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Air-way
Centurian Signature Series
Air-Way
Avg. Price: $628
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Durability Lives On
by Mike_W. (Mike3977@yahoo.com)
Posted on 6/22/2003 |
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Here is one of very few vacuum cleaners that still use durable metal. This tank cleaner is reminiscent of days gone by, when many vacuum cleaners were not canisters, but tanks like Electrolux, GE, Premier, etc.
The Air-Way Centurion does a very good job of cleaning the carpeting and above the floor also. It uses a very good power nozzle that is not new to the industry. The agitator, on this power nozzle uses 2 rows of replaceable brushstrips and a beater bar. That is what gives it such great ability to dislodge heavier debris like sand and lift it to the surface. The replaceable brush strips are always a plus if the owner is going to keep the vacuum for many years. The Air-Way will last that long. The nozzle uses a cogged or geared belt, so the belt will last for many years without having to be replaced. Another nice feature is the overload protection feature of the nozzle. If anything gets caught in the agitator, the brushroll and motor shut off. How many times have you eaten the bottom of a curtain and the brush was still turning. As it was turning, the belt was burning. There is no problem with this nozzle. What about the edge of that oriental rug?
Attached to the power nozzle is a ìquick releasingî wand system. This comes in handy when there is some stray dirt that the nozzle cannot reach. Just step on the little pedal and the wand is released. When you are finished, just return it to the power nozzle. SNAP! Now the vacuum is ready to resume cleaning the carpeting.
Both the machine end and the wand end swivel to give the user more freedom to move around without putting kinks in the hose. Friction fit attachment fit onto the Air-Way. I do not care for the generic attachment, because they do not work as well as some others that I have used. I also think that if I am paying $600+ for a vacuum cleaner, I should get better quality. I found the attachments on the $350+ Sears Kenmore canister to be better quality and better performing. The rug/floor attachment is a European designed attachment. I did not find that it worked well on walls. You will want something that is soft that will also be able to maneuver around doorframes and baseboards. I bought a generic wall/floor brush that works great. I even use it on my floors. It is not as heavy as the attachment that came with the vacuum cleaner. I went ahead and purchased a better quality upholstery tool and dusting brush. The natural hair dusting brush did not have a lot of bristles and the tool continued to pop off the wand when cleaning. The upholstery tool did not glide over the furniture like the tool I bought later. When I first replaced these attachments, I thought they were the worst. Now, I have changed my mind, because of the new brands and models of vacuums coming out with very cheap and almost useless tools. The Air-Way tools can be bumped up to average.
The Centurion comes with a long, black cord that is really great. It is common for canisters/tank vacuums to come with a somewhat short power cord. Now, more vacuuming can be done before moving the plug.
Filtration was not a problem for this vacuum. It uses a very good 28 layer bag plus a HEPA TYPE premotor filter. With many vacuum cleaners, after the bag is changed, dust can be found in the bag compartment. I checked the Centurion 2000 out after the first bag change for myself. I gave it the ìblack jeans testî. I wiped the inside bag compartment with my fingers and then wiped my hand on my black jeans. I found nothing on my pants. I thought that was pretty good. The premotor filter was also spotless.
I thought the vacuum cleaner was easy to move around with its very good wheels. The vacuum was easy to pull across the rug. The vacuum can be rolled around on all four wheels or it can be stood upright. Most tank cleaners can only be stood up for storage, but the Air-Way Centurion 2000/Signature Series can be stood up and used without fear of falling over easily. It works well when vacuuming walls and curtains for example. Being stood upright give the user more room to move the wand and hose around. It works well for those higher ceilings also. It works well when you have a small bedroom with little room to vacuum. Stand it up and go around the room. The vacuum can stand in the middle as you move around, because the dome also swivels partially. Moving the vacuum, in the upright position is easy, because you do not have to lift it. Grab the hose near the machine and handle, then tilt it on its large back wheels and roll it to the new position and resume cleaning. It is that easy.
If you are looking for a good quality tank cleaner with a power nozzle, this is the vacuum for you. It will perform for many years when maintained.
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Very good at carpet cleaning
Very good filtration
Easy to maneuver & roll around
Can be used in upright position or rolled about on for wheels
Very durable construction
Cogged/geared belt-less belt changing
Long cord
Quick Release wand
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On the heavier side
Lower quality attachments
Attachments stored on wand and not on/in tank
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Date Purchased:
2000
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Price Paid:
$0
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Recommended:
Yes
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