Eureka Smart 4870DT Bagged Upright Vacuum

Pros: Great suction, long cord, sealed hepa filtration, PRICE
Cons: Hard to push foot lever, 22lb vacuum

Let me start by saying please don't buy bagless or you will be sorry especially if you have allergies. They are very messy and more of a pain than you would think. Read my review on the hoover 5750 I got rid of after 5 months and then found this great...

Pros: Low price, very quiet, excellent cleaning ability, and good supply of on-board tools
Cons: It's a bit on the heavy side

I bough this vacuum based on its rating with consumer reports as well as the ratings on epinions. I was not steered wrong!

OK, it's a bit heavy. It's also VERY quiet. I was astonished at how well it cleaned the first time I used it. I was...

Pros: Amazingly strong performance; design; quiet; cord-length; price; HEPA filtration; clear tubes; easy to assemble
Cons: A bit heavy; can take some effort to pull back; contributes toward insufferable Epinion whining

It's been almost four months since purchasing my Eureka 4870DT and I'm pleased to say that so far I couldn't be happier with it. First and foremost, it does what a vacuum cleaner is supposed to do: it cleans and does so incredibly well. In fact, in ...

Pros: Powerful, quieter than many, clear hoses, intake pipes, and roller brush casing for troubleshooting clogs
Cons: A bit on the heavy side

Within the last month I returned a week-old Hoover Windtunnel that had little issues that drove me crazy and purchased this Eureka Boss Vac. I have two cats and a dog, two school-age children, and a moderately hairy husband. I figured I was due a ...

Pros: Good Suction, Long cord and hose.
Cons: A little heavy, foot pedal a bit stiff

I have owned this vacuum from new for 18months now and it is very good. The suction is really great ...

Pros: Powerful, tank-like quality, value, serious Hepa filter, and it uses BAGS!!!
Cons: Heavy. small-back workout, no grab-handle, Sears was out of bags at purchase.

My wife and I both hated the bagless Kenmore we had. What a big mess, and smelly! It's a pleasure to use bags again. Foot lever is NOT problematic...use your LEFT foot. Works everytime. The brushes are at such a high rpm that the vacuum actually ...

Pros: On/Off for brush, great for pet hair, doesn't scuff baseboards, gets carpet really clean, price
Cons: Foot Pedal and Hard Floor/Carpet Switch not user friendly, somewhat heavy for a vacuum

I have owned this vacuum for well over a year now and it has performed wonderfully for me. I use the vacuum at least once a day around here with all the pet hair and the kids' messes. We have wood floors in the kitchen and linoleum in the laundry room ...

Pros: Solid, handsome, well-made, strong suction, great features, unbeatable value.
Cons: Some switches are a little stiff, power paw doesn't store on machine. (minor)

I consider myself a fair-minded person, and in fairness I have to take issue with several reviews that - in my opinion - are nit picking this vacuum to death. I should say that I have the upgraded 4870GZ version. Yes, some switches, including the lock ...

Pros: Pros - see above
Cons: Cons - see above

I just bought this vacuum cleaner today after reading the reviews of others on this website. I am blown away by how much better it works than my previous vacuum cleaner, a Dirt Devil. We have two dogs in the house, a lab and a chow/golden retriever ...

Pros: Quiet, powerful, HEPA filtration, wide swath, easy hose usage.
Cons: very stiff pedal release, very heavy, requires genius to mount upholstery tool

I got this vacuum on the recommendation of Consumer Reports. It wasn't the highest rated vacuum, but it received a "CR Best Buy" rating. I checked some opinions and found reports of belts breaking soon after starting usage, but another opinion stated ...

Pros: Great suction & Price
Cons: Stretch hose could be a little longer

have always owned a bagless vacuum, thinking it would be less of a pain not having to worry about buying bags. But after a while I got sick of having to sick my hands in the vacuum to unclog the dirt that got cauught up in the canister. Also I have gone ...

Pros: Exceptional value for the price paid- capable machine- lots of dirt collected!
Cons: on- off switch location and foot lever location (minor issues)

7DEC04 Review: first impressions of Eureka 4870DT Bagged Vacuum Cleaner I personally try to be a well informed consumer. I do research on most items of $30 $50 ish and up. Do I always make the right choices? Of course not- but i try to ...

