Customer Reviews

Dirt Devil M0216CHM Kurv Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Dirt Devil 0216CHM Kurv Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner deserves more credit than it gets. This is not a perfect product. It is definitely not designed for everybody. But as somebody who has bought way more vacuums than the average person, I think this model has a lot going for it that will appeal to specific customers.

SO SHOULD I BUY THIS?

* If you need a compact cordless vacuum for occasional clean up around your car or house, this is a product you should look into.
* If you need to clean large areas, look into the alternatives.
* If you are expecting the same power out of a cordless hand-held vaccuum as a corded one, you will also be disappointed with this. This works great for light use. Just don't plan on picking up nuts and bolts with it like people do on those infomercials.
* If you need to clean heavily soiled areas, look into another product.

PROS
+ The battery holds a charge longer than any other handheld I have tried! Just make sure you prime it properly (follow the instructions) and it should last a long time
+ Improved filter keeps dirt out of the motor; should help it last longer
+ The integrated charging base is very convenient and compact
+ Very nice design; button is flush on the top, good non-skid nozzle
+ Very light! See more in the alternative section

CONS
- Like all cordless vacuums, the suction is not very powerful
- The storage bin does need to be emptied often; hair and debris stick to the filter, so you will have to remove those things by hand to keep this thing working well
- The charge light doesn't change color to differentiate between "charging" and "charged" states
- The price may be slightly high for such a small unit

TIPS

As soon as you get your vacuum, plug it in for at least a day without using it. Once your battery is primed, this thing holds a charge better than any cordless vac I have tried.

Cleaning out the dust bin takes some getting used to. The filter of this guy is very good. At first, you have to pull it out in order to clean it and empty the bin. When you replace it, you have to line it up with a small tab that only fits on the top of the circular filter holder. While this takes some time, it holds the dust away from the motor better than others that I have.

ALTERNATIVES

The Eureka 71B Hand-Held Vacuum is very highly rated. Just an FYI, Eureka is a Dirt Devil company too from what I understand. I got one of those last year to use for spot cleaning. That version is corded and does have a lot more suction power than this cordless Kurv. So what's the problem with that one that made me shop for others? Well, even though it's twice the size, the dust collection bin isn't much bigger. That's not a huge deal. But cleaning the bin takes much more time. The filter gets clogged quicker and needs to be frequently changed. I also found that because that unit is heavier, I didn't use it as often.

Those who mainly want more power and don't mind replacing filters or dealing with wires may prefer the 71B. As for me, I find that the fact that the Kurv is light, small and always ready to go in the charging cradle means it gets used a lot more often in my house. It may only be good for a few dust bunnies, hair and dirt, but that's enough to make it useful.

The Eureka 79B The Boss Cordless Rechargeable Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is a similar design to the classic "dust buster." There are newer versions of the classic dust buster, such as the Black and Decker CHV9600 9.6-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster. I suppose those are more direct competitors to this one but I haven't tried those models myself. I really like that the collection bin is seperated from the motor by the filter. Those old school designs tend to be messier to clean up, but it may be worth looking since they sell for slightly less.

Similarly, Dirt Devil also makes a Kone Cordless Hand Vacuum that sells for a little less. I also own and have used that one. It is very similar to the Kurv, but the battery doesn't seem as robust and the dust bin is even a little smaller. I think that the improvements to the Kurv and the better filter make it worth paying a little more for it. You will have to decide if those features are worth the extra cash to you.

Of course everybody is aware of the newer Dyson handheld models. But the Dyson DC16 Root 6 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner and Dyson DC16 Animal Handheld Vacuum Cleaner retail for around $150 and $200 respectively. I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to spend that kind of cash for a handheld. Every site I have checked has complained of poor battery life for those units.

CONCLUSION

While far from perfect, this design is convenient enough that you will probably find yourself using it more often than other models. For light use around your house and your car, this is a good unit. For more demanding use, look into the other options.

Enjoy.

Four complaints:

1. This thing has the storage capacity to hold approximately 2 pieces of fuzz. Changing it out almost, but not quite, required my finding and reading the owner's manual. Not good. It's a freaking dustbuster, after all.
2. The bright and large charging light stays on constantly even if it's fully charged, wasting energy and never letting you know if it's truly ready to suck some more.
3. The strength of said suckage was merely adequate. It eventually defeated several hordes of vicious dust bunnies after I jettisoned the dead weight of its storage contents.
4. Its mouth is tiny. Don't expect to vacuum any area larger than a square inch, or you'll be there all day.

