Customer Reviews

Panasonic Mcug383 Upright Vacuum

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I own a commercial cleaning service in New York. I have been buying this model since I discovered it in 1998. Of course, it was marketed with a different model # previously and also sold as a Kenmore at Sears. In any event, I have purchased over 500 of them since 1998. As I write this, I still have 25 or so sitting in my warehouse, still in the box. I still have a few of the originals that I bought back then still in service. They have great suction, simple to use and repair and (get this) I have never had a motor burn out! Not once! The cord is only 20 feet long and very stiff but if you take care when you rewind it, it will last forever. Some commercial manufacturers market this with some heavier duty parts and sell them for $300-$400. I have never paid more than $80 for the ones I have purchased. Using the wand is simple and quick as it is what is called a "quick draw". The bags I buy cost about a buck apiece. I own $500 back pack vacuums and some $450 commercial "dual motor" types as well. Simply put, nothing has ever given me the value I have gotten from these vacuums. Okay, so you just want one for your home, I get that. But you are reading my experience and I sincerely hope it is helpful for you. As many vacuum cleaners as I use in my business, I will never be without these as long as Panasonic continues to make them. Good Luck!

My wife had the Kenmore version of this vac when we got married. Now over 10 years later we still like it the best although it got quite worn out. I tried for a couple of years to find one like it on eBay or elsewhere to no avail. then I saw one in the background of another vac auction and could decipher that it was a Panasonic. Later I found out that Panasonic builds most (all?) Kenmore Vacuums.

So now that I got this one home, I am surprised that it is almost identical to the 12+ years old Kenmore version we like.

The reasons we love this vacuum are:
- Simplicity. Most newfangled vacuums are overloaded and cluttered with useless features and attachments and very heavy. this on is just right and relatively light.
- Suction power. One word: Phenomenal! That's why you buy a vacuum, right!
- Easy of maintenance. Nothing beats this vac in that area.

One area where this vac is worse than the original Kenmore version is the automatic height adjustment. the old Kenmore was simple. It had none and that worked actually very well. The vac would just ride on the brush and a couple of gliders on each side. this new adjustment system is more in the way than it helps.

Anyway we have tried all these new vacuums ... Dyson and all ... This simple model still eclipses them all in power, utility and purpose.

For the price, the vacuum does the job. We have five dogs and two cats in our house so it is quite a task.

The bads:
The cord could be longer. The hose for the attachments could stretch easier. The wheels on mine don't seem to turn all that smooth but I wasn't expecting them to be on ball bearings or anything.

The goods:
It is cheap. It is light It picks up the hair on our carpet better than the previous vacuum we had. We don't have to empty a dirty bagless vacuum any more.


It probably won't be the next vacuum that we purchase when we have more money but we are happy for now.

I used to have a Dirt Devil, which didn't work very good from day one though I used it for several years. When a belt broke, my husband took it to a local vacuum sales & repair shop and asked the proprietor what he recommended. He pointed out this make and model. I didn't know Panasonic made/sold vacuum cleaners! It works great, much more powerful suction than the Dirt Devil, as it has a 12 amp motor. Many vacuums don't have as powerful a motor as they are encased in plastic and a 12 amp motor would melt the plastic. Panasonic encases theirs in metal.

This vacuum is a lot quieter and lighter weight than the Dirt Devil. I agree with one reviewer, the auto-height adjuster doesn't like plush carpet, even my low-pile kind, but it does fine on a hallway runner, level carpet, and hardwood floors. I have a dog and two cats and it picks up pet hair just fine.

I don't like the low-capacity paper bags. The Dirt Devil would only get about 1/3 full when I was done vacuuming whereas I have to change the paper bag on this one after almost every use. Could be, though, that this vacuum is picking up more than the Dirt Devil did.

There is no manual adjustment for carpet height or any setting for cleaning floors. Essentially you raise or lower the handle by the grip end which causes the bottom (motor housing) of the vacuum to raise up or down. This is annoying since in some areas of the house where I have low-cut carpeting, the only way to get good contact to the carpet is to hold the end of the handle very low to the floor while you vacuum. If Panasonic eliminated the "Auto Height Feature" and simply put a manual height adjuster on this model you could set with your foot that would have been much better. This vacuum is capable of cleaning well and makes an average amount of noise compared to other vacuums. I prefer bag-type vacuum cleaners over the bagless type. The last vacuum I owned was a bagless type and it became annoying to have to clean 3 air filters and also deal with being exposed to the dust when emptying the dust container. I am currently looking for another bag-type vacuum to replace this Panasonic. Nothing against Panasonic, it's possible I would have liked a higher priced Panasonic vacuum instead of this model. I do not recommend the purchase of this Panasonic model if you have lower-cut carpeting or floors. I will probably donate or give this vacuum to someone who needs it. Returning it for credit makes no sense at this price point since this is a heavy item.

This is the fifth Panasonic vacuum I have purchased. Three were presents and one I simply wore into the ground literally and figuratively. What I love about this vacuum is the very easy handling due to its light weight and its strong work. I have cats and a constantly shedding dog and I am a constant vacuumer. Buy this vacuum and I guarantee you will be happy with your purchase. One small note, this newer model has been a bit reconfigured and the tubing does not fit as securely as the old model. Not a problem however, with a little bit of electrical tape on the inside of the tubing, the fit is secure and the suction ensured. Happy Vacuuming!

Great,simple vacuum. For the price I wouldn't purchase anything else. I have 6 furry pets and 2 kids..the hose attatchement has excellent suction and is more convenient than most, but it would be better if it hooked to the back area rather than having to go over the handle, but that is all I would change.

We have had the same Panasonic upright for about 15 years. It's still going strong. We bought this one as a gift and were not disappointed. It fit the bill perfectly for ease of use, light-weightedness, and high quality cleaning. The power of this little machine is unbeatable. I only wish it had a floor brush as an attachment. Then it would be 6 stars.

DO NOT BUY THIS!!! Product broke after 10 months. Panasonic does officially offer a 12 months warranty. However you will be suprised if you try to actually use the warranty!! Panasonic's "warranty" dictates that customer must bring in unit to service center. None of their service centers in the NY/NJ area are near public transportation. The first rep I spoke to told me that Panasonic would pay for shipping. Luckily I did not have time to ship over the weekend and three days later a supervisor called me back and said they would not pay for shipping. Supervisor told me that my only option would be to personally deliver this 15 lb vacuum to center which was over 23 miles away. I explained that personally paying for shipping or getting a car service would cost more than the actual amount that I paid for the product. The supervisor did not care. I remember Panasonic as a company that made quality products. Now Panasonic is a company that makes products that break down in less than 12 months and a warranty that cannot be used unless you have a car and are willing to drive miles and miles back and forth to their service centers in the middle of nowhere.

I bought this for my 85 year old mother because a local vacuum repair shop told her it was the best one he sold, and the only one that it was feasible to repair. He also quoted us a price of $300, to which my mom replied " I won't live long enough to use a $300 vacuum and get my money's worth!". So, I turned to Amazon, and was thrilled that they offered the product, it had great reviews from other users, and it was such a reasonable price. It arrived in about a week in great condition, and my mom is happy with it. It's a very simple machine and works great - not too heavy for an elderly person either.