Distinctly average

I have seen off a number of vacuum cleaners in the last few years - I can't seem to get one to live for over a year. So when this vacuum came with a great 6 year warranty I decided to give it a go.

Unfortunately I have found it to be a distinctly average cleaner. The suction and pick-up was fine on the carpets, but a bit rubbish on hard floors - and I have a lot of hard floors! Vax were contacted about this but after discovering there was nothing wrong with the brush height adjuster it became apparent that this issue is part of the design of the machine. It just tends to blow the fluff across the floor and you end up chasing it around.

Another niggle is that the hose is not long enough to clean the whole staircase - a feature I thought was pretty much standard these days.

However, I do like the little headlight on the front and the turbo cleaner that comes with it.

So there are pros and cons. An OK vacuum, but I am secretly worried that this one will last the 6 years promised by Vax! I am dying for a new model already!!

Brilliant hoover

Thsi hoover is simply the best. Really powerfull and you can reach all the way upstairs with the extra hose supplied with it. Also, one of the good things about it id the sponge filter, which is easily washed and left to dry and then just put back on, not one of those plearted things that you can never get all the dust off. I have tried lots of hoovers and this is by the the best i have tried so far.

Powerful Sucker!

I ordered this vacuum to replace a 10-year old Panasonic upright on which the drive belt to the rotating brushes was slipping so that the brushes rarely rotated. With a house cat who joyfully and liberally distributes her fur wherever she walks, a powerful suction and best quality filter were vital. As I am an asthma sufferer I'd decided against one of the popular bagless vacuums, preferring to be able to detach and dispose of a bag of dust without the risk of being engulfed by clouds of the stuff!

The Electrolux Z2256A appealed to me at first glance on three counts: at 1800w it was even more powerful than my existing variable 1400w cleaner (which, when it worked well, was very efficient), it had a HEPA filter, and a large capacity disposable bag. What finally swayed my decision to go for it though was the additional 'turbo brush' that fits on the hose - at last my stair carpet could be fur-free too - and something referred to in the specification as a 3-to-1 hose, a 'super stretchy' hose - no more being biffed on the back by the vacuum as it topples backwards each time I reach away from it with the hose!

The vacuum arrives with the handle dismantled, but it is only a moment's simple work to attach it. I puzzled for a little while over how to attach the hose and the turbo brush holder, but all in all it was pretty simple, and not many minutes to put it all together ready to use. The tools - a flat ended tube to attach to the hose for getting into those crevices and corners, with a small upholstery brush to attach to the end of it - are stored on board (some seem a little clumsily attached but they haven't fallen off yet). I was disappointed to find that there is no additional extension tube for the flat ended tube - something I found useful with my old cleaner to save having to stoop. The turbo brush unit snaps neatly into a little plastic trough that itself clips firmly onto the front of the handle. When it's all put together the cleaner bears a remarkable resemblance to the villain from Star Wars, but it lives its life stored out of sight, so this isn't an issue (it has meant that from the first moment it will ever after be referred to in this house as Darth Vader!).

On the negative side, so far as the components goes, something that did disappoint as it was contrary to the indications of the written spec was that the super stretchy 3-to-1 is an additional hose - the one attached to the vacuum is of standard construction and, oh ouch, getting biffed on the back is sadly not consigned to the past. Also there doesn't appear to be anywhere for it to be hooked on the cleaner, so if you need to use it you must remember to carry it from the cupboard when you get the cleaner out to start. It is possible to hook it over the stored upholstery brush when putting the cleaner away, but I just find this irritating - the super stretchy hose is made much of by Electrolux as a selling point, and yet it gives every appearance of an after thought when you actually get the cleaner.

So far as cleaning - it does the job superbly. It is quite noisy - but then it's very powerful so that is to be expected. It fair flies across the carpet almost as if it can't wait to clean! There is an easy adjustment dial on the front for different heights of carpet pile to ensure it moves easily even on thick pile, and brushes deep on shallow pile. The turbo brush is amazing, but it is rather frightening! My cat was out of the door like a shot, and even I found the screaming sound it emitted unnerving. Once again though it is very powerful, which is what I wanted, so I'm happy to get use to the noise.

