Carpet Pro CPU2

Make: Carpet Pro   Model:CPU2

Upright: x     Cannister:

Weight: 20lbs     Cord Length: 40′

Uses:

Commercial: X     Residential: X     Heavy Duty:

 

Have you ever gone to the vacuum store, looked at a few top quality machines, decided on one, and then  changed your mind when you learned the price? Instead you bought a cheap machine from a giant retail store and have regretted it ever since. If that sounds familiar the Carpet Pro CPU2 just may be the vacuum you’ve been looking for.
At a retail price of about $230 I knew that Carpet Pro had a good reputation for building tough reliable machines, but until I tried one for this review I had never had an opportunity to use one. The result; the CPU2 did not disappoint me. Ten amps of power, metal skid plate, metal roller bar, and an above average filtration system add up to a machine worthy of high praise.
Before writing this review I used the vacuum in ten different homes over four days on numerous different styles of carpet. It worked equally well on all of them, and was perfectly safe on wool.
The machine I used was the very basic model with no on-board tools, or headlight although both are available on other models. The power was great, it was very easy to push, and has a very low noise level. It has a 40’commercial cord so you can clean numerous rooms from one plug which is always handy. The push of a lever allows the handle to go all the way flat in order to get under the furniture. The cleaning head itself is fairly tall so it won’t go under most beds, but tables, chairs, chests and things like that were not a problem. The CPU2 did an acceptable job of getting right up close to the wall from both sides and the front of the machine, but as always, for that final touch though I like to use an edge tool (it’s rough being a perfectionist). The vacuum I used did not have built in attachments, but I keep all the tools I need on my carpet cleaning truck. I hooked up a 12′ hose and an edge attachment and again the CU2 had exceptional suction and did a great job.
In my world having a vacuum that works well on upholstery is also important. Once again I hooked up a 12′ hose, this time with an upholsterty attachment, and used it on three sofas and one recliner. Pet hair, food crumbs, lint, dust and any other debris were no match.
Getting a 12 – 15 foot extension hose is something I always recommend getting when you purchase a new vacuum. It is much easier to set the machine in one place and be able to do all the edges and upholstery without moving it. There was not an extension / attachment kit  available specifically for the Carpet Pro, but any vacuum shop can easily make one up for you.
As much as I liked the way the Carpet Pro performed there is one feature that I wish it had. It does not have a switch to turn off the brush bar and use suction only. This is an important feature when using attachments. You don’t want the bar spinning when the vacuum is sitting in one place because that can damage the carpet. So when using attachments I tipped the machine back against a chair, wall, sofa or whatever far enough to lift the brushed off the carpet. No big deal, but having a shut off switch would be nice. Hardly a reason to knock the machine, but hey, I call em like I see em.
So there you have it. My full stamp of approval  for a basic machine that is well built, works great, and is a huge bargain.

Update: As of a few days after this review the machine I used is now the very one on my carpet cleaning van.

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Riccar SupraLite

Make:	Riccar	Model:	Supralite 1A
Upright:	x	Canister:
Weight:	8 lbs.	Cord length:	30’

Available at:

Danny’s Vacuum Shop

1 Padre Pkwy.

Rohnert Park Ca. 94928

707-584-0225

 Uses:

 Residential: yes   Commercial: yes   Heavy Duty:no

 

 Summary:

Anyone who hates lugging a heavy vacuum cleaner out of the closet and then fighting to push it across the carpet might want to take a good look at the Riccar, SupraLite models. At only eight pounds these machines are very easy to carry and push, but boy do they pack a punch.

When it comes to lightweight vacuum cleaners there are many makes and models to choose from in today’s market. The SupraLite 1A is the most basic model in the series and works great for basic carpet vacuuming. The 5.5 amp motor gives plenty of power to pick up every type of household debris that you may throw in its way.  I’ve used almost every vacuum you can imagine and the amount of air this machine moves and the suction power it has is really impressive. Sand, pet hair, dust, etc. were no problem, and even though it does not have an edge brush I got the dust right up to the wall with no problem. Now that said, if you are vacuuming behind a dresser or bed where the dust is really built up along the wall, you will have to hook up a vacuum with an edge tool.

Being the most basic model the 1A does not have all the fancy features of the more expensive models, but I found nothing that took away the machines performance. The rubber handle grip was comfortable and easy to hold and the 30’ cord allowed me a pretty good cleaning radius. It laid all the way down flat so going under furniture was easy, and the bag is one of the biggest vacuum bags on the market. I found the big bag to be important because with the power of this cleaner a normal size bag would be constantly filling up. There is no HEPA or other fancy filters on this machine, but if you use the genuine Riccar bags it should give you all the filtration you need. The power switch is on the base so you have to turn it on with your foot rather than flipping a switch on the handle (I didn’t find this at all inconvenient). There is a headlight that worked fine but I didn’t notice it to be anything out of the ordinary.

Like most lightweight vacuums the SupraLite1A does not come with attachments. Riccar does make a small (about the size of a shoe box) machine though, that is the perfect compliment for uses where attachments are needed.

