Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Has anyone seen the new Ergorapido from Electrolux? It apparently is replacing the cordless Pronto 2 in 1 stick vac.  I was just in Costco today purchasing a Nikon and ran across this new version. Couldn't resist buying one for $89.00.

There are several improvements including a 12 volt battery, an improved brush/roll and advanced filter system. The brush roll has much heavier brushes verse the combo rubber strip and wimpy soft brush of the old Pronto 2 in 1. The brush roll assembly now removes quicker with a snap of a single button. No coin slot to rotate like on the Pronto.

The filter assembly now  has a spring loaded plunger you grasp and pull up to help dislodge debris that gets caught between the nylon mesh and fine filter. I haven't had a chance to fully charge it yet but I can tell you it has substantially more suction and larger fan than the Pronto. Suction is double of the old model.. even without a full charge yet!  

The color is now a gun metal metallic. One nice touch is soft ergo non-slip rubber material on the rear of the handle. The vac still separates from the stick for use like a dust-buster... except the switch has been improved from the old momentary spring loaded type to a constant on switch. Nice touch! The dust bin also removes easily with rubberized grips that depress and unlock for improved removal. Since it now moves substantially more air, additional venting has been added to the rear of the power unit in addition to increasing the front venting as well. 

Almost forgot, it now has two accessory tools, i.e. a separate crevice and dusting brush that each independently snap into the end of the intake opening. The tools store right inside the charging dock. The two speed switch is now a rocker type instead of a slider. You'll also note the fan depth and intake opening are double that of the Pronto for improved suction and air flow.  Very nice unit!

So far I'm very impressed with this new updated model and the color change is refreshing over that nasty burnt orange I never liked.

Bruce

Hello Bruce:

Thanks for the update and review.  Interesting name.  I had seen the Pronto knocked around recently for $75 and less and was wondering if a new one was on the horizon.  Now I know.

I never cared for the Pronto due to the lackluster brush roll considering the price for $99.  Sounds like, from your review, the latest version is a vast improvement.

Carmine D.

I was at LOWE's yesterday and ambled by the vacuums.  Conspicuously absent were the new Electrolux Stick vacuums, the Ergorapido.  Also off the shelves.  I asked and was told they were all recalled by the maker after 34 reports of battery fires.  Oh!  OK.  Might be all that have been sold since November 2007 to today, according my friend at LOWE's.  And should be returned to the retailer for a full refund.

On the ABC evening news last night, the same news was reported.

Carmine D.

Hi Bruce,

The Ergorapido is certainly stylish enough but doesn't warrant the eighty-buck price my local Costco has put on it. Yes, the suction seems a bit better. I did not get a chance to see what the new brushroll looks like as some removed it from the display model I was looking at. The old brushroll design was a steal from the low-profile electric nozzle that was supplied on a couple of Electrolux Oxygen 3 models plus, I believe, a version under the Sanitaire brand.

The issue with the Pronto was that it pushed litter about on bare flooring. If that has been cured then the world is better for it. CR says it has not. The runtime on this thing is 11 minutes though charge time is only 15 per CR. Also, the Ergorapido rates about the same as its predecessor the Pronto. Ergorapido has been assessed as poor on carpet, fair on bare floors and poor at edge cleaning. The nice side is that it's quiet and has excellent emissions. I know, I know -- CR said it. But as this time we're not talking about what's on the far side of one-grand price tag, take on home and prove 'em wrong.

The slightly odd looking rechargeable Black & Decker Pivot got high scores for carpet, bare floors and edge cleaning. Run time is 12 minutes and it takes 21 minutes to charge. It is however viewed as noisy.

Personally, I'd been thinking of having a lightweight on hand to give the stairs and small foyer a quick hit as needed but best choice for me is a corded stick vac. The not necessarily as cute Hoover Flair at $40.00 may be a much better deal.

