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GBlist: HEPA-filter vacuum cleaners (LONG!)



To Michael Wood-Lewis:

Here's a "Consumer Reports" article on vacuum cleaners (sorry the columns
don't line up), an article from "The Wall St. Journal," and a posting (I've
deleted the original sender's name) on the Fantom vacuum, all of which I
picked up off the MCS Listserv a while back. Incidentally, I would think
that steam cleaning would not be a good idea, since the wet carpet would
promote mold growth.
-----------------------------------------------------
CONSUMER REPORTS: VACUUM CLEANERS

This report looks at vacuum cleaners, and includes Ratings, details and the
bottom line, brand reliability, recommendations, an overview, and sections
on brands, features, and where to call
for more information.


CONSUMER REPORTS RATINGS

The Ratings list the tested BRAND/MODELs by type. Within types, they're
listed in order of overall SCORE. Scores are on a scale of 0 to 100: 81 to
100 is excellent, 61 to 80 is very good, 41 to 60 is good, 21 to 40 is
fair, 0 to 20 is poor. If a product is both high in quality and relatively
low in price, we deem it a CR BEST BUY.

An X in the CARPET column indicates that the model is designed to clean
carpets. Carpet includes medium- and deep-pile rugs. An X in the FLOOR
column indicates that the model is designed to clean bare floors (including
low-pile carpet). A dash in either column means not applicable. Price is
the estimated average based on a national survey.


Ratings: Uprights
8 tested

SCORE BRAND/MODEL       CARPET  FLOOR     PRICE
  72  Sharp Twin Energy
        EC-12TWT4
        CR BEST BUY        X      X       $ 150
  68  Hoover Power
        Drive Supreme
        U6323-930          X      -         300
  68  Kirby G4             X      X        1350
  66  Eureka Powerline
        Plus 7680AT        X      X         130
  62  Hoover Power Drive
        U6311-930          X      -         250
  59  Eureka Bravo! II
        The Boss 7625AT    X      -          90
  56  Hoover Turbo Power
        4000 U5101-930     X      -         195
  55  Hoover Dimension
        U5209-930          X      -         180


Ratings: Canisters
7 tested

SCORE BRAND/MODEL       CARPET  FLOOR     PRICE
  72  Nilfisk GS90         X      X       $800
  72  Miele White
        Pearl S434i        -      X        850
  70  Eureka Excalibur
        6975A              X      X        300
  61  Eureka World Vac
        6865B              X      X        200
  56  Hoover PowerMAX
        Supreme S3611      X      -        300
  56  Panasonic Dirt
        Sensor MC-V9635    -      X        300
  53  Hoover Futura S3567  X      -        195


DETAILS AND THE BOTTOM LINE

Uprights

SHARP TWIN ENERGY EC-12TWT4 ($150)  Hard-body upright with stair handle.
Hose ready for use with on-board tools. Quiet. Doesn't exhaust much dust,
so very good choice for those with allergies. Fan less vulnerable to
damage. But: Not good for side-edge cleaning. Prone to tip over when hose
is extended. Bottom line: Very good, though the sturdiness of the
power-head housing is a concern. A CR BEST BUY.


HOOVER POWER DRIVE SUPREME U6323-930 ($300)  Self-propelled hard-body
upright with stair handle.  Doesn't exhaust much dust, so very good choice
for those with allergies. Good side-edge cleaner. Tools on board are
covered. Easy-to-maneuver hose.
Manual carpet-height adjustment. Among the most reliable brands. But:
Heavy. Awkward to use on stairs. Bottom line: Very good overall, but bulky.


KIRBY G4 ($1,350)  Self-propelled soft-body upright with stair handle.
Good side-edge cleaner. Easy-to-maneuver hose. Manual carpet-height
adjustment. Exhausts very little dust, so excellent choice for those with
allergies. Adjustable suction. But: No tools or hose on board, and hard to
convert for use with tools. Heavy (24 lb.). Bottom line: Weight and
astronomical price more than counter fine performance.


