Customer Reviews

Carpet Pro CPU-1 Commercial Vacuum Cleaner

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had almost forgoten about this vacuum cleaner until someone asked me what I thought was the best vacuum cleaner under $200. This machine is made by Tacony USA, who also makes Riccar and Simplicity vacuum cleaners. This model is the same vacuum as the CP1, except it has a 40ft. 3 wire commercial cord. The CP2 has metal in all the right places including the motor, the handle, the bottom plate, and importantly the roller brush.

The thing that makes this vacuum so durable is the patended clean air bypass motor system. This means that everything that is vacuumed up goes directly into the vacuum bag first, instead of many other vacuums that the dirt goes through the fan and motor first, then goes to the vacuum bags. This makes the motor on this machine much more durable, as the all of the dirt is captured in the bag first, then clean air is passed through the motor. As long as you keep the filter underneath of the bag clean (it's washable) your motor will last you 15+ years with no problems.

Most other vacuum cleaners now use a plastic roller brush. The plastic roller brush will actually melt if anything is vacuumed up that gets stuck in the brush like a sock under a bed, or tassles on an oriental rug. The plastic brushes use plastic bearings on both sides of the brush that will eventually melt to the brush.

The Carpet Pro machine has a completely metal roller brush, and metal bearings. The brushes themselves are made of Teflon, and slide out of the brush roll, allowing you to replace just the brushes, instead of replacing the entire roller brush assembly complete. Since the brushes are made of Teflon, they really do a nice job of deep cleaning carpets, as well as eating pet hair for lunch!

The really only downfalls to this machine is the fact there are no attachments on board the vacuum, and the color of the vacuum might even hurt your eyes! The earlier reviews mentioned that the attachment hose would fall out while using it, however they have improved the hose to fit more securely in the vacuum and not fall out. The deluxe set of attachments is nice because it comes with a 15 foot hose, which allows you to leave the vacuum at the bottom of your stairs and work all the way up without moving the vacuum cleaner.

Most people have never heard of Carpet Pro, and become worried about being able to find bags for this machine. This is not a problem as the machine will either take Riccar 4000 bags (slightly harder to find) or you can use Panasonic upright bags which are widely available in your local grocery store, or home improvement stores.

This machine is by far the best vacuum available for under $200. You can't find this type of quality at this price. The sister companies Riccar and Simplicity sell for $400-$700.

Pros: It is a reasonably priced (less than half the price of a Dyson!), reasonably quiet, has a reputation for durability, picks up cat hair (yea!), and has a nice long cord so you are not having to move your plug around every room.

Cons: Haven't found any yet... I guess the one thing some people will dislike is that it's a big yellow monster, so it doesn't have the style cachet of a Dyson or even Hoover. But it's a vacuum cleaner, so I quickly got over that.

I stressed over our vacuum cleaner purchase more than I should have. I read the Amazon reviews, Consumer Reports, Consumer Search, and any other site I could find.

At the end of the day I came down to this vacuum and the Hoover U8173 Savvy TurboPower... Amazon's reviews of the Hoover U8173 Savvy TurboPower vacuum were limited in number but all positive; however, there was a mixed story out on the web on other sites/reviews about it. There were a few others that I absolutely ruled out after finding killer issues:
Dyson: destroys berber carpets AND costs $500
Hoover Tempo: only $70 or so, but seems to have some durability issues and no onboard tools.
Eureka: Not well built based on reviews and personal experience

This Carpet Pro is thus far amazing. The night it came, I vacuumed and it picked up every piece of dirt and lots I couldn't see. It was also quiet enough that it did not wake my sleeping kids.

Three other observations:
1) I did not order this exact model - I got the CPU-2T model with on-board accessory tools.. I couldn't find that model on Amazon so I ordered it from EZVacuum... And I paid the same price WITH tools as most other stores had the CPU-2 (the model without tools) because of a 10% off coupon... The tools work well - intuitive to use and the hose is sufficiently long for me. I have already e-mailed several Amazon stores to add the CPU-2T as I would have rather bought the vacuum on Amazon.