Pros: Great cleaning, Quiet, Long cord, Great value, No Sneezing!
Cons: None worth mentioning

I'm a serious researcher, so after reading Consumer Reports rankings and online ratings, I visited Sears and tried out tops pics. I bought the burgundy version of this vacuum yesterday after finally giving up on my useless Dirt Devil Featherlite. I was ...

Pros: Powerful suction (12 Amp motor) and HEPA Filter
Cons: Weight

I consider myself a fairly conservative spender. My first attempt at buying a vacuum cleaner led me to buy a Dirt Devil for about $50.00. It lasted for only a few months and then started having motor problems. I decided maybe my knowledge of vacuum ...

Pros: Incredible suction
Cons: Heavy.

This machine has a few notable flaws, but it is still the best cleaner I've owned to date. It has t ...

Pros: Amazing suction, handy features, nice design
Cons: a *little* heavy, but who couldn't use the work out now and again?

I've noticed a lot of folks here have said they aren't a fan of this vacuum because it's heavy. This is only the second up-right that I've owned - my first being a Dirt Devil with castor wheels. That vacuum was light as a feather, easy to push around, a ...

Pros: Great dirt suction, convenient and easy-to-use hose and attachments. Very quiet for the power.
Cons: Carpet/hard floor switch somewhat hard to push. Upholstery nozzle storage a bit loose.

I love this vacuum cleaner! Great cleaning power - I could not believe the dirt it cleaned out of my carpet, which I had just vacuumed thoroughly (I thought)with my old vac just a week earlier. The Eureka Boss 4870 "almost" made vacuuming fun. The ...

Pros: suction, HEPA filter
Cons: manual could use a bit more detail; unit is heavy

I also bought this based on the CR "Best Buy" designation, and I haven't been disappointed. I have been using this vacuum for 4 months now. It would be so very nice if the vacuum designers could figure out how to incorporate a retractible cord into ...

Pros: Great suction and setting options. Attachments at your fingertips. Bags and filters readily available.
Cons: Heavy, and some controls are not so easy to use. Hose isn't very long.

I'm no vacuum connoisseur. In fact, the vacuum before my SmartVac was a 20 year old cheapo Hoover. Alas, one day I vacuumed up a coin, which cracked the inner workings, and that was the end of the line for the Hoover. With all the rave reviews on the ...

Pros: Suction power! Easy to use. bags are sold at Wal-mart.
Cons: Foot release a little stiff and vacuum is a little heavy.

I own a collie - australian shepard and a cat. Both shed like it's their job. When my old 1970's Eureka cannister gave out in March I started searching for a replacement and while I would have loved to have purchased a Miele I couldn't justify the price. ...

Pros: The cleaning power and tools that are easily accessible and work well.
Cons: The accessory hose is short and stiff. The brush control is difficult engage.

After reading Consumer Reports and the reviews here I decided to purchase the Eureka Smart Vac. Mine is a Eureka Smart 4870F. I love it! I have a German Shepherd with a medium length coat who sheds a lot. I also have a cat and live down a dirt ...

Pros: Cleans very well.
Cons: Too heavy for some people.

After reading many vacuum cleaner reviews and Consumer Reports, we decided to purchase the Eureka 4870D Bagless Upright at Wal Mart for $139 plus tax. We got the box home and found it easy to assemble and get going. The attachments were easy to snap into ...

Pros: Great suction. Easy use and maintenance. Quiet.
Cons: Heavy. Hose fights stretching and grows some indestructible mold.

Several features are addressed specifically below, but in general all of the features seem designed for functionality and ease of use. -Attachments No more problems with the attachments getting knocked off when not in use, they are stowed out of the ...

Pros: Great brush action. Slightly quieter than most. Inexpensive.
Cons: Exhaust air blast. Poorly designed stretch hose.

I got the distinct impression that it's DEFINATELY NOT as good as Consumer Reports said. It's above average in its price range, but it certainly didn't impress me like the glowing reviews led me to believe. My biggest gripe is the lack of any sort of ...

Pros: None
Cons: too heavy - does not store tools well

This vacuum is way to heavy. I returned it to the store as vacuum cleaning is not one of my favorite occupations and I knew I would never use this one. It is very difficult to pull back on even at the very highest setting. The hose repeatedly falls...

