Customer Reviews

Eureka 2591 Atlantis Deep Steam Extractor

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

 

 

First of all, if you read the consumer reviews of extractors, most of the models have some fairly unhappy customers. So against the competition, the Eureka 2591 might not be so bad, but it's still really disappointing.

The biggest problem is a lack of suction. The suction is very weak, through a very narrow slot, and very small channels, hoses, etc. This thing has less suction than some cordless vacs--I'm not kidding. The engineers who designed it seemed to want to keep it sleek (and cheap) rather than have it work well? The extractors you can rent have FAR more suction.

The lack of suction means it leaves more than half the cleaning solution (and hence dirt) in your carpet. For every tank of cleaning solution you're lucky if a third of the water is recovered. That means really wet carpets (which can mold, shrink, rot, etc.), and even worse, a lot of dirty shampoo solution left in the carpet which just makes it sticky after it dries and a magnet for even more dirt.

The next big problem is the folding handle. On mine at least, the latch in the base unit is so weak it won't stay latched. When you try to tip the unit back onto its rear wheels to move it, the latch lets go with a loud "SNAP" and the base just flops back onto the floor. So to move it, you have to bend over and pick up the entire heavy base unit. More bad engineering.

The hand nozzle drips cleaning solution (the valve inside apparently doesn't shut off all the way) and leaves a small puddle wherever you set it. Keep a towel handy. It's also really flimsy and using it to clean carpeted stairs (the big upright unit cannot be used on stairs) the clear plastic cover over the suction area snaps off as you slide it against the carpet. Yet more bad engineering.

The thing is also really noisy. You can see the insides of the motor looking through the bottom of the unit (which is a bit scary given the wet environment) and there's not much between you and the motor to dampen the noise. It's worse than even many shop vacs yet has nowhere near the suction.

There's no heater for the hot cleaning solution, so by the time it gets to the carpet, it's only warm at best, and be the end of the tank, you're lucky if it's lukewarm.

For those complaining it doesn't use real steam, neither do any of the other machines in this class. Real steam causes burns, can shrink carpet, etc. All of these machines really should be called "extractors" not "steam cleaners" but marketing types still manage to use the word "steam" when it's really only warm water. Some machines, such as the more expensive Bissels, have heaters in them to help keep the water a hotter.

There are a few pluses. Instead of a rotating brush, which seems be a source of problems in competing models, the Atlantis uses brushes which gently move side to side. The brushes seem less likely to fuzz up your carpet and less likely to get clogged with pet hair, etc.

The folding handle, while poorly engineered, means you can store it on or under a shelf.

It's a bit cheaper than most if you buy it from the well known discount chain others have suggested.

For reference, the 2591 sold by Amazon comes WITH the "Turbo" hand attachment (which has a wiggling brush) and a floor squeegee attachment (which I haven't tried). The 2591A, sold by the discount chain, is supposed to be WITHOUT those items. Interestingly, my 2591A came with all the attachments and had a "49.99 Worth Of Free Attachments" sticker on the box. The 2595 is the top of the line model, and besides being heavier, I'm not sure what the difference is? The specs and pictures otherwise make it seem just like the 2591 and the Eureka website isn't much help. The reviews say it also suffers from a lack of suction.

Reading the reviews, the Bissel ProHeat models seem to clean the best but many complain they clog up requiring expensive repair. The Bissel and Hoover models seem to have trouble with their rotating brushes (especially if you have lots of pet hair). The Dirt Devil models have motors that burn out. All of them seem to have trouble with leaks. The cheaper ones don't have hand attachments so they're useless on stairs (which need the most cleaning). It's pretty sad that nobody seems to make a home extractor that's works well and lasts for more than a few cleanings?

My suggestion is unless you have a regular need for wet cleaning your carpets (which is hard on the carpet anyway), rent a high quality extractor when you *really* need to clean your carpets and forget owning one of these. The under $250 cleaners just don't seem to be well engineered, don't work very well, and many don't seem to last very long. If you do rent, you can save some money if you buy Bissel, Eureka, etc. shampoo at your local warehouse store or online. The rental shampoo is a rip off.

I reluctantly purchased this steam/vac because it was cheaper than nearly all the rest. The only units that cost less didn't have a motorized movable agitator brush which this did. The unit performed much better than expected. It seemed to be particuarily good at removing water which allowed the carpet to dry very quickly. It was also amazing at how much dirt it picked up from what appeared to be a "clean" carpet. Check out Walmart for a better price than online.

I have owned an Atlantis for just over a year. Now that it's out of warranty, I am having some problems. The rubber stopper that prevents the clean water from running all over the floor has apparently worn down and it leaked an entire tank of clean water on my area rug as I was attempting to clean some upholstery. I tried using the machine to clean my bare floors, but it didn't suck any of the water up. It just poured it out and I was left with a huge puddle in the middle of my den. As I was reading other reviews, I noticed that owners of the 2595 have had the same leakage problems, so maybe it's on to another brand altogether.

Wow...this machine is really good. It cleans very well and also dries quite fast. I was worried purchasing this given the somewhat negative reviews on the 2595 which I assume is a better machine than the 2591. To ensure that the carpet dries quickly you have to change the settings at the top of the handle to suction (middle option). Otherwise the carpet will take much longer to dry. I'm very pleased with this purchase. I've had it for just a week and will do some more cleaning this weekend. If it holds up well I might change my rating from 4 to 5 stars.

