The CHV1400 14.4-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster is supposedly designed to leave on charge, but it has two large NiCd (nickel cadmium) batteries. Keeping these batteries always charging causes them to almost die in less than a year. That's when the fun begins.

First of all, I could not get them out. After an hour of frustration it became apparent that they will not come out unless I broke the plastic housing holding them. Both nickel and cadmium are toxic heavy metals. The owner's manual acknowledges this, and that the batteries are not to be disposed of, they are to be recycled. Shame on Black and Decker for designing a product which uses batteries that they know will harm the environment, yet cannot be removed for recycling. This is the stuff class action lawsuits are based on, and B&D has gone out of its way to invite one.

Second, as noted in other reviews, I am unable to get replacement batteries even if I wanted to, without paying almost as much as the vacuum itself. I did find some, but the price was wicked expensive. B&D has built a product based on the marketing principle of "planned obsolescence," meaning the product is designed to be replaced after a relatively short life, instead of repaired. American automobile manufacturers developed the concept in the '60s, refined it to a fine art form in the '70s, and are still paying for their stupidity today. Those firms who do not learn from the past will have to repeat their mistakes until they get it right, or go out of business.

Oh Please !!!!! I hope it's tough enough to hit someone over the head with !!!!!

Love this product. Buy the replacement filters at Walmart. They are cheaper and charge no shipping.

I found that the cyclonic dustbuster has plenty of power to do the job. It picks up everything from dirt spills to cat hair. It is also easy to empty and easy to clean. It fits neatly into a wallspace and is ready to go when I need it. It is attractively styled and easy to handle. It runs smoothly and efficiently. I am extremely pleased with the operation and styling of this product.

I bought this after my last wet/dry dustbuster grew mold in it. This one is not wet/dry, but it does have mighty powerful suction. I keep it near the cat food to clean up after my cat and it picks up whole pieces of cat food without a problem.

Excellent product. Powerful, does what it should. Holds a charge for a good amount of time.
Recommended. Good for household and garage (cleaning cars) use.

Since buying this dustbuster, much of my day consists of following my 3 and 6 year olds around and cleaning up after them :)

Actually- I mainly use it in our kitchen and eating area to clean up our beautiful wood floor after them. Especially my very messy 3 year old.... he always seems to miss his mouth when eating. At any rate, this is quick, powerful, and affordable.

My only complaint (minor) is that, on the charing base, the red light does not always come on when it is charging (even during times I KNOW it needed a charge). My understanding is that this red light is lit as long as the dustbuster is charging and then turns off automatically when done. Well, my worked in the beginning, but no longer does (and, yes, I checked to make sure it was seated right in the charger).

All in all a great product!

I have used other Dustbusters but this one has no cord to
bother with so makes it easier to grab and dust quickie jobs ao you
don't have to take out the big clunky vacuum cleaner. It sits
on the charger all the time you aren't using it, so is always ready
to go and do the quick jobs you need to do.

As many here have said, the batteries in this unit are what limit it's life. Replacing the battery pack is not an option for most people nor was it ever intended to be. It is literally cheaper to buy a new vacuum, which I did. I was so happy with the performance of the first one I had I didn't think twice about getting another. I just accepted that I will need to buy a new one every 2-3 years. Maybe the next time I need a new one the battery issue will be fixed.

I got this DustBuster for my husband. He is very happy with it and it definitely lives up to its name: cyclonic.

..worked ok for a short while but now fails to fully charge or battery depletes very fast. Battery is not user replaceable. In short it's a POS and a waste of money. Look for a unit with user replaceable battery because they will fail to charge sooner or later. None of the Black & Decker units have a use replaceable battery. The battery should easly pop out and not require any tools or disassembly. The B&D people should get 50 lashes at the whipping post for selling JUNK like this.

pd.

this unit is replacing a dying earlier model, which never, even when new, had this kind of pick-up capability; I'm pleased.

love this product. it works on any floor and any item such as bird seed, which are cockatoo spills all over the floor. my son uses it to help me around the house with the bird seed and any thing he and his sister might spill. my daughter uses to clean up crafts and such and I say any cleaning tool your kids can use to help you or clean up after themselves is worth every penny!!! it also last for years when you recharge it.

I really enjoy using this Dustbuster. It replaces one that was about 10 years old; it has much bigger capacity, is easier to clean and is not very noisy. I didnt like the fact that they want you to fasten the holder to the wall in order to keep it upright but was able to improvise so that it didnt need to be attached to the wall.

Excellent purchase. Does a great job. Very powerful vacuum. We are very happy with this purchase

Love it! Great for cleaning up after my two little ones in between vacuuming days. It has really good power - I even use it for my steps rather than my Dyson.