The one final small negative is the very 'thin plasticky' foot pedal that you press to release the handle in order to start vacuuming. I just fear this is going to break as it needs quite a hard pressure to release and yet it feels very fragile.

All in all the cleaner 'does what it says on the box' extremely well, but the slightly disappointing selection and attachment of the tools prevents me from giving it five stars.

ADDENDA: After using this vacuum for a few months now I have to make two more observations, both sadly negative, and because of them I would reduce to 3 stars, but I don't seem able to do this. Regarding the noise level, the 'screaming' noise is seriously unsettling and uncomfortable when using the machine upright in any small room, and is near to unbearable if your ears get close to it when bending down using the tools on the hose. I'm certain if it were a tool used in a workplace Health & Safety requirements would dictate the use of ear protectors. I really have found it unpleasant to the point that I'm considering replacing the cleaner already because of it.

The other disappointment is the lack of any variable speed, or suck. There is a simple on/off rocker switch, and the suck is so powerful (a plus in many situations of course) that I'm doubtful it's suitable for furnishings as it sucks fabric into the hose quite ferociously, and the power head particularly shouldn't be used as it can damage fabric. In my haste one day I made the mistake of lifting the cleaner over a bed whilst it was still running, lowered it a second too early with the result that the quilt edge was dragged into the brushes. Despite immediately switching off, the quilt cover was mangled and permanently scarred with thick black stripes which actually appear to be deep burn marks. This was my error of course, but again the ferocity of the machine unnerved me, and I think in future I will choose one where the power can be made available when required and reduced when not.

A great Vacuum Cleaner

I have been using this for about a month now and I have been really impressed, I have previously owned two Dysons and can honestly say this looks just as good with a whole lot more suction at a quarter of the price!

I have two Dog's and it sucks up all the pet hair no problem, I also find the way it detaches and you can use it as a hand held portable vac really useful especially for cleaning the car.

Home-tek steam mop

This mop is brilliant on hard floors - I have used it on laminate and vinyl flooring and it cleans really easily - especially after a very muddy dog has left his mark. I was very impressed with it and have used it for the last year with no need to use any chemical cleaners at all. However, it gradually started to take longer and longer to heat up and finally stopped working - just two weeks after the 12 month guarantee expired. I think for around £30 it is good value, especially as you save money on liquid floor cleaners, but would not pay more as I think it has a limited lifespan. I only used it about twice a week so it wasn't over-used. Maybe I was just unlucky, but I think I might go for something a bit more"heavy duty" next time.

Quite and effective

This is the best vacuum cleaner I've ever owned. It's lightweight to move around; very quite in operation; and excellent at lifting dirt off both hard floors and carpets. It automatically adjusts to a change in floor surface, which saves fiddling about with height adjusters that are a feature of some other vacuum cleaners. The hose attachment comes into operation as soon as you lift it off its holster on the machine. The only drawback attributable to the machine's light weight is that it can fall over when using the hose attachment--you need to hold on to the main handle as you use the hose. The dust bags are easy to insert and remove and, after removing a small plastic ring at the mouth of the bag, can be composted.

Badly designed, badly made...

I can't quite believe that I am writing a review about a vacuum cleaner, but this one has enough flaws to warrant the effort. There are several reasons why this is not a good buy:
- When you carry the thing upstairs holding the top handle it causes the frame to flex slightly and the cylinder that holds the dirt pops out. The cylinder itself has a spring-loaded door (for ease of emptying) and if you are unlucky the door will open as the cylinder bounces down the stairs. The other handle is attached to the cylinder itself so if you try to pick the thing up using that handle, the cylinder just comes away, leaving the rest of the machine behind. So you end up having to carry the thing upstairs cradled in your arms like a rather heavy and dusty baby.
- The stretchy hose is attached to a hard plastic tube that plugs into an extension tube and the accessories. Within weeks the stretchy hose had become detached from the hard tube. A few weeks later the hard plastic extension tube split at the join. So these items are made from cheap materials and will definitely not last, however you treat them.
- When not in use, the stretchy hose is draped over a hook with either end attached to a bracket. The trouble is that once you have used the hose a few times it doesn't quite return to its original size. Once you've reached that point it will not stay on the hook - it falls off whenever you move the cleaner about.
- Emptying the cylinder is easy if you just want to dump the dust, but to do it properly you have to take out the filter and give that a good clean as well. It's a job best done well away from the house, and preferably downwind.
On the plus side, the suction from the 1700 watt motor is good.

