Right out of the box, which was in the Amazon Shipping box, you could tell this thing was going to be heavy duty. The smell was something different to me, not unlike unpacking something that is meant for machining, so I knew what I was holding was as advertised; steel.
Everything comes in a box that seems impossible. I don't know how they got all the attachments and documentation as well as this duster in the box, but it was pretty damn tight. Props for utilization of space. So, a quick overview of the item before I go into my feelings.
It's steel construction means it's going to be heavy, and also durable.
It comes with attachments that are meant to slide on. Only one seems to snap into place, and that piece is meant to be used with an extension "straw" and two attachments that fit on that straw, an angled slotted nozzle for those tight spots, and a nozzle with a brush, just in case you have to sweep some of the dust loose. Good thought. Haven't tried it.
The cable is long enough, I guess.
It's extremely loud, but not much more than your average vaccuum, I guess.
As you expect, it also puts out a lot of air.
So my thoughts. First use was really just a test to see if it even turned on, and when I found that it did (I have seen reviews that said theirs came DoA or died after a minute's use) I rounded up a few things to further test upon. My wife's Laptop was the first with the straw and small nozzle attachment, and I was pretty impressed with how much dust this thing managed to both dislodge and toss out of the laptop. I noticed the DataVac getting warm to the touch, so I let it rest for about five minutes, UNPLUGGED. I can't stress this enough; if it gets power, even if it's off, it generates heat. When not in use, it's best to unplug it. Or at least, plug it into a power source you can turn on and off, like it's own surge protector.
I suggest it's own surge protector not just for the convenience of keeping it plugged in at your workstation, but also because plugging it into a surge protector that has other things in use (in my case, my computer, monitor, and a radio) I noticed that when going to unplug it, it actually turned my monitor and radio off for a moment. It was very strange, and I didn't like it. This proves that there's unnecessary power draw in the unit, and I'm not sure if it's intentional or not.
After about five minutes, I took the window unit A/C's reusable filter outside with the DataVac and tried it again. The results were better than I expected, and with the dust removed cleanly without needing to wash the filter in soap and water (as I used to) I can have my A/C running again in just a few minutes as opposed to a few hours to let the thing dry. I dared to use it on the fins of the unit inside and... I don't suggest it. I mean it REALLY worked, but my god does dust just fly everywhere. It's just... I don't recommend it. Use a vaccuum for that.
Next I tried it on my keyboard; noticing it was definitely warm to the touch, had a good experience there. Probably even better if I remove the keys, but a detailed cleaning of my system will have to wait.
Total use time has been exactly 5 minutes, so I can't really say much to the durability of the thing, but based on reviews I've read, most of the problem comes from overheating. There's even a note in the manual about this that specifically says to unplug the unit when not in use. Read your manuals people. Even if this thing is expensive, has unusual power draw when the unit is off, and overheats after some use, it is WELL WORTH the money. I've tried every attachment for durability and to see if it stays on the unit, except for the brush nozzle, and it works fine. Only ONE ATTACHMENT IS MEANT TO SNAP IN, and it's for obvious reasons. More air through a small area means more pressure, means the thing can and will fly. That's why that attachment is the only one with a tab to fit the release on. The others simply slide over it (with some effort, I've found...) and twist off; it's really not that hard. The money I'm gonna save on canned air is well worth the price of this DataVac, the only thing I wish though, is that it was a lot less noisy. But what can you do?
Edit: Review doesn't really change, but I'm adding to it.
I've finally taken the time to exercise this thing to the fullest. I've cleaned out my computer case and parts FULLY (the brush attachment is unsurprisingly ineffectual, probably because it doesn't have the appropriate stiffness, or pliability with the bristles. But this isn't a big deal, this tool isn't meant to be a catch-all duster that instantly makes everything super clean. It's gonna leave a fine layer of dust on whatever you're dusting; if you can't take the time to clean it out the rest of the way, then this is probably enough, but you'll want to stay on top of this.
It gets pretty hot here sometimes, so we have a few box fans around the house, and with a dog that sheds her weight in fur every week, these fans get choked. One fan I was sure was useless. I took it outside, I used the duster on it to blow it clear of debris from the motor and blades as best I could and now? It runs like a whole new fan. Same for the newer fan that was getting choked up pretty bad, which cleaned off much easier than the former, and as this is the one that points at me and my wife when we're in bed, this is probably the greatest thing ever.
ONE THING I've noticed and I'm sure is a cause for the reason why some people's units burn out so fast, is that this thing intakes air from the bottom and when you're blowing dust into the air, it's gonna suck that dust and debris right up into it's filter, which is thankfully removable, washable, and replacable. I wish they would have gone the route of most computer cases with a sliding removable filter that is meant to be reusable, rather than this... sponge looking thing. This might be easily fixed with a DIY solution, but if you like the item, keep the filter clean. If it has to work harder to get the air, its gonna run hotter and burn out faster.
| Brand | Metro Vacuum |
|---|---|
| Special Feature | bagless, corded |
| Included Components | Air Pin-Pointer, Air Concentrator Nozzle, Air-Flare Nozzle, Micro Cleaning Tool Kit |
| Is Cordless? | No |
| Wattage | 500 watts |
| Charging Time | 45 minutes |
| Form Factor | Handheld |
| Color | White |
| Model Name | ED500 |
| Product Dimensions | 0.02"L x 0.02"W x 0.02"H |
| Battery Description | Not Applicable, item runs on 120VAC |
| Noise Level | 70 dB |
| Manufacturer | Metro Vacuum |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | 0.75 |
| Item Weight | 2.7 pounds |
| Item model number | 117-117308 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 10.7X 5.8X 4.3 |
| Manufacturer Part Number | ED500 |
