Black and Decker CFV1200 DustBuster 12-Volt Cordless Vacuum
by Black and Decker
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List Price: Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black and Decker CFV1200 DustBuster 12-Volt Cordless Vacuum
Customer Review: Nice Concept, Poorly Executed
Summary: 3 Stars
For most "all-in-one" products, the total is not equal to the sum of its parts. What I mean is, this stick vac conceptually allows you to do multiple things with only one tool, but in fact, it's mediocre for usage as a result of poor design. Suction-wise, it worked OK.
1. There is no wall charging mount (only a peg/hook to hang it), so you have to remove and reinsert the charging cord before and after use. This sounds trivial, but how nice and simple would it have been if Black & Decker offered the same wall charging mount they do for most cordless devices that allowed you to simply lift up, use, put back.
2. The DustBuster (shop vac) if used by itself doesn't fit into its upright vac casing (removal from or placing back in) without wiggling into place and firmly locking in place, often accompanied by the sound of plastic parts wearing each other down. We all know that over time, plastic-on-plastic wears out, especially when you wince at the harsh vs. soft click sound.
3. Cleaning: the only way to clean/empty the filter after you've used the item as a full floor vacuum is to remove the DustBuster handheld unit from the upright casing. So, reference to the above points about plastic-on-plastic wear and tear and lack of a charging station mount that might hold it in place while you try to remove the filter, you have to (a) put this thing on a table or sink, stoop over it if it's on the floor, then (b) pop the DustBuster out, then (c) pop off the cover, and then shake the filter clean. In short, it would have been nice if B&D engineered a way to allow easier dumping of dirt.
It has reasonably good suction for the DustBuster part, but as a stick-vac, it's not impressive. I'd pay twice the money for a cordless stick vac with good suction made of more durable plastic.
Lastly, Amazon's return policies have turned me off of buying anything from them that I'm not 100% sure of. They reduce your refund by any "free shipping" costs, and of course require you to pay for return shipping. Plus, they packed the unit's original box in one *twice* its size filled with bubble plastic. Talk about waste, and possibly extra shipping costs for me to bear! Bad experience.
Customer Review: Impressive power - not just for quick cleanups
Summary: 4 Stars
I got tired of dragging out my aging Electrolux canister everytime I needed to clean up some lint or a few crumbs - or rather, not being bothered to drag it out, and cleaning up by hand (literally) instead. But even for whole-house cleaning, the canister is often a pain. So when looking for a Dustbuster for the quick cleanups, I found this category of hand/floor vac which seemed a good solution to both. Until I found this model Dustbuster, I had been considering the Oreck 2 in 1 cordless Electricbroom. But this B&D is cheaper, and has the ability to use the beater attachment (for stairs or in the car) without the handle (hence 3 rather than 2 in 1).
I was not expecting much performance, but have been pleasantly surprised. It's not only a powerful handheld, but the beater-bar with seperate motor is surprisingly effective. On carpet, I'd say it makes this vacuum even more effective than my canister (which has no beater-bar). I was dumbfounded at how full the dirt cup was the first time I vacuumed my home (1100 SF, btw, with plenty of charge left). There is also a 9.6v version, but I would not skimp on the battery voltage in a cordless vac. Of course, it is not a complete substitute for a corded vacuum, but is probably 80% of the way there.
On the downside, there are no attachments included, although the manual depicts a crevice tool and upholstery brush on related models (which seem to be non-existant). Also, the battery is removable (for recycling at end of life) but not replaceable. This inexcusable stupidity means that not only can you not swap charged batteries to keep working (as you can on Eureka cordless models) - but even worse, when the battery goes south (and all Ni-Cads will eventually), you are expected to junk the whole vacuum. Their way of forcing you to buy another, I suppose. For that needless inefficiency it looses a star.
Customer Review: So strong for a "hand vac"!
