Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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105 of 108 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
There are better choices out there, May 30, 2007
The Eureka Optima is a lightweight vacuum that functions reasonably well. It does have SIGNIFICANT drawbacks. These drawbacks convinced me to buy a new vacuum after having this unit for over a year, although I still keep this one for certain chores given that it's lightweight and because it's reasonably effective on low pile carpet.
The unit was usable out of the box. Apart from attaching some tools it was ready to go. Controls are accessible and easy to use and the unit is lightweight and easy to push.
CARPET:
The unit had reasonable performance on low pile carpet. The major test case for the unit is angora rabbit hair. In shedding seasons, the rabbit sheds fine, downy hair that is not easily removable. The unit did a reasonable job of removing the rabbit hair. The Optima did have problems vacuuming small, flat pieces of paper but generally did a good job. No major issues with small area rugs. On higher pile carpet, the lack of any carpet height adjustment did cause problems and the unit was almost unusable.
The narrow head is both a blessing and a curse. It allows you to get into small corners but also means that you don't cover much breadth when you vacuum. There is little if any side suction, so that you don't quite completely vacuum on the sides when you are close to a wall. In order to get these areas you need to use the hose. Given its light weight it's easy to use on stairs. The unit leans back generously and maintains good clearance for getting under beds and other furniture.
HARD FLOORS:
The unit is virtually useless on hardwood floors without switching to the hose. The front exhaust vent blows dirt away before you can vacuum it. Sadly, to vacuum on hard floors you need to use the hose and keep the base unit facing away from any dust.
HOSE:
It's easy to switch between the upright unit and the hose. However the hose is short in length and there is only a minimal extension with the added hard tubing. The suction is quite good, however the reach is poor. When you vacuum the floor, you have to bend over and to vacuum up high you need to raise the vacuum with one hand. The tools are standard and work reasonably well. As with every Eureka I have owned, the tools do not secure so well in the unit and are usually loose. The hose also flops off its holder on occasion (when you use the unit as an upright) which is only a minor frustration.
MAJOR ISSUES:
1) THE FILTER: The DCF-10 filter is both expensive and clogs easily. This is really a poor design. The filter is aptly named for as it clogs, the unit gets louder and louder like a DC-10 jet taking off at the airport. These filters are $21 dollars apiece at my local brick and mortar stores and are not easy to find (even in stores that sell the vacuum). On line, I was able to buy a set of 3 for a low of $9.99 per filter + shipping. Unless you want to spend a lot of money, you will be cleaning these things out frequently (pretty much after one to three uses).
With the filter clogged, the suction goes to pot and the noise level gets intolerable, so there's really no choice. Mine may clog more often than most, given heavy use of the vacuum (I have small children) and rabbit hair... If you're like me you will be cleaning the filter often--I use a child's medium bristle toothbrush. On a suggestion from a reader of this review, I was able to drastically decrease the headache of cleaning the filter by hosing it off with water and letting it dry. Cleaning the filter off with the help of water is less time consuming than cleaning it in a dry fashion and it dries completely overnight. I now have two filters, so there's no waiting. On the positive side, the filter is rather robust, and tolerates multiple cleanings without breaking. The filter factor alone, however, is enough to make me swear that I'll never buy a bagless vacuum again. However, this is a matter of personal preference--some people would rather clean filters than worry about having to constantly have a supply of vacuum bags. Although the filter is costly and bags are individually cheap, given the robust nature of the DCF-10, there is probably a cost savings in washing the filters over the life of the vacuum.
2) THE CANISTER: The size of the canister is a bit deceptive. It may be as large as a full sized vacuum, but it needs to be emptied when it reaches the ½ full point to avoid loss of suction. It does easily detach from the machine. In a fit of poor design, the filter is located just under the top to the unit that you must twist off. You then remove the filter in order to pour out the contents of the canister. Care must be taken when removing the filter, which should also be removed over a garbage can. Dust that doesn't lodge inside the filter vents adheres to it loosely and this must be shaken off before emptying the canister. Twisting off the top of the canister can be a bit of a challenge but it's not too difficult once you get the hang of it. Emptying the canister is not difficult, but there's really no way to avoid at least a small dust cloud. Folks with allergies should steer clear of bagless vacuums...