EUREKA POWERLINE PLUS 7680AT ($130)  Hard-body upright with stair handle.
Essentially similar to Powerline Plus 9741AT, tested for our last report.
Doesn't exhaust much dust, so very good choice for those with allergies.
Good side-edge cleaner. Tools on board.
Easy-to-maneuver but flimsy hose. Manual carpet-height adjustment. But:
Awkward to use on stairs. Bottom line: Very good, but not among the most
reliable brands.


HOOVER POWER DRIVE U6311-930 ($250)  Very similar to the Hoover Power Drive
Supreme U6323-930, except for minor features. But: Exhausts more dust than
most. Bottom line: Very good overall.


EUREKA BRAVO! II THE BOSS 7625AT ($90)  Soft-body upright with stair
handle.  Good side-edge cleaner. Tools on board. Manual carpet-height
adjustment. Doesn't exhaust much dust, so very good choice for those with
allergies. But: Flimsy hose. Noisy. Dirt disposal difficult and messy.
Bottom line: Very good performance, but not among the most reliable brands.


HOOVER TURBO POWER 4000 U5101-930 ($195)  Hard-body upright with stair
handle.  Good side-edge cleaner. Doesn't exhaust much dust, so very good
choice for those with allergies. Tools on board are covered.
Easy-to-maneuver hose. Manual carpet-height adjustment. Among the most
reliable brands. But: Mediocre suction. Noisy. Bottom line: Good overall.


HOOVER DIMENSION U5209-930 ($180)  Hard-body upright with stair handle.
Very similar to Hoover Turbo Power 4000 U5101-930, except for minor
features. Exhausts very little dust, so excellent choice for those with
allergies. Bottom line: Good overall.


Canisters

NILFISK GS90 ($800)  Good side-edge cleaner. Adjustable suction. On/Off
switch for beater brush. High-efficiency filter. Exhausts very little dust,
so excellent choice for those with allergies. Quiet. Shuts off
automatically if it overheats or jams. Price includes optional power nozzle
and special filter. But: No on- board tools or provision for cord storage.
Especially
inconvenient to switch from carpet to suction-only cleaning. Bottom line:
Very good performer, but inconvenient and extremely expensive.


MIELE WHITE PEARL S434i ($850)  Good side-edge cleaner. Tools on board are
covered. Easy-to-maneuver hose and retractable cord. Adjustable suction.
On/Off switch for beater brush. Manual carpet-height adjustment.
High-efficiency filter. Exhausts very little dust, so excellent choice for
those with allergies. Price includes optional power nozzle and special
filter. Quiet. Shuts off automatically if it overheats or jams. But:
Inconvenient to switch from carpet to suction-only cleaning. Bottom line:
Very good overall with low emissions, but extremely expensive.


EUREKA EXCALIBUR 6975A ($300)  Good side-edge cleaner. Tools on board are
covered. Retractable cord. Adjustable suction. On/Off switch for beater
brush. Quiet. Doesn't exhaust much dust, so very good choice for those with
allergies. Shuts off automatically if it overheats or jams. But:
Inconvenient to switch from carpet to suction-only cleaning. Bottom line:
Very good overall, but durability of motor and wiring and brand reliability
are concerns.


EUREKA WORLD VAC 6865B ($200)  Good side-edge cleaner. Tools on board.
Easy-to-maneuver hose and retractable cord. Adjustable suction. Easy to
switch from carpet to suction-only. Shuts off automatically if it overheats
or jams. But: Exhausts more dust than most. Bottom line: Worth considering,
but dust emissions and brand reliability are concerns.


HOOVER POWERMAX SUPREME S3611 ($300)  Tools on board are covered.
Easy-to-maneuver hose and retractable cord. Adjustable suction. On/Off
switch for beater brush. Shuts off automatically if it overheats or jams.
Easy to switch from carpet to suction-only. But: Exhausts more dust than
most. Bottom line: Worth considering if dust emissions are not a problem.


