Eureka AirSpeed Gold Bagless Upright, AS1001A

Fine Machine
Eureka AirSpeed Gold Bagless Upright with AirSpeed Technology

This vacuum assembles easily without tools. Don't be concerned when Step 1 states that the main handle snaps into place when pushed down and it doesn't. The main handle actually becomes locked only when the "carry" handle is attached in a subsequent step.

I already own a Dyson and this vacuum compares favorably. Both have powerful suction. I actually prefer the Eureka's utility tool hose operation to that of the Dyson. The stair/upholstery hose attachment works especially well.

The Eureka is bagless, but it does have two filters which require periodic replacement. The DCF 21 canister filter is $15.18 each on Amazon. The EF6 exhaust filter is $8.37 each. In total, filter replacements will probably amount to $50 plus per year based on Eureka's 3 to 6 month replacement instructions, although one can extend the...

It's going back to the store
Out of the box, I loved this vacuum. It has powerful suction and I can't believe how much dust and dirt it picked up - it really does a great job at cleaning!

Now to the bad part. I have never owned a vacuum that required this much maintenance and cleaning. According to the product maintenance tab on this page, after each use you are supposed to empty the canister and then clean the filters. doing this, took us 15 minutes and made a dusty mess of the air and our hands. Who wants to play in the grime that you just vacuumed up and get the dust all over the place?
On top of that, you are supposed to replace several of the filters every 3 months. This is where they get you. It's almost $40 to do this.

I am taking it back to the store. This vacuum may be inexpensive to buy, but it's not worth the cost and hassle to maintain.

I am surprised that there aren't more reviewers that are mentioning this. While browsing thru the reviews the only thing I can...

Great bagless vacuum isn't perfect, deserves 4.5 stars.
After years of using an inexpensive (cheap) Hoover vacuum, I discovered the beauty of a really good vacuum. Don't get me wrong, my old Hoover met my basic requirements when I bought it - it was within my budget, worked decently. It was a good vacuum, just not a REALLY good vacuum.

By the time I bought my Dyson Animal, I had acquired five house-bound cats, making the need for a really great vacuum something more urgent. That Hoover just couldn't handle the job as well and required way too much upkeep in terms of belt changing, bag changing, etc. The worst was that a belt always seemed to break when you were up late cleaning house just before some event and it wasn't easy to run to the store to get a replacement. The Dyson freed me from the drudgery and expense of bags and belts while doing an outstanding job of vacuuming my carpets and upholstery. Without going into detail, the Dyson Animal set the bar pretty high for me in the vacuum department.

Cut to this year...

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