Eureka Smart Boss Upright HEPA Vacuum Cleaner (Refurb)

Despite the product description, and despite a lengthy conversation with an extremely helpful and gracious staff member, THIS IS NOT A BAGLESS MACHINE. I had a new one at the time, knew it to be bagged (RR), and doubted any refurbishment would change that feature. Turns out I was right. THIS MACHINE REQUIRES RR Bags, even if refurbished. But the fact that I have now bought and regularly use TWO of them should tell you something.

We've had our Smartvac for 8 years (?) now and it has done a great job. The bare floor feature worked flawlessly. The attachments chipped or cracked after about 3 years of use and the clip holding the hose also broke, but it hasn't been a deal killer, just a bit of a pain. Nice to have a HEPA filter on a vac that is so inexpensive.

I bought this vacuum because of a positive rating from Consumer Reports. In general, the vacuum does an excellent job of cleaning carpet. They don't come any better. However, there are a variety of trade offs. First, the quality is questionable. The bare floor switch never worked. At first, I thought it was just me not turning it on properly. No, it simply never worked straight from the factory. Second, it is very heavy. If you're petite or a little on the weak side, just beware. Third, the airflow for the attachments is poor. Therefore, don't expect this vacuum to be any good for picking up pet hair on furniture. Fourth, the handle release is very hard to engage. If you're like me and clean house in your bare feet, it's especially hard. Fifth, this machine is incredibly LOUD! Sixth, the bag can be a little tricky to change. Again, it vacuums carpet extremely well. But everything else makes me wish I had made a pass on the machine. It became such a nuisance that I eventually bought an Electrolux Oxygen canister. Electrolux makes Eureka too. That was a mistake. It vacuumed great when it worked. But that machine was of extremely poor quality and prone to wiring problems that kept it in the repair shop. I eventually bought a Kenmore Progressive canister. It's much quieter and does a super job at everything.

This unit is very heavy and not user friendly. The attachments and cord continually get in a tangled mess. I smelled burning after the first time using it and after the second time the belt broke. Bought a new belt, used it again, then suddenly it stopped, over heated I guess. I let it rest, turned it back on and it started working.Now every time I turn it on I smell burning. I would return it if it weren't such a hassle.Actually I thought I was buying a bagless vacume, that may have been my mistake. With this unit I cannot tell how much, if any is being picked up as you can with a bagless vac. I would not buy this vacume!