Reviews of many of Black+Decker’s line of handheld vacuum cleaners have been up and down. There are those who swear by their awesome vacuum performance, whereas others wouldn’t recommend them to their worst enemies.
But there’s one B+D handheld model that swears to dispel any and all negative rumors: the Dustbuster HHVI315JO42 (hereinafter referred to as simply the Dustbuster). How well does it work and is it worth the super-affordable price tag? Read below to find all about the Dustbuster.
Dust, Debris, and Hair
When looking for a handheld vacuum cleaner, the primary factor you’ll want to consider is whether it can actually pick up dust, debris, and/or hair. If it can do all three of these things in one or two passes, then without a doubt, it’s a nice handheld unit.
The Dustbuster can do all three, though its performance is different for each.
Ironically, the Dustbuster doesn’t bust dust or other super-fine particles out of carpet fibers that well. This may be due to the wide nozzle (more on this later) because when it comes to debris—both big like cereal and small like oats—the Dustbuster is nothing short of exceptional.
For pet owners out there, the Dustbuster is probably not the best handheld unit to go with. Because it lacks a motorized brushroll, it’s nearly impossible for it to suction pet hair out of carpets and upholstery fibers.
Wide Nozzle and Built-In Crevice Tool
The Dustbusters main feature is its 2-in-1 nozzle and crevice tool. Switching between each tool is a matter of pulling out or pushing in the crevice tool from the nozzle.
The risk of losing the crevice attachment is little to none so that’s pretty neat.
Unfortunately, “neat” doesn’t cut it. As I mentioned earlier, the wide nozzle might be the culprit behind the Dustbusters lackluster dirt-busting performance from carpeting and upholstery since it is close to impossible to create a tight vacuum around the dirty spot.
Also, the width and stubbiness of the nozzle prevent sit from getting into hard-to-reach areas. The crevice tool is also not of much help here.
Battery Life
The Dustbuster is a cordless handheld vacuum cleaner that draws power from a sizable 1.5-Ah rechargeable Li-Ion battery.
The instructions manual will ask that you charge the Dustbuster for several hours before using—an important step that you absolutely shouldn’t skip.
On a full charge, the Dustbuster works for up to 12-1/2 minutes, giving you plenty of time to clean (what the Dustbuster can pick up is another issue entirely).
After that, you’ll need to charge the unit for up to 4 hours before reaching max capacity. The super-long charging time for hardly any power is a major put-off.
2-Step Dust Cup Cleaning
We know it seems like I’ve been bashing the Dustbuster quite a bit so let’s spend some time talking about its positives.
First, the easy-to-clean dust cup that holds onto a massive quantity (0.9 liters) of debris. Considering its limited runtime, the dust cup should be able to hold onto more than one cleaning session’s worth of dust before becoming full.
Additionally, emptying out the dust cup is a simple two-step process involving detaching the cup from the unit with a slight tug and removing the filter.
None of the collected dust should stick to the inner lining of the dust cup, but if it does, a quick rinse under running water should do the trick.
Washable Filter
Speaking of the filter, it’s important to that its completely washable, allowing you to use the filter over and over again during the entire lifetime of the Dustbuster.
Now, the filter isn’t anything too extraordinary, but it does a decent job at retaining both small specks of dust and large debris from shooting out of the vacuum’s exhaust.
Lightweight Design
The one thing nobody can deny about the Dustbuster is that it’s extremely lightweight, even more so than what you’d typically find from other handheld models.
Weight a sliver of 2 pounds, the light design will help poke the wide nozzle in all sorts of places, and it won’t weigh down on your arm too much. Fatigue isn’t an issue since, at most, you’ll only get up to 15 minutes of power.
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Verdict: Should I Get the Black+Decker Dustbuster HHVI315JO42?
Considering the numerous downsides of the Dustbuster, it’s hard to create an argument where its lightweight build, washable filter, and easy-clean dust cup outweigh its unsatisfactory hair and dust removal abilities.
Considering the super-cheap price tag, the Black+Decker HHVI315JO42 would probably be a good backup model to have, perhaps for your car or garage workshop, but for inside of your home, there are plenty of other handheld vacuum cleaners that outclass the Dustbuster by a wide margin.
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