Customer Reviews

Black & Decker Pivot Vac 18V Cordless Pivoting Hand Vac, PHV1810

5 star:		(439)
4 star:		(176)
3 star:		(58)
2 star:		(53)
1 star:		(86)

 

 

I purchased the older model PHV 1800 a little over 3 years ago, back in May 2007. I liked it so much that I purchased another one for my in-laws a month later. For the last couple of months, the battery no longer retained a proper charge and since the battery is unfortunately not replaceable, it gave me an excuse to buy this newer model PHV 1810. As with the previous model, this is the best and most powerful handheld vacuum we've ever used in our household.

As I'm comparing the two units side-by-side, the new vacuum is a little smaller than the previous model and the dirt bin is bigger (it should hold more dirt). Since the battery on the old model is pretty much dead, I cannot give you an accurate power suction comparison between the two, but this one seems as powerful as when the previous model was new.

The nozzle has a wide range of motions, it pivots to use at many angles and has a cleaning brush built into it (you just need to flip it upwards) so you'll never lose it again. Dirt spins away from the filter so suction power stays strong. Cleaning the unit is very effective, you just click the side door open and unlike the older model, this one allows you to remove the canister and filter entirely and rinse them. The manual comes with instructions for removing and disposing of the nickel-cadmium battery, but nowhere does it say that replacements are available. One thing I liked on the previous model was when you needed to charge or use the unit; you simply put it in or remove it from a cradle; with this new model, you'll have to plug and unplug the power supply on the back of the unit anytime you need to use it.

If you want a powerful and portable vacuum, look no further.

I purchased this hand vac a couple of weeks ago for use at our vacation home. It is intended to replace an old dustbuster, the battery of which was kaput. In our other home we have the previous model--the B&D PHV1800, which we like a lot--I would give it 5 stars.

The newer model is a disappointment for several reasons--
1. Cleaning the filter is much more complicated. One must remove the entire chute and canister in order to get at the filter.
2. As mentioned in another review, the chute is susceptible to having contents of the canister fall out once the vacuum is turned off. If one empties the canister after each use, this isn't too much of an issue. Ordinarily, after cleaning up a few crumbs or a bit of sand, we would not go to the trouble. This thing is for convenience, after all.
3. No way was provided to hang up the vac when not in use. Although the charging tray for the 1800 was cumbersome, it was better than having to put the device on the floor or a shelf for charging. We finally tied a loop of nylon cord around the handle in order to hang it on a hook in the closet.
4. But the final, fatal flaw: After the first charge, the battery could never be fully recharged. The device ran down within 20-30 seconds, even after an overnight charge. Our other one, after a couple of years use, still has full power for 2-3 minutes. So the one we were sent had a bad battery.

At first we found that the 1810 had good suction and from that standpoint performed in an equivalent manner to its predecessor. We developed workarounds for the spillage, storage, and cleaning issues. But when it finally was evident that we had a faulty battery, that was the last straw. We returned the device to Amazon for a refund. I must say that since the return was within the 30 day window, Amazon was amazing! No complaints there.

All this having been said, when we get back to our vacation place, we plan to order another one of these. If the battery works satisfactorily, giving us the same use as our 1800, I will re-review and give the item 3 or maybe even 4 stars. If you get one, be sure to use it a lot in the first 30 days. If it doesn't live up to your expectations, you can use Amazon's great return policy and get another device.

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September 25, 2012 update to review:
We did reorder another of these hand vacuums. The battery on the replacement does hold its charge reasonably well. We have now had it for >6 mos, and it continues to function well in regard to its use. Items 1-3 above are still somewhat vexing, but eventually one gets accustomed to the routine.

I changed the review to 3 stars (instead of the original 1 star) to reflect the device's good suction, the length of time it can be used before running down, and its convenience. Not as good as the 1800, but satisfactory.

I have compared new Black and Decker 1800 and 1810 side by side. Less noise is the only thing the 1810 has over the 1800, but I don't consider that an advantage in a vacuum cleaner that I want to suck! The suction, the charging stand, the design of the 1800 is far superior to the 1810. In fact the 1810 has a MAJOR design flaw: Fold the nozzle back and everything you just vacuumed up falls out the nozzle!

Let me first say I buy nearly 100 products from Amazon every year and have for 5 years and have never written a review on here because I don't have a lot of time and am very busy. But I felt compelled for this product. It's simply unbelievable. I had the earlier model but after 3 years the battery finally died so I saw this new version and decided to pick it up. Black & Decker missed the mark on 2 minor things, but everything else is a HUGE improvement. First, what they missed: I was disappointed to see there's no charging cradle anymore. Bring that back. Second, the vac is front heavy. They should have installed some lead weights in the rear so it doesn't have a tendency to drop forward. It's certainly a non-issue, but from a standpoint of perfectionism, it would have made the vac more comfortable to hold in your hand. Also, I think they should have made the battery cover a different color. It's almost like the color you'd see in a baby's room. I would have liked to see a more modern kind of color, but the rest of the vac is designed very nice.

But how does it perform? This thing will BLOW you away. It's incredible how powerful it is and I love the fact that you can remove the front assembly for easy rinsing in the sink (such as after you vacuum up a mound of saw dust as I did last night). I think this product rightly deserves the title of "The most powerful hand vac in the world."

Seriously, if you need a new hand vac or aren't satisfied with your current dust buster, pick this up now. I mean it. Seriously. I'll bet you a 6 pack that you'll LOVE this thing. I got mine here on Amazon for under 60 bucks and I think I paid $[...] for the last generation when I bought it and this thing BLOW THE PANTS off the last one.

