I bought this vac after reading all the reviews I could find on it.. they all sounded very positive. One big reason for buying this model was that it has a HEPA filter, which is very important to us since we live in the dusty desert and have to deal with allergies as well.
The basic vac is pretty darn nice... it has a nice comfortable, balanced feel and pretty good suction. It has not run the battery down any time I have used it so far... seems pretty strong.
I immediately noticed two problems with the basic unit though, and did some ''engineering changes'' to improve it:
(1) The on-off switch was almost impossible to operate using just one hand. It is a smooth, dished button that you have to slide with the thumb of the hand holding the handle. Good idea, except that it was so smooth that my thumg couldn''t get a grip on it, especially to turn it off, so I would use my other hand to work the switch. I cured that problem by ''dimpling'' the button with dots of super-glue, then using super-glue to make a strong ridge across the middle (side-to-side) that my thumb could get in front or back of to turn it on and off.
(2) The ''headlight'' shines back into your eyes making it hard to see what you are doing in dark areas. I solved that one by putting a small piece of aluminum duct tape across the top part of the lens. It not only keeps the light out of your eyes but also reflects more light toward the area you want to see... works much better.
The one problem I have yet to solve involves the HEPA filter. You remove the foam filter that comes installed in the vac, then install the HEPA filter in its place. Problem is, HEPA filters are usually used as a FINAL filter, after the air has passed through the normal filters. Also, the HEPA filter for this vac is pretty darn small in area. Using it as the main filter as they do with this vac, it plugs up almost immediately since it has to catch ALL the dust-type of contamination coming through the vac (the larger debris is caught in the large basket-type prefilter that you remove to empty). I have to clean the HEPA filter after just a few minutes of operation or the suction really decreases... very inconvenient! I have temporarily installed the original foam filter in front of the HEPA filter to see if that helps. Trouble is, they didn''t design it to work that way and there is really not very much room for the foam filter. I have not used it enough to know if this is going to solve the problem. If not, guess it''s time to try the Dyson DC16 hand vac and sell this one.
DirtTamer Ultima 14.4V...V2510 Model. While looking for a replacement filter after using our vac for 3 years, I was surprised to see the poor reviews. Perhaps they were not the Ultima model. This has been an excellent vac for quick vaccuuming of bathroom and kitchen floors and especially our carpeted stairs. Compared to our previous Black and Decker DustBuster hand-held vacs, this is a dream. I am able to run it for a good 10 minutes without losing power. I have not tried it on wet surfaces. When this one goes, I will definitely purchase another.
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I''ve had two of the older V2210 model for at least six years, one in the house and one in the garage. I think both are still going on the original batteries. Unlike some cheaper rechargeable vacs, you can, and should, leave it on the powered charging base when the vac is not in use. Unlike those others, it will always be charged when you need to use it.
I find it more powerful than DustBuster and it stays powerful for several minutes.
Although the charging base can be mounted either horizontally or vertically, it is important to secure the base so it doesn''t slide when you dock the unit. If you try to dock it and the loose base slides away, the charging pads may not make good contact.
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I have owned the Ultima v2510 for at least 4 years. I have consistently used it at least once a week during that period. It is a very powerful hand vac, MUCH more powerful than my previous B&D Dustbuster. It is a bit on the loud side, but that''s the price for good suction. About a year ago, I noticed that it began to die much more quickly than it used to. But I''ve solved this problem. Every few months, I let the unit completely discharge and then fully charge it again before use. This has given the unit new life, it is as powerful as ever. The batteries are NiCad and that is typical care for this type of battery--they must be occasionally fully discharged for longer useful life. There are replacement batteries available from Filterstream (go to their website, you''ll see), but you should be able to get several years out of the original batteries, as I have. If you think the battery is not charging, take a multimeter, set it to "VDC" and measure the voltage at the charger contacts. It should read 25V or so. If it is lower, then it may not be properly charging the battery. Anyway, I highly recommend this product, it is a portable hand vacuum that exceeds expectations and is fully worth the cost over its cheap competitors.
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I used to run a professional cleaning company and am very picky about the products I use. I''ve had plenty of hand held vacuum cleaners over the years, and this little machine has been the exclusive one I use now (though mine says "Nexxtech" on it, perhaps because it was purchased at a Canadian Tire Store several years ago they no longer carry it). Hands-down the best and most powerful cordless I have ever had, excellent around all areas of the house & workshop. It is well worth the price; I am going to buy another one!
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