PANASONIC DIRT SENSOR MC-V9635 ($300)  Tools on board are covered.
Easy-to-maneuver hose and retractable cord. Adjustable suction. On/Off
switch for beater brush. Manual carpet-height adjustment. Shuts off
automatically if it overheats or jams. But: Heavier than most (24 lb.).
Exhausts more dust than most. Bottom line: A good choice, but dust
emissions and brand reliability are concerns.


HOOVER FUTURA S3567 ($195)  Tools on board. Easy-to-maneuver hose and
retractable cord. Adjustable suction. Easy to switch from carpet to
suction-only cleaning. But: Exhausts more dust than most. Bottom line:
Worth considering if dust emissions are not a problem.


BRAND RELIABILITY

The Repair Index is based on responses to our 1996 Annual Questionnaire,
covering more than 32,000 canisters with power nozzles and more than
125,000 uprights bought new from 1991 to 1996. A brand's repair history
includes many models and can't anticipate design or manufacturing changes.
Still, our experience indicates that you should improve the chances of
getting a trouble-free vacuum if you buy a brand that's been reliable.

Data have been standardized to eliminate differences due solely to age or
usage. Differences of fewer than 3 points aren't meaningful.

Repair Index: Upright Vacuum Cleaners

BRAND              PERCENT OF REPAIRS
Electrolux                 15
Hoover                     19
Singer                     23
Panasonic                  25
Royal Dirt Devil           28
Sears                      28
Eureka                     29
Oreck                      29
Riccar                     29
Regina                     35


Repair Index: Canister Vacuum Cleaners

BRAND              PERCENT OF REPAIRS
Electrolux                 15
Rainbow                    16
Sears                      19
Hoover                     20
Panasonic                  26
Eureka                     26


CONSUMER REPORTS RECOMMENDATIONS

The models that work well on all types of floors deserve first
consideration. The quality, versatility and attractive price ($150 on
average) of the Sharp EC-12TWT4 make it a CR BEST BUY. Among canisters, we
recommend the Eureka World Vac 6865B ($200)
based on performance and price. Reliability, though, may be a concern.


OVERVIEW

Finding a vacuum cleaner is easy. But finding a good vacuum, one suited to
the floors in your house, thoughtfully designed and reliable, isn't always
easy. There are two basic types of vacuum cleaner: uprights and canisters.
Both have gained versatility by borrowing features from each other.
Uprights have the canister's hose and specialized tools. Canisters have the
upright's powered brush.

Still, there are differences between the types. Uprights are generally
cheaper, lighter and easier to store than canisters, which explains why
they outsell canisters by more than five to one. The rotating beater brush
is especially adept at beating the dust and dirt out of pile carpet.
They're less effective on hard surfaces. Their brushes may disperse debris
rather than vacuum it up. Most uprights come with a long hose and various
attachments for vacuuming stairs, under furniture, upholstery and such.

Canisters are known for their superior suction, which makes them good at
vacuuming bare floors. Most full-sized canisters include a power-nozzle
attachment with a beater brush to deep-clean carpet. Even with that bulky
attachment, canisters are still easier to maneuver around furniture than
uprights are.

There's no clear correlation between price and performance. You can pay
less than $100 or more than $1,000 for a vacuum cleaner, and some cheaper
models clean better. Spending more typically gets you more power and more
features.

The Ratings identify vacuums that work well on different types of floor.
The models we've listed include the best of the uprights and canisters from
a recent report, plus two new models we tested from Eureka and Hoover, the
dominant brands. For the first time, we also have reliability information
on brands. Overall, the vacuums in our survey were relatively troublesome
machines, with one out of four needing repair, usually a belt replacement.
Among
the brands, Electrolux was the star of the uprights, and it fared well with
the canisters as well. Panasonic and Eureka had the worst repair records
for canisters. Regina had the worst repair
record for uprights.


BRANDS

Hoover had one of the lowest repair rates among our readers for its
uprights. Its canisters had an average reliability rate. In our tests, the
Hoover family's performance has been highly
variable, but it seems to track roughly with price. Overall, its Dimension
uprights offer the best value among Hoovers.

Eureka uprights and canisters vary widely in performance. As for
reliability, there are less troublesome brands.

