This reviews specific cleaners. For other information on Vacs see Vacuum Cleaners

Canister Vacs

Earlex WD1000 Combi Vac

Earlex WD1000

Earlex website

PROS:

cheap
blows as well as sucks (useful sometimes)
wet and dry

CONS:

really needs the wet+dry filter (£10 from Wickes)
filter needs cleaning: sometimes tapping or brushing off dust will do, from time to time washing and drying it, especially after sucking up lots of fine dust
mixing wet with fine dust quickly blocks the filter: it is better to empty the canister and remove the filter to sucking up mainly water (flooded floors etc)
when sucking up lots of water it can spit out (often filthy) water from around the motor housing as well as the blow orifice: workarounds are to station the machine outdoors, or putting a dustsheet over it to catch the spray
the filter just pushes onto its housing and can slide down, especially if the cleaner is bumped on the floor, resulting in clouds of dust being blown out of the machine
the filter has a tinplate body which eventually rusts through requiring replacement even if the filter material is still serviceable
no carrying handle
tends to tip over if pulled by the hose
hose just pushes into orifices and can get blown out when fitted to the blow orifice
short mains cable
no cable, hose or tool storage

Available from Screwfix, Wickes and others.

Earlex WD1200P Power Vac

Earlex website

As WD1000 (above) but:

PROS:

power take-out
handle
more stable than WD1000

CONS:

more expensive than WD1000

Henry

Durable & tough
Popular for commercial premises
Cleaning performance so-so

Uprights

Oreck

Model

Satisfactory performance
Lightweight
Paper bags
No hose & tools
Very high price
Unusually low power consumption
Handle position relatively good for people with joint problems

Dyson Cyclones

Dyson cyclone uprights have improved steadily through the model numbers. The early DC01 being very good on carpets, but it did not have particularly good suction for use with the tools. Some areas of the design, whilst innovative, were a little klunky. Later models have generally corrected these problems.

Upright Models

Hose & tools too
Excellent suction on DC04 onwards
Some people experience a high failure rate - often resulting from lack of maintenance clearing blockages etc. Later models are designed to allow blockages to be cleared far more easily.
Relatively heavy
High price
Filters need washing from time to time. HEPA filters (some models) need periodic replacement.

Cylinder models

Both types can make very effective dust collectors for power tools and DIY in general.

Sharp Cyclone

Model EC-12S81

Hose & tools mode as well
Onboard tool storage
Excellent performance in upright mode
Excellent performance in hose mode
Brush drive belts dont last long, which rather spoils the show.

Hoover 1960s & 70s models

All models

Cloth bags
Many have beater bars which wear carpets out prematurely. Check the rotary brush drum to see if it has them.
No hose & tools
Long lived
Bag zips can jam on occasion
Often the tie at the bottom of the bag needs replacing. Wire or cable tie can be used.
Some of the later ones have a built in light, an idea that never made much sense.
They do the job, but performance does not compare to modern vacs
The heavier metal bodied cleaners with horizontal motors are especially durable, and were made for commercial use.

Kirby

Very high suction
Very noisy
Heavy
Very expensive

Hand held vacs

Black & Decker hand held mains vac

rotating brush
good performance while it lasts
poor longevity due to no-good design.
Useless performance once the brush drive spindle breaks

Hoover Dustette

1960s & 70s models

Old ones cost next to nothing
very good performance
excellent longevity
Dont hoover up hard lumps of metal, glass or ceramic, these things have a cast metal impellor.
Tools are changed by squeezing the sides of the metal ring while pulling the tool out
Some standard vac hoses will fit, and can be used with whatever tools you have with them.
Old machines may need a clean to restore full performance. Remove the machine's snout to enable clearing the space between motor and external housing, using a wire.
Thoroughly cleaning the cloth filter bag will improve performance even further
Apparently these machines also have that extra something

Oreck hand held

good all round.
Ugly.
Paper bags

Car Vacs

12v vacs are all poor performers. See Vacuum Cleaners#Car Vacs

Vacuum Cleaner Review

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