Skull Dfx

I went for the Maxima primarily because I am cheap. After months of watching my nearly four year old Dirt Devil miss fuzz or string or many tiny particles, we decided a new vacuum was in order.

I had a few priorities. Cheapness I already mentioned. Our house is small and we have mostly hardwoods which means that I do not want to buy a Dyson for a handful of area rugs. With the hardwoods in mind, I also wanted something that could do a basic sweep on hard floors as well.

Finally, I had been fed up by the constantly troublesome adventure of looking for vacuum bags with the Dirt Devil. This also was a major sticking point for me. I can’t remember now which size mine was (B, Y, U?). I do know that it was apparently the size which is never available in my local grocery stores or in my local Target, Walmart, Kmart.

So my needs drew me to the Eureka Maxima 4700A. This was a vacuum seemingly made for me. 12 amps-about as powerful as I have seen. Bagless, Micro-filtration with a very easily emptied dust cup. A couple of tools, like the wand I occasionally use on the floor moulding or on the grill of the bathroom fan. 25 foot cord. This baby looked like it had it all.

I found mixed reviews for it on Amazon.com, but decided that the majority of the negative reviews sounded either like inappropriate condemnations (something like, “I gave this product 1 star because it arrived late”) or the customer had received a lemon (“mine blew up the first time I used it”). In either case, buying locally with the option of returning it would solve most of those potential problems.

Hence, I am now the proud owner of a Maxima and I am loving it. It really picks up everything on the rug (something I began to doubt was possible for a vacuum when I was making excuses for the Dirt Devil-and yes I replaced the belt). It is a little more iffy on the bare floors. You are still going to have to Swiffer, but I wasn’t ever really expecting much. The Maxima was not intended to be a mop. So I am still simply pleased that it picks up large items.

The dust canister is really very simple to clean out, but every once in a while you will have to wash off the filter. It does cake up after a while and require a run under the hose or faucet. Also, be sure that you let the filter dry completely before putting it back into the dust canister.

My biggest disappointment was that I paid 69.99 for it at Sears. We were on a tight schedule and I had not seen it offered at Lowes for 60.82. With gas prices I was not going to be saving a nickel after a return trip to Sears and then one to Lowes. This would be especially true if I caught a lemon at Lowes after knowing that I did not already have one from Sears.

The Eureka Maxima 4700A has served us admirably for upwards of three months, and I couldn’t be happier.

I came across a Sweepeze a few years ago when I was looking for an automatic vacuum cleaner. I wanted a whole-house vacuum system, but realized it would be difficult with my old house and its plaster walls. I had seen some heaters and small AC-type units that were self contained and fit below the floor, so that it looked like a vent. I wondered if there was a vacuum that functioned like this. Instead, I found a separate, self-contained unit that was part vacuum and part dustpan. Here are my thoughts on the unique gadget known as the Sweepeze.

The Sweepeze is a small box with a hole near the bottom and a knob on the side. It look deceptively simple. The unit actually contains an electric eye system. If dust or crumbs break the beam of light between the eyes, it turns the powerful vacuum on for a few seconds. The knob on the side also allows you to set it to go off occasionally on its own. I personally do not care for this setting, because I’d rather have the dirt gone immediately and my cats were very frightened when the Sweepeze went off.

The best way I’ve found to use the Sweepeze is to leave it in one place and sweep around it. When the entire kitchen is swept, I sweep the dirt into the machine, and it vacuums it all up. Then I turn the knob to turn it off. It would sound to someone who hasn’t used the machine that this is a silly way to spend about $50, if all it does it replace a dustpan. But to me, the cost is worth it. I am able to do more housework, because I do not have to find the dustpan, which is invariably not with the broom. Also, for those with a Swiffer, it’s especially useful. Swiffers are great for picking up dust, but don’t do as well when kids have dropped actual pieces of food. With the Sweepeze, I can simply run through the kitchen with a Swiffer after each meal, sweep it into the Sweepeze, and empty it once a day. Also, for those with back or joint problems, it is extremely helpful. Instead of bending and holding a dustpan, they can sweep the crumbs into the Sweepeze and empty it even less often. Several of my older relatives think it’s a great gadget to help them keep up with their housekeeping, without causing them pain or wearing them out. Also, it uses a HEPA filter, so when the dust goes in, you can be confident that it’s actually in. Finally, who hasn’t struggled with being the only person in the house and needing to sweep something into a dustpan? It’s very difficult for one person to maneuver, and you end up needing a third tool, a small hand broom, to sweep things into the dustpan, which you then carry to the trash. The Sweepeze canister holds a lot, and you can go quite long without emptying it. It’s great for automating your cleaning routing.

One downside is the fact that it only works on hard floors, so it is not the whole-house vacuum I was hoping to find. It is a good alternative though. And as I mentioned, pets are very frightened of it, especially when it comes on without warning. Also it is necessary to have a place flat enough to have the entire base flat against the tile. The reason for this is simple. If the dust goes under the electric eye, it will not turn the machine on, and it is also much more likely to get trapped under the machine and not sucked up. This is fine for hardwood floors and floors with large tiles, but those with small tiles would have problems.

Despite the drawbacks, it’s a great gadget. It lets my kids sweep, without having to master how to hold a dustpan. And unlike dustpans, which leave behind a little line of dust that is always impossible to sweep up, the Sweepeze always gets every crumb and speck of dust. I love this, and I don’t know how I swept my floors without it.