The combination of major issues 1 and 2 convinced me to NEVER buy a bagless vacuum again. Bags are far less expensive than filters. Bags are also easy to dispose of and don't kick up dust when doing so. Although I need a constant supply of backup bags, I'm now more than happy to have them.
3) NOISE: This is quite a noisy unit at baseline but is REALLY noisy when the filter clogs. You may not want to use this after hours in an apartment complex...
CONCLUSIONS:
It works but it's not the best choice. I finally opted to buy the ~$140 Eureka 4870GZ Boss Smart-Vac Upright Vacuum, also sold by Amazon. In comparison the 4870GZ has far lower noise, excellent cleaning power on both carpet (all types) and hard floors, uses bags, and given better suction and a better brush roll makes the carpets look almost new after usage. (It too has its liabilities, but so far functions much better than the Optima.)
On the positive side, the Optima still works as well as it did the day I bought it and shows no signs of wear. Given its light weight I will keep it for use on stairs and small jobs (the 4870GZ is heavy as an elephant in comparison) but I can't really recommend the Optima given all the problems as noted above. I would read the negative reviews on Amazon, take them to heart, and reconsider purchasing this one... There are better models out there.
PROS:
Lightweight
Good suction
Handle extends
Inexpensive
Tilts back far to get under furniture
CONS:
Filter clogs quickly, needs to be cleaned frequently and is costly (Major issue)
Canister requires frequent emptying (Major issue)
Very noisy (Major issue)
Small hose
Tools/hose do not secure tightly in unit
Low capacity
Minimal side suction
No carpet height adjuster
Exhaust on front kicks up dust
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45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Light & Powerful, but has some drawbacks,, July 17, 2006
I have 437axz version of this (got it from Costco) which adds hepa filter & motorized brushroll. I needed a light & powerful vacuum because I was tired of lugging around our very heavy hover windtunnel up & down our 3 story house.
This does the job but here are the drawbacks:
1. Cord is a bit short at 20 ft, I wish it was 25 or 30 ft.
2. The exhaust is in the front & center, which on hard floors blows dust out of the way as you vacuum (works fine on carpet), it would have been nice to exhaust to the side.
3. This vacuum is not designed for very plush carpet, it's hard to move on a plush rug I have, but works fine on regular carpet & berber.
The best part about this vacuum is it's very light and I don't get tired of pushing it back & forth like used to with my heavy Hoover, also I like that the handle is height adjustable and it large loop handle is easy to grip and very egronomic. The motorized brushroll of the 437axz is great for stairs & the hepa is a nice added touch as well. Also the price is good, I think it was $68.99 at costco for the 437axz. I think the next step up for a light vacuum would be the $300-$400 oreck xl.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Despite the few drawbacks, I do love this little guy (gal?)..., November 20, 2006
The only reason I didn't rate this little baby 5 stars, is because of the way the filter grabs hold of the lint and lighter fluffy stuff, which actually requires emptying more often than most bagless canisters. I much prefer vacuum bags, as then I don't have to touch the dirt at all and would have given this cleaner a 10 star rating if it had bags instead of the bagless canister. I place the filter into a very large green garbage back and bang it against a hard surface but still have to actually brush stuff out of the filter, so yes....if you have allergies this vacuum may not work for you. As far as the short hose and the exhaust blowing out the front...not a real problem for me, as I don't use the vacuum for anything but floors, and the vacuum does a great job on carpet, wood and tile and eventually does catch all the "runaway" dust bunnies! The best part of this cleaner is why I'm buying a second one - I have severe fibromyalgia, and this vacuum is not only the lightest weight I've ever seen or used, it also does a bang-up job of getting into tight spaces and in and around furniture. I live in a two story town house and have 2 vacuum cleaners now, this one, and a Dirt Devil, but I am buying a second one of these to replace the Dirt Devil, which does use bags and isn't a bad sweeper, but not nearly as good as this one.
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