Factory-Refurbished Electrolux Oxygen 3 Ultra Canister Vacuum EL7020B

Buy it - you won't be disappointed!
I have been considering a Dyson vacuum for over a year - the high price was always a concern, along with wondering if the performance was really THAT GOOD. I was hoping a friend would get one so I could borrow it, but my friends haven't cooperated! We just got a dog about a month ago, and she's started shedding, so I thought that it was the perfect time to take the plunge into the Dyson pool of satisfied customers. I was a little conflicted about the re-manufactured Dysons, but until I see how the brand performs, spending over $500 was beyond my budget. I bought from Amazon because an extra one-year warranty is included.

I ordered the vacuum YESTERDAY and it arrived today (thanks to Amazon Prime free shipping!). Assembly took about 5 minutes after unpacking all the accessories. The manual is a little strange, but you can figure it out yourself by just looking at the unit. All you have to do is put the handle with the telescoping rod into the main body. My vacuum seems to be in new condition and still has that new-plastic smell. It's actually quite pretty with its purple highlights.

Now, to the test...I had just vacuumed (previous vacuum is a Eureka) the strip of carpeting from our kitchen into the living room, which is the main high-traffic area in our house. The berber carpet is beaten down, even though it's only about 5 years old, because we walk over this area many times a day. The nap is pretty shot, so I wasn't expecting a great result. But I was surprised and pleased to see that the carpet looks cleaner after using the Dyson.

When you first turn on the vacuum, it seems quiet compared to other vacs - I have a Eureka Boss SmartVac, and the Dyson is much quieter in comparison. But it does have a high-pitched whine in operation that might bother some people, so ear plugs or a set of headphones might be a good thing. I usually listen to the radio on a Walkman (remember those??) while I vacuum, so it won't bother me. The dog doesn't seem to enjoy it, though.

I got a LOT more dust, dirt and hair up from the carpet. In fact, I wonder if all that hair is from the dog we just got, because she hasn't been here that long! OK, well, so far, so good. I emptied the bin of the Dyson, which is easy and quick, just one button and done. I changed the bag on the Eureka and vacuumed the hallway from the living room to the bedrooms. The Eureka really sucks down onto the carpet *hard* when the bag is changed, but I'm not sure it is still getting ALL the dirt. It's hard to push and feels as if I am almost pulling the carpet up as I go.

The Dyson is much easier to push and as I vacuum, I wonder if it's really even doing anything, yet once again, when I go over the same area and check the dust bin, sure enough, there is another pile of dirt, dust, and hair. I wondered as I read other reviews whether people were just not used to seeing the stuff their vacuums picked up, because of the bags, so they merely *thought* the Dyson was getting more, but my two little tests have convinced me.

I also read Consumer Reports and they do not give the Dyson a very good score, not compared to other vacuums. That gave me pause, because I do take their reviews into consideration. But this time, I'm glad I didn't let their reviews keep me from buying this machine. Everywhere I went on the 'net, it was people absolutely RAVING over their Dyson. Now I'm one of them!!

Shop-Vac 960-97-10 Industrial 18-Gallon, 6.5-HP Pump Vacuum Metro Vacuum 110-IDA32 Magic Air 120-Volt Inflator/Deflator Bissell 2800B Perfect Sweep Turbo Electric Sweeper Dyson DC23 Stowaway vacuum Dirt Devil 083400X Swift Stick Convertible Stick/Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Eureka Sanitaire S782 Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Eureka S782B Blue Dirt Devil Power Reach HEPA Hand Vac Dirt Devil 091020V Vibe Bagged Upright Shop-Vac 960-14-00 14-Gallon Wet/Dry Pump Vacuum Shark Turbo Hand Vac - EP033TN

Third Time's a LOT of Crumbs!
I bought this vacuum after a series of decidedly poor vacuums, thinking that (being a college student, this was expensive!) a little bit more money might yield better results.

The first two run-throughs, this worked incredibly - I'd never seen such sucking power! The swivel was mighty, the light on the front was a big improvement on my old vacuum, and the thing picked up everything in sight in one fell swoop (no running over a spot again and again).

Then, the third time, there were rubbery odors, my cat's hair remained permanently pressed into the rug, and a simple bit of confetti was not even touched when I ran over it.

Upon opening the vacuum, the belt was absolutely CHARRED! I'm going to try replacing the belt and see how long it lasts, but I fear (after reading other reviews of this item) that I'm going to be in the market for another vacuum...AGAIN! Sending the thing back to Dirt Devil would cost me more than it's worth...

NEVER buy anything like this without reading online reviews first (stupid me in the cleaning aisle at Target)!