Summary: 5 Stars
This "dust buster" is awesome! I purchased this vac for $50 at my local Best Buy so I would have a cordless option for my hard floors (bathroom, kitchen, etc), as well as a hand-vac option for hard-to-reach messes. I can't believe how powerful it is! Another reviewer complained that it wouldn't pick up sand on her hard floors, but I haven't had a problem with it picking up anything. (Maybe her filter is full?) I also use it on my carpeted stairs with the beater bar on, and it picks up MUCH more cat fur and dirt than using the suction-only attachment on my full-sized upright vacuum. It's great to use the handle of the hand-vac part (half-way down the machine) in addition to the top handle while vacuuming those stairs for added maneuverability. I love that as I'm vacuuming, the hand-vac portion is right there for me to pop off and use in the tight spaces.
For me, the charge lasts about 20 minutes, which covers two bathrooms (including a quick beater-bar sweep of the rugs), the hard floor in my kitchen/dining, the area rug under the dining table, two flights of carpeted stairs, our tiled exercise room, and two linoleum entries. You should know it takes 16 hours to fully recharge again; but that still means available for 20 minutes daily! To prove how powerful it is, it actually picks up the edges of my bathroom rugs (in beater-bar mode) and sucks them in like an upright vac would! Realize that it is 12 volts, which is what most upright vacs are!
I wish Amazon had a picture of this, it would probably sell more. It looks just like the blue 9.6 volt vac from B&D (search for CFV9600 on Amazon and it'll come up) except the hand-vac portion is white (the 9600 is all blue). BTW, you can also hang this on the wall.
Customer Review: Great but could be a little better
Summary: 4 Stars
I chose this model because of the versatility and ease of being able to switch from a floor vac to a hand vac. The suction is very powerful as others have said. However, I have a ceramic tile floor and as a floor vac, it can easily pick up dirt on the tile but not on the grout (between the tiles). I have to use it as a hand vac to get at the dirt between the tiles. I guess, as a floor vac, the brush increases the distance between the vac nose and the floor thus decreasing its effective suction power.
This model doesn't come with accessories but since it's quite difficult to clean nooks and crannies with the huge vac nose, I thought I should look up B&D accessories for it. I checked the B&D/Dewalt parts webpage but there were no accessories listed for the CFV1200. Since this model is the same size as other Dust Buster models, I ordered accessories meant for the other Dust Buster models --- they fit perfectly! I got the crevice tool, upholstery brush, soft brush and the crevice extension. Cleaning is so much more convenient with these tools. I can't understand why B&D didn't just include those since the CFV1200 housing already has that space (note the etching on the plastic housing that wasn't completely cut off) anyway to store at least 2 of the accessories I bought separately.
All in all, I am very happy with my CFV1200. The charge, 10-16 min, may be short for some people, but it's more than adequate for me (I live in a bachelor suite!). I make sure that I drain the battery though before I charge it since this model, unfortunately, uses a Ni-Cad battery. I wouldn't want to kill my battery in a few months by charging it repeatedly after a few minutes of use.
Customer Review: Exactly what I've been looking for!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently put in laminate flooring in the majority of my condo as well as carpet in the bedrooms. I started to noticed that with the new floors, you can actually see the dust and hair piling up near the baseboards. I had to pull out my existing vacuum so much that the heightened usage finally broke it's last leg. I decided to look for a chordless option since I knew I'd be vacuuming much more often.
To make a long story shorter, this thing is awesome! It's exactly what I need.
I can use it as a traditional Dust Buster for quick jobs (hair balls at the baseboards).
I can also use it as a regular upright vac for heavier jobs on my carpets.
It's just as strong as my now broken Euro Pro Shark.
I cant really say how long the charge lasts because it only takes me about 5-7 min worth of vacuuming time to do my entire 975 sq ft condo and the battery hasnt died on me yet.
One of the best parts about this vac is emptying the dust cup. You press the button, the dust cup detaches and you dump all of the "junk" in the trash. Doesnt get any better than that!
Another reviewer mentioned that this isnt good for hard floors and that it just blows the particles around. I beg to differ as it works great on hard floors. To the point about particles being blown around. There are exhaust vents on either side of the Dust Buster that do emit quite a strong wind of exhaust. If you lay the vac all the way flat, I do see how the exhaust would blow the particles all over. There are ways to avoid this by repositioning when you vacuum.