To all those who've rated my reviews, left comments and messages in my Guestbook... Thank you! I'm ...
To all those who've rated my reviews, left comments and messages in my Guestbook... Thank you! I'm sorry I haven't replied, please don't take offence, I just don't get a great deal of time online these days.
Member since:20.12.2002
Reviews:9
Members who trust:63
I own a "Henry" vacuum cleaner which I wouldn't swop for the world. Due to lack of space in my flat though, he is stored in my shed at present and only comes out once a week to give the place a good going-over. The rest of the week I use my old Ewbank carpet sweeper. It's at least 20 years old though (it was my nans) and seems to spread the dust across the carpet instead of picking it up.
I thought it time for a replacement. Now, anyone who knows me will tell you what a "Bargain Hunter" I am, if there's a bargain to be had, I have to have it!
I was thumbing through the new Argos catalogue, searching for a suitable replacement and that is when I came across the "LG bagged upright cleaner" retailing for £39.50. I thought there must of been a printing error in the catalogue, surely £39.50 can't be right, a decent carpet sweeper cost £30.
I phoned the Argos "ring and reserve service", entered the details for the LG upright and to my astonishment, it really was just £39.50! I was not going to let an offer like this pass me by, I reserved the vacuum and shot of up to Argos to collect it.
The "LG
bagged uprightcleaner" comes in a grey and white box about 4ft in length and weighing 11kg. Now, for a strapping young guy like me this is not a problem, some might find it a little heavy to carry from the store though as there are no handles on the box.
As soon as I got home I tore the box open in excitement, still amazed at the bargain I'd brought, and what a bargain it is too.
Features:
7 stage HEPA filtration (great for Asthma sufferers) 9m cord 5 litre dust bag Self adjusting floor head 1400 watt motor 12" cleaning width with edge cleaning Detachable tool holster Built in tools Weight - 6.8kg
The vacuum comes in two halves and is very easy to assemble. There is the main body of the cleaner which is a delicious "cranberry red" in colour and there is the handle which is "slate grey". The handle slots in to the main body of the machine and is held in place with one screw. Due to the design, it is very sturdy and is not liable to snap.
Then there's the "Detachable tool holster". What a brilliant idea this is. It attaches with a simple clip to the back of the vacuum. This is where the tools are stored for above floor cleaning. There is also a little compartment for storing a spare belt (which is supplied, as well as 3 extra bags!). Being detachable, this means that if the tools are not likely to be used, the holster can be taken off. This lightens the weight of the vacuum cleaner.
I wasn't expecting many tools to be included with this vacuum considering the price. I was to be amazed again though. The vacuum comes supplied with:
A telescopic extension tube - you twist one end of the tube to unlock, pull out to the required length then twist again to lock. Full extended this tube is a 1m long.
A long crevice tool - this is a long thin tool which is great for corners and skirting boards.
An upholstery tool - the upholstery tool has a soft brush attachment which can be taken off and stored in the compartment on the "tool holster". With the brush attached, I have found this tool useful for dusting.
There is a flexible pipe attached to the back of the vacuum cleaner. One end of this pipe clips into the main floor head, when you wish to use the tools, you simply detach the flexible pipe from the floor head and attach it to your chosen tool or pipe.
The vacuum comes fitted with all the filters and a dust bag. There are 7 filters in total, one of these being "HEPA". This level of filtration is normally only found on vacuums of a considerably higher price. The front panel of the vacuum unclips, behind this panel is where the dust bag and filters are housed. This panel is unhinged which makes it easy to remove and attach.
There is no visible "dust bag change" indicator on this vacuum. However, at the top of the front panel, just inside the handle, there is a little valve. This valve rises as the dust bag fills. When the valve has fully risen, it indicates the bag needs replacing. The vacuum is switched on by a rocker-switch which is at the top of the main body. The height of the vacuum is excellent, I am 6'2 and I do not need to stoop any when using. The floor head is slim line at the front too which enables you to vacuum under low furniture.
I was surprised at how light this machine is, it is lighter than my Henry. Upright cleaners are usually quite noisy in use, this one however is fairly quiet, certainly quieter than a Dyson and with a lot gentler sound. It actually sounds more like a cylinder cleaner in use. Maneuverability is excellent. Due to it's light weight, it glides across the carpet. The "self adjusting floor head" really does work too. I vacuumed my bedroom carpet first which is of quite a deep pile, next onto the hall carpet which has quite a short pile. The vacuum changed between the two piles with no problems, even leaving that lovely "brushed" affect.
The suction power whilst using the tools is very good. Whilst not as powerful as the suction power of my Henry (despite having 300 more motor watts!), it is certainly more than adequate. The flexible hose stretches roughly 2 meters max I found that trying to stretch it further than this caused the vacuum to be drawn towards you. This might not be of the "stair cleaning abilities" that some uprights offer, the vacuum is so light though that you could carry it and hold it on the stairs whilst vacuuming. When using the "crevice nozzle", I did find the suction a little too strong and the flexible pipe seemed to have some pull on it.
One thing this vacuum doesn't have is a "beater bar stop switch". Without this feature, I would be careful when using this vacuum on laminate and other types of hard floor. You can of course use the tools for this job, to vacuum a large space like this though would be tiring.
The instructions supplied with this machine are well written with easy to follow diagrams. If for any reason the belt should need replacing or the beater bar need clearing of threads, you simply remove 2 screws and slide back a little switch. You don't have to dismantle the complete floor head like you have to on a Dyson! Bags are £5.99 for 5 and are available from Argos, I'm pretty sure they are available from other outlets too though. Whilst it does not state that the filters are washable, the instruction manual does state that they can be cleaned with cool water.
For £39.50 I don't think you can ask for more from a vacuum cleaner. The LG offers many more features than some higher priced cleaners and the performance is brilliant. If you are after a new vacuum cleaner and are on a tight budget, I would highly recommend this one. You'd better be quick though as for this price, I don't think Argos will have many in stock for long! lol
Thanks for reading and "Ciao for now" - J.
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Aug 25th, 2003
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