Pros: HEPA filter, good suction
Cons: weight, non-retractable cord, terrible on stairs and tile, loosely attached accessories, awkward levers

After extensive on-line research my husband decided to purchase this vacuum. I begged for the Dyson, but he insisted the Dyson was over-hyped, and over-priced. I am shocked this thing received anything but terrible reviews. It does have great ...

Pros: Good suction, Hepa filter, wide cleaning track.
Cons: Weight, hose problem, foot lever, etc. (Read Review)

I was in the market for a new vacuum and decided to check around for reviews of different models at ...

Pros: Great suction
Cons: Unbelievably heavy and unwieldy, recline latch a joke

I generally like to get Consumer Reports's opinion on any household appliance over $80.00, and when it came time for me to retire my old Hoover, I made sure to do my research. This vacuum rated near the top. For the life of me, I can't figure out why. ...

Pros: Great performance, easy assembly, permanently attached hose, long cord.
Cons: Clumsy handle release, somewhat heavy.

I've always bought cheap vacuums, you know, the $69 Hoover deal, thinking there wasn't that much different. But they didn't pick up pet hair very well, so I looked for something more powerful and Consumer Reports recommended the Eureka Boss SmartVac. At $140, it was twice as expensive as any cheapo I'd ever bought --- and worth every penny.

Assembly is a breeze; attach the handle extension with 2 screws and you're ready to go. The bag is even already installed. Hoover could take a lesson from Eureka on this one.

Really powerful, picks up most anything. The vac has 2 intake tubes to the vacuum body, a larger intake tube for the floor part and a smaller intake tube for the hose, which really increases the hose suction power (or at least it seems so.) The attachment hose is long and permanently attached, making it very easy to use the hose for crevices when vacuuming a floor.

My one gripe is the handle release lever. When you first try to release the handle, you might think its stuck and are afraid you might break it. It seems a clumsy oversight in an otherwise well thought out machine.

Pros: Excellent vacuum for the money
Cons: Foot release, very stiff

I purchased this vacuum for my mom. I have owned a 4870 for several years and found it to be a very reliable vacuum. The vacuum is easy to use has very good suction, it is easy to use and adjust for different carpet height, also works very well on tile floors. I discovered it is very easy to disconnect the hose to recover my son's sock. The onboard tools are very handy though, a little hard to properly replace in the handle. The foot release button seems very stiff. I also notice the vacuum is all plastic; however, $400.00 ones are all plastic, also. The replacement bags and belts are very pricey, though, are much cheaper when bought over the internet. All in all, I am very happy with mom's new vacuum and have enjoyed using it. I guess I will have to give it to her, soon.

Pros: Powerful, quiet
Cons: Slightly heavy

I bought this vacuum to replace a bagless Dirt Devil I bought just a few months ago. I wanted a vacuum with a bag that could handle the dirt from two toddlers and a labrador. This machine is great. I filled the bag the first time I used it (shows what a great job the DD was doing). It's so quiet you can talk to someone while using it. That's not necessarily a feature I was looking for in a vacuum, but it's nice to be able to run it while the kids are asleep without worrying about waking them. It is a little heavy, but that wasn't a big concern for me since I live in a single story home (and am pretty tough). Overall, it's a good machine, is reasonably priced, does a great job cleaning and is quiet. It's a vacuum...there's only so much you can say about it!

Pros: It works as advertised
Cons: foot lever tricky, but no big deal

Ok, I have heard the good and the not so good things from other reviewers on this site. But Consumer Reports did a good job. You won't find a vac of this caliper for no less than $300 and this thing cost half that with amazing performance. As far as performance goes there are not too many vacs out there that cleans as much as this thing does; on bare floors and carpets, it just pics everything up. One reviewer gave this vac one star. Claiming the hose kept falling off and burning belts and too heavy etc. For one thing, it isn't the lightest vac, but good motors aren't generally light either. My hose stays securely in place. Burning belts? How about adjusting the roller so there isn't so much strain on it. Don't have it on the lowest setting while trying to do rugs or thick carpeting. No burning belts here and it picks up everything in sight. It's surprisingly quiet to.

Pros: Superb suction, long cord, Hepa filter, cleans both carpet and hard surfaces.
Cons: Heavy & stiff foot pedal.