Royal makes mostly mass-marketed, inexpensive models called Dirt Devils. In
our last test, the models, which have since been discontinued, tended to be
noisy, and performance varied widely. Reliability has been about average.

Sears specializes in canisters. The models we covered in our last report
have been discontinued. Performance differences can be substantial. Models
in the Power-Mate line are better values than Whispertone vacuums.
Reliability for Sears has been middling.

Smaller brands include Panasonic and Sharp. Panasonic models, especially
the Dirt Sensor MC-V9635 canister, were better on bare floors than carpets.
Reliability, though, is a concern for Panasonic canisters. Sharp, whose
Twin Energy EC-12TWT4 upright tops the Ratings, is relatively new to
vacuums. Nilfisk and Miele are expensive European brands of canisters. We
do not have enough data to provide their repair history.

Kirby, like Rainbow, is sold door to door. Kirby offers just one upright
model, which is good at cleaning but very expensive and inconvenient.
Reliability data for Kirby were inconclusive.

Electrolux, a brand found in vacuum stores, is pricey but, according to our
readers, very reliable. The models tested for our last report were
relatively convenient, but they aren't
listed here since performance wasn't noteworthy.


FEATURES

Tools. Be sure on-board tools are securely stowed, not lightly clipped on.
Uprights without a hose or tools have limited utility. Avoid tools you have
to fuss to attach.

Hose. A thick, flexible hose tends to be less vulnerable to damage than one
that's thin or rigid. On canisters, a swivel joint prevents tangling.

Rug-height adjustment. The best designs let you raise or lower the
motorized brush with a dial, lever or pedal.

Cord storage. A built-in winder is best.

Suction control. Adjustable suction and a variable speed help prevent loose
objects from being inhaled.

Dirt sensor. This tells you when the machine has stopped picking up dirt,
not when all the dirt has been picked up, as you might think.

Fan design. Fans either push or pull air into the bag. Canisters have the
"pull" design. Soft-bodied uprights have the "push" design. Hard-bodied
uprights come in either design. The "pushers" make the fan blades
vulnerable to damage from incoming objects.

Power nozzle. Look for a comfortable handle and a separate switch to
deactivate the beater brush, especially if your floors aren't completely
carpeted.


WHERE TO CALL

If you have trouble locating a brand, call the company.
Eureka: 800-282-2886
Hoover: 330-499-9499
Kirby: 800-437-7170
Miele: 800-694-4868
Nilfisk: 800-645-3475
Panasonic: 201-348-9090
Sharp: 800-237-4277

Copyright Consumers Union of U.S., Inc., January 1997
------------------------------
The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition
 Marketplace Front
 September 25, 1996

VACUUM CLEANERS MAKE  SWEEPING HEALTH CLAIMS

 By Jonathan Welsh
 Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL


 Tiny particles that can lodge in your lungs. Pesticide residue just waiting
 to be inhaled. Toxins leaking from home-office equipment.

 Household dirt has never before seemed so ominous.

 After years of touting their new upright model or their latest hose
 attachment, many of today's vacuum-cleaner makers are trying to capitalize
 on consumers' fears about indoor-air pollution and frustrations over
 allergies. The companies claim that their latest models, using super-fine
 filters, trap microscopic contaminants that can jeopardize people's health.

 An ad from vacuum maker Miele Appliances Inc. warns of the "deadly world of
 lung-damaging particles" that older models can't trap. Replacing your
 vacuum "is a lot easier than replacing your lungs," says the ad, which even
 carries the logo of the American Lung Association. And Eureka Co. claims
 that its top-of-the-line Excalibur machines "clear the air while they
 clean."

 Behind some of the claims is a filter technology previously found mainly in
 hospitals and electronic-industry "clean rooms." These "high-efficiency
 particulate air" filters, known as HEPA, are capable of catching particles
 as small as 0.3 micron, which is smaller than a dust-mite dropping.

 Not everyone is sold on the filters. Health specialists say that such
 high-tech measures, which can add as much as $100 to a vacuum's price, may
 not make a noticeable difference to most people, even those suffering from
 allergies.