PS: I took the plunge to buy this despite my initial concerns because it was on sale at a 50% discount. What a great steal!

This is way overpriced. You can get it at Walmart for about $130. We have used it on our carpets, which did a good job. It took me over an hour to clean our 10x10 tile floor, which came out about average. Like another reviewer, the machine leaked after I used it about 5 times. There has to be better machine out there.

I've had the machine for about a year, and only use it once every 2 months on average. Machine worked well the first couple of times, then started to leak. Now it leaks so much I can't use it at all. The entire contents of the cleaning solution and water tank basically empty into the carpet and then you can't get is all back out. It's the first cleaner like this that I've ever bought and probably the last. I guess I'll just leave the carpet cleaning to the pros.

I just purchased the Eureka Atlantis a few days ago. We have a new puppy in our home, along with two small children. I had rented a professional carpet cleaner from a hardware store a few weeks ago which cost me almost $100. This was for two days because they are so cumbersome and slow that is how long it took to clean my house. Needless to say, a few days ago when my puppy had a "tummy ache" all over my dinning room while I slept I was very upset. I scrubbed at it with cleaner and cloths for almost an hour without avail. I had already done some research online, and decided to purchase the Atlantis. I took it out of the box, filled it up and was ready to go. It removed every spot with ease. I know some reviews stated that it soaked the carpet and took too long to dry, but it only took a few hours to dry, the same as the professional unit. I did have to go over the bad spots a few times with the sollution, then a few more to suck up all the water, but it was no problem at all. It is very light weight,and the handle is very comfortable. It's like running a vacuum. The best part is now, when the puppy has an accident I can just pull it out of the hallway closet and clean it up without worring if the kids are going to decide to roll around on the ground in that area. I'll know it's clean. The only bad side I can see, if you are limited on space, the unit though folded up, still takes up a bit of floor space in a closet. Though the caddy that holds the attachments can be easily hung from a wall. Overall this is a good choice if you have the room and need an easy way to give a good, quick cleaning.

I'm not much on writing so I'll just get to the facts. This cleaner worked well for the first 2 times I used it but then it was all down hill. It has very weak suction, it leaks water when it is sitting still and when you push it forward.

Don't buy this!

This is a terrific carpet steam cleaner. I'm surprised at all the negative reviews. I've had this for three years and I use it about every six months. I have also used two different Hoover Steamvacs (the original, and a more recent SteamVac Dual V), and this compares favorably.

The good:
-No need to pre-mix the detergent and water. There is a separate container for the detergent. A sliding control lets you adjust the solution strength on the fly, or even turn it off completely for a "rinse cycle".
-The handle folds in two over the base section, making it very compact for storage.
-It's been reliable so far.
-You can turn off the brushes and just use the suction. Good for sucking up water spills.
-And of course... it takes out the annoying spots and stains in my carpet just like it's supposed to!
-Low price - you gotta love that.

The not so good:
-As others have mentioned, it does leak a little, but this doesn't affect it's cleaning ability. Just don't put it away with fluids in it. You have to empty it out before storing it and sponge off any excess fluids where the tanks sit. No big deal really.
-It has a large base compared to the other brands. This makes it a bit less maneuverable.
-Doesn't come with a powered hand brush. I suppose the low price was the reason here.
-The tanks are smaller than competitors' steam cleaners. This means you have to stop more often to empty/fill the tanks.

Other thoughts:
-A lot of people complain that it doesn't suck up the water. I typically get back about 1/2 of the water, which is about what the other carpet steamers get back. Perhaps the trick is to go SLOW to give it time to suck up water. I spray on the forward stroke and then pull back to scrub and suction. Speed should be about 1 foot every 10 seconds - yes that's slow.
-PRETREAT PRETREAT PRETREAT. If you have any stubborn spots or areas of heavy stain, pretreat it with a spot carpet cleaner and then scrub it with a brush BEFORE you start. This helps to break up the stain so the steam cleaner will have a better chance of pulling it out.
-Try rinsing, too. I don't like the idea of leaving shampoo in the carpet, so I go over it again with a "rinse cycle". It's also a good way to verify that you got out most of the dirt since the rinse water should not have much dirt in it. If it does, then go back over it with detergent. Some really dirty areas like doorways may need 3 or 4 passes to get really clean.

I had a Hoover carpet cleaner for 10 years that was wonderful but I put in hardwood floors and had no need for it anymore. Or so I thought. I have sinced moved and was in need of another carpet cleaner. I did a lot of research and bought the Eureka Atlantis.

I just used it again and am not sure what to do because all the water is still in the carpet because it has no suction. I keep thinking of all the wonderful reviews I had read - they must have purchased a different carpet cleaner than I did because this one certainly isn't worth the money or time. It leaks water and shampoo. It doesn't extract the water as there is no suction. The brushes are a joke. Yes, I've read the instructions over and over again, including the troubleshooting section.

I gave it one star because it does fold down into a neat little package - it's only redeeming quality.

If I could find my receipt and get rid of it I would. Sorry I bought it.