We finally upgraded from our 10 year old Dustbuster.... Why did we wait so long?
This works great and isn't much bigger than the original. Much better power and the battery lasts much longer.

It sucks as advertised. On higher speed setting it sucks even more. Even my wife said the vacuum i bought sucked more than anyone we've owned. The battery assures the device sucks for at least 12 minutes. If you're looking for a vacuum that sucks a whole lot, this is it.

Can't beat the price on this unit. And it does work as advertised - good suction, nice design (don't touch dirt on clean out). I get a kick watching our 4 and 6 year olds clean up up their own under-table mess becasue of the novelty of this gizmo. Some here have said bad battery life. My plan is to replace it every two years for $35 if that's the case. More than enough charge per use for our kitchen needs.

It is a loud little sucker. Be forewarned. And I find the wall mount a little difficult to use - maybe because I have it hanging back above washer/dryer - but doesn't latch naturally to me. Just a nit.

I think you'll enjoy it. Would recommend it to family/friends.

This is, by far, the best hand-held vac I've ever owned. If you are considering, get one with at least 14.4 volts of power. It really does make a big difference. I've owned the wimpy ones with less power and they don't compare. Definitely worth a few extra dollars.

MUCH better than the old dustbusters. Powerful little handheld- just remember to always keep it on the charger.

I really like this product. It picks up everything, including cheerios and with a toddler, it comes in so handy! Lots of power and holds the charge well and I don't feel like I have to empty it every time I use it.

I bought the product a few weeks ago and it has been very useful to clean small parts of the house especially the steps and also inside the car.It has worked well so far.

The B&D Cyclonic DustBuster has been a very effective portable cleaning unit in my house - easily picking up dirt and dog hair from tight corners where nothing else seems able to reach. Its small size, quick charging cycle, and ease in emptying makes this one the best in the line of DustBusters !

After a Memorial Day trip to the beach with our 4 young girls, my wife used the Dustbuster to clean the car. No sand anywhere. Should have bought one years ago.

Product delivers on what was advertised. It has great power for picking up things and is very versatile with the attachments. I have heard that some have complained about how long the charges last, but it seems to do everything that I need it to do. If you have that big a mess, maybe you should use a plug-in vacuum cleaner. I was very satisfied with the purchase.

Imagine taking your full-sized vacuum and shrinking it to handheld size. Now, make it 100x better than the full-sized. Seriously.

I bought this as a gift for my mother and after seeing how well it worked on the stairs, picking up hair, and chasing cats out from under the bed, I bought another one for the office.

Other dustbusters can bite the dust.

This is an excellent vacuum for small jobs - to clean up small messes or even suck up after using a broom on kitchen tile floor. My 5 year old loves to assist by sucking up everything in sight. Of course, this can have its disadvantages!! LOL!

I purchased one for myself and liked it so much that I purchased one for my daughter.

We own an African Grey parrot, and we use a hand vac on a daily basis. The scattered seeds and down feathers give the hand vacs a workout. We've went through various brands, plus other B&D models, and this particular model is the best we've owned. This is the second CV1400 we've owned, and if it lasts as long as the first one, we'll be extremely happy! Very powerful, with cyclone action, and I like the on board attachments, and the two speed motor.

I have used it twice.
Pros:
*long lasting battery.
*easy to clean the vacuum cleaner.

Cons:
*aesthetically is not great.
*not energystar rated.
*ok suction power.

Its alot heavier than the one it replaced. Lots of power, even on low it picks up small things well. I'd recommend it unless you are frail, its well built and kind of heavy.

OK - here is some background - single guy living in a small apartment. I spill some coffee grounds, or the cat (a truly terrible devil named Bad Jerome) tips over a plant, and I got a small mess. I have a vacum, but what a pain dragging the whole thing out, plugging it in, and the said small apartment then smells like the inside of a vacum bag. Great.

Soooo, what is called for is a "dust buster" yet sadly most of them don't even bust dust. Some feeble, little sucking force comes from them, moving the small mess around or grinding it into my carpet. Have you ever picked up pieces of debris and dropped them into the mouth of a dust buster? I know I have.

But not this baby. It seems to have the power of a full-fledged vacum. VAA-ROOOM! Great, great product. Trust me. This one is the shot.

Highly recommended. --Mykal Banta

Great for quick clean-ups. Have really needed this and don't know why I waited so long to buy it. Jean

I have a tiny apartment. My cat and I are both long hair creatures. And it's amazing to see the amount of hair this thing can get together. Strongly recommended for pets owners and long hair women =)