Customer Reviews

Eureka 4880BT Whirlwind Upright True HEPA Bagless Cyclonic Vacuum

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

 

 

A great vacuum in a long line of great vacuums' from Eureka! I have researched different vacuums for the past 3 months by searching different review boards. I found that the Eureka 4880 series had the least amount of problems. The 4880BT (not really sure what the BT means) was easy to assemble right out of the box. I opted for the 4880 -vs- the 4885 because I felt that I really did not need the dirt sensor and I did not want to miss out on the rebate from Eureka.

Pros:

Tremendous suction!! Be careful or you will suck in throw rugs
Ease of use
Surprising quiet
Mult-part filtration
Very nice cyclonic action
Super long cord and hose
Can purchase a washable HEPA filter!!

Cons:
Really, be careful or you WILL suck in throw rugs!
Dirt cup removal can be a little tricky
Hard to find any of the 4880 series of vacuums to purchase. The Eureka web site is so out of date you have a hard time finding any of their new vacuums.

We received our Eureka 4880BT and couldn't wait to try it out. After doing the living room and bedroom carpets, the amount of dog hair this machine sucked up, from what we thought were clean carpets, was nothing short of amazing. But even more, the fine dust and dirt particals this vacuum cleans up is fantastic.
If I were to have one complaint about the vacuum, it would have to be the switch for selecting either carpet or hard surfaces. It's kind of cheap in quality compared to the rest of the vacuum, as is the foot switch which unlocks the handle from the locked upright position.

My reccomendation is, if you're waivering between a bagless vacuum and one that needs bags, spend the extra dollars to go bagless. This machine sucks up such huge amounts, that going bagless will pay for its self in no time at all.

This is my first Eureka, being a former Hoover consumer, but all I can say is "Eureka" we made the right choice!

Just picked one of the 4885B models up today to replace an old Victory Powerline model that's had enough. Paid $95 to a fellow here in Portland via Craigslist. He demo-ed it, it worked fine and he explained how he vaccums the pre-motor filter clean...well, the both filters (HEPA as well) looked to be fairly filthy and when I got it home I set about to looking to replace them....now to find out that, as mentioned elsewhere here. YOU CAN'T !!
What I intend to do at this point...perhaps others may try. That will be to soak the pre-motor filter in bleach and see where that gets us. I'll get a new HEPA as well....but, wow...what a disappointment ! Kicking myself here for not doing more homework before going to get it from him. This is clearly why he let loose of it !!!

I have the 4880D vacuum, which is essentially the same as this one. It picks up dust, dirt and dog hair like you wouldn't believe. I have had mine for about five years now, and it is working just like the day I got it. For these qualities, I would give the vacuum a five-star rating.

The PROBLEM is, Eureka quit making the premotor filter. You need this filter on this model, as well as on mine. I have searched all over the internet for it. Every website that carries filters and parts states that it is no longer available from the factory. I contacted Eureka directly, and they had a very flippant attitude about the fact that they no longer make this part (nor a suitable replacement). Without it you can't use the vacuum because according to them the motor will "burn up." I am very disappointed in Eureka, and I am not likely to ever purchase another of their products because of this.

Another reviewer commented about the cost of the filters, and yes, they are expensive. I have spent between $30 and $70 per year on new filters. I like the fact that you can rinse out the filter cup, and the premotor filter is washable (I used the spray nozzle on my hose to get it really clean), but after a year I just couldn't seem to wash the dirty smell out any more, hence the need for a new one. I would not have purchased the vacuum knowing I would have to spend this much on filters. Now I have a vacuum that I can't use any more unless I can get used to the dirty-dog smell of the dirty premotor filter.

All this to say, I would not recommend purchasing this vacuum, or any Eureka vacuum that has premotor filters or any other filters that would need to be replaced on a regular basis.

This vacuum really picks up the dirt, but if I had known that it would cost me $60 a year for pre-motor filters, I wouldn't have bought it. I tried rinsing the filters in water as suggested, but it just made a muddy mess.

After having looked around at local stores in the area and being disappointed in the available selection, I came to Amazon.com to see what was available. Perusing several reviews, I decided on a bagless vacuum to replace a dying Kirby, and found the Eureka 4880BT. I ordered a refurbished model (for $113), which was actually a slightly upgraded version of the 4880BT, the 4885BT, which comes with the dirt sensor. Anyhow, the vaccum performs like a pro. It's freaky seeing all the cat hair spinning around in the cannister (I have 2 cats, 1 a heavy shedder). The brush roller/agitator is very agressive, raising the nap on my carpet very nicely. It's relatively quiet; I can have a conversation with my fiancee while I'm vacuuming, which is nice. Or not, depending on your point of view :) I used to think having a headlight on a vacuum was silly, but having one with a light now, I realize it's helpful in dark corners. Eureka does recommend replacing the HEPA filter 2x a year, which is about $40 total. The pre-motor filter you can wash yourself, so no need to replace that on a regular basis. The only reason I gave it 4/5 stars was the lack of some more useful onboard tools. All you get is some extension tubes, a crevice device, and a small multi-purpose brush tool. You can order more tools from Eureka, or just go to your local vacccum shop. The tools are all standard 1 1/4 fitting, so that's a good thing at least.
As a side note, be aware of the fact that the dial to adjust the height of the vaccum (for different carpets) spins freely in the upright position and seemingly doesn't do anything to adjust the vacuum height - it's when you release the vacuum with the foot pedal that the height adjustment kicks in. I initially thought it was broken.