Venson

Speaking of the Ergorapido -- I have pasted in a link to a news article about a user who received third-degree burns when hers exploded while in use.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/03/26/bc-vacuum-burns-electrolux.html?ref=rss

Electrolux has recalled seer of its rechargeable vacs including the Pronto, the Precision and the Sanitaire.

Venson

Some more information on the recall.  It was voluntary, tho the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was an equal participant with Electrolux in the recall.  Don't expect to see the product again until June 2009, if then.

Carmine D.

I was at the local COSTCO today and noticed the Electrolux Ergorapido back on the shelves for $89.  Appears also to be in a new carton probably to distinguish from the recent product recalls.

BTW, dyson DC17 with all the goodies is $429 and in huge quantities.  This price should come down/get discounted in the months ahead.  HOOVER bagged WT Anniversary model is $189 which is up from the $159 during the 2008 Holiday season.  HOOVER bagless Anniversary WT is $127.  BISSELL Liftoff is $164.  And finally the EUREKA Boss is all sold out and on reorder.  IRobots still selling too.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Carmine,

I'll never understand how they do it. This little vac is probably one the cutest but most useless little developments that I've ever seen but Electrolux AB is still out there pushin' 'em. The Ergorapido is made of plastic so I guess a dead horse like this can't smell.

May we all have that kind of courage -- or nerve -- to forge ahead. I would note that Costco, at least my nearest one, is offering no alternatives. BestBuy where I have not seen the Ergorapido on display has at least two or three brands to look compare.

Best,

Venson

Hello Venson:

The name Electrolux gets the $89 price tag not necessarily the performance.  I like the HOOVER Slider but the drawback is the battery charging.  With time, the overcharging feature diminishes the run time.  After 2 years of use, run time is almost halved.  Still for the price, $25-$40 retail, wonderful for quick pick ups on rugs/floors.  I have a spare I'm gifting today to the Church office, so the ladies don't have to lug out the big vacuums when they have a quick clean up to perform.  If HOOVER adds the Accu-Charge feature to the Slider and keeps the price about the same or slightly higher, and markets aggressively, I'd suspect each home would have at least one.

If I recall correctly, the local COSTCO also has the Shark cordless swivel sweeper for $39/$49 and that appears to be a staple.

Carmine D.

I thought I'd peruse the COSTCO Web Site for curiosity.  I noted that the vacuum "featured" is the EUREKA Boss Smart Vac, for $149 proudly displaying the Number One rating by Consumers' Digest and was sold out at my local COSTCO.

 http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?cat=103&eCat=BC%7C103&whse=BC

Of note too, and this was posted some time ago and still true, the dyson brand is conspicuosly absent from the line up of floor care brands on the COSTCO Web Site.  Tho, my local COSTCO has a ton of the dyson DC17 with all the extras for $429.  This price should come down, if one is so inclined to buy,  for several reasons:  First, the recent launch of the DC27 for $479 at SAM's Club stores.  Two, COSTCO not carrying dysons on the Web Site is probably looking to clear out the product and make shelf room.  Why?  Stock up on the feature vacuum products: Like the EUREKA Boss Smart vac upright, which was sold out.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Did you notice the Hoovers low ratings.

Thia billing is given to the anniversay WT : Top rated upright vacuum in a leading consumer magazine!

The reviews basically call it junk.  Guess that top rated mag didn't use it like home owners.  Not really surprising.

Hello HARDSELL:

Please be more specific on the particular HOOVER model with the low rating?  For example, the HOOVER TEMPO for $75 always rated in the top 10 by Consumer reports usually gets 4-5 stars by comsumers regardless of the retailers.  For COSTCO buyers, the EUREKA Boss Smart Vac upright gets 4 out of 5 stars, not the highest, but still warrants its "featured" classification and a BEST BUY rating from 2 of the major consumer magazines year after year.  Probably, due in part to the cost/value of the 4 Star rating for the price paid of $149.  Perhaps, the same is true for the HOOVER models.  Like the WT.  CR rates it and many other HOOVER-s as a BEST BUY for performance.  Why?  The WT price of $189.  Extremely affordable.  As opposed to spending $500 plus for a vacuum that after 6 plus years of production just eeks out a mediocre to average performance rating and rank.

