Vacuum Cleaner Reviews

I bought this hand vac from [local store] and am returning it today. On the plus side, it's more powerful than some others. The negatives are customer support and availability of filters. I knew that I should not have bought it when [local store] did not have filters available, but I was swayed by the power. A 14 minute wait on hold for DirtDevil customer service resulted in being told that the CSR could not locate the filter part number from the owner's instruction sheet, nor could she find the part through a search. I had already tried to order the filters online from DirtDevil, but they weren't available. Finally, the CSR offered to sell me another filter - guessing it might fit - with a 4 to 6 week delivery time. This hand vac would be dead by then without a filter change.

It works fine, but the vacuum is kinda weak, I use it for car, and it works but barely

Aside from the fact that any animals in the house will hide under the bed for hours in sheer terror at the noise level this thing produces, it is a better handheld cordless vac than the Dust Buster. It holds a charge longer and doesn't take as long to recharge when it runs down. It is also smaller and lighter. It's great that the attachments are right on the vac itself, less chance of losing them. The one thing the Dust Buster is better at though is suction strength, I didn't find this one to be quite as powerful.

I'm not real pleased with this item. The "self propelled" feature is great going forward but it's work pulling it back. I had a dirt devil vacuum before this and wish I had never replaced it. This particular vacuum has that dragging back problem, very messy to empty, the cord is too short, it's a pain in the rear to change from the floor to the hose and the spot to wind up the cord is awful. I don't recommend this particular model at all.

I have several pets, so I spent a lot of time trying to find the right vacuum. I eventually found what I feel is the perfect vacuum (Dyson Cyclone!).. this is definitely not it!

While this is a decent vacuum, it just doesn't hold up well compared to others. The suction is average at best, you will get MUCH better suction from the Dyson. The price is very good though, and when you're talking 4-5 times more cost for a Dyson, this might work for those who need decent vacuum and can't afford the Dyson.

Some pros:
-Fairly powerful
-Decent suction
-Very lightweight
-Bagless (saves lots of money!)

Some cons:
-Attachment hose is WAY too short
-Very noisy
-Easily tips over
-Bagless bin is messy and a pain to clean
-Vacuum head is big, making it difficult to vacuum underneath furniture

If you live in a small apartment and/or have no pets, this will probably be more than enough vacuum. I live in a house with 3 dogs and 2 cats, so I needed a more heavy duty and reliable vacuum - which I got with the Dyson. The dirt devil is probably the best vacuum in its price range though, so I do recommend it for those who don't need the super heavy duty vacuum.

THIS VACUUM SUCKS! AND I DO MEAN THAT. YES, IT IS A POWERFUL SUCKER AND WILL GET THE DIRT OFF YOUR FLOOR. YES, THE CONTAINER WILL BE DIRTY, DID YOU WANT IT LEFT ON THE FLOOR? YES YOU MUST DUMP IT INTO A GARBAGE BAG AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THE SCUM THAT WAS ON YOUR FLOOR. THIS SHOULD PLEASE YOU, AND PROVE THAT IT REALLY DOES WORK! IT HAS WONDERFUL CASTERS SO IT CAN ROLL ALL AROUND IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS-SIDE TO SIDE, NOT JUST BACK & FORTH. YOU CAN NOT COMPARE THIS TO A $500.00 DYSON CYCLONE. THAT IS LIKE COMPARING A FORD PINTO WITH A LEXUS! WERE TALKING UNDER $80.00 HERE! NO IT PROBABLY WONT LAST 5 YEARS LIKE OTHER EXPENSIVE BRANDS THAT IS WHY IT IS LESS THAN 80.00. BUT FOR A FEW YEARS AND BEING LIGHT WEIGHT ETC. ETC. I HAVE 2 AND CAN ACTUALLY STAND TO VACUUM WHEN I MUST! A GOOD DEAL FOR THE PRICE, AND PERFORMS BETTER THAN A VAC OF THIS PRICE RANGE SHOULD. HAPPY CLEANING!