One warning though before you buy this machine. Most of the carpet I used it on it worked just fine. There are some carpet styles though that it was all but impossible to push it over. The suction is so good that the carpet gets sucked up into the brush bar and you can’t push it. So if you have one, bring a piece of your carpet to the store, or make sure they have a return policy.  The only other real drawback of the 1A was that it is pretty loud. You won’t be able to talk over it or hear the telephone or doorbell. Depending how sensitive you are you may even want to consider ear plugs.

All in all I’m a huge fan of this American made machine for all your residential or commercial needs. I actually own one and have cleaned tens of thousands of square feet with it and it has never let me down yet.

 

Golden  Gate Carpet Cleaning

643 Martin Ave.

Rohnert Park Ca. 94928

707-588-8779

 

Vacuum Review: Oreck XL Platinum Pilot

Make:	Oreck	Model:	XL Platinum Pilot
Upright:	x	Canister:
Weight:	10lbs	Cord length:	35’

Available at:

Oreck Stores

Uses

Residential:  x          Commercial:  x          Heavy Duty:

 Summary:

Over the years I have had many chances to use Oreck vacuums and have always been a fan. When there is a job to do and somebody builds a lightweight easy to use machine to do it, I’m all for it. With the XL Platinum Pilot series Oreck has outdone themselves.

As is the tradition of Oreck, the Pilot is a lightweight machine suitable for light residential or daily commercial work. The key to the Pilot is the swivel feature. Any time a vacuums head can pivot, it becomes much easier to maneuver. Going around sofas, table legs, along the edges of the walls, are much easier with a vacuum that turns on a dime. You can also lay the Pilot flat, making cleaning under beds and furniture a breeze.

In the past I have heard people complain that Oreck vacuums tend to clog easily. I use vacuums much more frequently and strenuously than most people and I found nothing in the Pilot that would cause it to clog more than any other Vacuum. The motor is plenty powerful, and the brush bar is more than adequate to tackle all your common dirt, and dust. That combined with the HEPA filtering bag that keeps pollens and other allergens out of the air, add up to well functioning machine. That said, if you have long haired dogs in your house and only vacuum once every few months this or any other vacuum will clog.

Not only will this machine vacuum your carpet but it will also work on your hard surface floors. It has a two speed switch that allows it to work perfectly on wood, tile, linoleum, etc. when set on low speed.

A few other features that scored high with me were: It did a good job of cleaning right up to the wall, and the headlight was the best I’ve ever seen on a vacuum cleaner. The bag is very easy to change, and for a lightweight vacuum it was not as noisy as I expected (lightweight machines tend to be louder than traditional ones). The vacuum does not come with attachments but most Orecks are available with a small attachment vacuum sold with them.

I would give this machine an enthusiastic four out of five stars.

Vacuum Review: Roomba

 

Make:	iRobot	Model:	Roomba 530
Upright:		Canister:
Weight:	12lbs	Cord length:	none

Available at:

Irobot.com

Or

Department Stores

 

Uses:

 Residential:x      Commercial:      Heavy Duty:

 

 Summary:

Since the first time I saw one of these machines about ten years ago, I’ve thought, what a great idea, the house gets vacuumed and I don’t have to do it; simply brilliant. Now, after all this time, I finally got to try one and I was not disappointed.

For those of you not familiar with the Roomba it is a small round, battery operated, robot vacuum cleaner. You turn it on; it vacuums an entire room, then finds its way back to the charger and parks itself there. It charges overnight and then it’s ready to go again. It doesn’t get much easier. So how good does it work?

As much as I liked the Roomba, it’s not ready to replace my regular upright just yet. What it will do though, is cut down on how often I have to use it. The Roomba does not have the power of my upright, but who cares; it’s a robot and I can turn it on every day. If the soil never gets ground down into the carpet, you don’t need much suction to pick it up. Also if you have hardwood or tile floors, this little machine will do wonders at picking up the dust and pet hair.

The Roomba works just like most vacuums in that it has suction, a counter rotating brush and beater brush, and a debris container. It’s programmed to work its way around the room and it does so very well. I set up a few obstacles and was very surprised when it maneuvered its way around all of them. Its entire circumference is a non marking rubber bumper that compresses when it hits a wall, furniture etc. The machine then turns and keeps on working. There is a spinning brush that sticks out from under and does a good job of getting right up to the wall. My favorite feature though is that the machine is short enough to go under the bed. Yes, it dodges the bed posts and gets up all that dust that you normally leave behind. A few people have also asked me how come it stays in one room and doesn’t fall down the stairs. Magic would be the cool answer; but in reality it comes with two battery operated virtual walls. They put out a beam (kind of like a laser pointer) that the Roomba won’t cross.

Like anything else though, there are upkeep costs and it is up to you to decide whether they are worth it or not. The batteries are NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) and will probably last six months to a year depending on
how often you run the machine. At about $70 to replace; to me it’s worth it. I like the carpets vacuumed and if I don’t have to do it, well, all the better. The brushes (especially the soft one) will also have to be replaced every six months or so in order to keep the machine working its best.

