good for cars and very very small spaces. The battery lets it down. (Black & Decker CV1205 Dustbuster)

Name: I-tried-this

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Product:	Black & Decker CV1205 Dustbuster
Date:	15/07/08 (74 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: its small and more affordable then a larger machine, and for a while is as effective as one/

Disadvantages: the suction goes after about a year or two, the battery power is too low and its very chunky

I have to be honest here, I bought this when I first moved home as I could not afford a upright machine and I had wooden floors, this was what I would hoover round the edges of my rooms with (I would sweep the rest with a broom).

I would say that its not the best thing for anyone attempting to follow this idea, for afew reasons:

Firstly the battery power: its very short, even after hours and hours of being charged for use, it still only really gives about 10 minutes of proper cleaning, then starts to die, it then needs to be charged for another few hours to get back a further 10 minutes.

The suction does fade over time. When I first bought it, I was suprized at how well it performed, I had previously had the use of an Argos value type which in my view was no good at all, and this is what I am comparing it to as this is what it was replaceing, it was in my opinion, better then the previous machine.

I used the Black and Decker Machine once or twice a week to hoover up what I had not been able to sweep with a brush during the week, but about 12 months later, it began to decline in its ability to suck up a decent amount of dust, it would do the job, but just took its time doing it. 3 years down the line and the battery power has also gone to pot, I can get about 3 to 5 minutes out of this machine on a 3 hour charge, and only really get the full 10 minutes if I charge it up all of 24 hours- this is too much of a concern for me, you see the machine may be cheap, but exaclty how much does it cost electricity wise, to run the thing?!

It is though, easy to clean, with the ability to take out the parts and wash or rinse them with the exception of the filter which I did try to clean, following the instructions, but really wasnt able to get clean, so buying a new one seems like the best idea. They are around £10 for a replacement but considering the machine is about £30 to £50, really think about this, if your going to use this machine alot more then me (I hoovered once per week for about 3 years before the filter really had to go and would hoover weelly the sweeping up wasnt effective). Also, if you hoover up something thaty smells bad, its going to mean the hoover smells bad forever after until its thoroughly washed, rinsed and the filter is changed.

It is also hard to fit into small places, as its quite chunky. There are attachments, but they are not really long enough for most small gaps, with the long thin flat nose measuring aprox. 7 inches. There is also a brush attachment and a direct nose attachment, the brush I found actually quite useless as it seems to just diffuse the suction and make it less able to pick things up, the direct nose attachment is good though and quite often left on the machine full time as its easier to get a good result then using nothing.

The buttons are easy to reach, feels good to flick around with (eg on and off are just a flick switch) and takeing the machine apart to empty is very easy and staightfoward. Cleaning it by takeing it apart is quite messy though- wear an apron or old clothes as there is alot of dust and it will fly around of its own accord. I have found the easiest way of cleaning this (not mentioned in the instruction book) is to wrap it around in a plastic bag to unclick parts to save yourself gripping hold of the insides of the machine inorder to get it apart. Do not take the bag off until you have each part you want separate as dust will continue to fall out until then!

It does look nice though, its almost playful to look at and is not too hevay to hold- but I would not advise anyone with joint problems to get this as it will be too heavy for you, a friend who has joint problems tested this for me. But its not too heavy for the average person to use for 10 minutes a day. (just lots of kneeling!)

Its easy to look after, easy to fit into a small home, and overall effective for the first year or so if using frequently.

Summary: This is good for a car- just about.

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