Introduction

There are some potential roadblocks for household users, though. Its size and weight make it hard to move around and its hose and extension wand only extend to 7.5 feet, which isn't much if you're lugging the machine up and down stairs. We'll cover more of the {{product.name}}'s benefits and shortcomings in this review.

Front

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Side

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Handle

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Hose

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Cleaning Tools

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Controls

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Dirt Container

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Underside

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Overall Cleaning

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You'll get consistent cleaning performance across the board with the {{product.name}}.

Long Carpet

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In most cases, picking up 40% of dirt isn't great, but when compared to most other vacuums, the {{product.name}}'s performance on long carpet actually isn't bad. Most vacuums don't pick up more than 50% of dirt on high-pile so this machine is a solid option if you have a shag carpet.

Short Carpet

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At 78.1% of dirt sucked up, the {{product.name}} is well above average on short carpet.

Wood Floor

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Don't even think about having to get a separate kitchen vacuum once you've purchased the {{product.name}}. It pulls in more than 95% of dirt on hardwood and moves quickly with its self-propelling feature.

Pet Hair

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There was a bit of pet hair left on the surface after ours tests, but nothing substantial.

Debris Pickup

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Users will find that the {{product.name}} is just as consistent with debris pickup as dirt pickup. It sucked up more than 80% of debris in both our hardwood and long carpet tests.

Dirt Holder Capacity

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As is to be expected for a large vacuum, the {{product.name}}'s dirt bag held 1.39 gallons of cork in our capacity test. This is a good amount for a bagged vacuum and won't require you to replace the bag too often.

Handling

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There is a huge difference between handling the {{product.name}} with its self-propel feature (located on top of the handle) on and off. When disabled, it's a big task to push forward and turn corners with. When it's on, it's a pretty nimble machine that has no issue with lateral movement.

Cleaner Controls

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In addition to the self-propel button, there's the on/off button beneath it and on the base of the {{product.name}} are height adjustment controls. You can switch between long and high carpet and hardwood and carpet.

Cleaning Tools Use

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There is a conclave spot at the top of the {{product.name}} where its pet brush is stored and there are more cleaning tools attached to the back of the machine. All of these tools can be attached to the end of its hose.

Power Cord

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At 28.5 feet, the {{product.name}}'s power cord is above average but since it's so heavy, a longer cord would make life easier on users.

Hose Use

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Ideally, the {{product.name}}'s 7.5-foot hose would be longer so users can make better use of it on stairs or higher ceilings.

Dirt Holder

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The {{product.name}} has a solid 1.39 gallon capacity, which is great because it won't require to replace it too often.

Filter

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The {{product.name}} uses a HEPA bag, which can be removed pretty easily.

Weight

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You may need a crane to lift the {{product.name}} from floor to floor. It weighs 20.26 pounds and you want to carry it around too much.

Noise

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The {{product.name}}'s 79.23 decibels mean you may wake up neighbors down the street if you decide to vacuum at night.

Energy Use

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Being green isn't one of the {{product.name}}'s best qualities, as it uses a whopping 1320 watts.

Electrolux Nimble EL8602A 3-in-1 Comparison

There are a lot of similarities between these two heavy-duty vacuums.

While one may have the edge over the other by a few percentage points, these two were very close in performance. With 40% of dirt picked up on high carpet, the {{product.name}} outdid the LuV400T (32%). But the LuV400T was better on hardwood (97.3%) and short carpet (90.8%) than the WindTunnel (95% and 78%, respectively). The {{product.name}} did have a big edge, however, in debris pickup, with 75% picked up.

Neither vacuum is going to be easy to lift up and down stairs. The {{product.name}} weighs more than 20 pounds and the LuV400T weighed in at 23 pounds. Though they're heavy, both offer users height adjustment controls and on board tools that improve household cleaning capabilities.

The {{product.name}} is much noisier than the LuV400T, as it produced 79 decibels, compared to 74 for the Total Care.

Panasonic MC-UL815 Jet Turn Comparison

The Nimble is ($400 MSRP) is pricier than the {{product.name}} ($220), but the two share common cleaning performance and usability ratings.

Cleaning on high carpet was a struggle for both vacuums, as the Nimble sucked up about 20% of dirt and the {{product.name}} cleaned up 40%. The two had almost matching numbers on hardwood (98% for the Nimble and 95% for the WindTunnel) and short carpet (80% for the WindTunnel and 75% for the Nimble).

Though they have similar power brush height adjustment controls, the {{product.name}} and Nimble have a few differences as well. The Nimble's extension wand is easy to pull out and it turns corners without issue. On the other hand, the WindTunnel, with its self propel feature on, can be jumpy at times and its on board tools aren't as good.

If noise is a big deal to you, since they're so close in other areas, choose the Nimble. It produces only 73 decibels, compared to the {{product.name}}'s ear-ringing 79.

Comp 3

The {{product.name}} and Jet Turn had similar strengths (and weaknesses) and have the same price range.

With one of our top long carpet scores, the Jet Turn picked up 53% of dirt, compared to 40% for the {{product.name}}. Both picked up about 80% of dirt on short carpet and the WindTunnel was better on wood floor (95% to 87%). The WindTunnel ended up having an edge in debris pickup as well - 75% to 61%.

Though you may think initially that these machines are cheaply made, each vacuum has a distinct feature that helps set it apart from the pack. The Jet Turn received some solid usability scores because of its swivel technology and the {{product.name}}'s self propel function drew solid ratings. Both also have power brush controls that lift it up and let it down based on surface.

The Jet Turn and {{product.name}} are both pretty loud (in the 78-79 decibel range) and may disturb neighbors.

Overall Verdict

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You can do a lot worse than paying $220 for the {{product.name}}. It performed better than many other vacuums in our long carpet, short carpet, hardwood, and debris tests and offers a bevy of controls. Unlike many vacuums, the WindTunnel pulls in 40% of dirt from long carpet. You can adjust the power brush's height and choose between hardwood and carpet. But probably the best feature on the {{product.name}} is the self-propel button. When enabled, pushing this heavy vacuum on high carpet is a breeze.

As with any other vacuum, the {{product.name}} has its failings. The power cord should be a bit longer so you could move between rooms with it. A longer hose would allow users to vacuum more stairs. But as a total package for all surfaces, the WindTunnel represents good value for customers.

Usability