Bagless Reviews

Picks up deep down dirt and pet hair very well. Only complaint is that it is a heavy machine. Tough to pull up and down steps.

After hours of research and trying out vacuums I trusted the reviews on this site and purchased this vacuum. I was pleasantly surprised. The power of this vacuum is amazing. I steamed cleaned my carpet the day before this machine arrived. I still got a container full of dirt. Don't waste money on Hoover or Dyson. This vacuum is the best by far. Goodbye Hoover, hello Eureka!

After having read the reviews on this site I decided to go ahead and purchase this particular vaccum cleaner. I have a dog, and in the past previous vacuum cleaners have choked and died on the dog hair! This vacuum cleaner is a marvel. It picks up dog hair with ease, makes my carpets look like new, and even tells me when there is still dirt on the carpet, amazing! I would highly recommend this vaccum for those with pets, especially the long haired variety. It is also great at getting dust out of the carpet. Being in Alaska, we get a lot of dust once summer sets in. I was amazed, and horrified!, at the amount of dust coming out of my carpet. Needless to say, I am very proud of my carpets now and show off my Eureka to all who are interested...P.S. I guarantee it will fascinate your husband to see the dirt collect in the see through container...and make him vaccum more! But keep this to yourselves ladies :)

I bought mine 10 months ago, after yet another expensive vacuum of mine bit the dust. We didn't have much money at the time, so I came to Amazon.com and read the reviews here. I was concerned that a "cheap" and "plastic" vacuum could possibly vacuum my 2200 sf house with four kids and SIX indoor cats... but on the other hand, my broken vacuum wasn't cleaning ANYTHING. Even if this vacuum lasted for 3 months, I would consider that worth the money. So, in short, I bought what I thought would be a disposable vacuum cleaner, just something to tide us over until I could buy another "real" vacuum.

Well, we still don't need to replace it. It's holding up VERY well! It's hard to believe that they're continuing to sell this vacuum for so little, when its performance matches or excedes that of more expensive models. If/when this one bites the dust, I'll probably replace it with an identical vacuum. I'm that satisfied with its performance.

Every vacuum I've owned has needed occasional repair- clogged "works" (remember the six cats and four kids), problems with the revolving brush thingy, plastic pieces breaking off, etc... This vacuum has held together very well. I've had problems only with one roller-brush-thingy, which ended up being replaced for free under the warranty. Other than that, I've not had to work on this machine. My house is relatively large, too, so I'd definitely recommend it for any size house.

I've not had problems with the belt breaking too often, although it did break once when the roller-brush-thingy malfunctioned (stopped turning, and the belt broke as a result). $2.50 later, I had my favorite vacuum back.

So consider the price I paid and the job I've asked this poor machine to do... it's an incredibly good deal. It's powerful and reliable.

I must admit when I first saw the Eureka 5740A in person I was not impressed. I typically would have passed right by this vacuum based on the low price and the 13" width. I checked out all the other vacuums on the aisle before I decided to stick with the plan and put this one in my cart.

When I got home my son put it together within minutes (he couldn't wait to see what kind of disgusting filth was going to appear in the canister... he didn't have long to wait). Within seconds the canister was a dusty haze. Within minutes there was easily 1/2 cup of fluffy filth... and he had only vacuumed 1/4 of my master bedroom. Then he reluctantly let me vacuum the master bath. It picked the knap right up. I love the solid feel of this unit and the sound is no worse than my expensive Sharp. Best of all I could see the results! I also love having onboard attachments and even got my favorite old baseboard brush to fit the wand and found a place for it onboard. The 13" width doesn't bother me at all... in fact, it's wonderful for getting between the legs of my end tables!

We had new carpeting installed 18 months ago and I was really beginning to get annoyed with the way it is wearing. Now I know the problem was my old vacuum.

For the price I don't know how you can possibly beat this vacuum. It does have filters that need replacing, but I figure I can make them last a little longer by blowing them out with the air compressor (like I do the a/c filters). Even if you used this unit once to clean your whole house from top to bottom and threw it away you'd still pay less than a cleaning service would charge you for one visit.

