Customer Reviews

Westinghouse WST1600A Unplugged Cord-Free Vacuum

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I too was talked into buying this $300 vacuum,after reading the review.I absolutely hate cords,so this was perfect for me.I charged it as it instructed,the battery charger is loud,but I figured that if it worked it was well worth the noise.It was fun to use,the kids even enjoyed helping,which is very rare.It picked up dirt,and pet hair,but then I put it to a test vacuuming ,first with it,and then with my old corded model.My vacuum was nearly full,after,I'd already cleaned good with this vacuum.This vacuum,was fun to use,but didn't pick up deep down dirt,or anything on my carpet with a deep pile.I even gave it another try,hating to return it.I recharged it ,making sure nobody messed with it.It didn't help any,so we returned it.I miss the ease of the cordless,but after all I vacuum,to remove dirt,and no matter how much fun it was to use,it just didn't do the job.

I had high hopes after reading "We found the Westinghouse to be as powerful and effective a bagless upright as any corded models we've tested" in the Amazon.com review, but after having tried it for myself, I am frankly amazed that anyone would have made such a statement. It was only because of that review that I was willing to pay $250+ for this machine.

This vacuum is acceptable for a light cleaning, but is in no way a suitable replacement for a corded machine - it just doesn't have the power. It is not totally inadequate, but the power is marginal at best. Even on my low carpet the brush motor "bogs down", causing the brush to spin so slowly it doesn't have the power to give the carpet that "just vacuumed" look (sorry, I'm a guy with a poor "house cleaning" vocabulary).

The vacuum does appear to be of high quality manufacture; the batteries do work about 30 minutes each; and the ease of cordless operation is great, but I think you'll find you need to follow up periodically with a corded unit to adequately decompress the carpet to restore its appearance and extend its life.

I have just had this vacuum for a week now but so far I am pleased. I must say I was concerned that it would not have enough power but after using it for the past week I feel it certainly has enough power for my use.

Pros
-Cordless
-Two batteries that charge in 30 minutes and run for 30 minutes
-Quick off cleaning wand (this is really useful)
-Power save features (goes into standby when you set upright)
-Easy clean canister

Cons
-Price $$$$$
-The manual has one major mistake I think. When you first use the batteries they must be conditioned for 24 hours in the charger. The manual tells you to push a button for this but has two columns where the headers are switched. This could cause some people to charge the batteries instead of conditioning them

Gosh, do I hate vacuuming. Or did.
The noise, the cord, the hassle. It was always a big production.
This baby eliminates that. Just pull it out and go. And no mind grating noise; just a sort of semi-electronic purr. I used in a room where my cat was sleeping, and he didn't even budge.
I have not had the problems described, making me wonder why. I see from the "early adopter" description that the unit is listed as the Westinghouse WST1600, rather than as the WST1600A. I wonder if the A version was improved to correct the problems.
If the vacuum brush gets wrapped around a tassle from a run, it quickly senses this and shuts down. But all you have to do is clear the tassle and turn the vacuum off and on, and it is back in action.
There is a bottom compartment next to the brush that traps the heavy stuff, like gravel. You need to clear this out, say one in seven times for emptying the main cup. There are no screws involved; just press two plastic tabs to remove, which I do on a sheet of newspaper. But even when it is pretty much full it does not cause the vacuum to shut down.
Mine is not perfect, though. It is rather heavy, making it questionable for use on stairs unless you are strong; also, since it shuts off in the upright position, this probably won't work anyhow - so you use the wand. But despite its weight, it rolls easily.
It seems a bit weaker than my Eureka plug in for edge cleaning along walls, but the wand does the job. It seems to pick up as much as the Eureka, if not more. It gets all the kitty litter on regular carpet and medium length shag. And it picks up feathers, too. It does seem to adjust automatically to different height carpet.
I think it is exceptionally well designed, except for one thing: On my plug in you can lift up the front end enough to get over a rug edge by pulling down on the handle; on the unplugged there is no notch in the handle positioning to do this.
Bagless has its advantages, of course. But that means you have to clean the filters periodically, and of course empty the cup fairly often compared to a bag, which I only do about once a year. On the other hand, you get the positive reinforcement of seeing all the dirt you picked up that you didn't know was there.
The part that I love is that the motor turns off automatically when you put it in the upright position to move furniture, etc, and restarts when you lower it again. So you don't feel rushed.
And not having a cord is heaven: like switching from a corded lawn mower to a gas model.
The initial battery conditioning instructions are a bit vague. Apparently it spends some of the time appearing to do nothing. I thought it was through after 10 hours and pulled the battery out. Apparently it is more like 20 hours - i conditioned it fully after the initial charge.
I suggest that if you don't need more than the regular 30 minutes at a pop, don't even do a first charge on the other battery. NiCads croak after about 5 years even sitting on a shelf, but I think will last longer if unused. So wait a few years before charging the second battery.
On the other hand, if you need to run this continuously, the first battery is supposed to last about 30 minutes, and the second is supposed to charge in 30 minutes, though I haven't tried this.
The fan on the charger is a good idea. Batteries charge better if they don't overheat. The fan is not as noisy as the vacuum cleaner. And the fan has two levels depending on the phase of charging.
Oh, and the vacuum looks very cool.
I am very happy with it. It actually makes vacuuming sorta fun. Now if only I could use it to mow the lawn.

