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RC-1700P
Riccar
Avg. Price: $455
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Riccar RC-1700P
by Robert_Pons (rpons@bellsouth.net) of Slidell, LA
Posted on 1/23/2005 |
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Note: This vacuum is the Riccar twin of the Simplicity S36 canister, also reviewed on this site.
We have owned an Riccar RC-1700P canister vacuum for about three weeks and I can offer the following comments and review.
Short version: The RC-1700P is, without a doubt, the best vacuum, upright or canister, that we have ever used. We love it.
First, some history as to how and why we purchased the RC-1700P. We have a 3,100 sq. ft. house, with probably 80/20 carpet/ceramic tile. We have three kids aged 10, 4 and 2. Although we have a number of upright vacuums (Dyson DC-07, Eureka Boss 4870, Eureka Ultra Whirlwind 4880, and Hoover WindTunnel bagless), I wanted a canister for vacuuming the tiled areas of the house. While we typically vacuum the carpet 2-3 times per week, we have found ourselves vacuuming the kitchen and foyer tile almost daily (sometimes several times a day thanks to our 2-yr old). Although all of the uprights could use attachments to do this, it wasn't very convenient having to do it so often. The Dyson is by far the easiest and best suited for this with the built-in handle/wand and very long hose (17'), but my wife sometimes preferred to shut off the brushroll and vacuum without attachments. The same can be done with both Eurekas (but not the Hoover), but this method doesn't really get the tile as clean since there aren't any brushes on the bottom of any of the vacuums, like you have when using a good floor brush attachment, to "sweep" dirt and stuff out of the grout. After using an older Riccar RC-1400 straight-suction canister for a few weeks, I decided to upgrade to an RC-1700P.
While I won't list the standard features, here are some of the additional ones I feel are worth noting:
- 7 foot electric crushproof hose with dual 360 degree swivel (at the canister and handle grip)
- Ergonomic handle grip
- Electronic fingertip control with diagnostic LEDs, 5-speed power control, power brush on/off, main on/off
- Aluminum telescopic wand w/one-hand ratcheting grip and integrated cord management (no exposed wires for powerhead)
- Power nozzle quick release foot pedal
- Power nozzle metal bottom plate w/rubber wheels and brass bushings
- (4) easy-spin casters with rubber wheels
- Automatic cord rewind
- High luster 2-coat urethane finish
- Articulated wand connection that allows for "steering" of the powerhead and flat-to-the-floor operation to get under furniture
- Pre-motor activated charcoal filter to help eliminate vacuum exhaust odor
- "Lifetime" powerhead poly v-belt that is well-protected from damage
- Power nozzle can be run without suction for use with dry powder-type carpet cleaning products (like Capture from Home Depot)
- Power nozzle or floor nozzle "parking" on the rear or bottom of the canister for one-handed carrying of the entire vacuum
What we really like about the RC-1700:
- Very powerful suction. Although we are still on the original bag, suction doesn't seem to have decreased and remains more powerful than any of our other vacuums. Although far from scientific, I used a small turbo brush to test suction power among all of our vacuums. The RC-1700 nearly caused the turbo brush to self-destruct because it was spinning so fast. The RC-1700 remains the most powerful even after three weeks of use. I expected to change the bag monthly to maintain optimum performance, and it appears this will be OK. I could probably go longer.
- Super-convenient, premium features:
One-touch ALUMINUM telescoping wands - The vacuum actually comes with two wands - both aluminum and one-touch elescoping. The larger wand is for use with the powerhead and has built-in power cord management with no exposed wires. Although it can be used with all other attachments as well, the second wand is for suction-only attachments like the floor brush or crevice tool. It is lighter than the larger wand, but nearly as long.
7-ft hose with dual swivels - Wonderful. You really can't appreciate having 360-degree swivels at BOTH ends until you've tried. The length is perfect - longer than most so you don't have to move the canister as frequently, but not too long that you find it cumbersome.
Articulated powerhead connection - Allows you to "steer" the powerhead around furniture legs or other objects. It also allows the powerhead and wand to lay flat on the floor to get under furniture.
Powerhead quick-disconnect - Allows you to instantly detach the powerhead from the wand for spot-cleaning with attachments or where suction-only is needed.
Charcoal filter - The charcoal filter must work pretty well since the exhaust smells the same now as when we first got it. I cannot say the same for any of our other vacuums, regardless of how frequently we change the bag or empty their bins.
