Bissell Zing Canister Bagless Vacuum, 10M2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I'll start by saying this vacuum is NOT for carpets, period. It doesn't have any kind of beater bar and doesn't glide over carpet at all. I got this to do quick post-toddler dinner clean ups. The vacuum unit itself has a good design and plenty of suction. It is lightweight and would be great to carry around using the hose itself to clean nooks and crannies, but this ability is limited to nooks and crannies since it is blatantly missing a drapery or upholstery attachment. After going across my hardwood floors it sucked up quite a bit of dirt and lint & I didn't think my floors were that dirty. My complaint is that the floor attachment needs to be redesigned, which is too bad because it's primarily why I bought this unit. The part that slides accross the floor is maybe 8 inches wide or so, but really only the middle maybe 2 inches has a hole for suction. The rest of it doesn't, well, suck. There's not even an opening for it. I'm not sure why the thing is even 8 inches wide, it could just be 2 inches or so and accomplish the same task. So, as I attacked piles of crumbs and cheerios with it, only the middle of the pile would be picked up, very frustrating. It is just as loud, if not louder than any other vacuum with a sharper noise than most.
Pros:
Price
Suction
Vacuum unit deisgn
Easy to empty
Picks up a lot
Bagless
Compact design
Lightweight
Retractable cord
Cons:
Noise
Floor attachment
Lack of suction width
Lack of attachments
Not an option for carpet
Only picks up in middle
UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO COMMENTS: While it is true that canister and stick vacs only have the center hole, the problem with this is that it only cleans at that point. I have another vac with similar design that has the same center hole and the chambers that go out to the sides. It cleans the entire width of the head. Thus the problem with this.
Note that in my review I based my review on HARDWOOD FLOOR USE. NOT carpet. I stated that so that anyone who was thinking about it would think about something different. Also, I am not comparing this to an upright. My intentions were correctly placed in my trial of this vacuum. I wanted it for quick clean up, on hardwood floors, after my toddlers ate dinner. My intention was never to compare this to an upright... I have a Kirby for those jobs.
For this reason, I stand by everything I say in my original review. The head does not work well, even compared to similar vacs.

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Eureka 3684F Pet Lover Mighty Mite Review

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(More customer reviews)The Mighty Mite is a decent vacuum cleaner, especially for the money. I've been through 3 vacuums in 2 years, and I know junk when I see it now. And, for the most part, the Mighty Mite isn't junk.
Pros: It is very lightweight, has good reach with the telescoping pole, decent suction, and the pet hair attachment seems to work fine on my sofa and rugs. The HEPA filter is a definite plus and my hope is that the quantity of house dust will be seriously lowered. It is easy to move, but could use a longer cord than 20 ft.
Cons: The instructions don't even MENTION the pet hair attachment! The only references are on the box it comes in. The suction is adjusted by a rotating ring on the handle, exactly where you hand goes. So, if you accidentally move it to a more closed position while your hand is there, your skin gets sucked in with it. All the attachments do NOT go on the canister. There is provision for one small attachment and the crevice tool onboard. Everything else has to go elsewhere. Plus there is no easy way to deal with the hoses and telescoping rod. They don't fit together any special way and won't stand up. The power cord winds up underneath the vacuum and the plug should clip on to the cord. But, the clip on the plug doesn't actually fit over the cord. It is too small and too tight and makes indentations deeply into the cord, so you can't really safely use that 'feature'.
Sometimes, you have to wonder if the manufacturer ever even tried out the machine themselves. For example, the reason this is lightweight is that it uses incredible flimsy plastic hose. I suspect you could poke a finger through it if you tried hard enough. And, the canister itself is also plastic. That isn't theoretically bad, but what happens is, in a static-y environment, the hair and dust you are trying to get rid of is attracted to the hose and canister! So, you end up with a cleaner house and a vacuum completely covered in hairs and dust. That 'feature' isn't mentioned on the box...
Overall, I like this, in spite of all the negatives. Longevity is a bit of concern for the tools and hose, but it has suction, the disposable bag makes for a cleaner house, it is very easy to carry up and down the stairs and has a long enough reach to reach everywhere in my old house. I'm going to keep it...


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Haan FS-30-Plus Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer Review

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(More customer reviews)I did not use the product on wood flooring, but on carpeting. I bought it to steam sanitize my carpeting, and was pleased with the outcome. I first cleaned my carpet, let it dry and used the steamer afterwards. I also used it on my sofa. The sanitizer must be kept level or a small amount of water will leak from the sides, but it dried rather quickly so I did not see it as a problem. For the price, it did what I expected it to do. Since I used it on carpet I do not know how it works on wood flooring. I have three dogs and several cats, and was pleased at how clean my sofa and carpet looked afterwards. I did not clean the sofa first, just ran the steamer over it, and it pilled cat hairs for easy removal that I thought I had manually removed, which was great, because it left my sofa looking clean and bright. If you want to kill germs and sanitize your carpet or floor, then this product may work for you as well.

