I’ve written about Black & Decker’s DustBuster cordless vacuums before – has it really been 5 years?! – and I’m still fond of the product line.
One might think that Black & Decker is resting on their laurels and recognition of the DustBuster brand name, but there’s a lot going for the DusBuster brand. Black & Decker has been steadily releasing new vacuum designs over the years, and making improvements to current models.
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DustBusters aren’t built to handle heavy duty use, and so you won’t find them on many jobsites. You probably shouldn’t use them for the types of applications you know should be delegated to heavier duty vacs. They are of some use in the workshop, but are absolutely fantastic for use around the home.
I’m a big fan of B&D’s cordless DustBusters, and here’s why:
1. Convenience
What happens when there’s a mess too small to justify bringing out our full-size floor vac? The mess stays put. It’s a pain in the butt to whip out the floor vac to clean up just a little bit of dirt, food, debris, dust, or whatever it is that should probably be vacuumed up.
When I bought my first DustBuster a couple of years ago, it got used all the time. You don’t realize how much you actually need a compact cordless vac until you have one.
2. Everything You Need is in the Box
Milwaukee’s new M12 vac, Bosch’s new 12V vac, and Dewalt’s multi-voltage vac are all great products. I’m making an assumption on the first two since I haven’t tried them yet, but I assume they’re good. But in order to use them, at least as cordless hand vacs (as that Dewalt also has an AC cord), you need a battery and a charger, both of which are sold separately.
With a DustBuster, you get a battery pack – which is usually built-in, but some come with removable batteries – and a wall charger. Some come with wall-wart AC adapters, others are designed with wall-mountable charging docks.
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Personally, I prefer DustBusters that come with charging cradles, as cradles and docks are way harder to misplace or lose than small generic-looking AC adapters.
3. Replaceable Filters are Sold Nearly Everywhere
I have never had problems finding and buying DustBuster filters, as they’re sold pretty much everywhere. Filters for some models are easier to find online, but for the most part, you can replace your DustBuster filter the same day you realize you need one.
4. There’s a DustBuster for Everyone
There are many numerous DustBusters available these days, which means there’s probably a model to fit your preferences.
Need a hose? Try the Flex vac. Need to reach under cabinets, furniture, or equipment? Try the pivoting vac. Need a general purpose around-the-house and workshop vac to clear small messes? They make those too.
There’s no mistaking a DustBuster for a corded vac, or a high-powered jobsite or workshop vac, but most aren’t puny or incapable. I haven’t checked, but I have always assumed that the higher the voltage, the greater the suction power.
You won’t want to use a DustBuster to clean up metal shavings, large wood chunks, heavy fasteners, or anything like that, but I do use mine in the workshop sometimes for light duty cleanup. We mainly use our DustBusters for around-the-home tasks. They’re also great for cleaning inside the car.
5. They’re [Relatively] Inexpensive
As mentioned, you get everything you need with just one purchase. Jobsite vacs can be used around the home, but they’re not as convenient, and they cost more.
You can buy a DustBuster for under $30, and the better ones go for $40 to $80. That’s not a lot, considering that construction brands’ cordless vacs start at around $60 and that’s without a battery or charger.
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If you’re shopping for a DustBuster, you might want to check out the brands your local stores carry. That would increase the chances of being able to find a replacement filter when you need it.
Benjamen
I’ve (or my family) have owned 3 Dustbusters spanning the 80’s to the late 00’s and one thing in common is the internal battery works for about a year, then it holds about 15 seconds worth of charge. Maybe they’ll get it right with a lithium battery, but I won’t hold my breath, because they should have gotten at least 5 years out of a NiCad (My DeWalt XRP battery has lasted 10 years).
I love the concept, but the execution has been poor so far.
Watts
I almost tossed my (borderline ancient) dustbuster for this very reason. I found the initial charge would fade very quickly. One day I kept it on despite it being essentially out of charge, and within a couple seconds of sounding dead (low whine), the motor slowly sped back up and was back at full blast again where it lasted for quite some time.
I’ve tested it repeatedly over and over and it happens every time. Initial burst of energy, fades quickly, then slowly builds back and stays, of course YMMV.
Mike
The problem is, and always has been, constant overcharging. NiCad batteries are pretty tolerant of it, but even they have their limits. An intelligent charger would preserve the batteries for a much longer useful life. But it’s only been in the last decade or so that the electronics for doing this have become inexpensive enough to include in lower cost consumer items such as rechargeable vacuums, flashlights, screwdrivers, etc. Older charging circuits are dumb and only limit the maximum current the battery will draw at any given time. They don’t monitor the battery and stop the charging current when the capacity is reached.
glenn
I like them as well. I have a Bissell cordless stick vac which I use almost exclusively inside the house rather than my mains vac. It has the vac section which is removeable so it can be used a a hand vac. Great for dong the stairs.
http://www.godfreys.com.au/bissell-3396f-floors-more-stick-vacuum
Also use a Ryobi 18v handivac in the garage and for the car as well as an M12 hammervac which gets used more for work cleanup than its actual intended use.
I will take the convenience of cordless over mains power any time. I must be getting lazier in my old age!
NoDeuces
Don’t forget the makita. My wife gave up her dyson dc35 and took my makita. But at least that got me some more batteries!
Jerry
My favorite model of DustBuster would be the ont that sits in a charging cradle when not in use, and has two replaceable batteries, the ones that look like little cylinders.
Mizzourob
If only there were a quiet one. I have the 18 volt Porter cable one and it has a great 1-1/4″ hose adapter
Stuart
I wish, but at least with a DustBuster I don’t usually have to don hearing protection. Can’t say the same for my Dyson or shop vacuums, although my Festool dust extractor can be nice and quiet when applications allow for lower suction power.