Long power cord - The 28' power cord is long by canister standards and allows for about a 40' cleaning radius. Many canisters only have an 18'-21' cord (not to mention a typical 6-ft hose). While the Bosch Premium Prestige line of canisters
do offer a 32' cord, the Miele Red Velvet and Blue Moon only have 20' cords. My wife and I both have been spoiled by the 37' cord on the Dyson, and the RC-1700 is the only other vacuum we have that compares. It is very nice to be able to vacuum our
entire downstairs using only two power outlets - no plugging in for each or every other room.
Four easy-spin casters with rubber wheels - Much, much nicer than canisters with single or double swivel wheels in front and two non-swivel wheels in back. This allows for much less steering of the canister section around furniture or walls since all of the wheels swivel. The rubber wheels are also great - no black marks on the tile from moving the canister too quickly.
Floor attachments - The RC-1700 comes with three floor attachments. The on-board floor nozzle is relatively small (about 7" wide), but is perfect for quickly vacuuming a small tile or hardwood area (like a vanity bathroom or laundry room) or spots where the larger floor attachment won't fit easily. It even has horsehair bristles and small rubber wheels to protect any floor surface. The second attachment is a much larger, 12" floor nozzle that is almost identical in design to the smaller one. It also has real horsehair bristles (much nicer than the extra-stiff plastic bristles on some other floor nozzles) and rubber wheels. The third floor attachment is a combination floor/rug nozzle. It is 11" wide and has a foot switch to change between bare floor and carpets. In bare floor mode, a row of plastic bristles comes down to sweep the floor and prevent any dirt or debris from passing under the nozzle. In carpet/rug mode, the bristles retract into the nozzle head and allow for smooth vacuuming over area rugs or stairs. Of course, the power head will clean carpets and rugs the best, but occasionally straight suction is easier or more practical, and this nozzle seems to work well. It also has an articulated connection like the power head. Unfortunately, it does not have rubber wheels. We use the 12" attachment for our tile floors and it is great. Vacuuming is much faster also, since most floor nozzles are 9"-10" wide. On another note, you do need a very powerful vacuum with high suction for the 12" nozzle to work well. I can honestly say that the RC-1700 have no problem picking up across the entire width and sides of the nozzle. This is not true of our other vacuums - sadly, not even for our Dyson (we still like it, nontheless).
Soft furniture guards - Both the canister body and power head have rubber furniture guards to protect furniture or doorways when pulling the canister around or vacuuming with the power head. The canister's guard goes around the entire
unit.
Urethane finish - The canister has some type of finish that resists scuffs and scratches. The few scuffs we put on it so far wiped off with a random shirt. The high-gloss finish is very rich-looking and we've even had a few people comment
on how nice it looks (since it is only a vacuum).
Quiet operation - Quieter than all of our other vacs, most of the noise comes from the suction at the bare floor nozzle. The power head is a little louder, but still quieter than the others we own.
Reasonable bag and filter prices - A six-pack of HEPA bags retails for $19.99. A replacement HEPA and charcoal
filter kit also retails for $19.99. While the bag prices are comparable to Miele, their HEPA filter costs $57.
Some things we don't like:
- No auto-adjustment on the power head - although there is a setting called "Auto" on the power head, it is really just a manual setting between medium and high. There are six height adjustments (X-Lo, Lo, Med, Auto, Hi, X-Hi). We use med or Auto and it cleans very well.
- Seemingly small bag capacity - other reviewers have commented on this, but I can't really complain given how much we've vacuumed with it in the last three weeks. It just looks smaller than you'd expect for a full-size canister. For comparison, a (mid-size canister) Miele Red Velvet S558 has the same 4.5 quart bag capacity, while the (full-size) Miele Blue Moon S658 uses 6 quart bags.
- Dusting/upholstery brush - this is a combination brush where the dusting section slides into the upholstery nozzle. Although it uses horsehair bristles, its shape is odd (long and somewhat triangular) rather than the typical round or square
dusting brush. This isn't that big a concern, though, as we have another "traditional" horsehair dusting brush that we use for extended dusting or vacuuming of baseboards (available from Eureka's online store for about $6).
Overall, we are extremely pleased with the Riccar RC-1700P. While a comparable Miele may be quieter and somewhat more powerful, I don't think it can compare in terms of value for the money with regards to features and consumables cost.
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| Pros |
Cons |
Long power cord (28')
Long hose (7')
Aluminum telescoping wands
Four swiveling casters w/rubber wheels
Excellent suction
Inexpensive HEPA filter
Floor attachments
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Price (new)
Bag capacity
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Date Purchased:
1/05
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Price Paid:
$455
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Recommended:
Yes
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