Solid Vacuum
We bought this to replace our Kenmore canister vacuum, which was more replacement parts than original. We bought this because it was well rated on Consumer Reports. We needed something that could handle area rugs and wood floors while not taking up too much space in our small apartment. I agree with other reviews that the cord is very stiff. Does this negatively affect the vacuum? No, but it's worth mentioning. I do wish the cord was either on a swivel or that it retracted into the vacuum, since the cord position does make it awkward to wrap the cord for storage since the cord at the top of the handle will be pulled 180 degrees downwards. It makes me worried about wear and tear as time goes on. The vacuum is very lightweight. I do agree though that due to the bulk of the weight being at the top near the handle, it does put some strain on your hand as you maneuver. It's not world-ending though. People complain about the size of the canister. I don't care that it's "small". I can see how full it is and it's really easy to empty and re-insert. Takes less than a minute, so it doesn't really interrupt my vacuuming. On the old Kenmore, we often didn't realize the bag was full and would keep using it anyways since we'd have to physically open the case to check the bag status. It's nice to easily see how much the Shark has picked up and when it's time to empty. The Shark is very powerful. The first time we used it on the rug, it picked up so much dirt that our Kenmore had been missing, even with adjusting the pile level. I typically chose either the rug or hard floor setting on the vacuum -- the sensor mode does an OK job, but sometimes it will switch floor types which won't always be the best setting to use. I personally don't like the odorizer. I have it on the lowest odor setting possible. Thankfully the smell dissipates quickly. Overall, for $200, this is a good vacuum. If it were to break in 2-3 years, I wouldn't be too upset and would just purchase another. Read more