 Some shoppers are skeptical, too. "I see the soot that ends up on my window
 sill, so I think you'd be hard pressed to keep indoor air clean with a
 vacuum, especially in a city," says Carrie Tobias of New York as she
 studies the array of vacuums at Macy's.

 But giving consumers new reasons to buy vacuum cleaners isn't likely to
 hurt the industry. Since 1980, the number of machines sold annually has
 doubled to 15 million, and figures through this past August indicate that
 sales have continued to rise this year, presumably aided by the new
 filtration ad campaigns.

 Royal Appliance Manufacturing Co. is offering HEPA on one of its high-end
 models. Eureka's Excalibur also uses a HEPA filter. Miele vacuum cleaners,
 which range in price from about $550 to $700, don't actually come with HEPA
 filters. But for $70, the company, a unit of Miele & Cie. of Germany,
 offers a HEPA filter cartridge that fits older models as well as current
 ones.

 And even companies that don't yet have HEPA models are making the same
 kinds of claims. Hoover Co., which says it's looking into HEPA, declares
 that its "microfilter bag" models this year are also "designed to help
 those who suffer from allergies."

 "HEPA is good for getting the public's attention. There's a perceived need
 to be HEPA clean rather than just adequately clean," says Victor Polansky,
 a spokesman for Electrolux Corp., which has HEPA models in the works. "A
 lot of people are giving HEPA a serious look."

 Sally Diffley, a nurse from Yardley, Pa., bought a Miele machine with a
 HEPA filter six months ago. Her daughters' doctor recommended a
 HEPA-equipped vacuum because one is allergic to dust and the other is
 asthmatic. "I think our HEPA vacuum has made a difference," Ms. Diffley
 says. "I know my daughters' attacks have been far less severe since I
 started using the HEPA model."

 Stanley Ellis Cushing, head of conservation at the Boston Athenaeum, a
 private library, says he recently bought a HEPA-equipped vacuum to keep the
 book collection free not just of dust but also of pesticide residue. "Our
 collections are sensitive, so we want to make sure the air is as clean as
 possible," Mr. Cushing says.

 Other users, though, may not need HEPA filters. Lawrence DuBuske, an
 allergy specialist at Harvard Medical School, says he recommends
 less-sophisticated filters that attach to a vacuum's exhaust vent. They
 catch most allergens and cost less, he says.

 Moreover, using a vacuum with a special filter "is one of many small steps"
 in reducing allergens and other tiny particles indoors, Dr. DuBuske says.
 Putting special covers on mattresses, for instance, can be a more effective
 way to control some of the most common irritants, such as dust-mite feces,
 he says.

 Some critics also charge that HEPA filters reduce vacuum-cleaner suction by
 restricting the air flow. And some machines, even equipped with fancy new
 filters, won't actually keep the tiny particles inside. "Less expensive
 vacuums often leak from many places, defeating the purpose of having a good
 filter," says Annette Miller, president of Allergy Control Products Inc., a
 Ridgefield, Conn., company that sells equipment for allergy sufferers.

 "What you have to realize with HEPA is that the standard applies only to
 the filter material, not to the system in which it is installed," adds John
 Jaimbalvo, executive director of the portable appliance division of the
 Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. "A HEPA-equipped vacuum isn't
 necessarily a great product."

 And, of course, there's also another bigger potential problem: Even a
 HEPA-equipped vacuum won't do anyone any good if it isn't being taken out
 and used.

 Copyright ) 1996 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
------------------------------
>The very best vacuum cleaner I have ever had is called the Fantom.  The
filter is great and it works better than any I have ever used.  After the
outgassing is done I have never had any problems.  It also does not require
bags.  I used to have problems with new bags.  They also added pesticides
to some and I was always concerned about shipping together, mix-ups, etc.
This is an upright machine but has a long canister you remove to empty.
The handle pulls out to use for ceilings, corners, etc.  I'll never have
anything else. The company has a video they send if anyone wants to learn
about the machine before purchase 1-800-668-9600 (free video)<
---------------------------
I hope these are helpful to you.

--Bella Stander (a lurker until now)



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