What a pick me up!
Written: May 02 '02
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Pros: Powerful suction from a stable canister style.
Cons: High end performance demands a high end price.
The Bottom Line: This high end vacuum offers excellent power and easy operation with internal cord storage and a long hose.
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| sofarsogood's Full Review: Kenmore Progressive Canister Vacuum 20912 |
When I asked my husband to run the sweeper, he asked "dear, when did the beater brush stop working?" "Beater brush not working," I replied, "that explains why the carpets smell so dusty." After a thorough assessment, it appeared that our vacuum cleaner needed to be replaced. Kenmore has been a trusted vacuum cleaner brand for quite a while--one of the rare products they actually make as opposed to farm out. You do have to buy a Kenmore vacuum cleaner at a Sears store (bags too).
This canister is nicely weighted with a covered onboard accessory storage compartment, has internal cord storage and a HEPA filter. The canister also has a bag check light that flashes occasionally when it checks the bag and stays on when the bag is full. When it comes time to change the bag, the release is just below the canister handle. It took a me a while to get used to not pulling that when I picked it up. The accessory cover makes the canister much more durable through the life of the vacuum. My previous canister had exposed on-board storage, but I banged it around and one of the holders broke. I had to keep that particular attachment in with tape. The canister also includes internal cord storage with an push button retractor. This is a nice feature for a vacuum with a 26 ft cord. The cord retraction is quite fast, so be careful when your children or anyone else is around. Nevertheless, it is nice not to have to roll the cord up or have it come loose in the closet. On the bottom of the canister, an attachment is found to hang the beater brush on for storage--it lookes like a U sticking out parallel to the base. If you store your vacuum upright, you can hang the beater brush with the hose attached to take up less storage space (roughly 4 ft high by 18 inches deep by 14 inches wide).
The power hose is 7 ft long. The longer the power hose (in combination with the cord of course) the more versatile the vacuum. I live in a 1200 sq ft ranch. I don't have to move the power cord to vacuum the entire house on a good day. The 7 ft hose attaches to the canister with a 360 degree swivel attachment. By allowing full swivel of the hose to the canister, wear and tear on the hose is significantly reduced and the canister follows the hose easily. The hose ends with the ergonomic handle, which is where you will find the on/off switch. The switch is just at the point where I rest my thumb on the comfortable handle. Thus, I can turn the vacuum off quickly when I suck something up I don't want to or I need to run off and take care of one of the kids. The switch options are off, floor (turns on suction, but does not turn on the beater brush), and carpet (turns on the beater brush with suction. The hose is replaceable and should not be handled with undue roughness as it has an integrated power cord running to the beater brush.
The beater brush and extension tube attach easily to the hose. Unlike many beater brush attachments, the power cord is connected at the top to the extension tube so that when you attach the hose and handle, the beater brush power cord is instantaneously attached. This cuts down on wear and tear of those little brass prongs that bent on my other vacuum cleaner. Obviously, the extra setting on the switch turns this power supply on and off. The extension tube can be detached using a one button toggle at the top that is tight enough not to allow for unplanned separation. The extension tube is attached to the beater brush with a button that sits next to the attachment site and can be operated with a simple push from the finger or a toe. The button is large enough to be operated with your shoe on. The beater brush holds the extension tube up at a ninety degree angle with a simple press key that is very close to the floor. The suction power can be adjusted by a slide near the handle. The only complaint that I have about the beater brush is that Duplo blocks slide under very easily.
The vacuum set includes an upohlstery and drapery beater brush (Powermate Junior Cleaning attachment), the standard vacuum attachments, a HEPA filter inplace, and the first vacuum cleaner bag. Sears includes a general 1 year warranty that covers parts and labor. The upohlstery and drapery beater brush does not fit in the onboard attachment area--it is easy to loose. The standard attachements include a 9 in. Horsehair Floor Brush, Nylon Upholstery Brush,Horsehair dusting brush and Crevice tool. The set arrives with the HEPA filter in place. This filter is about $30 to replace. The vacuum cleaner bag that comes with the set is a special linen lined bag. The replace bag of that style runs about $10, but Sears also sells a paper equivalent 8 for $10.
This vacuum really outshined the comparative Eureka that we looked at. Eureka offered a similar canister design, but did not include the features--namely the internal cord storage and 7 ft hose--that we wanted. The dual edge cleaning ability (extra brushes at the edge of the beater brush) and 14 inch beater brush were extra incentives for this particular addition to our home.
Watch for sales on this item. Sears often has extra 10 percent off sales and closeouts on this line of vacuum cleaners.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 300
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Epinions.com ID:
sofarsogood
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Location: Central California
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
I cook, I can, I quilt, therefore I am insane !?!
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