Time Owned: a bit over one year

First Unit of this Model: yes

First Model by this manufacturer: No, have owned both bag-canister vacs and an industrial bag-less vac by Eureka (as well as vacuums by other manufacturers).
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Having used a previous HEPA bag-less vacuum from Eureka for years (industrial/hotel model), I decided when it quit to get another one from a local mass-retailer, and picked up Eureka's The Boss 4D (model 5892). I've used it for a year now, and have both praise and cautions to go with this review.

The vacuum itself is well constructed in terms of build-quality and general sturdiness. Big bonus points to actually putting a breaker on the electric motor that turns the carpet brush; I haven't had to replace the belt on this one at all (unlike every other vacuum I've ever owned) -- instead, the breaker pops, you clear whatever is keeping the brush from turning freely, and reset the push button on the side of the unit. No parts have failed at all, and the only maint done has been cleaning/clearing clogs (few) and replacing filters annually.

Suction is provided by a 12 amp motor with very good suction capabilities at the carpet-surface. The subsequent path routes the vacuum-driven air & debris through a hose, into a swirl camber that doubles as the collection bin, then through two filters (one foam pre-filter, then a main fiber-mat filter), through the engine and finally through a HEPA filter before exhausting from the left side of the unit.

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Picks Up Well:

Pretty much everything -- hair, dust, dander, dust bunnies, debris up to about the size of a silver dollar. Really, what a home vacuum is designed to pick-up readily.

but it's quite content to pick up very fine powders that will clog the first two filters (fortunately rinseable/reusable filters), including baking powder, baking soda, flour, certain brands of carpet powders (many are course enough not to be an issue, but some aren't).

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Maintenance & Upkeep:

Unit ships with a single set of filters, of which all but the HEPA filter are rinsable* (there is also a washable HEPA filter available as an aftermarket option from Eureka). I say rinsable because if you actually wash the filters with detergents (such as dish detergent), you'll effectively permit very fine particles (smaller than would normally pass into the filters) to embed into the filter that won't fade -- and their smells will stick around even after the filter dries. Simply rinsing them well will prevent this from happening.
Filters should still be exchanged at least annually, and from long experiences with bag-less vacs, I keep two spares of each filter on-hand at all times (also allows you to keep going if you need to rinse out a filter; just fit in one of the replacements).
The collection bin needs to be emptied quite regularly compared to most bagged vacuums (if you have a shedding dog or cat at the peak of their shed, this could be as often as every 90 seconds of use when you're vacuuming their sleeping areas; five to eight minutes of use for most regular use [figure 1 room]). It's not the fault of the chamber size or chamber design; it's just a fact of life, because unlike bags where the hair compresses & acts like more filter material, all bag-less vacuums I've used over the years keep their materials more loosely packed. A simple turn of a release & dump the contents & you're ready to move on. Skimp emptying often enough, and the excess will move further up the machine to the first filter, reducing the efficiency of the motor -- but is still easily clearable.
The other advantage to this sort of bag-less vacuum design is that you can easily hand-wash the container after use, to remove anything remaining (in case you have a severe allergen sufferer in the house for example)-- just allow to dry before reinstallation. Note: debris container is not dishwasher rated.

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CON's:

- Hose is not particularly long, so if you use your vacuum to dust high items (top of cabinets, etc.), it'll be a bit of a fight unless you get the optional accessory extension hose from Eureka.

- Duster attachment is poorly designed; center rod bends very readily, rendering it unable to spin freely in it's dust-collector. Shame too, because until it gets bent, it works pretty well...

- Lid of catch-container not as well designed as it could be (small vents tend to clog readily; always have to clear when emptying the bin).

- Same as any other bag-less - time-to-empty-bin is shorter than bagged vacuums.

- Most users don't understand carpet brush should be off for use on bare floors (tile / linoleum / concrete), and the height adjustment needs to be set to minimum.

PRO's:
- Exceptionally high vacuum levels at the carpet surface when the filters are clean/clear.

- Breaker/reset switch at the brush means no more buying replacement belts for the carpet brushes (and no burnt-belt smell!).

- Rinsable filters for the first two filters stock, rinsable HEPA filter an accessory-option from the manufacturer.

- Parts very readily available, including ability to order accessories & parts via the web directly from the manufacturer.

- Three-position on switch: OFF / VACUUM ON / VACUUM + BRUSH ON.

- Automatic brush cut-off when you place the back of the vacuum totally upright (i.e. the storage position).

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OWNER's MANUAL: (PDF) http://www.eureka.com/service/manuals/74227.pdf

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Would I buy it again?

As long as I have pets around the house, the answer is a resounding yes. I haven't found another vacuum as effective on pet hair & general dust removal as this one in the same power & weight range.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet


Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 145.00