2) This vacuum is not well known... It took a lot of hunting to learn about it, though two reviews I read were from Vacuum repairmen, who said it was the most durable, trouble-free vacuum they see. I knew it was a bit of a risk to buy a relatively lesser known vacuum. But it is commercial grade

3) We have a cleaning person come for occasional "deep cleaning" of our house - she loved the vacuum. Since she is someone who has lots of experience with different choices, I thought this was a good indicator that the Carpet Pro is a keeper!

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UPDATE July 09: We have had this vacuum now for about 9 months, and still love it. It picks up dirt and dust as well as it did when it was new, and behaves like it is indestructible. The only thing I don't love are the bag changes - not the neatest, but well worth the effort!
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Update Nov 09: Still going strong - no issues, and cleans as well as the day we got it! One additional comment - it is great for pet hair - the onboard tools do a nice job of snapping pet hair up, and what it doesn't get I use a lint roller on.

I bought this same vacuum 2 years ago. Mine is the exact same except it is not commercial. The only difference is the commercial one has a slightly longer cord. This vacuum is great! I bought the Carpet Pro to take with me to the beach for cleaning cottages. I can't tell you how many times it was dragged from house to house. It stood up to the abuse test. The long cord is very convenient if you have a large house. It vacuums carpets with ease, and the dirt bags felt like they weighed a ton when full. They hold alot and this vacuum does not lose suction when the bag is reaching its maximum capacity. I also ordered the hard floor tools package which was a waste of 100.00. The hose wouldn't stay on the port and the suction to the attachments was poor. I purchased this from an online store after talking to the owner. He told me the motor was all metal, and the bottom plate of the vac is metal too. This vacuum works great for carpet, especially in large houses. I used it many, many times and the belt never broke. Now that's saying something about a vacuum. I had a Hoover Wind Tunnel Self-Propelled and all it gave me was trouble. The belts on that one stayed broken! I would definitely consider this vacuum!

I absolutely love this vacuum. I researched vacuums for awhile before deciding on this one. It works GREAT on both carpets and hardwood floors. I was actually pretty surprised at how well it picked up the dog hair (we have 2 labs) on the hardwood floors. It did not blow the hair around like our other vacuum. It is light, not noisy, easy to push and has an unbelievably long cord, which I love! I vacuumed 2 rooms without unplugging! I think this is an unbelievable value for the price. GREAT, GREAT VACUUM!

I bought the Carpet Pro for the cleaning crew at work. I wanted a solid performer that is easy to use and service. This is a very BASIC vacuum- no attachments, no lights, no automation. The cord is longer than average so you don't need an extension cord. The belt can be changed in a few minutes with a coin. There is a tiny little reset button on the lower left corner on the back. If the vacuum becomes plugged and shuts down, pull the bottom steel plate, remove the restriction and then push the reset button. It is there to save the motor from burning up. The cleaning performance is very good for a vacuum of this design. If you order one, order extra belts and bags. Riccar is the manufacturer of this vacuum in case you need to buy a belt or bags locally. Value wise, this vacuum is hard to beat.

The vacuum cleaner works well and does a generally excellent job cleaning carpets and wood floors.
The quirks relate primarily to the poor design choice for the power cord. It is long, which is good, but the material is FAR too stiff and bulky. As such the cord usually does not extend gracefully behind the vacuum, but tends to get into kinks, it drag objects it goes around rather than snaking past them, etc. Other cleaners with similar length cords and power have slightly thinner and MUCH more flexible cords. Plus it seems that the clips for winding the cord onto when not in use were designed for the type of cord that should have been used, as they are too small to easily wind the bulky cord onto. And when the cord is cold, for example when bringing the vacuum from an unheated closet, the problems noted above are even worse as the cord gets really stiff. Looks like some purchasing agent at the manufacturer got offered a good deal on cords, and they substituted this poor choice at some point in the process.
A more minor quirk is the poor fit for the cover over the bag. It does not click into place solidly, and sometimes just falls off.
The overall impression is of a good engineering design that has been cost reduced during the manufacturing process without regard for the impact on usability.

