Vacuum Cleaner Reviews

I absolutely LOVE this vacuum. It's not to heavy and picks up so nicely. It is clear so you can see your parts moving and know they are working properly. It gets the edges well and it's easy for the kids to use as well!!!

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 purchased this after reading the "Best Buy" recommendation in a recent Consumer Reports issue. Very powerful but more than I needed. Good if your entire home has wall-to-wall carpeting, but if you have hardwood floors with area rugs it may attempt to inhale them -- too much power for small rugs. Also very HEAVY.

I'll admit that I'm one of the worst when it comes to sweeping the floor with a broom. No matter how hard I try, there always seems to be some elusive dustbunny that resists all efforts to corral it in the dustpan. So, when my wife and I went shopping for a vacuum cleaner, we zeroed in on models that were capable of vacuuming the acres of wall-to-wall carpeting in our home and sweeping the tile and vinyl that make up the rest of our floors. A HEPA filter and disposable dust bags were necessities because of her allergies (your allergist will tell you that bagless cleaners are an exercise in futility unless you take the cleaner completely out of the house and shut the door behind you when emptying the dirt container).

After we pared down the list, we consulted the leading consumer reporting magazine and bought the highest rated model we could afford. And that's how we came to own this cleaner.

I vaguely remember reading that Eureka's engineers cobbled together the prototype for The Boss SmartVac series by actually mounting a classic "torpedo" canister cleaner and its motorized carpet brush on a wheeled rig with a handle. Once they determined that it COULD be done, they refined the design into a unit that really does combine the suction power of a canister with the carpet cleaning ability and easy mobility of an upright, with the added convenience of having the cleaning tools along for the ride. You can see the "canister cleaner on wheels" inspiration in the larger photo here on Amazon.com.

In operation, the cleaner is surprisingly quiet, producing a breathy drone that still permits conversation. Though not self-propelled, the cleaner's brush roller turns so rapidly, it almost propels the cleaner for you. A headlight helps you spot obstacles in the cleaner's path.

The 15-inch wide cleaning path shortens your vacuuming time and offers right-up-to-the-baseboard edge cleaning ability. For more stubborn debris, you can put together the extension wand and attach the crevice tool. The upholstery tool does an admirable job on carpeting under, say, a bed that can't be moved. One notable feature: When the handle is returned to the fully upright position, as when cleaning with tools, the brush roller stops, preventing worn spots on your carpet. A brush roller switch lets you turn off the brush roller at other times for sweeping bare floors.

A few engineering features are worth mentioning. The cleaner's motor is completely isolated from the suction path and protected by its own final stage filter, meaning small hard objects like coins, nutshells and buttons won't damage the fan blades or jam the motor. The micron filtration dust bag, motor filter and HEPA filter equal 3 stages of filtration before the air is expelled. The brush roller belt follows a twist-free path, extending its life and reducing the risk of belt breakage. Should debris actually clog the suction path, all of the hoses can be detached and cleared. If a particularly nasty item has damaged the hose or pipe, the parts can be easily replaced by the consumer.

After vacuuming the carpet in the master bedroom and some of the living room, we already noticed a measurable level of dirt in the first bag, an indication of the dirt left behind by our aging Hoover Decade 80 upright. We expect bags in the future to last a tad longer.

If you expect to use the cleaner a lot, you can upgrade the disposable HEPA filter to a washable CleanStream HEPA filter. Details are at www.cleanstreamfilters.com.

This is honestly the best vacuum I've ever owned! I am impressed not only the way it vacuums carpet and bare floors, but the flexible hose enabled me to vacuum the ceiling with the brush attachment. We live in a mobile home with those not so wonderful textured ceilings that if you dust cobwebs from them, the textured stuff crumbles off onto the floor (or in your eyes). This vacuum took off all the cobwebs and we had very little ceiling litter. This brush was so gentle, that very little crumbling occurred and what little did, the vacuum sucked it right up before it fell to the floor. What a wonderful product!! I highly recommend it.

We needed a new vacuum, and not knowing anything about them, we did research online.

The Eureka Smart Vac got stellar reviews across the board, and Consumer Reports gave it highest ratings, ranking it equal with the first place Hoover, which was twice the price. For the price of this vacuum, you can't beat the quality.

Pros: much quieter than our older vacuum (a 17 amp tank!), wider cleaning surface (15 inches- cleans more floor in less times), many on board tools, HEPA filter, and options to turn the brush off (good for cleaning tile floors) and several carpet pile options. Another nice feature is the fact that the tool/floor switch is on top of the vacuum, so you can just switch it to tools without bending over and messing with the bottom of the vacuum. The tools snap easily into the back of the vacuum, instead of fitting in like bizarre puzzle pieces. The vacuum is very easy to push along the floor, unlike the one we replaced.

Cons: it's not bagless, which isn't terrible. Our vacuum came with a year supply of bags, so that more than made up for the inconvenience. Also, it's not self-propelled, which seems to be the craxe right now with the vacuums. We went to a store and got to try out a self-propelled vacuum (the aforementioned Hoover) and it wasn't for me. I tend to lean on the vacuum as I walk around the house and having it constantly jerk away from me was not pleasant. I much prefer the kind that you push. The final con is that it's heavy, but there isn't a single upright that isn't the same weight as this is.

