Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

FYI: this review is for the VonHaus 600W CORDED vac. No clue why it's being shown under the cordless version. I really, really hate to vacuum. Like I'd rather go to the dentist and get 6 shots of novocain and have my gums scraped than vacuum. My Oreck is large and clunky, and I hate pulling it out and dragging it along behind me. I avoid vacuuming with such fervor that sometimes I forget where my Oreck even IS. I'm not making this up. I now have a long-haired dog that sheds, however, and even I couldn't pretend not to see the clumps of dog hair gathering in the corners and along the baseboards. I hate to vacuum so much that I actually cursed myself for not having had the foresight to pick a dog from the shelter that had a hair color that matched my floors better. But since I didn't, and since I'm not taking the dog back (because he's AWESOME), and since even my low standards for floor cleanliness were offended, I decided it was time to look for an alternate vacuum. I wanted something light and versatile that I would actually use, so I was originally in the market for a cordless stick vac. I had nearly talked myself into spending several hundred dollars on one. Then I read a hot tip from another reviewer, who suggested always reading through the negative comments. When there is a pattern to what people are saying, there's a problem with the product. So, I balked for the following reasons: a) They all ran out of juice after 10 - 15ish minutes of vacuuming before the battery needed recharging. Most reviewers didn't mind this, as they "did a little each day". However, I knew I would get annoyed if it died with the job half done. If I've worked up the motivation to vacuum, I want to get it over with, not come back to it in several hours or tomorrow. b) Many of the less expensive cordless vacs out there didn't have the suction power I was looking for. Again - if I was going to work up the motivation to vacuum, I wanted something that actually picked up grit/dust/dirt or whatever else is on my floor as well as the dog hair. Otherwise what's the point?? I'd be better off lugging out the Oreck. c) Many of the vacs seemed to encounter the same issue after about a year of ownership/right after the warranty ran out. From teeny plastic parts that broke and rendered the whole vac inoperable to plastic telescoping handles breaking off to batteries just wearing out, most of the vacs had some kind of consistent issue after about a year of use. Call me cheap if you want, but if I'm dropping $300 - $400 on a cordless vac, that thing better be immortal. d) I have ZERO patience for customer apathy, which is what I secretly call customer "service" departments that don't even pretend to care. If I'm going to spend $300 - $400 bucks on a vacuum and something goes wrong, you better be able to wave a magic wand and make it better, pronto. My most expensive top candidate had some real horror stories attached. SO - I changed my mind and decided a cord was acceptable after all, since being able to vac for as long as I wanted and suction power were important to me. This vacuum is a great little product. I've only owned it for almost two weeks, and I think I've used it more than I have used my Oreck in the past 6 months. Seriously. My floors look so clean that when my mother dropped by she didn't even criticize. I felt like something was missing because we didn't have an argument about unsolicited feedback. It arrived on time and undamaged. It took me maybe 60 seconds to put together - super easy and intuitive to set up, although directions are included. It does mention a floor brush in the literature, and mine did not come with one (I didn't expect it to, so I was surprised to see it mentioned). The floor attachment is clearly for hardwood/tile. I'll admit to having a Tim Allen primal-grunting-like-an-ape moment when I turned it on. Even though I'd been expecting it from the reviews, I still didn't think such a small, light vac would be so powerful. It's like a jet engine on a stick. OK, I'm exaggerating, but just a little bit. I thought of a jet engine because of the sound; as other reviewers have pointed out, this vac is loud. Actually, I honestly don't think it's any louder than a regular vac, it's just higher-pitched (like a jet engine!). I wouldn't use it in the same room while someone is watching TV, for example, but another room would be fine. Not quite loud enough to upset the dog or coax teenaged daughters out of bed at 12:30 in the afternoon, but you likely won't hear the phone ring. Random FYI's: This vac is LIGHT. I have some major lower-back issues, and this is no problem at all for me to handle. It stands on its own, so you can park it without fear it will tip over. There is a place to wind the cord for storage (not retractable, it winds externally). The telescoping handle is easy to extend with one hand (thumb). The telescoping handle also detaches completely if you press a button on the side. Dust cup is easy to empty without making a mess and has a decent-sized capacity. The first time I used it I emptied it 3 - 4 times (I did the whole house, and there was a LOT of dog hair); now I can do pretty much the whole house and only empty once. As another reviewer noted, it does clean up to the baseboards very well; however, if you're going after grit vs. hair you will want to attack it head on vs.parallel to the baseboards. This vac is for hardwood floors/tile. My entire house is hardwood floors with a couple-three area rugs and entrance mats/bathroom mats. It works well enough on the carpets that I can easily justify leaving my Oreck wherever the heck I've currently hidden it for now, but eventually I'll break down and pull it out to genuinely clean them with the beater brushes. Maybe. I keep forgetting this isn't a full sized vacuum. This picks up cereal, dried leaves, etc., but I may need to step on them first to crunch them up small enough so that the intake doesn't get clogged. My daughter used this in her room (first time her room has seen a vac in years, I might add) and clogged up the floor attachment tube with popped popcorn. When I next used it, I was wondering if the jet power was in my imagination until I discovered the problem and unclogged the floor attachment and intake on the main unit, which I'm mentioning because it was an easy task. I'm kind of "meh" about the attachments. I haven't really found a use for the hose, and I've kept the floor attachment on when I do the stairs. There is a brush on the crevice tool that extends at an angle which makes it convenient to use only when you hold the vac by the built-in handle. It doesn't lock into place, so it keeps collapsing, which is annoying. It's also pretty small, so I don't use it much. I will say that it is the perfect size to vacuum blinds, however, and if you don't try to go back-and-forth it doesn't collapse. My other annoyance is that I keep stepping on the cord; I wish there was a little "c" shaped clamp (like on the plug) that would secure it to the handle to keep the cord out of the way. I haven't used the furniture brush attachment just yet (c'mon, I just started to vacuum the floors regularly. If I did the furniture too my husband might start thinking I'm June Cleaver, which would piss me off). All in all I'm delighted with this vacuum. It does exactly what I wanted and the price is right. That said, I've only owned it for a few weeks - if my opinion changes I'll definitely update. But for now it's changed my life, because I'd given up on clean floors, and just because I hate to vacuum doesn't mean I like dirty floors. I really love the feeling of thinking, "ugh, the stairs need to be vacuumed again"... and then thinking, "oh well OK then I'll do it now" instead of, "I wonder if the dentist can fit me in?". Woo hoo! Hi folks, just an update nearly 2 years later: I still love this vac, and it still works as well as the day I bought it. I have a much better relationship with my Oreck as well, since now I only need to pull it out for "heavy-duty" and carpet cleaning. It happens... occasionally. I'm going to buy another for my husband, who keeps swiping mine to take to his office to vac his very low-nap carpet (the kind that's almost like cement on the floor. This doesn't work so well on other carpets). I'm buying it mainly to spare him my raised-eyebrow-you-know-this-also-works-at-home-honey-you-should-try-it look from me. Merry Christmas, my love.