Canister Emptying and Cleaning: Advantage Dyson Root 6

The Dyson Root 6 has a big advantage over the Black & Decker Pivot Vacuum when it comes to cleaning and emptying the canister and filter.

Canister Cleaning

While the B&D Pivot's see-through canister has an easily opened hinged-lid (P4), it is itself not completely removable which makes a good cleaning of the canister (with its nooks and crannies) difficult. In contrast, the Dyson Root 6's canister (R4) both an easily opened hinged-lid and is completely removable for more thorough cleanings.

Filter Cleaning

The Dyson Root 6 relies on two-stage cyclonic action for primary filtration. Both cyclonic stages are optimally vertical (unlike the horizontal cyclonic orientation of the Black & Decker Pivot). The first cyclonic stage is contained by the outer compartment of the clear canister. The second cyclonic stage actually consists of six smaller cyclonic tubes that work in parallel that empty into the inner compartment of the clear canister. Because the Dyson Root 6 uses cyclonic action for main debris filtration, there is no conventional small-particulate filter to clean. Nearly all the vacuumed debris gets trapped by gravity in the clear plastic canister. (Of course, there are still the pre-motor and post-motor filters. However, these do not do the primary filtering. Further, nearly all vacuums have the pre- and post-motor filters.)

In contrast, the Black & Decker Pivot Vacuum is a hybrid of two filtration techniques:

1. First, the Pivot has a horizontal cyclonic filtration. However, because it is horizontal and not vertical like the conventional, more optimal, cyclonic action of the Root 6, the Pivot's cyclonic chamber cannot use gravity as efficiently as the Root 6 for cyclonic separation of debris.
2. Second, the Pivot has two concentric cone filters that primarily get the debris separation job done. As a result, the cone filters, especially the pleated, fine-particulate inner one, need regular cleaning. To help the user extend the time between filter cleanings, Black & Decker provides a knob on the Pivot that dislodges some of the filter-clogging debris off the inner filter through a twisting action.

See image below of dirty Black & Decker Pivot filter cones. Yuck!