While I have been writing this my son has cleaned all the carpeted floors in the house and shown me the results along the way. I really, really like this vacuum.

If you take the time to check (for what it is worth) you'll notice I only review things I really, really respect and like.

Well, I LOVE this vacuum.

Please allow me to tell you why:

In the past (2) years I have purchased two--count them-- TWO Dirt Devil Swivel Glide vacuums. The first one did a really good job-- then fritzed. I somehow convinced myself it was my fault. (I'm a guy. I'm hard on shoes, prescription glasses and I fling vacuums around like sledgehammers... to name a few faults.)

So after a year-- with the first machine dying a slow devilish death-- I bought another Dirt Devil. 9 months pass and the second one starts wheezing and emitting a very uncomfortable burning smell. It was a different, yet still ignoble, death.

I was about to go out and buy another one when Common Sense decided to make a rare visit: I vacuum a 1100 sq. ft. space once --and no more than twice-- a week. At (2) times a week that means I only vacuum this relatively small space (that is mostly covered by furniture) no more than 104 times a year... But yet I'm replacing these vacuums like I own Dirt Devil stock.

So I go on Amazon.com. I read and read all these different reviews and I find out about the Eureka Litespeed. I'm impressed. A few reviews are negative-- but negative in a way that I felt I had to totally discount their views on the machine.

One reviewer said something like, "I had to empty the dustcup twice before I even finished vacuuming the first time!" Gee, the dust cup on this vacuum is REALLY BIG. Did it ever strike you that it pulled so much CRUD out of your carpet that having to empty the cup--even twice-- was a GOOD THING?!?

Another person wrote that the vacuum started getting louder as time went on. Well, I've had this vacuum for (4) months and it is a little louder than when I first got it. But guess what-- I didn't buy the thing to lull myself to sleep. I bought it to VACUUM my carpet and the ever so slightest change in volume doesn't faze me at all.

Here's my experiences with the Eureka, bottom line:

1) The first time I vacuumed, I had to empty the cup twice too. The second time I vacuumed, I had to empty the cup twice. Now, some four months later-- I have to empty the cup every other time I vacuum. (Not because the cup is completely full... Just because I prefer to do it that way.)

I was one of those people who could NOT conceive of buying a BAGLESS vacuum. Too messy, too cumbersome, too whatever.

Is the large refuse cup hard to empty? No. It's EASY. Frankly, most bottles of wine take longer to open... and NOT having to buy BAGS is extra special charming.

2) This vacuum has been performing FAR beyond even my highest expectations. NO performance drop off at all and it still LOOKS almost exactly the same as the day I bought it.

3) It is effortless to push (the old Devils and their long forgotten ilk where much harder to maneuver).

4) I started using this machine on apartment carpet that was at least (3) years old. [And please remember, I had been using "top of the line" Dirt Devils on the SAME carpet for almost (2) years.]

The very first day, the very first use-- the Eureka LIFTED the nap and fluffed up my carpet and made it look BRAND NEW! Think of the first time you've ever walked into a newly carpeted room or apartment... That's what this vacuum makes your carpet look like EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU USE IT... And the Eureka has been making my carpet look brand new EVERY use since.

5) And finally-- I almost hate to make this embarassing admission-- but this is how much I love this machine:

I was standing in Target the other day and I saw this complete stranger staring at all the vacuums lined against the wall. I watched her for a while until she picked up a Bissel (that had been very poorly reviewed on this site) and started putting it into her cart.

Trying not to act like a complete nutjob-- I walked up to her and asked why she picked that vacuum. She said she had been looking at all of them for 30 minutes and had just decided for some inexplicable reason to buy the Bissel.

I told her if she was just looking at boxes and pictures that-- based on my experiences-- she had to get this Eureka Litespeed. I then showed her the vacuum's more than adequate features, etc... Basically, I turned into instant Super Eureka Vacuum Cleaner Salesman.

Much to my surprise-- the young lady didn't actually slink away from me in horror... She actually THANKED me for all my help and said she couldn't believe a complete stranger would actually stop to help her with something like this-- especially in this day and age.