One begrudging compliment:

1. Admittedly, I've never owned a dustbuster before, so I can't compare its performance to anything, only it's looks. While its appearance IS very stylish and sexy, the inside is seriously lacking in substance.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend the Kurv to anyone unless they want a very sexy-looking nightlight. In which case it would be perfect.

This is one of the best inventions ever!! I don't so much think of it as an art statement or anything, but have it sitting out on the floor in a corner of my dining room and it is fantastic. I actually like to have to use it!! No more dragging out the vacuum for one little dead bug or a little pile of sand. And I know I could pick up the bug with a tissue, but this is much easier and much more fun. It is SO easy to use and I just love it!! My grandma got one too and so did my mom. It's a good investment.

I've had a few other Dust Busters before, and I have regularly used handheld vacuums at friends' houses during play dates with our kids -- I think this Dirt Devil Kurv is far and away the best handheld vacuum I've ever used. Here are my overall thoughts on the product:

- This thing really holds a charge well, and suction is better than any others I've tried, even ones that should theoretically be much more powerful. I think that is in part due to the small mouth of the vacuum. (But no way is it going to pick up anything heavy.)
- The mouth of the vacuum is not very big, but it's not meant for vacuuming up large areas. It is perfect for getting into crevices (like in high chairs), corners, under base cabinets, behind furniture, along chair rails or baseboards, etc.
- The inside storage container is smaller than some others I've seen, but I used it multiple times every single day and probably empty it every 3-4 days. Emptying it is extremely easy, except that you have to put the top portion of the vacuum down because removing the filter and emptying the contents requires two hands.
- The only thing I'd really consider a "con" about this handheld is that the vent goes all the way around the middle. So you must start vacuuming close to you and work away from you to prevent the stuff you're trying to vacuum up from blowing around. Still, that's easily done, so not a true "con."

This thing is so easy my 2-year-old and 4-year-old can use it, and they think it's easy to hold and love to vacuum up after themselves with it! I think this is a must-have if you have small children.

I am so glad that I did not listen to the negative reviews on this product. I don't know if some people expect it to do more than it was meant to do; I always considered these hand held vacuums to be for quick pick ups. I always had the traditional Black and Decker dust busters but I wanted something pretty that I could keep out in my bathroom for picking up hair that always accumulates on the floor and counter from combing and styling hair. This fits the bill and more!!It has much more power than the old B&D dust busters,I am not bothered by the blowing air(all dust busters do this you just have to get used to it), and it is pretty enough to keep on the counter which means it gets used more often ( you know out of sight out of mind). Overall, I am very pleased with this product and would consider getting another one for the downstairs area.

This is a great little vacuum. It was made for small, quick clean up jobs and picks up crumbs, dirt, and small pieces very well. If you want to pick up dog hair, I suggest you use a larger vacuum for this kind of job. It is easy to empty after you use it. It also is the most attractive cordless vac out there. We keep ours plugged in on the floor off to the side in our dining room, where it comes in handy and looks great. This hand held vac is a winner in my book.

This vac is a absolute piece of garbage. It's weak. Very weak. And I'm not sure if I got a lemon but mine holds a charge for about 2 minutes and I bought it brand new. Do NOT buy this vac. I never submit reviews but I had to this time, that is how bad this vac is. I would give it neg stars if it were a option on Amazon.

Price range is acceptable. Ability to remove fine particulates including dust, sand and pet hair is poor. Larger items seems to perform OK, however there is very little storage area for the material it picks up and the filter that protects the motor clogs up quickly. I would not recommend this product for heavy or daily use.

My mom bought the Kurv because it is very pretty, although we quickly realized that the hand vac has a serious design flaw. When you empty the Kurv's dust compartment the filter falls out. It is simply set in said compartment and does not click into place. This would not have been a problem if it were not for someone not paying attention when he emptied it. Later on when we went to use it, we discovered the missing filter. So I ordered new filters, only to realize that I had to order a replacement "filter adapter" as well. Furthermore the "mouth" of the Kurv is very small and the suction merely adequate. Overall it was a very frustrating experience and I would not recommend buying this product.

this product works well, it is a bit heavy at the front end so you have to hold it carefully or it will tilt forward