If you have been searching for a "real" vacuum that actually vacuums then buy this Carpet Pro CPU-2. I have a Dyson (over $500) and it sets in my closet. I used to use Hoovers but they don't make the ones I grew u with as I just threw one away that I had for one year. I hate to say that because I was a big fan of Hoover. My Electrolux is still running but does not do what this one does as far as cleaning carpets.

If you want bells and whistles, then this is not for you. I have had all of that and I want a vacuum that really vacuums. I just finished vacuuming 4,500 sq. feet and it was wonderful to feel and see my carpets looking cleaner than ever and it was not a chore. I love seeing what this vacuum does as I vacuum while not having to go over and over and over again. BUY THIS ONE only if you like clean carpets.

I have wood floors as well and I always use a large dust mop for those and that does much better than any vacuum for those.

I am going to order the tools now and extra bags and filters. I love the fact that what I vacuum bypasses the motor fan and that really preserves any vacuum. Tough, tough vacuum. Thank goodness I found this after the other 6 reviews I viewed and I do thank them.

I love this vacuum. It does such a thorough job, I don't think I will ever buy another brand again. I get bored with vacuum cleaners after 2-4 years and buy a new one. I bought this in September of 2009 and used it weekly or more for several months until I moved into a house with very little carpet, so I will use the Eureka quick up most of the time, which I also recommend highly. The Carpet Pro CPU-1 is definitely better on carpet than bare floors, but it is better on bare floors than most others I have used that did not have a way to turn off the brushroll. It has no problem with cat hair, even very fine hair, dust, crumbs, kitty litter, laundry lint, you name it. When I was putting my house on the market, I bought the tool accessory kit with the 15' hose, and I could reach up to the top of my vaulted ceiling. I do recommend the tools also. Using the upholstery brush and the power of this vacuum, it pulled off imbedded cat hair from a sofa I never used, but the cats slept on daily. Even though it is not self-propelled, it couldn't be easier to push. I had a cheap Bissell that was a workout everytime I used it, but this one is a breeze. I went to a local vacuum store to buy the tools, and the owner said this is one of the most reliable vacuums out there, and he would know! I have used many different vacuums over the years, and this is by far my favorite. I may keep this one longer than 2-4 years.

Researched this exhaustively. Fed up with store-bought vacuums that don't work, particularly for dog hair. This one does exactly what the job calls for. Though new, feels like it will last forever. I can imagine this on the job at a 50 story hotel cleaning the carpets. It is light weight enough, simple enough and picks up dog hair like it was meant to. No clogging, anywhere. And why would anyone pay for the junk in the stores when for the same price you can get a real industrial/commercial level vac. Wish I had bought the CPU-2T with tools. But maybe that was a good oversight. Went to a vac store and bought a set of tools which have a longer hose and more gadgets. Just no place to hang them on the unit. Also looked at a really expensive Riccar but discovered that CarpetPro is made (in the USA) by the same people and for the life of me cannot find any deal-breaker difference. Oh yes, Amps. However, the dirty little secret is that nobody needs 12 Amps, that is simply has much as can be built into a vac. Shipping was as expected. Thank you seller. Now what to do with the three old vacs sitting in the garage? Is there a graveyard for badly designed vacuum cleaners?

I've owned an Oreck and a Dyson, among others, and this vacuum is by far my favorite. It's sturdy, well made, and very powerful. It's wider and more powerful than the Oreck so it takes less time to vacuum and unlike the Dyson, there's no messy canister to empty--you just change the bag and go.