This vacuum easily compares with ones twice or three times its price. It actually made our drab, old, cheap carpet look almost new - wow! I sound like a commercial, but it is really true. Definitely would recommend this for anyone who wants a thorough cleaning machine. On the down side, it is heavy, so it I wouldn't recommend it for little old ladies or frail women, but for your average healthy human, it is not a problem at all.

This is a terrific vacuum cleaner. It is well designed, very easy to push (I believe it is self propelled) has capability for hard floors and carpets at the flip of a switch, as well as a switch that changes the suction from the floor to the hose, without having to connect the hose separately like my old one does. Power switch is on the top and easy to reach, all the attachments store on board and are very easily accessible, and the motor is very powerful. This vacuum is also surprisingly quiet for one with such power. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for an affordable, easy to use vacuum cleaner.

Pros: Suction, cleaning power on hard jobs, good on the edges, wide track cord length.
Cons: Heavier than most, bags not available in a lot of discount stores (Walmart, K-Mart).

I replaced a Hoover bagless upright for this machine. What a joy it is to use. I have a German Shep that can cover the floor with her fur in part of a day, a cat that is worse (and that litter box), and a bird that gets seed all over. My Hoover could not get the hair out of one of my rugs and did a poor job on most of the carpets This has passed the "sand test" I gave it with cat litter and gets all of the pet hair without special efforts.

This baby has a lot of suck and gets the job done, even on hard wood floors. It is heaver than most but not too heavy for the average surface. It is feature rich and has a lot of whistles and bells that other manufacturers don't thing of or are too cheap to include.

My only mistake is not buying two of them. If they quit making this and I wear it out, I want a spare. Bring it on Santa!!

Pros: Inexpensive, attractive, relatively quiet, and very powerful.
Cons: Foot lever is stiff, but I've figured out a way around this.

I read many of the reviews here before buying this vacuum at Bed Bath and Beyond with one of their 20% discount coupons. The coupon doesn't work on other vacuums, Dyson for example, but you can use on the 4870. I don't want to repeat what's already been said, but I do want to address a few points that have been discussed here.

1. The stiff foot operated handle release lever. It is stiff, but I found if you do a little crossover step and use your right foot and push the handle to the right with your right hand (to counteract the tendency for the vacuum to tip to the left) it's much easier to operate.

2. Someone said in a review that it is self propelled. That is incorrect. The brush action does pull it forward, but you have to overcome that brush action when pulling it back.

3. The air output flow is great for blowing dust bunnies and such out from under furniture that you can't vacuum under. I like it.

Bottom line is that I love this vacuum after owning for about three months.

Pros: This vacuum really cleans well and glides easily!
Cons: It's a bit heavy and the handle release requires some pressure to release.

We love this vacuum and loved the price--we bought it based on Consumer's Reports. It cleans the floors and carpets equally well. The hose is long enough to use tools efficiently. Our old Sears upright would tip over any time we used the tools and this vacuum doesn't do that. It's self-propelled and is easy to push around. I like the powerpaw attachment which is great on stairs.

Pros: Cleaning power, QUIET, HEPA filtering
Cons: It weighs just over 20 lbs.

This vacuum was purchased based on the recommendations found in a Consumer Reports article (Best Buy). It's great. It cleans wonderfully and is QUIET. Since our last unit sounded a bit like a jet engine I may be a bit overly sensitive to this attribute, but it really makes a difference to me. The tools all snap onto the body of the vacuum and the controls are easy to understand and use.
So, at the risk of really sounding stupid, I really like this vacuum. Deep cleaning of the rugs, bare floors, etc. It seems to do it all pretty darn well.
It also boasts a true HEPA filter so the dust emissions are almost zero - our old unit mostly took items off the floor and launched them into the air. . .

Pros: suction beats the suction of any dyson vacuum lighter than a dyson Vacuum
Cons: not bagless too many models 4870D 4870DT 4870F 4870G and the 4870GZ

i don't understand what people are talking about this vacuum is not heavy at all. Is 21lbs really that much work for people! Geeez! I can imagine all the overweight moms complaining in the background. The vacuum has incredible suction and performs great on wooden floors i'm still trying to figure out the difference between the 4870D 4870DT 4870F 4870G and the 4870GZ ..so keep an eye out for which model you are actually buying..mine is a 4870F and it is amazing i owned a dyson for 3 years before it broke..