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Eureka ReadyForce Bagged Canister Vacuum, 900A Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been looking at canister vacs for a long time. I bought one, hated it (the floor attachment kept falling off, the filter kept clogging), and ended up returning it. I am pleasantly surprised by this little machine...the suction is great, it's not too loud, doesn't clog, and it's lightweight. Plus the price is right!! I was looking into getting a miele until I found this. I use this at my vacation home (a 60 year old ranch home that produces a LOT of dust) where all the floors are hardwood or tile and I have an area rug. The vac works fairly well on the area rug, too. The handle feels much more solid than the previous machine I had and doesn't fall apart. And I actually prefer the bag to the bagless version I previously had. It is so much easier to change the bag than pull out a canister and have dust flying everywhere. I highly recommend this for someone who has a lot of hardwood floors and wants to get up ALL the dust on the floors, in the corners, under the sofas!!!

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Clean your carpets and bare floors quickly and efficiently with the Eureka ReadyForce Bagged Canister Vacuum. Its electronic suction control lets you use just the right amount of power for optimal cleaning of various surfaces. Allergen filtration keeps the air fresh. Use the included 6-foot hose, crevice tool, dusting brush, and upholstery nozzle to clean those hard-to-reach spots. A light tells you when the bag is full, and emptying the bag is a breeze. 10.5 amps with 16-foot power cord that rewinds automatically for easy storage. 10-inch cleaning width. 18.5 x 11.5 x 11.5 inches. 16 pounds. 1-year warranty.

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Hoover Commercial Portapower Vacuum Cleaner, 8.3 Lbs, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)For starters, consider that high-quality consumer vacs are running $200-$300, and substantially more if you go with a Dyson or something. We seriously considered a Dyson canister, and I'm very, very happy that we skipped it. It not only would have been a waste of money, it would have been less convenient.
We have a triplex (3-story) apartment in New York. All hardwood floors, and lots of stairs. This thing is absolutely, totally perfect for it. The suction is huge, even after weeks of use in an apartment full of dog hair. It's designed so effectively that all the hair gets sucked deep into the bag, and doesn't block the airflow. The bag is a long-lasting cloth bag that's very easy to remove and empty, and there is no additional cost for consumables. However, if you'd prefer a paper bag that you don't need to empty, you can use those instead. Either way, it works great. It also works great on our area rugs, because the suction is very good.
It's very lightweight, and comes with both carry-handle and shoulder-strap. So you can range all over the apartment, over and around things, up and down the stairs, carrying it comfortably all the way. My wife is a little smaller than I, and also finds it very light and great to use.
The long, super-strong metal tube, with rotating head, works its way really conveniently underneath and around the table, chairs, and other furniture. It comes with great attachments for baseboards and other needs. The metal tube has a secure locking mechanism, so it's both easier to disassemble than a plastic one that often gets stuck, and easy to reassemble and snap together. It's going to last forever. The flexible hose is made of really strong material, with a rigid, springy coil inside. It doesn't crimp, fold, bunch or otherwise cause problems. It also shrinks nicely when you're not putting any tension on it. Which makes it very convenient to store: it's super-compact to start with, and you can quickly pop the hose & tube off the main body of it, so you can store them wherever they fit best. Incidentally, Hoover also includes a very rugged strap to snap the cord in place when you're not using it. The power cord, by the way, is just incredibly long, so I can do a whole floor of the apartment, and get 2/3 of the way down the stairs, before I need to unplug and move the connection. It's the longest I've ever had, even on a full-size upright.
We've had it for a month now, and use it often, and I have yet to find a single flaw with it. I suppose they could round the edges a bit more, so that when I'm dancing around the apartment with it slung over my shoulder, I don't even notice them. But that's about it. Some reviewers suggest they integrate the attachment storage into the body of the vac. But that would dramatically increase weight and size, so it would be stupid. They could give you a little holder for them, but then they'd have to charge you more, and you probably have a bag or drawer or whatever for them already. If you want, you can buy the $20 "PortaPack" carry bag, which includes a spiffier shoulder strap, and a little mesh bag for the attachments. But if you don't need it, they've saved you the $20.
Unless you have deep-pile carpets, or a dog/cat that constantly sheds fine hair (and so you need a vac with a powered head), this is a really phenomenal performer, and an amazing value, which is much more maneuverable than an upright could over be.

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Euro-Pro Shark S3501N Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop Review

