Customer Reviews

Dirt Devil Breeze Bagless Upright Vacuum, M088160RED

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

Our big and heavy Dirt Devil Platinum Force quit after 5 years of service and we decided to try something lighter and much less expensive.

The Breeze arrived in 3 days, even with free shipping - thanks Amazon!
Assembly was a breeze, just 4 screws. We have over 1500 sq ft of carpeted areas and steps so I put the new vacuum to work.

Pros:
-- Price (and I also used a gift certificate) - sweet!
-- Lightweight! What a difference it makes.
-- Very powerful. It sucked a full dirt container from our house.
-- Thermal protective device - according to the manual this will shut off the motor to prevent overheating (what our old vacuum did not have)

Cons:
-- No HEPA filter out of the box but the next time I replace the filter I can get a HEPA filter from Amazon
-- To use the hose (on the steps, inside car) I needed to detach the main hose and connect the special hose. But it's cool how you plug-and-twist the hose in place.
-- Warranty is only 2 years. But for the price I paid that's fine.

So really, no negatives yet. Happy with this purchase.

First off, how do you say "mixed bag" about a "bagless" vacuum? Well however you say it, here is my opinion on it - the good and the bad. I purchased mine as a second vac, and despite past nightmares with entry bagless vacs, wanted something I could empty after each occasional use vs. store away with a partly filled bag.

On the pro side: This unit is VERY light in weight. Great for those with arthritis or anyone who is carrying a vacuum up and down stairs. What is not lightweight is the power - it definitely has good suction. I also like the slightly narrower width whem compared to most other vacuums - 13" wide vs the more common 15" wide may not seem like much, but this fits in narrow places yet is still a full power vac.

On the neutral side: Emptying is easy, but like most entry level bagless units, the filter is a mess to deal with. Best bet is, from time, use a second vac to clean this units filter, or used canned air outside upwind.
Attachments are okay - connecting the hose is akward. Just a note - the height is actually simply fixed, not "automatic", but it does lift the beater bar up when the handle is in the upright position to prevent carpet damage.

On the negative side: This is a very loud vacuum cleaner. On a scale of 1-10, this is an 11. Pickup can be tricky, as it wants to spit items back at you - and with the exhaust blowing downward in the front, stir up dust ahead of you. Note - if you have problems with dust and allergies, avoid this or have someone else clean the filter for you.

Overall: The negatives are strong issues against the positives and neutrals on this vac. Also keep in mind that with the low end bagless vacs, the money you save on bags is more than spent on filters. Almost like buying a printer - the printer is cheap, but they get you on the ink. Here they get you on the filter.

All in all, this makes for a handy and powerful second vac, a lightweight vac for those who can't handle a heavy vac, and a vac to consider if you are really stretching the dollar. But be careful not to think bagless is going to save you money.

I've had my Dirt Devil Breeze for (3?+) years now (Obviously an older version but based on what I see from the picture nothing had changed much.) Bought this as replacement to a previous vacuum cleaner which had the "fan" (not sure if this is the correct word for it) that was in the path of the dirt (I believe that was a hoover). I used it to pick up some solid object and got stuck in the "fan" which caused it to break on me. The design of the breeze was a lot better since the filter catches objects before it gets to the suction mechanism. Overall, does what its supposed to do.
Cons:
- The exhaust out in front was definitely a design "duh". But you wouldn't realize it till you use it for picking up light material (e.g. small bird feathers).
- Is there an easier way to switch from bottom suction to the onboard tools?
- Emptying the canister is definitely a hassle (but sames me money in the long run)
- *LOUD* And I cannot say this enough. My unit is a little older and I swear this thing gets louder with age. I swear, I was two houses away and I thought my wife was using the table saw. If you want to tune out the rest of the world or not want to hear somebody nag at you, though, this is definitely for you.
- No height adjustment (tough to use on thick carpet)
Pro:
- A definite work horse. I think this thing will last a lifetime. This is the first vacuum cleaner I will get rid off that actually still works.
- As mentioned above, design was better than other vacuums
- Cheap

Bought this vacuum at Home Depot today for $39 and it does a fantastic job. Recently bought a Shark Infinity, paid $200 for it, worst unit I have ever used or bought. Highly recommend the Dirt Devil and the price can't be beat! Even bought a 1 yr extra warranty for $4.99.

