Vacuum Cleaners > Barrel Vacuum Cleaners > less than 1000 Watts > Mains

Advantages: cleans everything extremely well
Disadvantages: you get to see how dirty everything is!

This is powerful cleaner for deep and thorough washing and drying of carpets, tiles, upholstery and vinyl floors. It has 5 rotating brushes which clean and wash and a 2.5 litre tank capacity. It says that is cleans tile and vinyl floors to a perfect finish but I used it on my kitchen floor and it removed the sealent from in-between the tiles. Now the manufactors handbook says that it has an easy empty tank, but it's so fiddley. You have to lay the ...
...out and if there is any fluid anywhere other than that tank it leaks a little bit, so your best bet is to empty it outside. But it is easy to use, unless you are me and have trouble pushing the bulky machine around. The buttons to get started and stopped are easy to use and nearly all on the handle. I have used mine to clean carpets, stairs (the hose is very flexible but the whole machine is heavy to lift up and down the stairs when full) and my ... Read review

Advantages: Price
Disadvantages: Failed after 3 Months. Potentially Dangerous.

...insulation on the mains cable started to crumble and come away. As it was a safetly hazard the machine went back to Argos for a refund. I would hope that Morphy Richards look into the quality of the mains lead and fit future machines with something of better quality. ... Read review

Advantages: Cost, Build Quality
Disadvantages: Basic Features

Bought this from Argos to replace a rather rubbish Morphy Richards that we had to take back when the flex crumbled and fell apart. Seems well made for the price and has a number of clever features. For example the waste container can be removed with a single lever. The brush attachment is a rather clever double headed affair, you twist the head to select the surface type you are cleaning. It's bagless and the filters are washable too - no expensive ...
...some minor assembly needed - you need to attach the handle with two screws, but as this keeps the box size down, lowers the transport costs and thus the price it's not a huge problem to me! Our previous Morphy Richards was made of a fragile feeling plastic - this machine feels far more robust and should stand up to knocks well. Mains lead length is more than adequate! The machine cleans very well. The adterts used to say: "Nothing sucks like an ... Read review

Advantages: Small portable vacuum ideal for samll spaces and tight stowage
Disadvantages: Fiddle to fit flexible long reach hose

Advantages: Compact, powerful and effective Simple to use and easy to stow, we keep one of these handy little gadgets on the boat. Where electric power is available its so much easier than the traditional dustpan and brush. The brush head rotates as it sucks, driven by a rubber band. It seems primitive but is very effective, even able to draw dust from fairly deep pile carpet and soft furnishings. The black cover on the front is removable to access ...
...fit a flexible suction hose for long reach and crevices etc. We never bother with this, its simply not worth the palaver! The dust trap bag fits simply onto the back of the motor with a rubber collar and is very easy to fit and remove. It also has the advantage of collapsing down to filled capacity which is very useful for stowing in tight or awkward places. Emptying is simplicity itself. You merely remove the dustbag, turn it inside out and shake. ... Read review

Advantages: Reasonably priced.
Disadvantages: Heavy and cumbersome, pick up not wonderful.

We have two cats, the little darlings, and around 12 months ago, when our previous cleaner finally gave up the ghost, this machine with the words 'pet lover' caught my eye in Tesco for £59.99. They had a model on display and it looked aesthetically pleasing in white and blue so I picked up a box. Said box was surprisingly small so I had a suspicion that the vacuum was self assembly. When I got home and unpacked it, my fears were well founded. Neatly ...
...were, 2 long screws and 5 short screws, A base (the piece in contact with the floor), A dust cup with lid and filter, A long handle, A tool caddy, A rear housing, A hose retainer, A bendy hose, A wand (not magic), A crevice tool, A stair brush, A dusting brush. For older members, it is more fun to read the above as if they were passing by on the conveyor belt on The Generation Game. Sorry, I digress. Let me say at this point, if you ... Read review