Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

WARNING: This is an IN DEPTH review of this vacuum for those who are serious about making a buying decision. If you prefer a more brief summary, see section marked THE BOTTOM LINE ---------------- I have a variety of needs when it comes to vacuum cleaners. We have pets, some which have long hair, so having something that works well with pet hair is essential for us in some parts of the house. I have a previous model of Pet Eraser Lift Off, and I like it despite a few things I am not as fond of. This one, however, will be used on a different floor in our home, and I wanted to have it pet friendly too. There are some new design features of this vacuum that make it a step up from the other Pet Eraser I have. WHAT IS THIS VACUUM LIKE? I have to say that this vacuum cleaner is really nice. Appearance-wise, it is attractive. I love the bright neon green and turquoise trim on the black and clear vacuum. There is a nice swivel head on it and two LED lights, something that my previous version did not have. There is a tangle free brush, a pull out hose with extension, a brush, and a light up crevice tool (that runs on flat round batteries CR1632 which come with the vacuum). The cord winds up on the side of the base unit and all tools fit on the vacuum with the exception of the turbo pet eraser attachment which has a rotating brush in it that is similar in design to the upright brush that you use on the carpet. There are two switches on the unit- one for the brush that lights up when you have it on, and the other is the on off switch. To pull the vacuum back, you put your foot on the spot marked and just pull. HOW DOES THIS VACUUM PERFORM? I will list features and my rating with each one: SWIVEL I like the swivel a lot better than my previous Pet Eraser vacuum. It works easier and seems a little easier to steer than my previous one. LIGHTS This was a great idea, but the lights are not very good. Imaging shining a flashlight through two small pencil sized holes and that is about what you get with this. The lights do not light up that well and it is not that easy to see with them on. I think if they added a third light in the middle of the head or a small strip of them IN ADDITION to the side lights, it would be perfect. BRUSH The brush on the upright cleans up very well and is easy to get hair off of. It picks up stuff nicely. SUCTION The suction on this is fantastic. I have very old rugs in our home and this does a fantastic job on the rugs, pulling up matted pile in ways most other vacuums can not do. CORD I love the long cord, but the wind up on the side is close together so it takes a while to wind up each time. Because of the lift off feature that makes this portable, it is necessary feature, but compared to other uprights that have a wider cord wrap, it is frustrating at times. LIFT OFF The lift off feature of this vacuum is wonderful. My other Pet Eraser is nice, but it is harder to get it put back on the base and sometimes I get frustrated with it. Once my purple one got stuck and it ended up having a shard of plastic come off when I gently tried to pull it off and a tiny shard popped off into my eye! This one however, is much easier to use and I like a little better. It is great for doing stairs and furniture. I also like that I can carry it around if I want to do ceilings and drapes. EXTENDABLE WAND I DISLIKE THIS THING. I really don't like it. No matter WHAT I do, this thing will NOT lock. That is where the other Pet Eraser is better. The telescoping set up was nicer and did lock better than this. This locking extension is at the end of the hose. You put it on the vacuum and when it is time to use it you simply lift and if you want it to work you turn it and extend and then lock. Well, it does not lock. It comes up when I try to remove it from the vacuum and then unlocks when I want it to stay extended. This is VERY frustrating and why I would give this less than five stars. HANDLE This is not a closed handle but a hooked one. It is better than older model Bissell vacuums and I am not sure if I like the loop better for lifting into other rooms over things better or not yet. I will update. I think at this point that it is a nice compromise between the lever style handle and the loop style handle. LIGHT UP CREVICE TYPE TOOL This is FANTASTIC! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this tool. It works like a dream- a bit wider than the usual crevice tool, this is great for edging and other smaller areas that you need help getting. The light is PERFECT. This tool is one of my favorite all time innovations. The wand runs by batteries. The way that it works is that when you press the wand into place, it turns on the light. When you pull it out, the light goes off. BRUSH The regular brush is nice, and pretty standard performance for a brush attachment TURBO ERASER This is also a fantastic tool. It cleans fabric furniture and area rugs really well. We have cat stands that are covered by carpet and this is PERFECT for keeping them clean and fluffed up. Although I would prefer that this have a spot to be stored on the vacuum, I realize that the lift off feature prevents a lot of storage capacity on the vacuum. HOSE The hose has a handle on it which makes it very easy to use. When the extender is pulled out, it works as a long hose. When it is retracted, it goes up into the hose, reinforcing it when it is tucked into the vacuum unit. DIAL There is a round dial on the side which allows you to pull up the upright brush roll for floors to deeper pile. It works well and does its job. DIRT CAPTURE COMPARTMENT This compartment is large, easy to use and easy to empty. there are a few filters that will need to be changed eventually, but I tend to use another vacuum to clean them out thereby reducing washing of washable filters. I do not like the Febreeze filter that comes with it as I found it makes me sneeze (some artificial scents do that to me). SMALL THING THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE Sometimes the smallest thing can make a big difference. For any of you who might be new to vacuums, one of the most important things is to avoid running over the cord. It can cause some serious damage. This vacuum has a hook on the back of the stem near the top handle where you can firmly snap in the power cord to help keep you from running over the cord. You have to press firmly, slowly (so you don't break it) on the power cord, and it will snap into this hook and it makes vacuuming a LOT easier. I LOVE this feature. COMMENTS I absolutely love some things about this vacuum and other things not so much. A few things that I am not as fond of are the way to turn it on- the switch and the pull back of the foot is not as convenient as an upright that has a one touch turn on and release button for the vacuum to tilt back. However, because of the lift off feature, it is not that big of a problem to get used to. This is a fantastic vacuum if you have pets. It handles fur and strands of hair well. It is easy to use up the stairs and carry around the room for doing high up areas as well as furniture. The upright is also very nice and works well. THE BOTTOM LINE This vacuum is great if you have pets (even if you don't). It is not only a fantastic upright, but a great portable vacuum for doing stairs, furniture, cars, and even drapes and high work. It comes with wonderful attachments, long cord, and operation is very smooth. Storage on the unit is good. Despite a few things I am not as fond of, I still really love this vacuum and find its advantages to outweigh the disadvantages and make this an excellent choice to have in the house. MY RATING Despite my frustrations with the extension wand and insufficient LED lights, I still give this FIVE stars. I really like it.