I have noted too, and take this for what's it worth, that bulk of the lower HOOVER WT Anniversary raitngs come AFTER the March 2009 Consumer Reports ratings.  Why?  I'm not big on conspiracy theories, but surely this gives me pause and I have to at least ask if there is a concerted effort on the part of some manipulative raters to sabotage/impugn the veracity of the CR ratings and the HOOVER ratings.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Rhe Tempo is not on Costco site.  I referred to the WT bagged anniversary edition.  Price was not the reason for poor reviews of the Hoover.

The only conspiracy that I am aware of is yours against Dyson.  You have always been manipulative to lead readers astray in any and all discussion.

Of course Dyson did rub poop in your face so I guess you have reason to try and sabotage them.

HARDSELL wrote:

The HOOVER WT is a signature HOOVER model with a production run that spans over a decade and still.  The HOOVER TEMPO the same and so too with the EUREKA BOSS Smart Vac.  These are brands/models you repeatedly trash here.  Yet, these particular brands/models are always and still the "featured" and "most popular" sellers among retailers.  Always highly rated by vacuum industry experts and by the majority of buyers/users who own them.  These models have consistently passed the test of time in the industry with facts and experience.  Not with contrived/manipulative reviews and disengenuous flashy marketing. 

Carmine D. 

I owned one for about three years before it gave up. Here in the UK we had the original Ergorapido whilst the U.S had the Pronto tag. I've seen the new silver model but I haven't taken to it because of the UK price. Now that it has a proper beater brush roll could improve its performance over the thin brush/squeegee type although to the more experienced repairer, the brushes and squeegee lines were independently slide in slide out, giving the owner the choice to either retain the standard brushes/rubber strips or align each substance to need. I found a better performance with the squeegees attached and the removal of the brushes, but hey that's me.

Despite the lack of suction, I loved the cordless hand held part unit. It was great at keeping insects like spiders and leaving them alive rather than be taken apart by the suction, which rather proves annoyingly the lack of suction the original model had in the first place. I wonder if this improved design has a much better easier to remove bellow at the back? Mine had a cross head screw to detach it from the main floor head/to the cordless hand held unit and a bit of a bind if you lost the cross head screw.

vacmanuk wrote:
Hi,

I thought the design was great and probably would have bought one but the price ($80.00) was just too high for so little output. We have corded stick vacs that serve well enough for far less. Nonetheless, I believe Black & Decker made a rechargeable stick vac that looked like an oversized DustBuster that also had a power nozzle around the end of the 1980s. I had one but gave it away as I planned to move to Europe.

Black & Decker has come up with something not at all similar but it got good mention in our Consumer Reports -- http://blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/Product-Details.aspx?ProductID=19194

Venson

Hi Venson:

Interesting stick vacuum.  Stick version of the B&D pivot vac often posted here for $50.  Perhaps a combo is in the offering too, hand and stick pivot vac.  I like the Energy Star rating.  Warranty of 2 years and price of $99  competes with Dirt Devil Kruz, tho the revolving brush on this B&D gets the nod from me over the Kruz.

Carmine D.