I have owned a dirt devil vacuum before and found it quite satisfactory for the price. Not so this one. There are four complaints:

1. It is difficult and unpleasant to change from the floor to the hose. You have to physically shift the suction tube from the one to the other--no simple switch as with most vacuums. This means you avoid doing it as much as possible.

2. It exhausts out the front and blows the dust bunnies away. You literally have to try to sneak up on them and chase them down. They often get blown up in the air, and then you either have to wait for everything to settle, or come back later to find the room looking still un-vacuumed.

3. It is heck-of noisy.

4. The filter is difficult to clean.

This vacuum does a fine job at what's intended for. It will get your floors clean. However, it has several problems that are so frustrating that they detract from the things that I do like about the vacuum.

The main problem is that the suction pipe to which you connect attachments, does not lock in place when not using an attachment. This means that it frequently disconnects from the main head of the vacuum. I'll finish a section of carpet, and then realize that it's been disconnected the whole time and have to redo that section. It would have been so incredibly easy to prevent this by simply putting in a quarter-rotation lock of some kind. This is a critical flaw in my opinion.

Another failure is the way that the canister that holds the waste opens. You depress a button to open it, but the door is spring loaded, and when you do, it showers dust and lint all over the place. I have to open it into a plastic trash bag, or out doors, to make sure it doesn't mess up the floor I just cleaned.

I agree with another reviewer that this vacuum is very noisy! Much noisier than the old Kirby I used to have, or even the cheap, off brand vacuum I keep in my basement.

On the pro side, the vacuum is light, works well when the suction pipe isn't disconnected, and costs a lot less than more expensive brands. Unfortunately, this instance, you really do get what you pay for.

Most amazing vacuum ever! Best $50 I ever spent and by far the strongest, most powerful vacuum i have ever used....including a Dyson. Would recommend this product 110%!

This vacuum worked great at first. After a short time there was an occasional whiff of burning belt and a whine like the brushroll/ beater bar wasn't turning. Soon the belt broke, so I went to replace it and found the beater bar had completely seized up. Looking the brushroll/ beater bar over, I saw that it had been assembled crookedly. One of the square holder ends was centered in the middle of the bar, the other end was offset. This is obvious when looking at it and should have never made it past QC in my opinion. A replacement one will cost $16 plus shipping- not worth it for a $50 vacuum.

I bought this vacuum in December 2009. I was disappointed at how cheaply made it appeared to be but it was light-weight which was a plus for me. To pick up a piece of cereal such as a cheerio, you basicly have to lift the vacuum and place it on top of the cheerio or it won't pick it up. It is the same with any small hard piece of anything, and you can forget picking up a popcorn kernel. It has, or should I say HAD, good suction so I don't know why this was such a problem for the machine. I hated the fact that I had to disconnect the front of the vacuum and connect it to the hose to use to pick up corners and such, but hey for the price I was willing to overlook that pain. So I've had the thing an entire 5 months when the motor decided to burn up. I don't vacuum everyday, more like 1-2 times a week. You get exactly what you pay for with this cheap thing. I don't recommend to anyone unless you like to replace your vacuum every 5 months and have no kids, hence you maybe won't need to pick up a piece of cheerio, coco puff, or popcorn kernel. Amazon says I can't return it so I'm thinking I'll go to Wal-Mart to buy my next vacuum today.

Pros:

-Strong suction.
-Fairly well built for the price
-Lightweight
-Not much noisier than others in similar price range.
-Exit air blows front and up at a 45 degree angle when vacuuming. Shouldn't blow dirt around in front of vacuum.
-Design results in suction being retained even as dirt fills the chamber. Big plus over bag vacuums and other bagless designs.

Cons:

-Cord coming out of bottom gets caught in wheels. I tied it up to the handle to avoid problem.
-Like other bagless vacs, messy to clean out. Definitely do outdoors and down wind. Not for users who have allergies.
-Filters are expensive - $15+. Needs changing once/yr or more.
-Doesn't hold much dirt until it needs to be cleaned out.

Overall, best option I found in a sub $100 upright vacuum.