Sanitaire SC5713B: HEPA Filtration Upright Vacuum

We have a smaller split-level house with a mix of Berber carpet, cut-pile area rugs, hard wood, and ceramic tile flooring. This is the first vacuum we've ever had that is capable of effectively -- even easily -- cleaning all those types of flooring. What is especially appreciated is the ease and effectiveness of vacuuming the Berber carpets. The roller brushes on our previous vacuums would invariably catch on the loops of the Berber and render the cleaner impossible to use without causing damage to the carpet. With the Sanitaire, we are able to dial in the exact height necessary to effectively clean the carpet without doing any damage. Another plus for this vacuum is the extremely long cord, which allows us to plug in the cleaner to an outlet in the middle of the house and still reach every corner of the house. The suction is especially strong, and it works great at easily sucking up all the dog and cat hair from the carpets and upholstery. Additionally, the HEPA filter seems to do the trick of keeping dust from exiting the vacuum as is evident from no noticeable dust on furniture surfaces after vacuuming (something we always encountered with our previous vacuums). The vacuum was easy to assemble, and it is very easy to use. The build quality is quite good, and it feels like you are working with a true commercial-duty machine.

I'm quite satisfied. The fit of some of the plastic pieces isn't beautiful, which was a bit of a surprise, but I can live with it, since the vacuum works quite well. Reasonably quiet, excellent suction, and little to no dust generation while vacuuming.

I have a lot of buyers remorse with this vaccum. I am young and fit, even for me this vaccum is hard to handle, clunky and heavy. Even small amounts of long hair gets snarled and jams up the head of this vaccum. The way the handle snaps onto the main body of the vaccum is so loose it constantly disconnects when in use or when moving it. The cord is ridicuously long and cumbersome to manage in a moderately sized home. The suction power is great, but all the other problems outweigh that feature.

I used to love the Sanitaire brand as they are known for being heavy duty. I specifically chose this model for that reason. I've had this one for over 3 yrs and am not thrilled. Maybe it's my model I bought 3 yrs ago. After 3 yrs of standard vacuuming.. the handle has become loose and continually separates as you are vacuuming. We have a 900 sq. ft. house with low pile carpet, so we haven't been rough on the machine. The last 6 months is when this started and it's getting worse; it has to be snapped back after every few minutes of use. The machine is big and awkward and doesn't turn easy, I understood some ease of use would be sacrificed for the power and HEPA features. There is no excuse though for the loose handle issue, I think the design should be reviewed for enhancement on how the handle is secured. $300 for only 3 yrs is a bit expensive for me and not the quality I expected. Goodwill will be getting this one as soon as I find a replacement.

Quieter: Much quieter than anything I've owned. I didn't realize how loud my previous vacuums were. I don't mean you'd be happy to run it in the bedroom of your toddler during his naptime, but it is quieter than most vacuums. Cleaner: Because it uses a bag, it doesn't spew dust everywhere. I've used bagless vacuums for years, and I now realize that part of the reason my home was always dusty was because those idiot vacuums spread the dust around. Not this one though. Suction: Outstanding. I can see it lift the carpet up and vibrate it while sucking dirt. Very gratifying. Tools: The tools are sufficient without being ridiculous. You've got a hose, a couple of extension wands, a brush and crevice tool. Anything beyond that is overkill. Oh, and the extra long cord is much appreciated in my big split-level house. Weight: It's lightweight-ish. Not Oreck XL light, but very manageable. Wishes: I wish that there was a way to lock it in the horizontal position for when I'm vacuuming the stairs. I think if it did that, it'd be perfect. (Well, actually, perfection would be if it would vacuum the house all by itself, but that's probably a much MUCH pricier option.)

Have had this vacuum for 4 years and use for my cleaning business. It has been my favorite vacuum that I have purchased out of the 3 we bought at the time. Adjustable head goes low enough and has enough suction to get metal shavings out of industrial carpet. Yes, it is a bit heavy to carry upstairs, which is why I gave low rating for stairs. Liked that you can easily buy parts for it and is easy to maintain. So, I would strongly recommend buying this if you need a vaccum for industrial business cleaning.

I have had this for 1 year now. I don't have a lot of carpet so I use the hose attachment more than anything. I have not had any problems with the belt. I love the long cord. It has great suction. There are 2 things I do not like about it...It is extremely loud (and it is supposed to be the quiet one)(I will not run it without putting ear plugs in or I'll have a headache)(It is even noisier using the crevice tool)...the other thing I don't like is that is doesn't have an attachment for the hose that is at least 5" wide to use on furniture, etc. I don't know if I would buy it again cause of the awful noise, but it does a good job. I even used it on the cement floor in the garage and it did well.