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(More customer reviews)It started simple enough. A friend said, "You HAVE to get a Shark steamer mop thing. It's awesome."
But if you're a type-A like me, that's where the simplicity ends.
I researched the (older model) Shark and because of the not so great reviews, I ended up ordering the Eureka ENVIRO STEAMER. I chose the Eureka primarily because of a comparison review by a user. Turns out, alot of the qualities written in the review, like water tank size and cord length, didn't apply anymore.
So then, I ordered the Haan FS20-Plus 800-Watt Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer with Deluxe Sanitizing Tray based on the same reviewer's awesome comparison. But again, the info didn't match up to what I ordered/got.
Today, I finally broke down and just went to a brick and morter Bedbathandbeyond. The guy was very helpful and showed me the various Sharks and told me this new model (the most expensive at $119) had a bigger tank than previous.
So, here I am with 3 different steamer mops. Since I buy most of my stuff based on reviews, I thought I would take the time to do a very non-scientific comparison.
*Euro-Pro Shark S3501 Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop ($106 with my 20%coup plus tax at BBB)
*Haan FS20-Plus 800-Watt Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer with Deluxe Sanitizing Tray ($90 via Amazon)
*Eureka ENVIRO STEAMER ($69 via Amazon)
OUT OF THE BOX:
All three were very easy to put together. Handle either snapped/or screwed into base.
HANDLE:
All are plastic and for the most part, feel a bit flimsy. None really stood out above the others.
CORD:
Shark has 30' (the longest)
Haan and Eureka were same... about 18'.
WATER TANK: ((my top priority, behind obviously cleaning))
Shark -- approx 1 3/4 cups* (fill cup provided is not marked)
Eureka -- 1 1/4 cups* (fill cup provided is not marked but manual says capacity total 12 oz)
Haan -- 1 cup* (fill cup provided is marked)
*cup is based on the cup that came with Haan, the only one clearly marked. So I just filled the others and then dumped into the Haan cup. Hence, minor discrepancy. If you convert 12 oz into cups, it's 1 1/2 cups... but for some reason when I filled the Eureka container and dumped it into the Haan cup, it only filled it 1 1/4 ways. Go figure.
CLEANING PAD:
Shark's cleaning cloth covers the head but the design allows you to flip it so you can use both sides with ease. The whole head actually flips on the mop so it's not like you're taking the cloth off and then putting it back on. (2 rectangular cloths included, along with 2 triangular cloths, for the triangular head -- I guess for corners or tight spaces. But I have not used or tried out. Also, 1 fluffy looking thing that's for dusting...again, have not tried this out either.)
**edited to add 1/8/2010** I've used the purple duster on wood floors and love it! Cleans great.
Eureka -- waffle type of towel, held in place by clamps on the base. After 1 wash, the trim started coming off and it already had a very worn/old look to it. Not sure how long it would have held up. (2 included)
Haan -- a thick, microfiber trapazoid that just sort of velcros onto the bottom. Very sturdy. (2 included)
OVERALL CLEANING (see photo):
Obviously, not very scientific but I swiped a wet paper towel on a portion of my tile that I was planning to clean.
I split the area into thirds so each steam mop was used in one section (I have large stone tile with deep grout lines (see photo).
Then I went over that cleaned section with another wet paper towel to see how much dirt could be picked up.
NONE: (first paper towel on left) Clearly, the dirtiest.
Haan: cleaned the best (again, not scientific just how much was picked up on a paper towel after using the steam mop)
Eureka Enviro: cleaned the worst (but obviously, still great, compared to nothing)
Shark: in the middle.
CONCLUSION:
I'm keeping the Shark because of several factors:
*big water chamber (thus longer steam time)
*long cord (convenience of not using extension cord or unplugging and re-plugging)
*dual head cleaning cover (pretty handy)
*complete swivel head... but because of this feature, the drawback is that you have to lean the handle up against a counter because it won't stand on its own, like the Haan or Eureka.
I won't go into detail about the wetness factor because frankly, all three left the surface wet but all three dried pretty quickly (much more quickly than when I use a traditional sponge mop/pinesol). This was really not an issue for me.
OVERALL, seriously, I would be thrilled with any one of these... because they do cut down tile floor cleaning time tremendously-- and without using chemicals. Any one of them clearly beats the old mop and bucket method.
I guess it comes down to how you prioritize the features. For me, after this exhaustive research -- I'm sticking with the Shark! Good luck on yours... and my you NOT find yourself in a similar dilemma where you're obsessing over minor details like I did.
EXTRA FYI:
"Pocket" vs "deluxe" -- what's the difference between the gold and purple set?
Both Pocket (gold) and Deluxe(purple) are priced the same but the Pocket comes with ONE set of cleaning cloths. But you do get a third head -- that's an XL rectagular head. The purple set comes with two sets of cleaning cloths. I think for the money, the purple set is the way to go.
Hope that helps!

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Bissell Swift Sweep Sweeper, 2201-2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this at Lowes Home Improvement for 9.97 - it's their regular price. The handle pieces do come out but don't despair! I had some carpet tape (double-sided) lying around and wrapped only a small piece around each end before I put it back together. It works like a charm. For how long, I don't know, but for the price I paid and how well it works otherwise, it will be worth investing in another role of tape in about a hundred years or so.
I can't drag the vacuum out all the time, don't want to and besides the dogs go nuts. This works as well as the carpet sweeper I remember pushing around as a little girl so I gave it an extra star for nostalgia. Gets all crumbs (don't expect it to get ground in dog hair) and gets all lint & small things you'd normally drag out the Hoover for. And No electricty needed!! If you miss the sound however, you can always hum!

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Bissell 2201-2 swift Sweep - a cordless Sweeper from Bissell who has been making quality Sweepers since 1876

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