Dirty Devil Kone VS. Dirt Devil Quick Power Hand Vac

I've always had a Dust Buster. But when the last one died on me last month, and I needed to replace it, I found that hand vacuums had changed a lot since our last purchase. We shopped, compared, talked to salesmen, and tried products. We finally narrowed down my decision to the Dirt Devil Kone vac, and the Dirt Devil Quick Power Hand vac.

Since I really needed one for my office as well as my home, we decided to purchase both and try them out.

First, let me say that I love the new Kone vacs. Unfortunately it has more to do with its cute, fun and fashionable design, than it does with performance. It comes in 5 colors: blue, pink, white illuminated, champagne, and my personal favorite, plum. I bought the plum colored one and now it sits on the table in my office, looking like a new decorative piece. Unless you take it apart, you don't realize it's a vacuum, and some of my co-workers still ask...what is this?

The Kone's average price is 42.99. It's bagless, has a small dirt cup that is easily emptied, and a reusable filter. The base of the cone is the charger and the top lifts off and becomes the cordless hand vacuum. There is a small, red indicator light that shows when its fully charged and ready to go. The entire machine is approximately 18 inches tall. It also has a rubber piece on the end of the nozzle, which keep it from scratching delicate surfaces, such as the top of my desk.

Dirt Devil does supply you with a 3 year warranty which covers the machine and parts.

This is where my love for the Kone stops. While Dirt Devil claims that it's ergonomically designed, making it easy to use, they obviously didn't take into account the hand size of its consumers. I have small hands, and the cone shape is awkward for me to hold onto. It also weighs almost 2 pounds, and therefore easily slips out of my hand during use. It's quite a bit noisier than the Quick Power vac, even though it has less power.

My biggest complaint is the suction. The Kone has just 7.2 volts, and won't pick up anything that is too heavy or bulky. It has an exhaust system that blows out the sides, and if you have a quantity of crumbs, it's going to scatter them, making clean-up take longer.

The Quick Power, also backed by a 3 year warranty, only comes in the traditional Dirt Devil red. My favorite feature of this hand held suction machine is that you can mount it on the wall or on the back of a door, out of the way. As long as you have access to a power outlet, you can put it anywhere.

It has a whopping 9.6 volts, and there's just not much it won't pick up. It has a handle that make it easy to maneuver around tight corners, and under furniture. It weighs about a pound and half, and is just 16 inches long.

Two features that make this machine unique are the quick flip crevice tool, which allow you to clean up things like window sills, the top of door frames, and between the cushions on the sofa. It also has a retractable brush that is marvelous for vacuuming vents, electrical outlets or surfaces that can be easily scratched or marred.

Prices for the Dirt Devil Quick Power Hand Vac. average around $39.99.

If you're like me, you don't want to drag out a full sized, heavy vacuum every time you need to clean up a small mess. So, these hand-held rechargeable machines are just what most households' need for those quick jobs.

If I had to do it over again, I would purchase two of the Quick Power Hand Vacuums. The Kone vacs are just not worth the money you pay for them.