Black & Decker CHV1410B Dustbuster 14.4V Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Review

The Black & Decker CHV1410B Dustbuster 14.4V Cordless Hand Vacuum Cleaner continues the long tradition of portable vacuum cleaners that Dustbuster has been known for since its introduction in 1979. In fact, the term "Dustbuster" has defined an entire market segment, and we often hear people using the name Dustbuster, even when talking about other brands of handheld portable vacuum cleaners. We're excited to see that the folks at B&D are always looking for ways to keep the real Dustbuster fresh and full of features.

The Black & Decker CHV1410B Dustbuster 14.4V Cordless Hand Vacuum Cleaner continues the long tradition of portable vacuum cleaners that Dustbuster has been known for since its introduction in 1979. In fact, the term "Dustbuster" has defined an entire market segment, and it's a name we hear people use so often, even when talking about other brands of handheld portable vacuum cleaners. We're excited to see that the folks at B&D are always looking for ways to keep the real Dustbuster fresh and full of features.

The Black & Decker CHV1410B Dustbuster 14.4V Cordless Hand Vacuum Cleaner has many key features that make it a logical choice if you're looking for a tool like this. With the translucent dirt bowl, it's easy to see when it's full, and inside the dirt bowl is a filter that can be cleaned and reused. The overall size of the vacuum cleaner is compact and lightweight, well balanced and easy to operate with one hand. The 14.4V battery is integrated into the motor housing and is not replaceable. The crevice tool is built into the nozzle end of the vacuum, and you simply pull on it, and it extends; about 50% more coverage than the previous generation Dustbuster. The tool also has a brush attachment built into the nozzle end that simply swings out when not needed. The wide mouth of the nozzle makes it easy to pick up large-sized debris such as grass or leaves. Another really nifty feature on the nozzle end of this Dustbuster is that it swivels so you now have more flexibility on where to clean. The dirt cups also hold over a pound and a half of dirt and dust. As for the feature you can't see, the motor and filter are designed to cause cyclonic action, so the air spinning inside the dust bowl actually helps keep dust from collecting on the filter. This means the suction stays strong much longer than with traditional designs. This vacuum's charging system is Energy Star certified, so it saves energy and helps preserve the battery. There is also an indicator light on the top of the vacuum to let you know the battery charge status.

test and use

The first thing we did with the Black & Decker CHV1410B Dustbuster 14.4V Cordless Hand Vacuum was mount the included hanging bracket on the wall in our shop so we had somewhere to store it while it was charging. While we like the idea of being able to hang it up so that it's always in a convenient place and ready to go, we don't really understand that to charge the battery we still have to plug in a separate plug on top of the tool. In our opinion, if you're making a hanging charging station, the charger will be built into the stand, like a charging stand. While the included system works well, this seems like a major design flaw – we think we'd like to see a more complete suspension mount and charger in future generations. Once the vacuum was fully charged, we went to town to clean one of our company cars. We found that the Dustbuster was powerful enough to pick up most crumbs and dirt from the carpet in the car. The built-in extension was handy when we were trying to get into places like around gas stations and between the seats. What appealed to us about the Dustbuster was that it was a cordless, lightweight vacuum that was always ready to clean up small messes. We did find that in some cases the Dustbuster wasn't strong enough to pick up heavy objects like screws, nails or large wood chips. Cleaning up these types of messes should still be left to larger sized wet/dry vacuums.

in conclusion

The Black & Decker CHV1410B Dustbuster 14.4V Cordless Hand Vacuum is a great new addition to the 30+ year old Dustbuster line. This vacuum has some great features like an easy-to-clean reusable filter and a built-in crevice tool, making it perfect for simple cleaning tasks around the house and in the garage. For our professional rating, we gave this tool a 6/10 because it was really designed for homeowners and mostly for small tasks. For our value rating, we gave the vacuum a 7/10 because we felt it offered its size and convenience at a reasonable price.