Wildcat Works Like A Fury
Written: Oct 09 '01
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Pros: Picks up dirt & pet hair, fairly light, no bags, filters or belts to buy
Cons: Hose is awkward to use
The Bottom Line: This is a less expensive vacuum than the well-known Fury, but works just as well at picking up dirt, and is more lightweight.
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| susiee's Full Review: Fantom Wildcat 2100 Upright Vacuum |
I had a Fantom Fury vacuum that I really liked. Unfortunately, it bit the dust when my husband used it to vacuum up some cement bits and dust when we put in a gas line for our laundry room. The repair shop told me it would cost as much to fix as it would for most new vacuums, so I dumped the Fury and went off for a new vacuum.
With kids who drop crumbs and other things on the floor, and a dog (we used to have two dogs who shed a lot), I need to vacuum at least once a day to keep the floor clean. I could not afford to be without a vacuum for a few days.
Before getting this Wildcat, I went through two other vacuums, an Oreck (see my review) and a Hoover (not listed). Not being satisfied with either, and having them both in for repair, I went shopping for a new Fantom. I had planned to just buy another Fury, when I saw this model in the store.
I picked it up and pushed it around. Much lighter than the Fury. My main problem/dislike with the Fury was that it was very heavy. Pricewise, this was about $30 less than the Fury, so I decided to go for it.
Bringing it home, my husband had it out of the box and together in just minutes. I was ready to go.
My first time using the vacuum, I had trouble with the cord hooks. They were very stiff and would not turn to easily release the cord. I thought they did not turn at all, but my husband showed me it was just stiff. It took a good month before the cord hooks would turn easily. The cord itself is a good long one, enabling me to plug the vacuum in my kitchen and go around the entire first floor without unplugging the vacuum and moving it.
Vacuuming in general was great and easy. You can put the vacuum almost completely flat to vacuum under tables and furniture. However, if you get it too close to an upright position, it snaps back up and you have to press the release button to vacuum. Like the Fury I had before, this vacuum seemed to pick up more dirt and dog hair than my other vacuums.
The Wildcat has a Cleaning Mode switch that enables you to switch between carpets and bare floors. The brushes will not turn and scratch hard wood floors when in the bare floor mode. When in carpet mode, the brushes automatically adjust to the right height for your carpet. The vacuum is easy to maneuver and does a great job of picking up dust, dirt and dog hair.
The Wildcat comes with three onboard cleaning tools:
Dusting Brush with long soft bristles to dust furniture and moldings
Universal Cleaning Tool with short bristles for removing pet hair, lint, and dust from drapes, blinds and upholstery.
Crevice Tool to let you reach nooks and crannies for cleaning.
You can purchase an optional Turbo Brush , which I do not have, and a hose extension.
The Wildcat has a GRIP ‘N’ GO Cleaning Wand Handle. (This is the hose.) You do not need to press any buttons or do anything to switch from vacuum to hose. I have had vacuums where you had to change settings, and it was a pain in the neck.
You can easily release the hose by pressing on a colored release button. Now, this is the part I don’t like: Once you release the Cleaning Wand, you need to grip the Hose Cuff and extend the wand to the length you want, then you must twist the Locking Cuff to lock it into place. This enables you to expand the hose to reach up to 10 feet. However, I seem to have trouble locking the hose into place. Often when I am using the cleaning wand, it will unlock and slide back down. When you are done with the hose, you must slide the wand back into the exterior wand, then slide the wand into the hose. You have to use the Locking Cuff again to lock it into place, then slide it into the Hose Docking Bay on the vacuum. You have to slide this in just right in order to get it to lock into place. Again, I seem to have a bit of difficulty getting this locked into place on my first try. It seems much more complicated than on the Fury or many other vacuums.
Instead of bags, the Wildcat uses a collection bin, a specially sealed tube, which is clear, enabling you to see how full it is. When it is full, you simply dump the dirt into a garbage bag. You should do this after each time you vacuum to ensure maximum suction. I recommend doing this in the garage the first few times, until you get the hang of it, so no dirt gets all over the floor or into the air.
The collection bin has a release button to remove it from the vacuum. Once you have the bin where you want to empty it, you twist the lid off, then dump the dirt into a trash can or bag. Sometimes you will need to clean the bin web on the lid as well. Once this is empty, you twist the lid back on and snap the bin back into the vacuum. Because dust can build up in the bin, you might want to wash this once in a while. It can be washed with soap and water. Air dry for at least 24 hours. The bin web is much easier to clean than the one on the Fury, since it did not have all the little holes to get clogged up.
This model does not have the HEPA filter the Fury has. Instead, the Wildcat has an electrostatic filter which you can clean yourself with soap and water. You must then wait 24 hours for the filter to dry before replacing it (thus being unable to vacuum for that time). An Information Panel indicates if you need to clean the filter. It also lets you know if the brush is jammed.
At the top of the Wildcat is an Allergen Filter on the Exhaust Ring. This needs to be cleaned about every 9 months. This is cleaned by rinsing it under running water (NO SOAP). Again, let it dry for 24 hours before using the vacuum.
Another feature I like about this vacuum is the special Break-Free Belt. With most of my vacuums, replacing the belt seems to fall under monthly maintenance. This vacuum has a special kind of cogged belt that it claims rarely breaks or needs replacing. I have had the vacuum for three months so far with no problems with the belt, so this does seem to be true.
I am very pleased with the Wildcat. It does a great job of cleaning and is very easy to take care of. In the long run, it also saves money by not having to buy bags, new filters and belts.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 200
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Epinions.com ID:
susiee
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