I bought this to relieve myself of the task of dragging around my Miele canister vacuum. I didn't expect the Eureka to replace the Miele, only to do a quick daily cleanup job on hard-to-clean floors. My floors are covered with 600 sq. ft. of carpeting, a half-dozen mats and 900 sq. ft. of porcelain tile floors that are pockmarked with thousands of craggy, dirt-collecting divots. In addition, the grout lines are deeply recessed.
My two English Springer spaniels shed like mad and leave trails of kibble bits all over the place; I discover kibble fragments in some of the most unlikely places (linen closet, hall bathroom). In addition, the dogs "decorate" the floors with tufts of stuffing and shredded chunks of latex from their toys.
I live in the desert, where sand blows into the living and dining rooms. When the garden sprinklers are on and the desert winds suddenly whip up to 45 mph, a spray of water shoots through the living room screen doors, creating tiny mud puddles in dirty divots.
Before buying this stick vac I read dozens of reviews. When I shop on Amazon I usually buy items that rate at least four stars. In this case I didn't want to spend more than $100, so, with plenty of glowing 5-star-reviews to its credit, a moderate price and two batteries, the Eureka seemed like a very good value. There was one other factor. During the previous six months I had purchased two other Eureka products, the terrific Eureka 71B Hand-Held Vacuum and the capable Eureka 313A Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer. I figured, why not stay with the Eureka brand? As I perused the stick vacs on offer here at Amazon I was surprised by the number of more expensive units that had fewer stars.
Because this is the only stick vac I've ever owned, I had no basis for comparison with similar products. Comparing it to a $900 Miele would be grossly unfair. So, my review of the Quick Up's cleaning ability is based on value, convenience and effectiveness.
HOW IT CLEANED
The Eureka has two settings - "carpet," which switches on the rotating brushes in the nozzle, and "floors." After trial and error I've decided to use the carpet setting most of the time. The brushes seem to do a good job cleaning the tile. I tend to move the vacuum back and forth quickly over an area until the sound of sand, kibble and dirt stops hitting the nozzle, then I move to an adjacent area. Performance varies:
Edge Cleaning on carpet and tile - Poor to Fair
Carpet - Very Good
Floor mats: Flat - Very Good; Plush -- Fair to Good; Ribbed - Poor.
Tile: Sand - Good to Very Good; Dog Fur - Good to Very Good; Kibble Bits` -- Good; Dust/Dirt - Very Good.
When the floors are vacuumed every day the dog fur doesn't accumulate and is therefore easily picked up. On the other hand, heavy amounts of fur can clog the brushes and must be picked out by hand (along with threads that get wrapped around the roller bar). Very large amounts of hair can also fill up the intake opening behind the brushes. Cleaning the fur doesn't bother me; I'd rather have it collect in the vacuum than stay on the floor.
Emptying the dust cup isn't much of a chore. I prefer the original Eureka replacement cup to the flimsy Arm and Hammer STK brand Arm and Hammer Eureka STK Odor Eliminating Vacuum Filter, which has a small packet of baking soda attached to the side (I'm puzzled by the high ratings it's received). The amount of baking soda is too paltry to have a deodorizing effect. If you want to add a fresh scent to the dust cup, try adding a couple of drops of Nilodor tap-a-drop Tap-A-Drop Original to the dust cup.
The DZ model of the Quick Up comes with two batteries, both of which can be charged simultaneously using an included charger stand that can hang on a wall. What's more, the batteries don't require special care. Just leave them in the recharger and forget them.
BOTTOM LINE: Let's say that a friend or relative is about to drop by with little notice, and the hard floor and carpets are covered with crumbs, hair and dust, threads, bits of fabric and lint. You have 10 minutes to make your home presentable. Or, your children have left cookie crumbs on the kitchen floor or tracked dirt in from the yard. Or, you return from the beach and spread sand on the floors. The solution: grab the Quick Up and with little time and energy the cleaning is done.
The Quick Up is not a replacement for a regular vacuum cleaner, but if you use it once a day you needn't use a canister or upright vacuum more than once a week. For under $70 you're not making a major investment. So, for what it is, you're getting your money's worth. If it only lasts for a year (and judging from the experiences of other owners, five years is more likely), I'd say you're making a good investment. Despite its deficiencies, you could buy a more expensive model and not do much better.
Strongly recommended.
UPDATE: MAINTENANCE ISSUE
After a year of frequent use, the brush roller started revolving very slowly and then stopped. I inspected the roller and found that dog hair had been accumulating at the end next to the belt housing. I removed the six screws that secure the two plates underneath and found several mounds of impacted hair that were interfering with the vacuum's operation.
After cleaning out the hair I put one drop of oil at each end of the rod. Problem solved! Even if you don't have pets it might be a good idea once a year to inspect the housing for accumulations of threads, dirt and human hair.
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Product information
| Brand | Eureka |
|---|---|
| Special Feature | Cordless and Lightweight |
| Filter Type | Foam |
| Included Components | Brush |
| Is Cordless? | Yes |
| Runtime | 96 hours |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Carpet, Bare Floor |
| Color | Black |
| Manufacturer | Eureka Quick Up™ |
| Controller Type | Push Button |
| Portable | Yes |
| Number of Power Levels | 2 |
| Indoor/Outdoor Usage | Indoor |
| UPC | 791769524431 023169132788 |
| Product Dimensions | 5 x 10 x 44 inches |
| Item Weight | 4 pounds |
| ASIN | B002757BQC |
| Item model number | 96HX |
| Customer Reviews |
4.0 out of 5 stars |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Specific instructions for use | Carpet, Floor and Rugs |
| Warranty Description | 1 year. |
| Batteries required | No |
Warranty & Support
View the Owner's Manual [PDF ]
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2011
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