I've had this for three weeks (this is why I'm only giving this 3 stars). My Eureka died on me, and I needed a vacuum immediately. I was hoping to afford and have time to order a Dyson, but didn't have that immediate luxery. I went to the local outlet store knowing I'd find something less than what I would pay for at Wal-Mart, to see what they had. I saw this "neat" thing...no cord to blow my small living room fuse forcing me to extend the cord to other areas of the house? This was good, Westinghouse has a pretty good reputation, and the price was less than I would have bought a "throw away" model at Wal-Mart anyhow. I conversed with several people in the store who've had experience with bagless vac's, and they all agreed bags were the way to stay...but still, curiousity peaked my interest and I had to have one. The 7 year filter? Who could beat that for the price? Imagine my delight when I searched the internet the next day and found what this thing actually retailed for! The initial instruction for "conditioning" the battery is wrong, had to go on the internet to find out how which took an extra 24 hours - it was worth waiting for. Like one recommendation said, I've saved my spare battery for some time down the road. Easy to move around and not a problem to re-charge. I really find myself having fun "testing" this vacuum daily! The noise of this machine is different, but not near as loud as other vac's. For my first bagless experience, I feel I've gotten a pretty good deal. It's been good, so far, at picking up dog hair as long as the container is kept clean. Very back breaking to do stairs, the bottom wants to constantly flip up to the handle because the springs are that good. When the handle is upright, it automatically turns the vacuum off - there's your obvious problem with the stairs. I had the roller bar motor shut off on me this past week, but somehow got it to work again. This is where warranty work would come in handy...but, as I said, I purchased this at well below retail price therefore viewed the purchase as a "throw away" if all didn't go well. I'm not really happy with the lack of "deep-down" suction power and edge suction, but I'm not convinced I've found a vacuum that will make me totally happy in that aspect (my old Singer came close). I'm very hard on vacuum's, and have used them in both the residential and commercial settings. I bought a Singer and Dirt Devil both on recommendations of a previous hotel owner, and used an Oreck to clean a school as well as very expensive cannister vacuum models...it all boils down to personal preferences. Hated the Oreck and cannister vac's, Singer was pretty nice, Dirt Devil and Eureka never really did it for me either, and the Kirby's were just too heavy with no real distinct greatness either. Yes, I'm picky...so, this machine is pretty good all except the previously stated complaints (and most models have lack of cleaning power to some degree), and the hose is tricky to get back into place. I will keep using it until I can try out a Dyson (still in search of that suction power), but I wouldn't count on spending upwards of over the $150 to $300+ I'm seeing this thing retail for unless you can get a 30 day refund if you are unsatisfied. If you are traveling in a motor home (which is what one of the other store customers - a loyal Oreck fan, I must add - was seeking out this machine for), it's actually a good idea as well! If you can't vacuum your area in 30 minutes, and be patient for a 30 minute re-charge ... well, you get a second battery to use.