This is my first and last Dirt Devil. I bought one of these 2 years ago, believing it was one of the best out there (thanks to Dirt Devil's superior advertising folks!). Well it has fallen apart rather nicely since then. The handle has broken off. The part that holds it in the upright position is now broken. The suction is terrible. The filters cost alot of $$$ and are hard to find. And, last but not least, all the rubber hosing that connects the motor fan to the base unit has cracked, making this a virtually worthless machine in only 2 years. Better Luck Next Time Dirt Devil!

The title says it all -- the Platinum Force has great suction... a necessity with double coated dogs, but the machine weighs a ton and is hard to maneuver unless you have the motor running AND the beater brush on. It's almost impossible to use to vacuum stairs without hurting yourself - I have to ask my 6ft3 husband do the stairs because he has extra leverage due to his height. It has also scratched my wood vinyl (Armstrong) floors, just pushing/pulling it to move it from one area of the house to another (not operating it). Cleaning the filter is a pain - like an earlier reviewer stated, it causes a major dust storm and I can not get all the dog hair from the crevices of the filter, even while banging it sharply (and repeatedly) against the inside of my large garbage can. Now after slightly more than a year of use, it smells... the HEPA filter is not effectively filtering particles and the exhaust puts out a strong doggie odor. And Dirt Devil does not have a replacement filter listed on it's web page. Neither the center filter nor the HEPA filter. An email to the web site, and if the response is in the negative, then this is the last Dirt Devil for me. I had two earlier models (including one of the best small canister vacs...unfortunately with a microscopic bag) and threw them out when I could no longer find replacement bags and parts...anywhere.

After having several vacs through the years, I found this is the first one that actually feels like it is doing a good job. I have read complaints of it being hard to push (because it sucks the dirt up so hard) and dusty when you empty it (all canister vacs are dusty when empty them) but if you want something that actually picks up this is great. The fact also that it turns the brush off for hardwood floors is great. You don't want to try and vacuum throw rugs though cause it sucks them right up but no biggie, the way it picks up is well worth it. There isn't alot of filter parts to mess with and clean like other cannister vacuums either. Another great thing is when you pick up something big it doesn't get caught in the motor and blows the motor, it bypasses it (great feature with kids)!!! I think it is very reasonably priced for the job that it does!!! After having to clean up after kids and pets everyday this well worth it.

Overall, I love this vacuum. It works well and gets great suction. I have even used it with carpet cleaners (spray-on foams) and gotten better-than-hoped-for results.

As to filtration, it does great. I think that the air coming out the discharge is fresher than the air in the room.

So why not five stars?

-Balance: This vacuum has a hose attachment with all kinds of extras that is supposed to be able to reach up to 16 feet. It has a little hook on the hose that you attach to the vacuum base while using the hose. The problem I have found is that if I step away from the base to strech the hose, the tension on the hose causes the vacuum to fall over. In order to use the hose, I have to keep one hand on the base. So much for reaching 16 feet!

-Durability: Granted, vacuums were not intended for use on paperclips and pennies. However, this is one place where a bag-style vacuum has the advantage. My (former, non-wife) roommate vacuumed one day when I wasn't home. He sucked up a penny, which whipped around in the plastic container and broke a hole in it. You couldn't use the vacuum because it just spewed dust into the air. Replacing it was pricy (I think it was around fifty, but my roommate paid for it).

*****Final Thoughts*****
This vacuum works well, and I would buy it again if I needed a new one!

Don't expect to use the hose much.

If you have kids, plan on getting a bag vacuum, because there's too much chance of picking up something that will break your vacuum canister.

I got this vacuum a few days ago, and couldn't be happier with it. It picks up cat hair wonderfully, and I have 5 indoor cats, so I know about these things. The onboard tools are handy, and I love the handle on the hose. I am able to vacuum about 1000 square feet before I need to empty the dirt cup, but remember those 5 cats....you probably won't have to empty that frequently. Our other vacuum is a Rainbow, which is better, but at $1500 it'd better be. This Dirt Devil is so much more convenient, I've been using it nearly every day and only take out the Rainbow for weekly vacuuming. You won't be disappointed with this one, especially at this price!