Based on the You Tube video I saw on one of the B&D hand held cyclonic vacs, I think this stick vac may just cut the mustard. I've never understood why the UK are slow to pick up on the idea of stick vacs - we're a smaller nation generally, we use a mix of uprights and cylinders in our homes and yet the country don't have that many stick vacs to buy. Hoover tried recently with their Athyss model but whilst its a good machine, uses a small dust bag and corded, its priced too near the cheaper built cylinder vacs, which kind of answers my question. Im generally impressed and envious of the U.S market; the vacuums you guys get are by far of larger quantity by brand and type.

vacmanuk wrote:
Hi vacumanuk,

I may well be wrong but I think everyday Europeans still display a greater sense of thrift which is probably to their benefit. I can't speak for the entire continent, but in places I've been I do recall people being remarkably mindful of power usage and conservation. I had a good friend in Munich and, first visit, I noticed that in his building's entry and at each stairway landing there was a push-button switch on the wall that turned on the lights just long enough to let you reach the next landing and your apartment door. It is far more common here to have lights for this purpose continuously burning through the night.

Not denying its usefulness, the stick vac in my opinion was part of a wave of inexpensive luxuries that we could easily squeeze into our once "more is better" American world. As well, lots of money is made by making us discontent. Took a bit of time in the developing but after manufacturers and ad people got finished selling us full-sized cleaning wonders to set our homes gleaming they were rignt on us again. "What! Why take that big old heavy machine out of the closet just for a quick pick-up?" There went the broom and the dustpan.

This is the same with most things. The electric kettle to the replace the pot on the stove plus any number of countertop appliances proves the point. Thus, regular size vacuums are supplemented by handhelds and portables as full-size mixers are by hand mixers and regular blenders by electric and/or handheld versions you can take directly to the pot on your kitchen range. So many possibilities -- yet not so much money to cover our ease these days.

Venson

Venson, I was led to believe that the U.S never had electric kettles like we do in the UK, things like electric jugs etc I guess I should say that where Im from in Scotland we had a U.S Naval Base stationed here for many years and a lot of the Americans here had their own household appliances. I marvelled at the Hoover Convertible for example and Windtunnel series in the 80s, exact models that weren't exactly available in the UK. The UK has had some stick vacs, Miele's Alternative (which you'll know as the Miele S120/140/160/180 series) sold here briefly, a few AEG stick vacs (really too heavy to be of any real benefit but long lasting) and then there was Hoover's Junior/Athyss. There have been a few Electrolux models but some have been pitiful like the awful 120 watt Superbroom that never quite made it to be anything other than super rubbish.

vacmanuk wrote:
Hi vacmanuk,

No, they're not the biggest item in regard to household electrics here. Here the electric coffemaker is king. I think the old style electric percolator has been knocked out of the running by electric drip-type coffee makers, most of which require the on going expense of paper filters. I's still sticking to my good old Bodum coffee press though I do have an electric bean grinder.

Can you give us some insight as to the cost of electricity and cooking gas in the UK?

Venson

By the way . . . .

I rolled up to my local Costco today and found the silver version of the Ergorapido for $90.00.

Costco apparently is keepint the faith as they have a good number of the boxed item in stock. Not much elss has chanbed. The same $429.00 Dyson, two Bissells, and two Hoovers also remain on display.

Venson

&amp;lt;BR&amp;gt;&lt;BR&gt;<BR> Venson wrote: &amp;lt;BR&amp;gt;Hey Venson,You'll have to be specific here in what you need to know. We have a few private electrical specialists, even one national gas company can now supply electricity at reduced rate. Im one of very few for example who'se thifty parents bought a gas tumble dryer in the 1980s because back then Gas was cheaper to use than electricity; whatever you use for cooking still comes under general Gas power, so therefore one pipe of gas in a home will do for everything such as the hob, oven (if separate) or cooker, central heating system, hot water tank, radiators etc. Now with the recession it seems that Gas is now more expensive than electricity. As for the electric coffee makers/filter coffee makers, I adore the ones in the U.S that can grind beans and then filter the coffee. Here as a nation that drinks mainly tea, (depsite a Starbucks, Nero and others popping up on the high street not to mention the annoyingly expensive nonsense of Nescafe for people like my mother in capsule form/Nespresso and then Senseo capsules) our filter coffee machines don't use replaceable paper filters. Infact even the cheapest ones have a washable mesh filter bonded to the holder.