Buy it now! Seriously. No, seriously, buy this NOW!

I'm known for doing FAR too much research before I buy the smallest product, so it's no surprise that I was diligent to read many reviews here before I purchased this item which we use in our household daily. Here is what I would consider the unforgivable achilles heal of this product:

BATTERY LIFE IS VERY SHORT, EVEN FOR A CORDLESS VAC
I was skeptical of reviews talking about how poor the battery life is, because often I see reviewers who are new to owning a dust buster who have unrealistic expectations. In this case, I should have listened to the warnings. This product's battery life, fresh out of the box, is restrictively short. We have a much older B&D dust buster with many more recycle times on the battery that still greatly outperforms this one. It's so short, that when it's fully recharged only after a few recharge cycles, we can JUST barely get up the daily cereal mess our kids leave on hard wood floors just under the dining room table. I'm not talking about bowls and bowls dumped cereal throughout a house, I'm talking about little dry pieces that have fallen off of the table.

DESIGN FLAW LEAVES MORE MESS THAN WHEN YOU STARTED
That's right, the jokes on us! I read these warnings and again disregarded them. When you unfold the front nozzle to go and use the vac, instantly, the entire contents of the previous vacuuming job dumps out onto the floor or counter depending on where you store it. I wrote this up to user error and neglect in the reviews, but it happens every time we use it and when our kids use it. You spend the first half of it's valuable battery life cleaning up the mess the VAC just created!

Overall, I am shocked at the discrepancy between the amazon user reviews and this product. User reviews with so many people contributing tend to be very accurate. For whatever reason, the reviews have failed us and this product is less than useless in our household.

This thing is a powerful hand vac!
I haven't figured out if the brush feature is any good yet.
I like the smaller attachment that slides out for small areas.
Emptying out the container is easy enough but sometimes I use my big vacuum to really get the junk out.
One thing to keep in mind is it is a bit heavy but I don't mind.
I have not had any problems with stuff coming out when folding it up.
I love having this thing around!

Pros:
Relatively quiet
Good suction
Pivoting nose add flexibility
Fold-away nose brush for getting dirt off smooth and rough surfaces
Easy to open dirt receptacle for disposal
Compact shape and lightweight

Cons:
Five minute battery life
Uses Nickel Cadmium batteries - why couldn't they have used Nickel Metal Hydride for longer life and less end-of-battery-life disposal toxicity?

I purchased PHV 1810 several months ago, and so far I am very pleased with it.
It has really good suction and fairly easy to clean without getting dust all over yourself.
It works better than any other hand-held I had - picking up not only dust but small objects (like small stones on the car mat) as well.

A friend of mine has PHV 1800 and I was hoping to buy the same model so we can share the filters my friend bought in bulk. However by the time I got around to buying the vacuum, 1800 was not available, and 1800 filters do not fit 1810 model. Not surprisingly, as B&D wants to sell more filters for the new model. (Be careful when you buy replacement filters, as there are still lots of filters for PHV 1800 on the market)

A typical death for these units comes when the battery dies, and since the manual contains instructions for battery removal I spent some time investigating if it is possible to replace the battery to prolong the life of the unit. I found out from Black and Decker that the battery is not replaceable. The removal instructions are given only for proper disposal of the battery when the unit is no longer working.

I was planning to buy it on Amazon, but turns out a local Best Buy had a better price ($60 vs $69).
Update: Since I wrote this review, I noticed that Amazon price has improved! Great job, Amazon!

Update 7/10/12

The original review was written 10/15/2010. It is now more than 1.5 years later, and I am still very pleased with the vacuum. The suction is still excellent, and in my use I have not noticed the battery deterioration yet. For the amount of time I use it is still as good as when I bought it. A typical job for me, for example, is vacuuming a car which takes under 10 minutes.

There is a bit of dust that comes out of the vacuum if you hold the nozzle down when you finish. To avoid this spillage I hold the vacuum with the nozzle up or continue to run the motor until I am over the trash can where I empty the vacuum after each use. I don't consider this to be a deal breaker and I am still pleased with the vacuum.

Ali Julia review

I absolutely love this thing! I bought it because of the product reviews but was a tiny bit hesitant because of the reviews complaining about the absence of cradle charger (which the old model had). Actually, I am really glad it does not have a cradle charger because cradles always take up so much room on the counter and you have to hold down the cradle and forcibly remove whatever is charging. This is wonderful because it folds flat and just sits on the counter like a box. The suction is amazing - I did not even know that anyone made a hand held vac with this much suction!!! Also, the battery goes forever and it is a breeze to clean!

--I want to get one for every room in the house! One reviewer said that debris fell out of the channel/tube when he folded it closed; I had no problem with this and the only thing I can think of that might cause such a thing to happen is that maybe something too large got caught in the tube and everything else just got backed up behind it.

I would easily give this hand vac 5 stars, but it is missing one key thing. There is no charging cradle. This means it needs to sit on the floor, counter, or shelf. It cannot be wall mounted. I didn't think that would be a big deal, but I find it irritating that I have to see it sitting on the floor in the kitchen and that I have to plug the charger cord in each time (as opposed to popping it into a mount that has the charger automatically connected).

That said, the product itself is amazing! It has very strong suction, and the pivot feature is something I could never live without now. Between the pivot and the built in extension tool, I can reach things I could never reach before. It is also very easy to clean (the dust bin opens easily and you can shake everything out over a trash can). It is hands down the best hand vac out there.