DataVac Electric Duster ED500 Review
Several years ago, I was working on computers at an automotive shop. I didn’t have any canned air on me and one of the computers was loaded up with dust. The guy at the shop let me use one of their air compressors to clean the case out. I was able to completely clear out all dust in a couple of seconds. That night, I looked online for an air compressor for cleaning PCs. I came across the DataVac ED-500 Electric Duster on Amazon. It was $60 and had excellent reviews — with only a minor gripe here or there.
Running the numbers — canned air only lasted me one or two computers and cost anywhere from $4 to $6. The amount of air movement is not sufficient enough to blow out large volumes of dust, and the worst part for me is the bitterant they put into the cans that gets on your skin and always seems to get on my face and lips. I would go through 4 to 6 cans of canned air per year depending on how many computers I had to clean. The electric air duster would pay for itself after 10 PC cleanings.
The DataVac ED500 is manufactured in the United States by MetroVac and features a 500-Watt motor that pushes 70 cubic feet of air per minute, is housed in an enamel coated steel case, has a 12 foot cable, and only weighs 2.7 pounds. There are several adapter tips for various cleaning applications, including an an air-pin pointer, an air concentrator nozzle, a flare nozzle, and a 4-piece detailing tool kit.
There is a removable foam air filter at the bottom of the device that will need to be cleaned when it’s obstructed. On the left side of the handle is the on/off switch, which can be activated with your thumb if you are using this in your right hand. When powered on, it will jerk in to the left due to the high power of the motor inside.
The DataVac ED-500 is the electric air duster to use. I’ve used it on over 60 computers, two servers, several printers, small electronics, to clean out several personal fans, to air dry my car after washing it, and have even used it as a leaf blower during the fall. Simply put, this has been used way passed the manufacturer’s specifications.
Now when I originally purchased this, there were two concerns that stood out to me in the user reviews. One stated that the nozzles would fly off the device. This is not the case – apparently the original version didn’t have a spring latch like this does.
The other concern was it overheating after 10 minutes of use. I’ve run mine for up to 15 minutes at a time. It does tend to get warm to the touch after several minutes of use, but I never had any issues of mine shutting off. And honestly, there shouldn’t be ANY dust at that point. You could leaf blow your front yard in less time.
Conclusions:
For its services out in the field and continued, uninterrupted function — as well as the huge value that this air duster brings — I’m giving the DataVac Electric Duster a 10/10 and awarding it the Gold Pressed Latinum Award.
I cannot recommend this air duster enough. If you are a hobbyist, a novice, or are a professional who wants a device that will last, this is the one to get.