This is a great idea but ...

I love the way you don't have to plug and unplug the vacuum. It makes everything so easy and the recharging and ordinary maintenance of the cleaner is not that hard. But ...

the problem is that it repeatedly jams. I would guess that it has jammed 10 out of the 12 or so times that I have used it. To unjam it you have to turn the cleaner upside down and pull the knotted mess out of the bottom of the machine with your fingers. That often makes a mess on the floor which you have to clean all over again. Sometimes (about half the time) it jams so badly that I have to take the bottom of the machine apart with a screwdriver, clean it out and reassemble it.

I wondered if there was something wrong with the unit I bought, so I took it to a repairman. He told me that the opening in the bottom of the vacuum is too small and prone to jamming. There was, he told me, nothing that could be done to improve the situation except to be very careful vacuuming so as to not jam up the machine.

The cordless vacuum is a great idea but it needs a lot more refinement and that refinement should have been done before they put it on the market

Although not typically an early adopter, I jumped at the chance to try this vacuum out, hoping that a new technology would make desultory chores at bit more palatable. But alas, the box went back the next day. Living with this vacuum means living with a large, toaster-oven size battery charger that makes loud fan noises as it reconditions/recharges its rolling-pin-sized battery (initially for 24 hours, then 30 minutes at a clip.) Plus the vaccuum itself was strangely unwieldly, with cheap plastic wheels that rolled uneasily in their sockets, instead of the smooth tracking rubber wheels I would expect of a high-end vacuum. Even without turning the thing on, I knew it was a goner.

We've had this for a month or so and have gotten used to the different handling characteristics compared to other vacuums we've had. Although it doesn't seem to have the suction of a plugged in vacuum, it really must be working, judging by the amount of dirt that collects in the canister. I appreciate the ease of getting the job done more quickly; when I see a little dirt that needs vacuuming, I'm not as intimidated by this model as I would by a machine that you're always plugging in and unplugging and getting caught up in the cord. Without dealing with a cord, I'm more apt to take some extra time to utilize the attachments for doing edges, baseboards, window sills, etc. This is my first vacuum cleaner with a hepa filter and the bagless collection feature which seem to work quite well. I don't think there really is such a thing as a perfect vacuum cleaner, but this machine eliminates a few annoying aspects of vacuuming. Note: when you first buy it, each battery has to be conditioned for 24 hours; that's 2 days before you have continuous use of the machine. This conditioning process, which has to be done once a year, is a little noisy. After that, each battery recharges in 30 minutes.

With 3100 sq ft of ceramic tile and 5 long coated dogs in residence, a true upright vacuum to replace my trusty but short lived Eureka Boss stickbrooms seemed like a dream come true. However, that was possibly the worst use of $240 imaginable. I can run over the same little bit of dirt numerous times, then go get either the Eureka or the Shark electric broom to actually get it up. The concept is sound, and so many of us would more than welcome a true, efficient cordless vacuum, but folks, this ain't it. Last night my husband came home with a new Oreck, cord and all....after going through two battery packs vacuuming with The Beast (apt nickname considering size and weight), the Oreck pulled up twice what was in The Beast's canister and did it, even with moving the plug around in less than a third the amount of time.

Sign me still waiting in Southern California....

http://www.morganriver.com

I have used other cordless vacuums but this one is far superior in every way. It has much more power and the dual battery packs is a big plus in giving you the extra amount of time needed to finish the job with power to spare. The addition of the telescopic hose with 3 different tools is also a big plus and makes this machine a lot more versatile than just having a cordless stick vac. The only fault I have found with the unit is the way the onboard tools are attached to the unit. They easily fall off while you are using the vacuum. A better holding mechanism would be a great improvement, otherwise I rate the unit A+.