Black & Decker 18-Volt Pivoting-Nose Cordless Handheld Vacuum
by Black & Decker
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black & Decker 18-Volt Pivoting-Nose Cordless Handheld Vacuum
Customer Review: Very Nice Design, Good Suction, Loud
Summary: 5 Stars
***This model is discontinued. Check out the redesigned version: Black & Decker Pivot Vac 18V Cordless Pivoting Hand Vac, PHV1810
This hand vac is thoughtfully designed and a real improvement on previous Black & Decker models.
I compare it with the Black & Decker 9.6 volt (V9610) which sucked up dirt fairly well for 2 years while feeling in so many ways like a piece of junk.
The pivot-nozzle WILL rotate flush with the bottom of the vac, enabling very compact stowage & transport. Nice.
Suction (stated on the box as "35 watts air power") feels impressive. Even low speed has good suction. The box claims "30% more suction than [previous] B&D models." The suction area is about 2/3 inch x 1-2/3 inch, similar to previous models.
The vac's high pitched whine is irritating on low speed, and certifiably obnoxious on high speed.
The pivoting nozzle with built-in extension is a really sensible design. You won't want to go back to a wide-snout model if you can help it. The built-in extension fits into spaces .92" or larger and the crevice tip reduces that to 1/2".
The vac alone weighs 4.1 lbs (56% more than the 9.6 volt) but it doesn't seem unreasonably heavy, probably because of the large well-positioned handle.
The charging cradle can be wall mounted or sit on a counter or cabinet floor. It could even work in a 13" high shelf space. It receives and releases the vac effortlessly.
The vac's plastics seem to be of high quality (not brittle or thin). Seems like they could survive a fair amount of abuse.
A clear plastic housing provides a view of the dirt chamber which holds 11.8 volumetric ounces (1.5 cups, 350 ml). Things like this make you wonder what's going on at Black and Decker. They seem to have lost their touch for making mediocre half-baked products.
The "filter cleaning wheel" is easy to use, unlike previous models, and does it's job well.
Takes PVF-100 replacement filter ($7), same as some previous B&D models. Washable in warm water. The manual says to replace it every 6-9 months, but my original is fine after 3 years.
Exhaust air comes out the bottom which could be a hassle when cleaning up fine sawdust, etc. But with the pivot-nozzle you could avoid blowing on the mess.
The on-off switch is much less annoying than on the 9.6 volt model, but still feels cheap.
The transformer-plug stays warm even after the vac is fully charged, adding a few dollars a year to your electric bill. However, if the vac is not in the charging cradle, the transformer-plug is cool (no energy drain).
There are instructions for removing and disposing of the Ni-Cd battery, but no indication that replacements are available.
The "Full 2 Year Warranty" covers defects and says nothing about how long the battery will last.
***Update 12-2-2010: After 4 years, it's held up well and the battery is still good.
***Note: My 5-star rating is based on getting it for around 60 buckss or less.
Pros:
Good suction
Very nice overall design. Ergonomic.
Cons:
High pitched whine is offensive
Expensive
Customer Review: Right- and Left-Brain Design! Nice, Well-Manicured Colouring! Uber, Hunky Power! Cute, To Boot!
Summary: 5 Stars
Black & Decker 18-Volt Pivoting-Nose Cordless Handheld Vacuum
What doesn't this little guy have?
I hate dust, crumbs, dead bugs, hair strands that have shed, grass or leaves that may stick to stilettos, little things that visiting babies find then fling to the floor, and all other mysterious (and possibly unseen) things flopping and dropping from the air to hard wood floors, lovely forest green short-fiber carpets and white sheepskin rugs. You know! Wheewhh!
I have had two of the metallic blue corded hand vacs. The first one was great, but the second never picked up unless you took the hose loose and used it moving over the carpeting half-dollar spot by half-dollar spot. How tiresome! Then I got the corded bright yellow hand vac that was a good sucker but so hard to maneuver across carpeting that I seriously contemplated physical therapy for both arms! I had another, forgettable, hand vac that stopped holding a charge two weeks or so after purchase. How utterly yukky!
I would, to be frank, put Pivoting-Nose up against the over-promoted Dyson Animal. I am one who thinks the only thing impressive about Animal is the name! I came to see it as nothing more than an over-priced, glorified, purple, hard plastic broom!
I think this little Pivoting-Nose, however, is unmitigatedly divine and so downright sporty! I really, really like that fresh, airy blue and white.
The suction nose folds up like flap mobile phones, but does it better. It snaps into place at various degrees until it extends and holds at 180 degrees.
The long nose hides the crevice tool except for the tip on which I just push down slightly and pull to extend. The tool then grabs up every little critter around the edges of armoires, partner desks, scanners, shredders, pool tables, escritoires, books stacked on the floor, car seats, every where! Oh, how wonderful!
And, there is a clear dust bin, so I can see the dust - carrying nasty, voracious mites - whirling around as Pivoting-Nose picks up every little, itty-bitty something that I don't want around! He is so splendiferous!
Emptying the Pivoting-Nose is all ease. I simply push the little silver release, turn the vac on its side over a trash bin, and pull the door free.
I don't think how the charger hangs is a vexation. As a matter of fact, I whipped out my "duflotcy" - ahem, my power drill - and put the thing up myself, a first for me. I was so proud!
I haven't done so yet, but I don't think there will be a problem changing the filter, either.
Now, the battery one of the reviewers mentioned is a whole 'nother thing! I have never before changed a hand vac battery. It is something to think about as Pivoting-Nose might give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money! (Thanks, Reviewer!)
I also got Pivoting-Nose's brother, the corded one. It is a very similar design with a slightly wider nose, but it is also superb. I keep it under my bed.