Senorpablo
The newer Dyson hand vac’s are substantially more quiet than the original models, and the batteries last longer.
Joe
“If only there were a quiet one.”
I’ve hear of noise cancellation technology and it seems to work from what I can gather. Maybe in the future this will be implemented in the tool industry.
ktash
I like the dustbusters and have had them off and on for a number of years. But there is a design flaw that trips me up sometimes. The button to release the motor from the vac and the on switch are right next to one another. If I’m not paying attention, I hit the release button and make a bigger mess. I’m often not paying attention when I clean a small mess, since I’m usually trying to get back to what I was doing. Perhaps the release button could be on the underside of the tool with the on switch on top or vice versa. For the one I have maybe I’ll put bright orange paint on one of the buttons.
Jotham McMillan
I purchased the $80 model BDH2000PL Max Pivot and it’s working well. The key is that you really should get the ones with a lithium ion battery. That ensures at least a good charging circuit. I’ve only had it about 6 months so we’ll see about the longevity. Avoid the NiCd ones, they are useless over time.
So far, with three young kids and a house remodel, I use it daily. Works great and has a long run time.
JMG
In 1987 I purchased a Makita 7.2v cordless spot vacuum. I still have it today and have never had to purchase new filters due to the washable design that they still use today in the updated models. The basic design of this unit has not changed in all this time outside of updating the battery packs. At the time that I purchased the Makita, I had one of the original dustbuster models, and within two weeks it was relegated to the trash bin, even though it still had “some” life left in its battery.
The difference in performance, at the time, between the two units was so noticeable as to make the dustbuster seem useless. Over the years, the only incurred expense has been batteries and those replacements were rare. As this tool was the very last Makita stick type battery tool I own and the current batteries had started to show their age, I finally broke down and purchased an updated 18v model less than six months ago.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the old vacuum. It never failed. It simply became more cost effective to purchase the newer model than to continue using an older battery platform for a single tool. I have never had this type of experience with Black & Pecker tools. The DustBuster that I threw in the trash was starting to fail to take a full charge at the time it was ditched. All the other BD brand tools I have purchased either wore out in less than a year or burnt out under load.
If someone could prove to me that the latest DustBuster offerings would last me as long as that 7.2v Makita and its filter lasted, I might consider buying one. My own personal experience, though, dictates otherwise. In my book, buying a one hundred dollar tool that lasts more than twenty years has always trumped buying a cheaper alternative that has shown a poor track record over the same time frame.
MtnRanch
I wonder if all the noise these things put out is really a necessary product of the physics involved or it it’s just a design trick to make the public think they are powerful.
Compare a Craftsman shopvac with a Fein or a Festool. All three do a good job but I’d rather be in the room with the Fein or Festool
Phil
With the fixed internal battery packs, the Dustbusters become useless after a period of time. The constant-charge charging method cooks the life out of the batteries in a year or two, and it requires an industrious user to replace them with commodity parts, or the entire unit gets tossed. A switch to LiIon power would ensure a much longer life as well as runtime simply because you can’t charge LiIon cells with the same low cost method, or they will explode. This is why that particular method is used with low cost consumer goods like this, it keeps the stuff cheap, and it guaranteed most people will be buying a new one shortly.
Wanna keep these thing going longer? Keep the unit out of the charger until it dies. Then charge overnight, and remove it once charged. Use it until it dies, then repeat the process. You can also keep it in the charger base and unplug it when charged instead, saving even more on electricity. You will save the batteries from the killer constant charge, as well as save electricity.
Chris
I dont know about dusbuster but I have a ryobi hand vac that runs off the 18v one+ batteries that has been a God Send for network cabling. Removing and replacing ceiling tiles or cutting drywall used to always mean pulling out a push vacuum or shop vac no matter how small the mess is. Now I have a small solution that saves me big time not having to lug an awkward shop vac around, find power, wheel out extension cords etc.
KL
The internal batteries are THE very reason I won’t touch these things. Any cordless ANYTHING I can get w separate batteries and charger assures the entire tool will not be scrapped when the batteries die. However, according to reviews on Amazon the battery pack for the DustBuster pictured can be accessed and replaced w relative ease. Still, in 6 years I know I’ll still be able to get M12 batteries, but DB batteries? You might be searching for NOS. Also the Amazon reviews point out that the “slit” inlet of pictured DB is a nuisance. I find this very easy to believe.
IMO DB’s are for the same crowd who thinks built-in or automatic anything is better. In some cases this is true, but here I want a separate battery and charger. Plus the tool is NEVER down if you fully discharge it or forget to charge (granted, a proper li-ion pack should hold a charge for a long time).
Jon
I have the Ryobi model. $30 without a battery. I could not believe how well it works. FAR more power than I was expecting, having used DustBusters growing up. I just needed something to clean up small areas when doing drywall repair jobs. I had a Stinger shop vac, but it was such a pain to deal with the cord and useless “tool storage” clips that never held, so I tried this. It’s excellent. And the two stage filtration works great and it’s easy to clean. I was expecting it to be disposable because drywall dust gets through all but the best filters, but it hasn’t shown any sign of wearing out.
I am no longer doing drywall work, so it doesn’t get much use, but we keep it around the house as a dedicated “bug sucker”.
Now that I think about it I should keep it at the drill press table for quick cleanups that don’t warrant the full shop vac (now a proper Ridgid jobsite model).
Susan Levy
I’ve had hand-held dustbusters through the years that always remained in the charger base. I don’t like the ones that need to be re-charged after each use. The convenience of a wall mounted charge base gives me the ability to just grab the dustbuster at a moment’s notice and then replace it in the charge wall mount. I can’t comprehend why anyone would want a dustbuster that would need charging after a single use. Are there any hand-held dustbusters still around that can remain charged at all times? Thanks for any reply.