Pros: It can suck the spots of a leopard
Cons: seems top heavy, but worth it.

I replaced a bagless vac because of all the mess and trouble we had with it. I bought the Eureka Smart Vac for my husbands office and TV room downstairs. He's been very pleased with it. Then I ran out of bags for my Hoover in the main part of the house and used this. WOW what a difference!!! Rejuvenated my carpets, did a great job of cleaning, very noticeable. It does seem heavy, but I realized if I just kept going forward, it was almost self propelling. I just went to one end of the room and turned around..like mowing the lawn. It did most of the work.

Pros: price and works great so far
Cons: a bit heavy

Hey all :) Just got the vacuum in the mail this morning. Unpacked really easy and assembly was a snap :) Other reviewers were right, it is almost self-propelled! It is a bit heavy, but manageable for this little lady. Went from carpet to bare floor really easy. It picks up stuff well and the hose and attachments works great. The air smells good too after vacuuming, like clean! The pedal recline button is a bit tough... but once you get the hang of it it is better and seems quite simple. The hose is quite stretchy and reaches well with the attachments. And yes it takes a bit of effort to snap in the attachments, but it isn't too bad. I would give this 4 1/2 stars so far. Very nice!

Pros: Cleans...really cleans the carpet. Boy does it clean. Quiet.
Cons: Weight. Useless light.

Bought this to replace a Hoover Wind Tunnel that was losing motivation to clean carpets. The vacuum really cleans. It has a cheap plastic look and feel to it compared to the Hoover, but I paid a lot more for the Hoover too. The Eureka makes up for the cheap look in it's ability to clean the carpet. It does a fantastic job. It's also the quietest vac I ever owned.
Some folks have complained about the handle release. We push the handle forward slightly to relieve the tension before releasing with the foot pedal. Works better this way. It is a heavy to push vac, but we don't mind the effort. The light is pretty useless. Seems like a lot of manufacturers put the light on the handle, not on the base. So what happens when you tilt the handle back to vacuum? It no longer lights up the carpet in front of you.
A very good buy for the price.

Pros: GREAT, GREAT, GREAT ON DOG HAIR
Cons: THE VACUUM IS A LITTLE HEAVY AND THE HANDLE RELEASE BUTTON IS A LITTLE STIFF.

HAVE BEEN DEBATING ABOUT THIS VACUUM. CONSUMER REPORTS GAVE IT GOOD POINTS. TRIED A DYSON AND REALLY LIKED IT. THOUGHT THAT I WOULD GIVE THIS ONE A TRY AND SAVE $300.00. IT WAS ON SALE AT SHOPKO SO I THOUGHT WHY NOT. IF IT DIDN'T WORK ON THE DOG HAIR I WOULD TAKE IT BACK AND BUY THE DYSON. I AM JUST TRILLED.

Pros: I love the brush. Great on stairs. I hated to clean them, before;-}.
Cons: Heavy.

I was shocked that when I tuned it on, it just took off... it was ready to clean, and clean it did. It is WONDERFUL. I did not read reviews before I got it, but it seems like many people feel like I do. I look forward to many happy & clean days to come.

Pros: Good suction; quieter than most vacuums; HEPA filtration; good quality for the price
Cons: Heavy to lift and push; its on the wide side

I bought the Eureka Boss Smart Vac Ultra in May '05 because it was the least expensive vacuum with a Consumer Reports Best Buy rating. It was $124 on Amazon.com.

After 10 months of use I am very satisfied with it. I have a small dog that seems to shed an amazingly large amount of hair for his size. The Smart Vac sucks up the hairballs with ease.

I have a mild allergy to dust and the HEPA filter is great at keeping the dust where it belongs: the vacuum. I also like that it's a bag vacuum instead of a bagless one. I've used bagless vacuums before and always manage to get half of the contents back into the air and onto the floor by the time I'm done emptying the canister. Ah-choo!

The two complaints I have are fairly minor. It is a heavy vacuum, which may make it hard for some people to use. Also, it is wider than average, which sometimes means you have to move certain pieces of furniture to vacuum under and around them.

Pros: Does a great job
Cons: Bags

This is the best vacuum I've ever owned. I've got one hairy golden retriever and let me tell you, this one does the job.

