Does anyone know if there are any cordless vacuums that use NiMH or Li-Ion batteries instead of the NiCd crap that lasts less than 1 year? It would cost me $24+ to convert my NiCd Dustbuster to NiMH and I might as well buy a new one or a corded unit. I need a small vacuum to clean my car periodically.

NiMH batteries have even shorter life expectancy in infrequently-used devices than ordinary NiCads.

For the money and size, it's pretty hard to beat a Dustbuster equipped with a 12 volt lighter plug (although some vehicles require the ignition switch to be turned on to make the lighter socket live).

I have a DeWalt cordless vac that uses one of their conventional 18 volt cordless drill batteries. It's reasonably powerful and holds a charge for a decent amount of time, but it's really not any less unwieldy than using an AC powered shop vac.

Quoted: NiMH batteries have even shorter life expectancy in infrequently-used devices than ordinary NiCads. For the money and size, it's pretty hard to beat a Dustbuster equipped with a 12 volt lighter plug (although some vehicles require the ignition switch to be turned on to make the lighter socket live). I have a DeWalt cordless vac that uses one of their conventional 18 volt cordless drill batteries. It's reasonably powerful and holds a charge for a decent amount of time, but it's really not any less unwieldy than using an AC powered shop vac.

The 5 year old NiMH batteries that I have been using seem to work fine. I've never been able to get more than 1 year out of NiCd batteries.

Are you referring to the self-discharge rate? I've never heard or seen NiMH batteries "fail" in the same manner as NiCd batteries. My cordless phones all had issues with the NiCd packs so I changed them out to NiMH myself (soldered together the tabbed-AA cells). NiMH batteries do discharge within 2-4 months, so you just have to recharge them. I've had alkalines sit in a drawer for 3 years without discharging, so I use alkalines in clocks, smoke/CO detectors, etc...

The Dustbuster I have now uses 6 "C" sized cells (Or sub-C). I am thinking about wiring in a 6x AA holder to use 6 AA NiMH cells. Based on the figures, the NiMH AA cells will have more capacity than the NiCD C cells. The only issue would be the current demand of the motor and if the NiMH AA cells can handle it.