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Ultra Whirlwind/Ultra LiteSpeed
4885AT/BT
Eureka
Avg. Price: $274
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Great Idea! Poor execution.
by DCshoeGuy (FloorCareCentral@aol.com) of Layton, UT
Posted on 8/8/2003 |
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The Eureka Ultra Whirlwind is the first non-Fantom vacuum cleaner in the U.S to employ Dual Cyclonic technology. The Dual Cyclone system consistes of 2 cyclones, a fast one for larger debris/a small one for dust particles, to seperate dirt and dust out of the airstream rather than relying on pleated filters. Because of the fact that cyclones are used to filter out dust instead of a pleated filter, the suction can remain constant for a very long time. Unfortunately, the dual cyclone system on the Eureka Ultra Whirlwind 4885AT/BT isn't nearly as effective. With the way the original dual cyclone system was designed, the carpet debris would enter the clear bin where the slower cyclone that traps larger debris, like paper and hair, is located. The air carrying the dust with it flows into the second cyclone that is cone shaped. The cone shape increases the cyclones speed to well over 700 mph. The intense g-forces of the second cyclone traps the dust, allowing the air to flow through the prefilter and motor virtually dust free. Now with the Eureka dual cyclone, its ultimate downfall is the way the second cyclone chamber is designed, which is more of a cylindrical shape. Since the second cyclone is not cone shaped, it spins as fast as the first cyclone (100 mph,still very slow), thus, it does not keep all of the dust it brings in. The amount of dust that escapes the second cyclone ends up on the motor pre filter. The poorly designed pre-filter(rough cloth wrapped on a breatheable tube) does a very poor job holding the dust back from traveling through the motor. The dust ends up bypassing the pre-filter, and travels through the motor and ending up on the exhaust filter. Dust is not a healthy element to a motor, and with the amount of dust the pre filter allows to pass through, motor performance will greatly decrease within 3 years. I've had my Ultra Whirlwind for alittle over a year and already I've started to notice a change in pitch of the motor.
The fact that dust can bypass the pre-filter and travel through the motor and decreace motor performance contradicts the concept of the dual cyclone system, let alone, have poor enough second cyclone dust seperation to require the pre-filter to be cleaned once a week. The prefilter on the Dyson DC04 and DC07 multi-cyclonic vacuums need only to be rinsed out once every SIX MONTHS. Not to mention that the HEPA exhaust filters used on any Dyson is a lifetime filter. At the rate that my Eurekas' HEPA exhaust filter is gathering dust, I'll have to replace it in a little over a month.
Other bad attributes about the Eureka Ultra Whirlwind that I can inform you of is that the belt tensioner that keeps the brush roll from spinning when the handle is in the upright position will fail after one month of use. I took my vacuum to the shop to have it repaired under warranty, but the repair was a failure. The section of the hose near the nozzle started to tear just 2 weeks ago. Duct tape will seal the tear pretty good, but I'm dissapointed that my 1 year old, $300 vacuum cleaner is starting to look and work like something I picked up from the thrift store for $25. Also, emptying the dirt/dust bin is messy and your hands will get dusty. I also would recommend against emptying it indoors.
However, I can inform you of some good qualities of the Eureka Ultra Whirlwind. For one, the suction on this model is outstanding compared to most other uprights. The ability for this model to deep clean is great, considering that this model uses a larger brush roll. There is a set of sensors that are on board this machine that tells you when you are picking up dirt, when to clean your pre-filter, and when to clean/replace your HEPA exhaust filter. The cord is pretty long, allowing you to clean more rooms before having to unplug and plug in elsewhere. The belt tensioner also allows you to turn off the brush roll for bare floor cleaning, which is much more thorough and convenient than using a broom and dust pan.
At a time when every bagless vacuum used expensive pleated filters, the idea of a non-Fantom dual cylonic Eureka Whirlwind sounded promising. But now, after owning this model for a little over a year, I think that the Ultra Boss Smart Vac, or even the new Whirlwind LiteSpeed models would have better suited me and would have much less problems. In the end, the Eureka Ultra Whirlwind is nothing but a cheap knock off of a proven design that is too overpriced, and has too little durability. In a couple of months, I'll probably get the Dyson DC07 and retire my Ultra Whirlwind, but until then, I'll have to deal with the inconvenience that is the Ultra Whirlwind.
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| Pros |
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- Outstanding suction for an upright!
- Deep Cleans Very Well
- Sensors tell you when to restore filters
- Great cord length
- Bare Floor Cleaning ability
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- Major dust bypass
- Poorly designed pre-motor filter
- Debris cups messy to empty out
- End section of the hose WILL tear
- Brushroll freespins even when upright(when it isn't supposed to)
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Date Purchased:
April 2002
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Price Paid:
$299
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Recommended:
No
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