Somebody at B&D was thinking logically while someone added delightful dashes of creativity. They have unquestionably put forth a redoubtable product!
Customer Review: Powerful with Good Battery Life
Summary: 4 Stars
Powerful(this is not your mother's handheld) with excellent battery life. To be honest, I've never found much use for the pivot feature. The long nose does make it easy to reach places you couldn't otherwise reach with most vacuums. I love these powerful, portable, handhelds for quick pickups without dragging out the larger vacuum. I have 3 different brands/varieties each of which has its good and bad points.
Pros:
(1) Very strong suction. Really gets the dirt up
(2) Excellent battery life. Lasts much longer than I would have expected even when left off the cradle
(3) Long thin nose reaches places others cannot
(4) Very good filter design. Traps a lot of fine dust
(5) Easy to place on cradle and remove. The unit just sits on a contact in the base of its cradle. It doesn't have to 'click' or lock in place as some do; therefore, it can be easily removed with one hand. Just pick it up and go.
Cons:
(1) The long, thin nose will not accomodate some items: paper, leaves, etc. Depending on size, some items will not enter the nose at all due to size.
(2) Items other than sand, dust, dirt, etc will often get trapped in the long thin nose chute blocking it. When this happens, you will need to stop work to find something long and thin (clothes hanger, drinking straw, chopstick, etc to push the item through) This can be annoying. Things that get caught this way include leaves, pine straw, bits of paper or tissue, pretty much anything except dirt and dust.
(3) dust, debris, pet hair, etc tends to wad up around the filter area so that you cannot just open the door to empty it as stated. More often than not you will have to use your fingers to pull the [icky] stuff out of there. In the process, dust and debris is likely to end up falling back on the floor.
(4) accessories (carpet brush, etc) fit on the base unit not the vacuum. If you carry the thing any distance from the base and then find that you need an accessory, you have to go back and get it which is annoying. (Please find a place to put these things on the vacuum!)
(5) not the best for use on carpet. The Shark SV736K with motorized brush which I also own does a much better job on carpet, especially for picking up pet or people hair.
Summary:
I like this vacuum. I use it often, mostly on hard floors, and would readily recommend it to a friend. When I need to clean carpet, however, I use my Shark handheld with motorized brush except in the car where the long nose of this vacuum comes in very handy for getting into tight spots.
Customer Review: Battery gets a second wind
Summary: 4 Stars
We've had this product for more than 2 1/2 years (purchased May 2008) and I have little to add to the many useful Amazon reviews. It functions well as a vacuum, goes long enough on a charge, and easy to maneuver. It is far more handy than the weak Dustbuster it replaced and more mobile than the small corded 2.5 gallon wet/dry vacuum.
I have a couple of minor complaints about the design that we worked around. The dust flap inside the barrel end of the pivoting nose broke within six months so to prevent dust from falling out when we replace the unit on the charger we leave the nose up. There's one slot to store two accessories; we put the brush accessory on the end of the narrow angled extension accessory and store both at the same time.
However, I was really disappointed when the vacuum was no longer able to hold a charge. Like many of the other reviews I was ready to recycle it or attempt a DIY replacement of the NiCd, which I was able to do before with a Dustbuster, by ordering new cells and resoldering--I might claim victory but only after spending too much time on it.
Fortunately, the vacuum works GREAT now after reconditioning the NiCd batteries. I used the following method: when the vacuum longer was able to hold a charge (or seemed to run very slowly), I left the unit on until the motor ALMOST stopped running . This took a surprisingly long time, more than 30 minutes, but eventually it seemed low enough that I could tell it still had some juice. Then I recharged it for 24 hours. And amazingly, after that the vacuum has worked really well. For the last 3 months the vacuum has working as well as when it was new--it holds the charge for a long time and the vacuum is much stronger than it was just before reconditioning.
The NiCd reconditioning trick hasn't always worked for me, so YMMV. Over discharging can harm the batteries permanently, so don't just let it run until it's dead. Search the web for [NiCd recharging] and [NiCd reversal] for details.
I'd give it five stars for getting the job done but dinged it for the minor design complaints and lack of replaceable batteries.
Customer Review: this works wonders !!!
Summary: 4 Stars
The Black & Decker Pivoting-Nose Cordless Handheld Vacuum does an excellent job of busting away dust and small particles of dirt anyplace where a conventional vacuum cleaner can't reach or go. My vacuum cleaner does a great job on carpets and floors in general; but the narrow spaces close to where the floor meets the wall always seem to need a little extra attention. Wow, does this do an excellent job!
It's lightweight and very easy to carry. It comes with an electric charger; you'll need to charge the machine for 16 hours before you use it for the first time. After that, you're set to go! You only need to recharge it from time to time, not every day.
This handheld vacuum will do its best in narrow cracks and crevices; and of course you can use it to clean your car interior and other surfaces, too. I would keep it away at all times from wet surfaces
The filter and the barrel in which the filter is housed are both very easy to clean. If you clean it every so often the job is never time consuming.
I also like that this comes with an even smaller extension so that you get reach into the narrowest of crevices to clean them. The HEPA filter traps over 99% of dust particles so they can't come out the exhaust of the machine just seconds after you vacuumed them up--very good!
I have a few minor complaints. If you use this in the corners where the wall meets the floor, you will have to bend over or lean down somewhat to reach those harder to clean crevices. In addition, I do agree with reviewers who note that it's built in such a way that you DO have to operate a flimsy button to merely open the extended nozzle and allow it pivot to get into those very hard to reach areas. The plastic base for storing and charging could have been better constructed, too. I guess I have to take off one star for these issues.
Nevertheless, I still recommend this "Pivoting-Nose Cordless Handheld Vacuum" by Black & Decker. It's a great little gadget.