Black + Decker BDH2000PL MAX Pivot Review: Lightweight Handheld

Folks looking for a versatile, lightweight and powerful handheld should look at the Black & Decker BDH2000PL.

The foldable head allows this to clean hard to reach areas like ceiling vents and tops of closets.

I live in a small townhouse and in these settings, a lightweight handheld like this would be a great tool to have.

At less than 5 pounds, this vacuum is light enough to carry around but has enough suction to clean decently.

It also comes with the new lithium ion battery which means it’ll last longer and hold charge better.

Another key improvement is this one has a rubber flap that keeps dirt from falling back out from the bin – another problem that the old pivot had.

So, thank you Black + Decker for listening to your customers.

A quick look at the features

• Powered by a 20-volt lithium ion battery
• Foldable nozzle allows you to clean areas above your head
• Has 35 air watts which is stronger than a Dyson DC44/DC59 that produces 28 air watts in normal mode
• 3 stage filtration system
• Washable filter – saves on operation costs
• Removable dirt chamber is washable
• Cyclonic filtration
• Transparent dirt bin easily lets you know if the bin is full

Pros

• Better suction than a Dyson DC59 in normal mode
• Small footprint- requires less storage space
• Lithium Ion battery not prone to discharging versus a NiCad battery
• Minimal power fade throughout the charge cycle
• Long 2 year warranty
• Easy to empty
• Does not have any attachments so there is no risk to misplace anything
• Replaceable battery

Cons

• Can’t clean pet hair on carpet because it doesn’t have a pet hair tool
• Not a floor cleaner – you’ll need a stick vacuum to complement this
• Small capacity dirt bin

What to expect from the Black + Decker BDH2000PL?

The biggest improvement that Black and Decker made with this model is the lithium ion battery which is worlds apart when you compare it to a nickel cadmium battery.

NiCad batteries suffer from what you call memory loss. This means that if you don’t you it for a few days, it needs to be recharged which opens up a whole another issue. You’ll needs almost half a day to fully charge.

A lithium ion battery eliminates this problem. It takes only a few hours to recharge. Just leave it on the charging station and whenever you need to use it, pick it up clean then put it back. There’s almost zero risk of overcharging because of the smart charging system.

Also there is consistent power throughout the charge cycle and minimal power fade unlike the old NiCad that fades slowly.

Attachments and accessories

It doesn’t have any attachments whatsoever. All the tools are built-in to the device. It does come with a charging base that the previous model didn’t.

Charging time

I could not find any documentation on how long you need to charge this. But one consumer said that you’ll need to charge it 24 hours when using it for the first time.

Subsequent charges will require around 2 hours. It does have an LED indicator that will stop blinking when the battery is fully charged.

Filter clean up

Consumers were happy on how easy it was to clean this up. A big reason is the dirt cup is removable and washable which makes cleaning that much easier.

Run time

There isn’t much feedback on run time based on reviews, but based on the few I’ve gathered you’ll get around 15 minutes on a full charge but remember that since this uses a lithium ion battery power will be constant and will only fade when the battery is almost empty.

Warranty

It comes with a 2 year warranty on the vacuum and battery.

See it in Action

An Amazon review showing the differences between the old Pivot and the BDH2000PL…

Here’s a video that talks about the features and a short demonstration on how this lightweight handheld cleans…

Bare floor performance

Take note that this vacuum is best used as a spot cleaning tool on small isolated areas. You cannot use this to clean the whole kitchen or dining room floor.

The pull out brush tool will work great when cleaning dusty areas. And the crevice tool will extend the reach by a few inches but you still have to bend over to clean spot areas.

Carpet performance

It has only enough power to clean surface dirt on carpet. Don’t expect this to deep clean carpet or upholstery because it lacks a motorized brush.

The 35 air watts of power it has on tap is actually 7 more than the 28 air watts that the Dyson DC59 has in normal mode.

For a hand vacuum this is exceptional power.

Pet hair removal

It will be able to remove pet hair on hard floors but on carpet all bets are off.

It does not have a pet hair tool that can agitate and loosen pet hair on upholstery and carpet so it will rely purely on suction.

You can try to use the pull out brush tool for agitation but it won’t be as effective as a motorized brush or pet hair tool.

Also since the nozzle is narrow, cleaning a lot of pet hair with this can clog it and will fill up the dirt cup pretty quickly, though it will work to a certain extent on hard surfaces and upholstery.

Consumers have not had any success removing pet hair on carpet though so if you have a lot of pets at home consider something like the BDH2000FL instead.

Product specifications

Customer Reviews

This is a relatively new product in the market so there are only a few reviews but those reviews are all positive!

A lot of people who bought this vacuum also used the pivot and was blown away by the performance.

They said that suction power “doubled” and suction was consistent with minimal fading. Several consumers used this inside their vehicles and were happy with the results.

Black and Decker seemed to listen to all the negative feedback that the Pivot had and improved upon those with this model.

Aside from the battery they’ve also improved by putting in these features:

• A flap inside the nozzle that prevented debris from falling back out
• A charging base that allowed you to store this vacuum upright thus minimizing storage foot print
• A removable dirt cup makes it easier to clean and empty

Kudos to Black and Decker for implementing this and it costs less than $80, add to that the 2 year warranty, you’ve got a bargain.

Update (July 31, 2014)

As of this update close to 100 people have left a review in Amazon alone and it looks like Black & Decker has a winner in this product.

The compact design combined with the suction power and lithium batteries is popular with the consumers.

The folding nozzle though gimmicky to some proved to be functional on cleaning areas high above your head.

The 20-volt lithium battery isn’t prone to fading as the old NiCad batteries and it charges in just 2 hours.

This would be a good vacuum to use on cars because of the compact design of the nozzle and presence of a brush tool. Some consumers commented that run time more than enough to clean the whole car.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this in Amazon at less than $60 and it’ll be eligible to their free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.

Extended warranties are also available of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.

Conclusion

This would be great for owners of apartments or townhouses who need a vacuum that can clean up areas a corded vacuum would struggle with.

Areas like vents, ceiling fans, and closets. Black + Decker really listened to their customers when designing this vacuum and have made several key improvements that plugged the weaknesses the previous model had.

With the new lithium battery, this new vacuum will maintain its suction throughout the charge cycle and have minimal fade.

A great handheld vacuum for small to medium sized homes for cleaning spot messes.

If you have a lot of pets though, I will not be able to recommend you this because it doesn’t have a pet hair attachment that would make this process efficient.

It would still be able to suck up pet hair but too much of it will fill up the dirt bin quickly.

Also, you won’t be able to use this to remove pet hair on medium to shag carpet.

This vacuum would be best suited to complement a stick vacuum.