Then she bought the Eureka vacuum!

I walked out of the store, still red in the face... realizing that I needed to get over this obsession with my Eureka vacuum and get a real life.

So that's why I decided to write this review.

I figured if I could help people find a SUPERB low cost vacuum on such a huge site like Amazon.com then maybe I could also rid myself of the need to walk up to complete strangers in Target stores and sell them this vacuum. (Especially since I get no payment from Eureka for my efforts.)

The first lady was nice. I might not be so lucky the second time. :-)

I was looking to replace a cheapy Dirt Devil that wasn't picking up like it used to.

As we recently added a dog to our family I wanted one with HEPA filtration. I also have a lot of hard floors (tile & wood) so I wanted something that would work well on bare floors.

Out of the box: It's easy to assemble and get started. You will be vacuuming in less than 30 minutes. Its important to read the instruction manual about the filters and cleaning schedule.

It's a heavy solid piece. All of the plastic feels solid and well built. The wand attachment is wonderful but I have to use it too much (more on that in a moment). The headlight is dim and doesn't really light much on the floor. More like a headlight letting the pets know your coming. The motor is very quiet and a nice change from the less powerful vac I upgraded from. The Power switch is oddly placed but you get used to it pretty quickly.

However, the "Hard floor" switch is difficult to use especially when transitioning between rooms with/without carpeting. Hard floors are the weakness of this vac. On tile it is practically impossible to pick up small particles and cat litter. Wood floors are only slightly better.

There is no provision for picking up in corners. That is unacceptable in a vac of this price. My old cheapy picked up very well in corners on the right side. So you are forced to use the wand a lot. Since my house is mostly hardwood I must use the wand for at least 50% of the vacuuming. Not fun.

On the plus side it does an excellent job on carpets. However, throw rugs are an issue as the vacuum is so strong it sucks them off the floor. I love the HEPA filtration. I truly do see a small reduction in the amount of dust in the house.

The bagless feature is great and is of sufficient volume that you don't have to dump it after every room. I usually get two full vacuumings in before I dump the canister. The filters are holding up well and haven't needed to be cleaned or changed yet. That's good because the replacements are expensive as compared to a bag. Of course they are filtering a lot more dust & dirt than a bag can.

Overall I am very happy with the quality of the product. However, it really isn't up to the task on hardwood or tile floors. I would be ecstatic with this vac if I had wall to wall carpeting.

Pros:
Quality look and feel
Strong motor
Quiet
Very stylish design

Cons:
Doesn't work on hard floors
Heavy
Weak headlight

Carpet/hardwood switch difficult to use

Lots of research pointed to this model (or the 4885 which is the same with an electronic dirt sensor). I have to say I was impressed when I got it.

It's quieter than I was expecting, seems reasonably well designed and is very powerful. I used my 10 amp Hoover with a nearly empty bag to carefully vacuum my bedroom. Then I went over the same carpet right after with the Eureka and was amazed at what was in the brand new dirt cup! I'm talking about A LOT of dirt and this was an upstairs bedroom in a fairly new house. This thing obviously cleans a whole lot better than my Hoover!

The "dual cup" design is interesting. It somehow puts the really fine dust into a smaller tube alongside the large cup. The bigger dirt and carpet fuzz all end up in the big cup. The pre-filter catches most of what's left before it goes throught he motor and out the HEPA filter.

Other pluses include the HEPA filter. The air is much cleaner after using this vac than with the Hoover. Furniture seems to stay less dusty as well. So far, the back (dirt) side of the HEPA filter is still quite clean. I suspect it will last a long time.

Another big reason for buying this vac was the off switch for the brush. That makes it much more effective for cleaning hard surface floors as the brush isn't trying to fling the dirt across the floor.

Pluses for this vac include the washable pre-filter. Some models don't have one (which means you'll be buying lots of expensive filters). The hose is very high quality and larger and more stretchable than most. The accessories are stored right on the vac (an extendable wand, small brush and crevice tool). The dirt cup design works well. It's quite stable when using it with the hose (i.e. it won't fall over like some do). And it's fairly easy to push and has a wider cleaning path than most (which means you get done sooner).

