Venson, That actually is not the newest. If you search Google... look for the Big Power BP09 or it might be the BP UV Delux in the European market. The newest one drops the filters and eschews them for the separator and the electrostatic generator on the inside. The baffles are minimized and the machine is very small, akin to a little larger Filter Queen maybe... The power nozzle is the same but in chrome and the attachments are a rubberized vinyl material. It is quite the machine. The primary reason I returned mine was there was a recall on the BP09 after is was first imported because they were prone to electrical failure very early on. The Big Power rep I spoke to said some machines lasted days, some months but at some point, the electronics were highly prone to failure because Big Power failed to take into account the highly irregular AC current here. The electronics were built to withstand a perfect 125 volts, but US standards allow for a big fluctuation. They offered to swap the board out but said they couldn't guarantee anything as the importation of the BP09 had stopped and the BP08 was now again the US machine being distributed until a more permanent fix could be found. Very interesting stuff if you ask me.
Hi Lazaruspup,
I don't even know how companies like Big Power are managing to survive in this current economy state side. I have yet to meet anyone locally who's ever bought one. If you see or hear of even Rainbow around here, it's only once every three or four blue moons. In any event . .
Sorry, but were I to go back to water-type vacuums again, I'd probably look at Rainbow, Delphin or Roboclean, maybe even Hyla. Some have after-filters now. Clean up is a little simpler too. As well, where my bagged vacuum might allow me use it and pop it back in the closet without a moment's thought, I'd really feel like a bad Boy Scout if I didn't thoroughly wash a water-type vac before putting it away. By the way, I was more or less the same when it came to bagless vacs. I like the straight from the store look and found the only way to maintain it was to roll up my sleeves and wash out the dust collection bin, etc.
The baffle system is just not attractive to me. Too much potential for gathering clinging, wet stuff like pet fur. Separators fling off the larger part of what hits them leaving it in the water pan to dumped and flushed away. However, cleaning a separator and water basin after each use came to be ritual enough for me and soon led to my last Rainbow's retirement along with the two Rexair Bs I plan to make into table lamps.
I'm learning to "simplify" and I am happy that I've found a good vac that let's me do good work with little fuss. I've really lightened up.
Venson