Shop-Vac QPL40 10-Gallon 4-Horsepower Wet/Dry Vacuum Bissell ProHeat Clear View / 2X Steamer Heater Bissell Style 6 Vacuum Bags -10pk SteamVac Spinscrub Pet Shop-Vac 585-12-00 Quiet Plus Wet/Dry Vacuum 12-Gallon, 5-HP Bissell 9351 Fabric & Upholstery Cleaner EUR689 - Sanitaire Model SC689 Commercial Upright with EZ Kleen Dust Cup Bissell Glass Cleaner Bissell 32013 Micro Filter Bag Shop-Vac HEPA Dry Cartridge Filter #903-34-00

Lots of power for the price
I purchased this vacuum because a 6.5 HP motor seems to be as big as you can get without jumping into the industrial line of vacuums. I wanted a big motor for a reasonable price.

Warranty - It also has a 3 year warranty, which of course I hope I do not need to use.

Assembly - It is easy to put together...about 10-15 minutes. I only needed a flathead screwdriver to mount the wheels.

Blower -The vacuum has a blower feature which you enable by plugging the hose into the exhaust port.

Drain - It has a drain for emptying the vacuum after wet pickup. Useful when 16 gallons of liquid is too much to lift.

Noise - I can't tell if this vacuum is "super quiet" as advertised. It seems as loud as any vacuum I have owned. Probably some room for improvement. Without a decibel rating... it all seems relative.

Sucking power - this vacuum is powerful. No complaints.

Included Tools - everything is plastic and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. The crevice tool is larger than you might think. I think they could have included a round brush tool for the price.

Tool Carriage - mounts easily to the back of the vacuum. It is of marginal value. Bad for extension pipes and hoses, good for the crevice tools and gulper tool.

Weight - This vacuum weighs 20+ pounds which makes it heavy to many people. There is a handle on top of the unit which you can use to carry it.

Extensibility - shop vac makes some additional products such as a gutter leaf blower attachment, a dust collection system, and drywall sanding screen/collection system all of which give this product some growth potential.

Filters - This one uses the round cartridge as shown but can also accomodate bags for drywall dust or fine dust. I like the one piece design as opposed to the sponge, o-ring, filter design used in other models.

Cord - 18 ft. cord is nice.

Areas for improvement - add some extra tools (brush head and/or small crevice tool), give a 5 year warranty, reduce the noise further, add a crush proof hose, add a tote bag for the tools as opposed to the on board carrier.

Dyson DC17 All Floors BISSELL - Vacuum Bag - Type 7 - 2 Pack Bissell Proheat Pump and Roller Brush Belt Replacement Kit (0150621, 2150628) Hoover F7452900 Steamvac All-Terrain Floor Cleaner Royal Appl. M084100 Power Stick Euro-Pro Garbage Can & Central Vac System Bissell Flip-It Select Hard Floor Vac - 7340 Bissell Prolite Model 3560 Belt Bissell Steam Shot Handheld Steamer Bissell Multi-Allergen Removal Formula - 128 oz.

I'll Let You Know In 20 Years.
I had an old Black and Decker car vac. that died after 20 years of use. That one was a great one. This one is turning out to a good one also. I hope it lasts that long. The extra tools help car vacuuming easier.

Honeywell H11001 Replacement Filter for Bissell Lightweight or Hand-Held Vacuum EUR6001 - Sanitaire Model SC6001 Compact Commercial Floor Machine Dirt Devil 12A Swivel Caster Vacuum Shop-Vac 962-18-00 18-Gallon 6.5 HP Wet/Dry Vacuum Euro-Pro Shark V1725 Quick-and-Quiet 10-Inch Cordless Sweeper Shop Vac 9542010 Switch Reluctance 20 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaner with Stainless Steel Tank Miele S4210 Galaxy Canister Vacuum Cleaners Dirt Devil BD2005MBL Cordless Broom Vacuum Euro-Pro #V1950 Shark Cordless Sweeper Bissell PowerSteamer Pro

Price!!!!
$28.99 plus shipping is outrageous plus cost of shipping!!
Same product costs $15.99 at Target

BISSELL VACUUM STEAMER 1699 GEARED BELT Eureka 3684F Pet Lover Mighty Mite Shop-Vac? 9700410 Industrial Heavy-Duty Wet/Dry Vac Dirt Devil M0100 Classic Hand Vaccum VacMaster 4 Gal 5HP 2 Stage Motor Bissell Belt 8920 9200 9300 Geared Left Side BISSELL VACUUM POST MOTOR FILTER GRILLE 3570 Dyson Soft Dusting Brush Electrolux EL-6988A Oxygen Canister Vacuum, EL6988A Bissell 3596 CleanView Revolution Deluxe Upright Bagless Vacuum