There are some downsides. The handle is hard to push back to the upright position as this also turns off the brush and the mechanism to do that is somewhat stiff. Likewise, the foot release for the handle is also stiff. The whole vac is also quite heavy. There's no handle in the front so it's especially awkward to use on stairs. Most of the fancy and powerful HEPA vacs are heavy, however. I just wish they'd put a handle below the dirt cup (there's one on the back side down low but it doesn't work on stairs). The pre-filter could be bigger as you have to clean it every few times you empty the dirt cup.

It also doesn't clean to the edges as well as some vacs. Eureka doesn't advertis edge cleaning and if you look at the design, it clearly doesn't even try. So you need to use the crevice tool for that now and then. Finally, it would be nice if they would have included a standard surface cleaning attachment to use on furniture, stairs, etc.

The more expensive 4885 has a dirt sensor that supposedly tells you when the vac is no longer picking up more dirt (i.e. the carpet is clean). It also has a sensor to tell you when to change/clean the filters. The manual, however, warns the dirt sensor doesn't work well with newer carpet because the "fuzz" (loose fibers) in new carpet will trigger it even when the carpet is clean. Otherwise the two models are identical (and share the same owner's manual).

Overall, this vac is a lot quieter than the Hoovers, I can't imagine anything cleaning better, and short of its weight and bulk, it's reasonably easy to live with and use. The HEPA filter is great and does a better job than ANY bag vac at keeping the air clean and not re-distributing your dirt.

I purchased this vacuum cleaner about half a year ago, and it is still working extremely well. I previously had another Eureka Whirlwind vacuum cleaner (some earlier model I purchased about 5 years ago); well, my previous model kept clogging, and clogging so I definitely needed something new. So, as you can imagine I was a little bit apprehensive about purchasing another Eureka; however, have no fear... this machine is awesome.

To be quite honest, I put a lot of credence in the reviews and opinions of other reviewers... and I think most everybody was dead-on right. This vacuum definitely has good sucking power. I think that a price you pay for this is the fact that the machine really wants to go... albeit it is not really 'that' difficult to handle. Weight wise, it is a little bit heavier than my previous vacuum (but realistically not that much more)... besides, with that weight you definitely get really good stability while vacuuming and utilizing the accessories.

The carpet/hard floor switch is an awesome shift when you need to do hard floors. I must admit, though, that this is not the best unit for getting edges. The accessories are easy to use. And most important, I've had absolutely no problems with the unit; someone wrote about a suction problem... they should probably check to ensure that they seated the canister properly.

I live and die by the Amazon.com reviews and this one seemed to be a great deal. We got the vacuum a few months ago and it has been a huge headache ever since. First of all I have to disagree with the suction power that others have been bragging about. We have Berber carpeting and the vacuum is unable to suck up the little crumbs and dirt on the lower levels of the berber. I have to sweep over and over in the same area to get it to pick up everything that is visible on the carpet. Also, the biggest pain is the 'expandable hose' for cleaning tile/wood floors. The hose is all of two feet long and constantly pulls the vacuum over as you use it b/c it isn't long enough. We had to order an additional 15' hose from Eureka to make that feature functional, what a pain. Just last week I ran over my first kids sock while i was vacuuming and the belt broke before I could even (quickly) turn the power off. It took all of 10 seconds for the belt to break. It has been extremely maddening and I'm planning on contacting the company to complain. Eureka is suppose to be a great product, but i can't recommend this one...keep looking!

I just moved in to a apartment with carpeting (arrgg) and had the carpets cleaned twice to remove dog hair! and I thought I was free of dog hair, till my Eureka came in this thing sucked up stuff that I never knew was in my carpet!

Considering that the carpet was done professionally TWICE before I got the Vacum and it still sucked up a ton of stuff! THIS ROCKS!

One thing: It is kinda big!

But worth it!

TEN Stars if I could!

Truly amazing vacuum. We probably have had five vacuums in the last twenty years. This one beats anything we have every used or seen.