While it's not something you whip out for a quick clean up (see the Eureka Boss Cordless for that), it's definitely a great vacuum for the entire house.

Short of a riding vacuum, which I have yet to find, this pretty much satisfies all my vacuuming needs. I have a bird that shoots seed out of his cage and it gets lost deep into my carpet and a cat that manages to bring in all sorts of little leaves and things off the enclosed patio, so it's great for everything.

I'll admit that I'm one of the worst when it comes to sweeping the floor with a broom. No matter how hard I try, there always seems to be some elusive dustbunny that resists all efforts to corral it in the dustpan. So, when my wife and I went shopping for a vacuum cleaner, we zeroed in on models that were capable of vacuuming the acres of wall-to-wall carpeting in our home and sweeping the tile and vinyl that make up the rest of our floors. A HEPA filter and disposable dust bags were necessities because of her allergies (your allergist will tell you that bagless cleaners are an exercise in futility unless you take the cleaner completely out of the house and shut the door behind you when emptying the dirt container).

After we pared down the list, we consulted the leading consumer reporting magazine and bought the highest rated model we could afford. And that's how we came to own this cleaner.

I vaguely remember reading that Eureka's engineers cobbled together the prototype for The Boss SmartVac series by actually mounting a classic "torpedo" canister cleaner and its motorized carpet brush on a wheeled rig with a handle. Once they determined that it COULD be done, they refined the design into a unit that really does combine the suction power of a canister with the carpet cleaning ability and easy mobility of an upright, with the added convenience of having the cleaning tools along for the ride. You can see the "canister cleaner on wheels" inspiration in the larger photo here on Amazon.com.

In operation, the cleaner is surprisingly quiet, producing a breathy drone that still permits conversation. Though not self-propelled, the cleaner's brush roller turns so rapidly, it almost propels the cleaner for you. A headlight helps you spot obstacles in the cleaner's path.

The 15-inch wide cleaning path shortens your vacuuming time and offers right-up-to-the-baseboard edge cleaning ability. For more difficult debris, you can put together the extension wand and attach the crevice tool. The upholstery tool does an admirable job on carpeting under, say, a bed that can't be moved. One notable feature: When the handle is returned to the fully upright position, as when cleaning with tools, the brush roller stops, preventing worn spots on your carpet. A brush roller switch lets you turn off the brush roller at other times for sweeping bare floors.

After vacuuming the carpet in the master bedroom and some of the living room, we already noticed a measurable level of dirt in the first bag, an indication of the dirt left behind by our aging Hoover Decade 80 upright. We expect bags in the future to last a tad longer.

I purchased this vacuum about 10 months ago and absolutely love it. I would highly recommend this vacuum to anybody. I have not had a bit of trouble with this vacuum at all. Putting it together took about a minute. Just attach a few screws to the handle and away I went. No more going over my carpet 3-4 times before every piece of lint is up. Now I only have to vacuum it once. I waited this long to write this review because I wanted to see if it would stand the test of time and it has. I continue to be very please with my purchase. I will never buy a dirt devil vacuum again. They are pieces of junk. At least the model I had prior to my Eureka. Dirt Devil only last a little over 1 year. Hope this helps others in their purchase.

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.

I bought this item because of the good review of the previous user, and she is right! I used this vacuum to clean my bathroom, kitchen, and stairs. It is very powerful and the surfaces have never looked this much better. Its dust-collected cup seems small, but it can hold a lot of stuff.

The minor flaw is that it is quite noisy and its cord seems to be shorter than I would like. But definitely it is worth the money and it does its job.

First, I am a fan of Eureka vaccums. The canister model I own is 14 years old and has always been a workhorse, so you can consider me prejudiced about this brand name and the review that follows.

I bought this little "baby" two months ago and I waited to review until I had used the machine a number of times. Having used several of the dustbusters over the years, I can compare. Yes, this Eureka has a cord--but it is a *very* long cord--so it is not limiting. It is a powerful vaccum which I do not find to be loud or high-pitched. It is for small jobs when lugging out the big machine is too much of a bother.

I just used it to clean the lint from the back of the dryer, which is in a small confined space and it has always been difficult to get the big vaccum back there. This little Eureka did a fabulous job getting all the stuck-together lint both deep inside the back of the dryer and around it: the floors and walls too!

The cup is easy to remove and clean, just rinse or spritz a little cleaner on it. It holds a surprising amount of "junk".
Yes, the machine can get "hot" but so do full size vacs; I do not consider that an issue. I have used it when vacuuming the ceiling--I now live in the southwest and the ceilings are a problem--and was very happy with the lightness of holding the vac while working and standing on a step ladder.

Downside: storing the long cord. I still haven't figured out how to wrap it or quite what to do with it yet. The extension hose is a useful attachment but the plastic could be a slightly better grade.

I bought this vac because the price was so low and decided to give it a try. I am very pleased that I did.

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.