Customer Reviews

Electrolux EL5020A Intensity Upright Vacuum Cleaner

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This little vacuum packs in power and innovative design. From the first try, I was amazed at the suction. The first time through the house I quickly filled the bag and had to change it. The Intensity pulled up all the little carpet fuzz on the 3-year-old carpet that my old vacuum could never get. It has more power than any other vacuum I've used.

The collapsing design is a nice feature. It folds up into a neat little package that fits easily on a closet floor without running into the coats. I love the controls on the top of the handle. You can go from bare floor to carpet with the touch of a button. The cord retracts nicely. The bag is easy to change, though a bit small, well, because the vacuum is small.

I discovered a nice fail-safe feature when I tried to finish the room when the full bag light was on. The vacuum shut off. I waited a bit to let it cool down, changed the bag, and it started right up. So pay attention to that light.

Overall, the design is fantastic. A couple improvements though would make it even better. For it's small size, light weight and those big wheels, it doesn't corner all that easily. The front is nice and flat and has an edge for going under cabinets, but since the front is the same width as the back, you can't go straight under cabinets. You have to go at an angle and keep adjusting the position. So making the front part a little wider than the back would make going under cabinets a breeze.

Also, if it didn't have that big carrying handle on the top of the canister, it would vacuum right under the bed. The handle isn't positioned well anyway for doing stairs, because when you hold it by the handle to maneuver on stairs, it's too back heavy and tips back. A handle placed a little farther back on the canister would solve that problem - and it would vacuum under the bed.

There are no attachments with this vacuum, but I prefer that it do it's job on the floors and I use a cordless vacuum for furniture, edging and stairs anyway.

Please don't write this vacuum off as a secondary, light-duty vacuum. Even though it's small, it's a full-duty whole house vacuum with plenty of suction.

I noticed this vacuum for sale about a year ago - mainly because of the pretty ingenious, apartment-closet-friendly design - but figured it couldn't be *that* much better than the one I was already using. In the spirit of fiscal responsibility, I put it off. Boy, was I wrong.

Y'know the other review, where the person talks about filling a bag on the first go? You figure they must either be a reforming 'dirty person' or exaggerating. It seems a stretch. Whelp - I'm no 'dirty person' of any kind, and when I was through the living room and midway through the bedroom the 'change bag' light came on. I sighed, figuring that the sensor was off, and tugged off the cover to check it.

Whaddaya know? Full to the brim with stuff I had *no* idea had been hiding from my other vacuum. Ew.

I went through one more bag. I vacuumed three rooms. You do the math.

My carpet looks pretty splendid this morning. Needless to say, I'm pleased. I never woulda thunk it, but I wish I'd bought this thing when I first noticed it so the equivalent of the two bags of crud that went down the trash chute wouldn't be in my lungs right now.

Don't expect to use this vacuum for ALL your cleaning needs. Its excellent quality , with nice features and GREAT suction, however the disposable bag is much too small. I vacuumed 2 wool rugs that are a year old and previously vacuumed many times with my old Oreck and filled the bag the first time I used it. Folds up to a small foot print and the wire recoil is a nice feature but its demise is the small bag unless you don't mind purchasing bags frequently

The Electrolux Intensity upright- excellent design, suction, and storage.
I love the fact that it is so simple in design without all of the hoses and attachments.
All I ever did with the hoses and attachments on my old Hoover was trip over them, Struggle with them, and curse at them when they fell all over the place.
As for the small bag, larger bags just reduce suction. Also, the dirt inside larger bags just collects, then the dirt begins to stink and whenever you turn on the vac it smells.
Small bag is the way to go.
Excellent product, you wont be disappointed.

Powerful vacuum cleaner that fits into about 1/3 the size of the machine it replaces. We are replacing a Hoover Self Propelled Ultra WindTunnel model. We have found this model just as easy to push and pull as the self propelled Hoover.

The Electrolux does not have as many settings and gadgets as my older vacuum. It does not have a hose and attachments, which is ok with me since I have a Dust Buster which I've used instead of the attachments for some time. I personally don't like fooling with bulky hoses and attachments.

It cleans much better that my old vacuum, leaving my 15 year old carpets looking fresh and clean. It transitions easily from carpets to hardwood and tile surfaces at the touch of a button. I have seen some reviews complaining about the length of the cord. The cord is just under 20 feet (yes, I measured it myself before purchasing), plenty long for my needs. And the cord retracts, so it is completely out of the way when being transported or stored.

The best part of the design is the compactness of it. It can literally be folded up and put away when not in use. I highly recommend it to anyone that needs a very good vacuum that doesn't take up much storage space.

This is a really great vacuum if you want something compact. It has great suctioning power! Changing the bags is easy and it's nice that dirt and debris doesn't get all over your hands or you cleaned carpet. Although the bags are small, the vacuum lets you know when it is full. I don't have alot of closet or storage space so this vacuum is great when folded down. It's small enough to fit under a bed. My favorite part is the retractable cord. I have to vacuum almost everyday because debris shows up on my dark red carpet easily and the retractable cord keeps me from winding and winding. Overall, this is a great, well-made vacuum. Not the cheap plastic you'd expect. This is a solid vacuum despite it's size.

This is a great little vacuum, with wonderful cleaning capacity. My one complaint is that the cord is not long enough. It is difficult to clean a large room without stopping frequently to plug into another outlet. Major oversight!

I have owned several vacuum cleaners and I must say that this is the best one that I have ever used. It is small, smartly designed and extremely powerful. Some have complained about the small size of the bag, but I did not have that same problem cleaning my tile floors. I do agree with those who say that the cord is kind of short; it does get to be a bit of a pain having to plug and unplug it over and over. I also found that the cord tends to get in the way of the vacuum cleaner, but I quickly remedied that problem by simply holding the cord with the same hand that I used to hold the handle. Gripping the cord along with the handle keeps the cord up and out of the way.

I have two cats who shed like, well, they shed like cats....but this vacuum is so powerful that it visibly sucked the cat hairs toward it and I give it an excellent recommendation.

Nice vac with incredible power! It's gets every bit of hair out of all the different types of carpet and area rugs we have, and with 2 dogs and 3 cats, that's a tough job. The only draw backs are the small dust bag and it is the heaviest vac I've ever owned. So I'm still stuck using two vacs to clean my house, the "monster" Intensity for carpets, and the Harmony for hardwood and tile.
I would not recommend this item for the elderly or anyone with back problems because of the strength needed to use it...for everyone else, it's a workout!

My Electrolux Intensity vacuum worked great until the motor went bad while still under warranty. Each time I call Electrolux to check on progress of the replacement, I'm told it is back ordered and it will be 6 weeks before I will receive another vacuum. It's been 3 months and I am still waiting. I'd give the vacuum 4 stars for performance and Electrolux customer service a minus number if possible. I gave the vacuum a rating of 1 star as it hard to be happy about a vacuum that broke under warranty coupled with the problems I am having with Electrolux in getting a replacement.

Update 09-19-10: I finally received the Electrolux Intensity vacuum replaced under warranty and the motor on this machine went bad too. No more warranty hassles for me, this one is going to the curb for trash pick up. I will stick with my back-up vacuum, a $50 Hoover Tempo.