We received our Eureka 4880BT and couldn't wait to try it out. After doing the living room and bedroom carpets, the amount of dog hair this machine sucked up, from what we thought were clean carpets, was nothing short of amazing. But even more, the fine dust and dirt particals this vacuum cleans up is fantastic.
If I were to have one complaint about the vacuum, it would have to be the switch for selecting either carpet or hard surfaces. It's kind of cheap in quality compared to the rest of the vacuum, as is the foot switch which unlocks the handle from the locked upright position.

My reccomendation is, if you're waivering between a bagless vacuum and one that needs bags, spend the extra dollars to go bagless. This machine sucks up such huge amounts, that going bagless will pay for its self in no time at all.

This is my first Eureka, being a former Hoover consumer, but all I can say is "Eureka" we made the right choice!

A great vacuum in a long line of great vacuums' from Eureka! I have researched different vacuums for the past 3 months by searching different review boards. I found that the Eureka 4880 series had the least amount of problems. The 4880BT (not really sure what the BT means) was easy to assemble right out of the box. I opted for the 4880 -vs- the 4885 because I felt that I really did not need the dirt sensor and I did not want to miss out on the rebate from Eureka.

Pros:

Tremendous suction!! Be careful or you will suck in throw rugs
Ease of use
Surprising quiet
Mult-part filtration
Very nice cyclonic action
Super long cord and hose
Can purchase a washable HEPA filter!!

Cons:
Really, be careful or you WILL suck in throw rugs!
Dirt cup removal can be a little tricky
Hard to find any of the 4880 series of vacuums to purchase. The Eureka web site is so out of date you have a hard time finding any of their new vacuums.

I just purchased this machine and used it at home immediately. The assembly was very simple. I had vacuumed my carpet earlier with my old cleaner. After I used my new Eureka, I couldn't believe it. It picked up so much dirt, and pet hair. The extension wands are great, and the True HEPA filter works great. The machine glides across the carpet due to the self propulsion feature. Plus, Consumer Reports magazine had this machine rated higher than any other vacuum they reviewed. I would definitely recommend this vacuum to anyone who is in the market for a new vacuum cleaner.

I don't usually get worked up about vacuum cleaners, but I definitely have to give this one a real thumbs up! I admit that I researched this item and read many of the reviews other buyers of this product wrote. Those reviews certainly helped me to make up my mind. I was expecting to get a good vacuum, but this one really exceeds my expectations! We have older carpet in my home, and a cat. The carpet is a low pile, as well. I wasn't expecting too much in the way of improved appearance. Well, we got a surprise! I couldn't believe how much fuzz and dirt it got up! My elderly mother lives with me (she's 85 years young) and I had her try this self-propelled product. She was thrilled! She also was amazed how much springier and newer the carpet looked and felt! Emptying the cup was easy, too, once I figured it out! This is a GREAT machine! It does a wonderful job. Cleaning the carpet is almost effortless now. I'm so pleased with this machine. If you're on the fence about buying this machine, go for it! You won't be disappointed!

My vacuum finally arrived! (It took a month from the time I placed the order and the box looked pretty beat up from shipping.) It came out of the box, and with one screw it was ready to go! But wait! Isn't this supposed to be self-propelled? I can already tell from the dirt cup accumulation that this vacuum will do a great job, but I'm going to have a right arm like Popeye after he eats his spinach if I have to push this thing! So... I call the Eureka hot-line... "do this, do that... I'm sorry but it looks like you'll need service on the machine" NO! I decided to take a quick look "under the hood" and saw the cable that was in the handle extending into an ominous black box. Two screws...can't hurt to look (with the machine unplugged, of course), so I pop off the cover and, alas, the snap-on cable connection to the power supply is dangling. It must have come loose in shipping! THAT'S IT! The vacuum works just fine now! And yes, this is THE BEST vacuum I ever owned! Talk about instant gratification -- the see through dirt cup tells you how much your efforts are paying off. Even my college age son has taken to vacuuming his room! (He was determined to make the dirt sensor light go off!) Even after a bumpy start and a considerable wait for delivery, it was all worth it! This is an EXCELLENT product and a real deal from Amazon! If you need a vacuum, I say GO FOR IT!