I have personally bought 9 vacuums in the last 3 years and this is by far the best one yet! The ease of emptying the dirt cup is superior to others..( have bought 2 other brands besides this one)and is keeping the dust in the vacuum and not in my house for a change. I have a dog that sheds year round, and it is the best vacuum yet at actually SUCKING up the hair!! We also live in the country on a farm and continually are tracking in just plain old DIRT on our shoes. This vac has enough power to get in the cracks on my hardwood floor and really get it clean. I am also the buyer for our office, and we have bought what we thought was a good one, many times now. So between the ones I have bought at home and the office.. This is by far the BEST EVER!!

I've spent more time clearing out clogs then vacuuming with this piece of junk. The clogs aren't easily cleared either, you have to have an engineering degree to dismantle the entire thing before clearing it out. Suction isn't there either. You get what you pay for, I guess. I just purchased the Eureka Boss Smart Vac 4870 which is rated CR Best Buy - I'm sure I'll be more successful with it then this loser of a vacuum!

it doesn't even swivel well. you do have to adjust the setting for it to pick anything up, and even that is subject to change. sometimes it wouldn't clean up anything unless on bare floor, other times it had to be the highest pile. who knows. and let me tell you how hard to find the replacement hepa filter??!! i have yet to find them (there are two pieces). you can't even buy it from the manufacturer it seems, they direct you to the store, and not one of them has had this in stock. so, buy a different one, a newer model maybe and they will have replacement features. the only good thing about this is the incredibly long hose (it extends) though the "lock" feature is [bad], it unlocks constantly, it does reach 2 thirds of the way up my stairwell (though i wish i had just bought one of those stair hugger ones).
i agree, don't get it.

I don't know why others have had such problems with this vacuum, but I have found it to be effective and exactly what I needed. I live in a small condo and own one cat. In addition, I get a lot of dust in the place, especially during the summer months when windows are open. The Dirt Devil swivel glide is easy to move around the place, reaches ceilings and corners easily, and picks up pretty much anything I've encountered. I've vacuumed up a pretty good quantity of cat litter (the pine pellet kind) as well and have yet to experience a clog. I guess it depends on your situation, but for regular cleaning this vacuum does the trick.

I do not recommend this product.

I have an older model, but the product seems about the same (IE recent reviews state similar problems).

1. It hardly holds a charge. I don't find it convenient since it only works for a few minutes. I realize it's not supposed to replace a full vacuum, but I'd still like to be able to go around the baseboards of more than one room to pick up dust bunnies.

2. It doesn't suck much. It picks up very light dust bunnies, but little else.

3. The retractable brush is only about 1/8 inch deep, and mine got stuck in the out position.

4. The attachements are of no value.

5. The battery can not be replaced, so there is no opportunity to improve the poor "5 minutes only" charge.

Forget this product. My parents have a similar product from a different manufacturer and it works MUCH better.

No power. Doesn't pick up cat litter. Can only use it for 5 minutes at a stretch. I'm really regretting purchasing this.

This Dust Devil rocks! It is lightweight, quiet, and powerful. However I have found it to clean more effectively on bare floors than carpeting. I store it in a convenient spot in our kitchen, in the corner right next to our refrigerator.

I use this vacuum mainly in corners, on our furniture, to pick up crumbs underneath the kitchen table, and even on the stairs. I have been very satisfied with its performance.

The biggest pain with this vacuum is emptying the dirt cup and cleaning the filter. Dust flies everywhere, then I start sneezing!

Overall, this heavy duty sucker is worth every penny. We haven't had any problems with it yet!

This vaccum is awful. I hate the way it falls over when you are trying to use the attachments. I hate emptying the canister! The filter in the canister won't let go of the dust it gets caught in the grooves. I always have to empty it outside. I live in Pittsburgh I don't want to go outside in the winter to empty my vaccum canister. The hangers for the cord broke off and I have to duct tape the filter to the side. It just didn't last very long. I'm almost afraid to buy another bagless upright again because of how unhappy I am with this one.

