BLACK+DECKER dustbuster Pivot 18V Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, PV1820L-GB

Arrived on timeSecurely packagedWorks well

Brilliant for the car and for collecting from small areas.

The suction level is pretty impressive and effective. It is a little more noisy than I was expecting but maybe it feels more so because the size of the vacuum and having it only at arms length from the motor means one is in closer proximity to it. The charge is certainly sufficient for the tasks I have needed to perform such as cleaning the car, vacuuming spillages, and tricky to reach areas. The design is good with the extending attachment and little brush. My only negative comment, hence the four stars, is it seems a little tricky to empty the vacuum and access the filter, putting everything back together smoothly first time. However, I do have small hands, so I appreciate this may be a factor. Overall, pleased with my purchase.

I rarely give 5 stars, but this vac deserves them all. Purchased in February 2023 it is used regularly, battery holds the charge and the power is still good, as is the suction. And it still looks like new

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I like a good suck as much as the next man and the Dustbuster Pivot from Black+Decker has certainly delivered a satisfying experience.The obvious choice that I started looking at when purchasing a cordless vacuum was some of the Dyson models. However, the high performance and strong brand reputation sadly command a higher price tag too. So much to the extent that some of the entry level models are double the price of the Black+Decker.My past experiences with cordless vacuums have been poor to say the least. Most of them have the power of a nat's fart and I regularly found it more productive to get my Yorkshire terrier to hoover up crumbs from the floor. This particular B&D model is rated at 18v as opposed to some of their lower 10.8v and 14.4v models. Indeed, this 18v model is more expensive than the aforementioned 10.8v & 14.4 but, at around £60-£70, is far less than the equivalent Dyson without compromising on suction. It really does pick up a heck of a lot of crap from the floor and I regularly use it to clean my car or rooms in the house. When powered up, there is a reassuring high powered whirl from it's motor that sounds a lot more akin to a corded vacuum as opposed to one of the cordless variety. You name it and the B&D has picked up all, but the most demanding, rubbish that's been embedded in my carpets.Although suction power is most probably the most important element, it would not be a complete product if the rest of the components and design didn't live up to this high standard. However, I can happily report that as far as flaws go, there is very little to criticise with this product. The next highest priority on most people's lists will most probably be battery life. B&D rate this product at 10 minutes which quite frankly doesn't sound all too impressive. In reality, I've actually found the battery life to exceed the manufacturers claims. A nice change I might add. Couple that with the immense suction power and, in that time, you can get a lot of work done. Think of it this way, if it sucks up twice as good as a vacuum that lasts 20 minutes, then you will still be twice as productive since you've completed the work in half the time. What this basically means in reality, is that I can pretty much do the entire car with battery to spare.The overall ergonomics of this product are very good. It has a swivel head which allows you to manipulate it to a variety of positions in order to get into hard to reach places such as the top of bookshelves or door pockets in cars. Another very useful feature is that all the attachments are built into the device rather than having to attach them manually. This is great because it keeps it's footprint down to a minimum. Just pull the end of nozzle and out comes a thin extension piece or, if you have some thicker carpets, just flip the brush down from the underside. You can tell that someone has put real thought into the usability of this product.The vacuum comes with it's own charging station which is a nice touch. Things like this help to keep it charged up and ready to use when it's needed rather than having to manually plug a cord into the wall and vacuum each time you use it. The swivel head folds back on itself when charging to reduce it's size and the docking mechanism is very slick and easy to use requiring no effort to dock or un-dock it.There are very few negatives to this vacuum but there are a couple of small things that could perhaps be implemented in future models to further enhance the usability. Firstly, I find that the waste hatch can too easily come open which means on a couple of occasions, the vacuum has decided to spill it's contents on the floor. Secondly, as previously mentioned, the battery life is fine. However, because it's so capable, you just want to keep sucking things up and keep moving onto room after room. Something that the battery in this isn't designed to do. I can't really hate on the product for this as, at best, it was designed to clean no more than a car. If in a future model B&D decided to add a removable battery pack (even if it's sold separately), then we can effectively double the product's run time and tackle bigger challenges. A feat that I am sure this product is capable of doing.So, would I recommend this? Yes.Would I buy this again? Yes.

We bought this to replace a very similar earlier B&W model, whose battery had become weak after several years of use. That earlier machine didn't have a lithium battery so, as I was largely happy with the older machine, I thought a newer model, with a Lithium battery would probably be ideal - more powerful and should last a long time.So, just over two years on, the battery has failed. The machine still works but only runs for 30 seconds or so before stopping. This wasn't gradual - it was working well enough until not long ago but now has completely lost the ability to hold enough charge to be any use.To me, this is just not good enough. I realise rechargeable batteries don't last forever but to go from new to dead in two years is unacceptable. For comparison, my iPhone (also with a Lithium battery) is well over four years old and the battery still claims (and seems) to be at about 85% of its original condition. We have a GTech AirRam cleaner too - again with Lithium battery - that has been in regular use for well over 4 years and still cleans the whole house on a charge as it did when new. Better still, if the GTech battery fails, I can buy a replacement for a lot less than the cost of the machine, which is not true of the Black and Decker.If you look through Amazon reviews for this and other Black and Decker rechargeable cleaners, you'll see a lot of people with the same issue: pleased with their purchase at first but then the battery dies - often just after the warranty expires.The other, much less serious, problem with this machine (and the earlier model it replaced) is the way the dirt runs back out when you put it on the charging stand. There's a rubbery flap inside that's supposed to stop that happening but it's not very effective so the dust comes out most times I put it on the charger.That problem is irritating but liveable with. The terrible battery life isn't, so I'm looking for a new machine now from a different maker. The trouble is most reviewers - including even Which? - tend to rate the B&W machines highly - possibly because they don't keep them for two years to discover the battery problem.