I bought this vacuum a little less than a year ago, and it did the job. It picks up very well, and I liked the bagless style (not sure why they bother with a HEPA filter though--dumping the dirt from the canister would be a nightmare to people with allergies.) I did have problems with the lower hose getting blocked, but though it was a pain to clear it, I was still happy overall with this cleaner.

HOWEVER, it's completely broken in less than a year of average use (vacuuming twice a week). The end of the beater bar broke because some of the plasic part that held it deformed from overheating. My vacuum repair shop said they could fix it with new parts, but that it would just happen again. They also said they see Eureka vacuums all the time because they're not built to last. I wouldn't recommend this cleaner, and won't buy Eureka again because I can't afford a new vacuum cleaner every year. Do yourself a favor and find something more durable.

I bought this vacuum after lots of research into features and quality (I have a dog and need a good one) and I love it. It is very quiet and powerful and the attachments are great. When the power switch broke right after the warranty expired, I contacted Eureka to express my displeasure and suggest they reimburse my repair fee. Imagine my surprise when they FedExed me a new vacuum over night. In today's world of diminishing customer service, Eureka went above and beyond to prove they are interested in taking care of their customers!! This vacuum is a great product and they are willing to back it up.

Have been using this vacuum heavily since it arrived last week and I'm extremely pleased. It is lightweight, quieter than any vacuum I have ever used, and appears to do a great job of picking up stuff. The dust cup is easy to empty and I enjoy the fact that I don't have to buy bags. I selected this vacuum partly because it is billed as a true HEPA filter and I don't want to recirculate the dust I have just vacuumed up. As far as I can tell, the filters are working great. The on-board attachments are easy to use. The flexible hose is a little short but adequate to do what I need to do.

So we finally break down during the summer and bought a new vacuum. I was using an old canister put together with masking tape so you'd think that I'd be grateful for just about anything. Not so.

We got the Eureka Whirlwind model 5197A after much consideration and a fabulous sale. We made the switch to bagless a bit unsure about it but figured why not.

Here's what I liked about it;

1) The look of it; very mod looking
2) The suction; it's amazing what you can get out of your carpets, even in a house without pets.

Here's what I don't like about it;

1) The self propelled feature kicks in on it's own even when you don't want it; annoying that the switch between manual and self propelled is right on the handle and the very act of pushing the vacuum jars it into self propelled from manual. Usually just 3-4 pushes and it's back on self propelled. I personally don't like this feature and prefer to go slowly over my carpets and rugs to get ALL the dirt, rather than whizzing over them quickly and missing the dirt.

2) IT'S HEAVY; not only is this thing too heavy but if you're not careful the upright handle can fall. Which it did to me and landed on my foot...set me out of commission for half a day. I mean this thing is HEAVY. What a pain for lifting all the way to our 2nd floor to vacuum. Also...you can't do carpeted steps with it. I seem to recall reading that you are not supposed to but it's not like you can anyhow with the weight of the darn thing. I'm afraid to have my kids around it because it literally could hurt them if the upright part slams down on them.

3) It is eating my floors; so we just pulled up carpet and are waiting to redo our floors so right now I don't care but this is a major problem to me. When I vacuum my area rugs, the floor all around the rugs are scuffed and scraped by this vacuum. How are you supposed to do the edges of the rugs???

4) You can't push the thing when it's off. You have to either carry it or pull it. Just a minor annoyance.

5) I guess I don't like bagless....it's messy and you have to change the canister every time or every other time you vacuum. Maybe it's not as good on the sinuses but I prefer a bag that I can put in and forget about for a few weeks or so.

I just wish I never bought it. SO...what we're going to do when we get some spare $$$ is buy a new vacuum for the first floor and move this monster up to the 2nd floor where it's wall to wall carpet. I do like the suction but that's about all I like.

It's a great vacuum. The cup is easy to empty. The vacuum does a great job of cleaning and really picks up a lot. It is self-propelled, thus easy to push. My only complaint is that there is no switch to turn of the beater bar especially when using the accessories.