Customer Reviews

Bosch BSA2100UC Compact Plus Series Canister Vacuum, Midnight Blue

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wanted a quality, lightweight vacuum because I have a house that has lots of tile and wood floor, and I hate to sweep. I have been using the vacuum for 3 months. Overall, I'm happy with the cleaner and its quality, but here is my list of pros and cons:

Pros: 1. Nice, lightweight design with good-sized bags (for the size of the cleaner) that are priced ridiculously at some online sites (range: $6 to $17 for 5 bags and filter). A bag has lasted me over 2 months so far (I have 2 kids and a husband who don't understand about door mats, but no dog hair to clean up).
2. Runs fairly quietly - personally I would love to find a vacuum that I can use while on the phone, as my friends all seem to call just as I have finished all housework except vacuuming. You could do it with this if you don't have it on max power, and if your friends don't mind you saying "What? What?" every few sentences.
3. Has excellent suction, all that I want (sometimes more) for floors and area rugs.
4. Wand is able to turn to lie flat to get under beds and sofas.
5. The all-purpose head that comes with the vacuum has wheels that roll well on the floor and don't scratch.
6. Components of the hose/wand attach securely but come apart for clearing a jam.

Cons: 1. The cannister doesn't roll well, because the front wheel is tiny and flimsy. You have to grab the hose and haul to get it to move. Tips easily, which I expect from any lightweight cannister vac.
2. The all-purpose tool is flimsy and when not in use attaches to the wand with a little clip - falls off easily.
3. Parts are a bit hard to find, and overpriced. The power floor attachment is $60 - but then if you're vacuuming wall-to-wall you may not want this model. (I haven't really tried to use it on wall-to-wall, however.)
4. The floor nozzle has felt strips that are glued to the plastic on the bottom to keep it from scratching the floor. On a vacuum cleaner I had from Bissel with the identical setup, one of the strips came off after a year, and couldn't really be reattached. On the other hand, this nozzle is slightly better designed, so maybe they'll stick (I hope).
5. Cord length is 17 feet, really should have been 20. It is long enough for my needs, but barely - I have an outlet about 3 feet from the stairs, and can just rest the thing at the top of the stairs while I go to pull out the plug at the bottom.
6. Feels like a relatively cheaply-made vacuum cleaner (for Bosch) sold at a quality price. I have had mine for 3 months, and the bag full indicator has already broken.

All in all, would buy it again, althought the cost of parts really galls me.

We have mostly harwood in our house, but the upstairs living area is all carpet. finding a vacuum that is accomidating to both is not a fun task, however this little sucker really sucks it up! It's great with stairs and VERY lite.

I bought this vacuum based on my husband's experience with Bosch tools in his carpentry studio. That was a mistake. The suction is poor; the hose and bags don't always match up, leaving dust to collect inside the cavity (despite my repeated efforts to line everything up correctly); the vent points directly at the user, blowing hot, stinky air on you while you work, and cannot it be redirected; the bags are expensive and difficult to match up with the model you own; the cord is too short by about three feet; it tips over easily....shall I go on? It appears that the engineers who do such a fine job with their power tools were left off of this project. I will end up replacing this vacuum far soon than expected and it sure won't be with another Bosch!

This little thing is amazing! I was originally looking for a Miele canister vacuum but found its price prohibitive. This Bosch is similar in features to entry-level Miele but costs only a fraction. Made in Germany, for those who care. I bought it at LNT with a 20% off coupon for $144+tax. Here is a link http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2238362
It's on backorder online but I found it at the local Buffalo store.
The actual model is BSA2101UC but as far as I can tell the only difference is color, nice orange, looks like a toy but does its job great. Suction is impressive and pretty quiet even at the highest setting. Lightweight, easy to carry around. Not many buttons, pretty much only on/off and power+/- in one button! No LCD screens and other gimmicks, just what you need. The only concern is that bags are quite expensive, I'll see how long one bag will last. Oh and this is not a vacuum for carpets, you would need a motorized brush for those or better yet, an upright. My house is hardwood-only with some rugs, so I'm OK. Overall great product!

While this vacuum has some great suction, it was not meant for carpets or rugs. I can't even move the head back and forth because it gets caught on the carpet.

It does work great on hard surface floors and it is easy to move around because of the light weight.

The most reliable vacuum I ever had. Great for hardwood floors. Forget the other vacuum cleaners, canisters are much more comfortable to use. Low noise - what an improvement!Bosch seems really worth the money. And this one here was just the cheapest Bosch I could find.

I've learned that the quality of vacuums tends to fluctuate with their price. I purchased this vacuum not expecting it to be perfect or top-of-the-line, but I find that it actually exceeds my overall expectations.

First, it was important to me to have a cannister vacuum with a bag (rather than bagless), which this one has. It has an indicator on the top which should indicate when the bag is full, which is a nice added touch. (My bag hasn't filled up yet, as far as I know, so I haven't yet confirmed whether this feature works.)

The long tube is made of metal, not plastic like some other models I've had, which adds durability. I was concerned that the tube might come apart during vacuuming because its parts just slip together (no button or clip), but so far that has not happened at all.

The motor is nice and quiet, especially for a vacuum with its power.

I also like that the attachment piece fits (and stays) on the tube when you're not using it, and that the cord automatically rolls up inside the unit. (Be aware that in order for the auto-roll-up function to work properly, you must tug on the cord very, very gently - not with too much force.)

The bag is easy to install and has a little closing cardboard cover to help keep dust from flying out when you change it.

Some things this model does NOT have:
- A beater bar (so if you have shag carpets, that could be a problem - we only have laminate flooring)
- An upholstery brush attachment (it does have an upholstery attachment without a brush, which is OK, but a little strange)

If neither of those is a big concern for you, then you should consider choosing this model.

I purchased this vacuum based on the very positive reviews. However, I am sorry I bought it for the following reasons. There is a suction control on the top that is a real joke. Even with it turned up all the way, I find that it won't suck up many of the little crumbs on the kitchen floor unless the center of the floor attachment is directly centered over the crumb. If it is at one of the edges of the attachment, it usually doesn't get sucked up. I end up taking off the attachment and using the bare hose end to get thing sucked up

The next annoyance is the short cord. I have to constantly keep pluging it into a closer receptacle even in the same room.

And speaking of the cord, after only a few months of use, the cord no longer retracts and I can see no way to get into the mechanism to unstick it or whatever to fix it.

The vacuum does not turn a corner very well and usually ends up turned over on its side when pulled at an angle.

Anyhow, the short of it is that it has a VERY POOR suction and this is my main gripe with the vacuum. I think I will go back to the tried and true Sears vacuum which does have great suction.

Compact Plus Canister Vacuum from Bosch.
This is very powerful small vacuum cleaner recommended to anyone with hard floors.
It is so silent that person in the next room might not realize you are vacuuming. It has variable suction settings. On the carpet it does OK job, but I have really small carpet area in the house.
Highly recommended!!!

I purchased to clean hardwood and tile floors, vacuum upholstry, and under furniture where I can't reach with an upright. First, it doesn't pick up the light dust covering on the hardwood so I feel it isn't removing the dust from the oriental rugs. I have to hold it at a certain angle in order to create the suction which is quite difficult when lying on the floor trying to get under sofa or beds. It will pick up large items such as cheerios if you hold it in just the right manner. If I wanted to go to vacuum 101, I would have signed up for it. I wanted to dust with it as canisters lend themselves to this job but cannot find a dusting brush for it. The positive is that it is light.