I agree with all of the pros above and the cons too, except for it's weight. Sure it's heavy, but at least mine came with wheels.

I have one major complaint. The bag is too small and too expensive. The RR bag must be a rarity, and guess what. After selling the vacuum, Wal*Mart hast decided to stop selling the RR bag! The oem bags are too expensive. They do seem to be readily available on Amazon at a reasonable price, but I can't yet vouch for their quality.

A super vac minus one star for the tiny bags.

Pros: Price, light on front, attachment hose works well, long cord
Cons: Poor suction - especially on edges, VERY heavy, difficult foot pedal

Bought on advice from Consumer Reports 'Best Buy' category. I have had Panasonic vacuums in the past. I will go back to them for sure. This one is large and SO heavy that I don't vacuum upstairs much at all. It is even heavy to just get up one step from my sunroom. The suction literally 'sucks'. It doesn't pick up anything on the edges and usually needs two passes to pick stuff up. A new bag every time might solve it, but who wants to put in that kind of time, effort & money. The noise is average. The foot pedal to recline the machine is very difficult to push. The adjustment knobs are all hard to move except the hose/floor knob. On the good side, the hose attachment is easy to use to get the edges that the machine doesn't know how to get. I like the light on the front, but would give it up for a lighter weight with suction. Price is good. Cord is long - a nice feature.

Pros: Sweeps reasonably well.
Cons: Belts wear out too quickly and easily and are too expensive.

I purchased this machine based upon all the good reviews I had read and the reasonable price, but my own experience was mixed. It cleans just fine but not significantly better than my old Hoover cannister did or any upright that I have owned. But, my main problem with this machine is that the belts don't last very long. I have replaced it 4 times during the 1st year of operation. Twice, it seems simply to have worn out and on 2 other occasions some slight interference (the edge of a carpet caused it)seems to have caused it to snap. It didn't take very much. The belts are relatively expensive-Sears gets about $7.50 apiece for them and thats one of the few places that has them available. Its getting expensive.

Pros: Great suction, wide cleaning path, quiet compared to most vacuums.
Cons: kicks up dirt that land "on" the vacuum, not "in" the vacuum

This was a Consumer Report "Best Buy", and after a considerable amount of research, it looked like it. It only took me three minutes of vacuuming to realize a major flaw. The vacuum kicks up dust and dirt from the carpet and leaves a film of grime on the outside bottom front of the vacuum. In other words, it produces a small cloud of dirt which then settles back down on the vacuum. I have an old house and have a kid on the way, so my primary purpose of cleaning is to remove any toxic dust that might be around. Another issue is that an ample amount of dust seems to go right through or around the dust bag and into the Heppa filter. The recline button is hard to push (not a big deal), and one of the hose attachments is very tricky to attach to vacuum when not in use. (This looks like it should very easy but makes you feel very stupid after three minutes of trying)((also not a big deal)). Many people complain about the weight, but I thought it was average for a full size vacuum.

Pros: Nice Color
Cons: Poor Design

My Eureka smart vac burned out belts left and right, also the roller would not work on shag carpet.I got so frustrated with it I decided to take apart and diagnosis this vac,what a poor design.The idler clamp assembly was cracked.I kept calling Eureka, they finally offered to replace part.This part should have been made of steel instead of plastic.All that plastic in in the main components doesn't impress me much.Do you believe in tensil strength?Get a machinist idea on designing main components next time.

Pros: Suction is good.
Cons: Everything on this beast is pretty bulky. The hose is useless.

This is the 2nd time in 6 months that this vacuum cleaner simply won't power on! I have done everything except take this thing apart. It won't power on again...so...I am done. This thing was heavy as heck too. I lift weights 5 times a week and train for a living...half of my weekly workout was getting this thing up and down the stairs.
I think I am am officially done with Eureka!

Pros: None but price.
Cons: You don't even get what you pay for here. DO NOT BUY!!!!

I concur with the person who stated worst vacuum ever.

Not only did it have all the problems listed by another reviewer, it also has a couple more that were not mentioned.

1) The dial switching from floor to tool usage was nearly impossible to change. Unless you are a Russian weightlifter, this could be a problem.

2) The control switch to switch from carpet to bare floor was broken.

It makes me wonder what vacuum Consumer Reports was reviewing when thought they were reviewing this model.