So, all in all I liked the Roomba. On a coolness scale I give it 5 out of 5 stars. On how well it picks the dirt up from the carpet I give it 2 ½ stars. If I can get away with taking out the regular vacuum every three to four weeks instead of every week, then the Roomba is for me!!

Golden Gate Carpet Cleaning

643 Martin Ave. #3 – Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928 – 707-588-8879

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            

 

Vacuum Review: Riccar Radiance

Make:	Riccar	Model:	Radiance
Upright:	X	Canister:
Weight:	23lbs	Cord length:	34’

Available at:

The Sewing &Vacuum Place

1250 Mendocino Ave

Santa Rosa,CA95401

707-575-5259

 Uses:

Residential: x     Commercial:x     Heavy Duty:x    

 Summary:

Riccar’s top of the line machine has everything you could want in a vacuum; from its looks, suction power, filtration, and durability it is top notch. I used it on every type of carpet available soiled with pet hair and outdoor debris, and there’s no doubt that this machine does a better job of removing soil from carpet than any other machine I’ve used in my 25 years of cleaning. It has a two motor system that drives the machine allowing for the superior performance.

The HEPA filtration will remove 99.97% of dust particles down to .3 microns in size, so allergy sufferers have a real friend here. There is a whole list of other noteworthy features that I won’t bore you with (they can be found on Riccar’s website) but there are a couple I’d like to mention. Radiance has a ribbed belt that will last many years and it uses a lot of metal parts instead of plastic which again lead to long lasting durability. Breaking a cheap plastic part while changing the belt will not be an issue here.

When not vacuuming carpet the power switch allows the user to turn the beater bar off and use suction only on hard surface floors. Another feature I really liked occurs when the handle is in the upright position and the beater bar automatically shuts off. I found this useful when I would stop to move a piece of furniture and consequently did not have to worry about the brush running in one place (could cause the carpet to fuzz up). On board tools and a telescoping wand make it handy for vacuuming corners and upholstery but as always I still recommend getting a 10’ – 12’ hose made up for attachment use.

All the quality and durability does come at a price though. This is a heavy machine and comes with a retail price of about $900. I read other reviews where people raved about how easy the machine was to push, but I must say that I really disagree. It’s a fairly heavy machine and I found it a bit cumbersome to push and maneuver, not to mention the chore of carrying it up and down stairs.

If you are fairly strong, don’t mind the extra effort to push it around, and want the best vacuum cleaning power out there, then this American made beauty is for you.

 

Golden Gate Carpet Cleaning

 643 Martin Ave. #3 – Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928 – 707-588-8879

Vacuum Review: Simplicity Symmetry Classic

 

 

 

VACUUM REVIEW

Make:	Simplicity	Model:	Symmetry Classic
Upright:	x	Canister:
Weight:	16 lbs.	Cord length:	24′

Available At:

Danny’s Vacuum Shop

1 Padre Pkwy # C
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
(707) 584-0225

Uses:

Residential: yes       Commercial yes        Heavy Duty no

Summary: 

Before I used this vacuum I was not sure that I was going to like it, but wow, was I pleasantly surprised. This is a very basic machine (I used the one with no tools), but with its quiet motor, ergonomic handle, and ease of use, I give it high marks. From pet hair to sand and everything in between this machine performed far better than many more expensive ones (even an occasional paper clip doesn’t slow it down). The front of the machine gets about as close to the wall as possible and the right side has an edge brush that also performed very well. It will lay flat to go under most furniture, but like most uprights the head is fairly tall so it probably won’t go under your bed.

The brush bar /beater bar is driven by a non ribbed rubber belt which means it has to be changed every few months. At about $1.50, and no tools required this is a small price to pay for a quality machine. It only has a foam filter filtration system so I recommend using genuine Simplicity HiFlow Hepa vacuum bags. They will give you all the filtration you need in most cases. The 24’ cord is also pretty short, but that can easily be replaced with a longer one.

The Symmetry Classic is primarily designed with residential vaccuming in mind. After using this vacuum though, I was so impressed that I bought one and put it in my carpet cleaning van. As a professional who’s always concerned with image I really like the looks of the machine. I use it multiple times every day and it always works perfectly. I keep waiting for it to break, but it’s just not happening. I did put a longer commercial cord on it, and I go through bands every few weeks, but without a doubt, this has been one of my favorite vacuums ever. I use a damp towel on it at the end of the day and it always looks great.

As with all vacuums, I use a 10’-12’ hose for the attachment tools (bought separately) because I find on-board tools with those 2’-3’ attached hoses to be useless. With the long hose you can leave the vacuum in the middle of the room, and out of the way when using the upholstery or edge tools.

With a price tag of about $300 this is not only a good machine but also a very good value. Five out of five stars here!!!

 

  

 

 

Golden Gate Carpet Cleaning

 643 Martin Ave. #3 – Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928 – 707-588-8879