Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have been a Dyson upright vacuum customer for the last 6 years. First, I had the Dyson DC-14 Multi-floor, which was an awesome vacuum. Quieter, more powerful, more maneuverable, more innovative than the Hoover WindTunnel it replaced. Alas, predictably it started breaking down right after the 5-year warranty expired, and so it was replaced with a Dyson DC-33. The Dyson DC-33 isn't nearly as good. A few of the important metal parts like the extension wand have been replaced with plastic, so they are not nearly as sturdy. Still cleans well and is fairly quiet, but I have my doubts about it lasting 5 years. Dyson upright vacuum cleaners do a great job on carpet, but are only OK on hardwood floors, hence my reason for trying out the Electrolux UltraFlex Canister Vacuum...to see if cleaning our vast expanse of hardwood floor surfaces could be done better, easier, etc. After using the Electrolux on all types of surfaces, not just hardwood floors, for one month I am very impressed. Not only does it do a fantastic job and make vacuuming hardwood floors enjoyable & easy, but it is at least as good and maybe even better than the Dyson on carpet...which shocked me. First, here are some things I really like about the Electrolux UltraFlex: -Comes with a 12" hard floor attachment. Dyson doesn't include this and it's $30-$50 extra. -The carpet attachment has four height positions. I have low pile oriental rugs, regular plush carpet, and longer shag (frieze) carpet, and this vacuum can be adjusted effectively for all 3 types. -The Electrolux UltraFlex is much quieter than a Dyson. I've never heard a vacuum this quiet. -It has a knob to adjust suction strength. What? I've never seen that feature on a vacuum either, but boy is it useful. We used the included dusting tool to clean some wood blinds and lampshades, and being able to dial down the suction to half made this a snap. Dust gets sucked up, blinds or shades stay put. I even testing vacuuming out a car with this vacuum, which it does a great job at, and at full strength this vacuum is so powerful it pulled the floor mats off the floor. Dial down the suction strength 25% and problem solved. -This vacuum is very powerful. It is definitely more powerful on hardwood floors than my Dyson. Anything within 6" of either side of the floor attachment gets sucked in. -The wand length can be adjusted by 15" in length. I'm six feet tall and use the longest length and can vacuum without hunching over whatsoever. When my son vacuums we shorten the wand by about 8" and it is perfect for him. -True to the name UltraFlex, the vacuum is very flexible. With the exception of the carpet cleaning attachment, each attachment can be used with or without the extension wand, which is great for vacuuming in tight spaces like a car. The two most commonly used small tools are right at your fingertips so changing out tools is a snap. -The retractable power cord is an awesome feature. When you are done vacuuming, press the retract button and the cord gets automatically wound up and sucked inside the vacuum body for storage. No more winding cords. Also, this cord is truly tangle proof...really a pleasure to work with. -Using a canister vacuum for the first time in my life took some getting used to. I have only ever used upright vacuums where you are pushing and pulling the entirety of the vacuum everywhere you go, with nothing being pulled behind you. What I like about this vacuum is that even though you are pulling it along behind you, it is an easy roller that you don't feel like you are wrestling with. It rolls over the power cord and around corners no problem. It has a little more resistance when pulling it along behind you on carpet, but not too bad. Sometimes you need to bend down and lift the vacuum to re-position it, and it is not very heavy and has a convenient handle on top that makes this easy. -The dirt tray is very easy to remove and empty. -After one month of using the Electrolux I have not had to clean the roller brush yet. I have to clean it every two weeks on my Dyson, and this involves flipping it upside down and cutting off all of the tightly wound threads and pulling them off of the brush. I could go on and on about all of the things I like about this vacuum, but I will just sum it up by saying that the Electrolux UltraFlex does a great job and is a joy to use. It is worth the money if you clean your own house. Some things I don't like which Electrolux could improve on: -The power cord length is too short. Even with the hose length included, this vacuum doesn't have the same reach as my Dyson vacuums had/have, and so I find myself having to switch outlets more often with is inconvenient. The total reach of this vacuum is 33 feet. That's power cord + extension wand + hose. The power cord alone on my Dyson DC-33 is 35 feet long, and with the hose I can reach another 12 feet beyond that. I wish this vacuum could reach another 5 feet. -It is very difficult to attach the hose to the vacuum body. It took me about 10 minutes of fiddling with it when I first put it together. One thing is for certain...I will never ever take the hose back off again for fear of not being able to attach it again...which is a shame because it would be nice to have the option of separating the hose and the body for storage purposes. All in all, though, there is a lot to like about this vacuum. Time will tell how reliable the vacuum will be, but as far as day to day use this vacuum is a winner that I will continue to use week in and week out.