I've had this vacuum for at least 5 years, and it's still working pretty well, if you can ignore the little squeaky noise that's developed in the last year (but you can only hear it when you turn off the power and the motor is winding down). It works really well, I find the canister very easy to empty, and it does filter well because I don't sneeze when I vacuum (being an indoor allergy sufferer, that's awesome!). I also like that there's two different ways to wind the cord - the traditional way, around two hooks, or there's a springy loop that you can loosely wind the cord up and close the loop around it - which makes taking the cord off the vacuum GREAT! However, I do have a couple gripes... first, the aforementioned springy loop juts out of the side of the vacuum a little farther than necessary; I've taken a couple dings out of my drywall with it. Second, it does clog up occasionally. My solution? Every few minutes or when I notice the sucking power diminishing, I pull out the hose and cover the opening with my hand. This causes whatever's stuck to ride into the canister, which works very well but I'd just prefer not to have to do that. Next, replacing the belt is messy and a big pain in the [behind]. You have to disassemble the whole bottom with a screwdriver to get to the belt. Lastly, the one brush attachment ALWAYS falls off the vacuum. Very annoying. Overall, yeah, I have a few complaints, but despite them I do like this vacuum. It works really well and being it's pretty inexpensive, is definitely worth the money I paid. For the past five years this vacuum has contended with college apartments, cats, dogs, and girls' long hair. And it still sucks!

Ok, First thing. I am a man, I bought my Vac. To me, it's not a Vac, but an INTERIOR POWER TOOL. ITP for short. It's mine, the wife cannot touch it, and she knows it. I have had many ITP's over the years but DIRT DEVIL takes the cake. They have the best bang for the buck in my book. I have been running my new VISION ITP for a few months now. This thing has the most suction out of any ITP I have ever had. If you put the stretch hose to the carpet, it will lift it up. It picks up the finest lint to the largest dirt no problem. I have never had a clog anywhere. Other ITP's I had clogged all the time, not this puppy. The VISION comes with many attachments and I use them all. From the Crevice tool to the EDGE WEDGE, they all work great and have handy storage right on the back of the ITP for easy use. The long electric cord is long enough I can vacumn the entire 1st floor of my home by using the same electrical outlet. I have a toddler in my home, so I had to have HEPA and the VISION has it, hoorah. I love this VAC. Now the drawbacks. It is a bit heavy, I use a handheld DIRT DEVIL on my stairs. This ITP is heavy and it has to be, It needs the motor weight for all of that suction. I found it to be louder than some of the other ITP's I have had, but not so loud that I cannot stand it. The collection cup is a bit messy to clean. You are supposed to just dump it in the trash and shake out the filter. That's ok, but the collection bin filter doesn't come clean, I use my garage vac to clean out the collection filter. The HEPA filters need to be replaced once a year, they are bit pricey.... But if the figure in the cost of not buying bags for the dirt then it's a wash.
My final opinion. Buy this Vac. It works great. If you are a small petite person, get a different one, this one might be too heavy for you.

This vacuum cleaner is much heavier than expected. It is difficult to carry up and down stairs.
The delivery took 4 to 5 weeks with no explanation.
The belt comes off way too easily. During each use, I have to replace the belt.
I have gone through 2 broken belts.
I expected this with my cheap Dirt Devil, but this time, I bought an expensive version and it has more problems than the cheap one.

The vacuum worked great at first, but after a couple of weeks, you could notice a decline in suction power. Now, at three months, there is very little power left.

The filters have been cleaned regularly, even replaced once to see if that was the cause. No luck.

...

This is our second (and last) Dirt Devil vacuum.

I love this incredible machine. It is VERY powerful, goes from carpet to uncarpeted areas with ease. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the way one must empty the collector...I always seem to get dust everywhere. That's not enough to discourage me. This vacuum is the greatest!!! Before purchasing this vacuum I did alot of research & independents rate it #2, second only to a vacuum that costs 3 times more!