Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We've had many DustBusters in the past. The first time you use them they are great. But after just a few uses the filter clogs and the suction drops off. Then the batteries go. Our most recent one would run about 2 minutes before the battery would die. It was a mess to empty. The filter never seemed the same after the first few uses. This one is different. First off, it is heavy by comparison. It weighs at least double the weight of our old DustBuster. Not good for older folks. It weighs over 4 lbs. It's body is much larger. The build quality is very good. My favorite part is the way you empty it and how the filters are constructed. To empty, pull the grey latch on the side and swing open the circular door. The whole dust cavity is exposed. You can dump it without getting your hands dirty. The filter design is great. This unit works like a Dyson vac with the cyclonic action. You see the dust and debris spin around the center cone when it's on. When you empty it the center plastic cone just twists out. It's hard plastic and keeps the big chunks of dirt away from the softer filter underneath. The manual says the second filter is paper, but it feels more like a plastic filter material. To clean it you just put it under the faucet like a Dixie cup. Which is a good estimate of the filters size. It seems pretty durable with its plastic rim and top. It will probably stand up to many washings. The manual says to replace it ever year. I'm sure it will last that long if not longer. It snaps back together easily. The suction is great. It has two speeds and we rarely need to use the hi-speed. We use ours mostly for crumbs and cereal spills around the kitchen table. It's louder than our previous models. I don't mind a bit because this one really works. The pivoting nozzle is different. I can't say it's a great improvement on the old design. It may be an advantage for someone else. So why not 5 stars? As mentioned in other review, the wall mount bracket puts the handle to the right side. It works out well for me because I mounted it on the right wall of our closet. If my closet setup was different this would be a problem. The battery. The manual tells you how to remove the battery and recycle it. There is no mention of it being replaceable. You have to remove 7 screws to open the case and then another 3 or 4 to remove the motor. The battery is under the handle. You have to open the bottom and disassemble everything to get it out. There were places that would sell you replacement batteries for our other DustBusters. The same may be true with this unit in time. But you have to be prepared to disassemble it completely to do it. The unit uses NiCad batteries. This battery technology has a memory problem. The manual says to place the unit on the charger after every use. In my experience this really shortens the life of the battery. We charge the unit fully and then unplug the base. We use the vac until the batteries are exhausted and then charge again. I had hoped they would have used NiMH with higher energy density or Li-ion even better. Or at least put the batteries into cartridge form. The until looks like it will out last the battery. Happy I bought it. Big improvement over the older units. It's worth the extra cost. I got interested in it because Popular Mechanics did a comparison between the Pivot, Dirt Devil Kone, and the Dyson Root 6 in the February 2007 issue, pg.36. They said the Kone was awful, and the Pivot was the favorite, cost $90 less than the Dyson and didn't look like a ray-gun. (Wow, what long review!)