review: Pretty Good!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought the Dirt Devil Scorpion first and ended up throwing that thing away. It was extremely powerful, but it would get so (and I mean VERY) hot. So hot, I was afraid to use it. Not good. I got it and my Black & Decker DustBuster from Wal-Mart so I could've gotten my money back for the Scorpion- but at the time I just wanted it out of my house and off my property. The DustBuster isn't as powerful (which is why I gave it 4 stars) but it gets the job done well enough to please me and our small needs around the house. For big jobs, I whip out my Dyson. I'm serious about my household appliances so I only want what works well. My husband is constantly dropping crumbs everywhere without a care in the world, so that's mostly when I get this little thing out. It's not too loud and I don't have to shove anything into it because it didn't pick it up the first time. It has never overheated on me and it's good for crumbs, dust, cat hair, ants -dead or alive- (they would come in and eat our cats' food), and pretty much anything you need to suck up really quickly. AND GET THIS: Once things are sucked up into it, you can shake it and nothing falls out. It's in until you empty it! I highly recommend this little handvac!!!!Customer Review: Finally some real power in a cordless vac
Summary: 5 Stars
So I'm trying out the new 14.4V Dustbuster I got for Christmas when my 11 year old son walks into the room and before I can blink he is hurtled across the floor sucked up by the Dustbuster. Well I looked down and saw the power switch was only on the slower speed, who knows what would have happened to him had I been on the higher speed.
Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit, but man, this vac has serious suction. I've owned a number of these cordless vacuums and have never been impressed. This unit is in a completely different league. To date I have still not used the higher speed.
I read that folks complain about the batteries loosing their charging capacity way to soon, I have a suggestion to solve this problem. When you finish using it, don't put it back on the charger. Keep on using it until it starts to loose power. At this point set it aside and leave it running until it completely stops, and then charge it. When it's put back on the charger after every use the battery starts to loose its full charging capacity. By the way I have been using it regularly for a couple of weeks off the charger and it hasn't even begun to slow down.