So, if you live in a bungalow and never want to use the stretchy hose, this might be the ideal vacuum cleaner for you. If not, I would recommend that you keep looking.

Quicklite is better than my big upright!

I bought one of these to leave upstairs as my big electrolux upright is too heavy to carry up and down stairs. The VAX is much smaller and lighter which means its very easy to move, carry and also to store.

It's so light that that you can use the whole vac to do the stairs with ease, and you just can't compare using a stair attachment to using a real vac on your stairs, this makes the stair carpet look like new and takes no time at all!

I was so impressed with it that I tried it on my downstairs carpet, first I used my big electrolux upright, then I went over it again with the VAX, wow, I couldn't believe how much more it picked up!

The power cable is a couple of feet shorter than my big upright, and while it's plenty long enough to do a room but just a little too short (about 2 feet) to do the whole ground floor without unplugging and plugging in again, which for all the other benefits, I think it's a small price to pay really.

Pro's - Cost, size, weight, tools, versatility and performance.
Con's - Cable Length.

Looking for a new vac ? Look no further, you will not be disappointed, this one's got the lot!!!

cheap at half the price

With 5 years parts and labour warrenty and a £110 price tag you cant go wrong, free delivery from amazon took 2 days, we vaccumned our carpet with the old vac then ran over it with the dyson, could not beleive how much dirt the dyson picked up, it was like the carpet hadnt been cleaned for weeks,dyson fans 4 ever.

VAX bagless upright vacuum cleaner

This is the 2nd Vax bagless vacuum cleaner I purchased. The first, the Turbo, was very good, but the casing did not live up to the motor and a wheel broke after 2 years. Still it was an impressive enough performance to persuade me to buy the Vax Zero VZL-201. It too has a powerful suction action but the cannister is much easier to empty and keep clean. The turbo hand tool for added suction when using an extension is also present and is useful for furniture and stairs. However, this model has the added bonus of a separate power button for the brush roller so no dirt/fluff escapes! When the brush rollers stopped working one day I found the online site very helpful. The fix was easy, there is a reset button that worked first time. My only 'gripe' is that the flex is much, much shorter than the Turbo so I can no longer do the whole ground floor without re-plugging it. It is a bit heavy, but becomes lighter when the roller brush is on. As for the casing, I shall just have to wait and see.

Do not buy this hoover

Please do not buy this hoover I have owned this product for several months now and it has to be one of the worst hoovers I have ever owned. The hoover is heavy and bulky and the suction is poor, especially if you are using the brush tool attachment but the worst thing about this hoover is the hose does not stay attached to the hoover so whilst you are busy hoovering away the hose is blowing everything back out onto the carpets I seem to spend most of the time re-attaching the hose to the hoover. I bought this hoover in haste (not from amazon)and when I go replace this hoover (which will be very soon) I'll make sure I do my homework first. It doesn't even deserve the 1 star it has received

I LOVE MY LOOPIE

I bought this vacuum a couple of weeks ago and absolutely LOVE it. I have a very hairy Samoyed dog and two young sons - so you can imagine the state my carpets get in. This has delivered all it promised. It is so easy to use, I dont find it heavy at all (after my last vacuum) and where it collects the dirt, hair etc you just turn a lever - pull out the drum and empty it straight in the bin. It hasnt clogged up yet (which my very expensive first upright did) and it comes with a turbo pet hair tool for the stairs etc. I would recommend anyone to buy it - the price is right!!!

Very powerful

I agree with the previous reviewer - this is a very powerful vacuum cleaner, and it does carry a warning about vacuuming over the power cable - I believe this is similar to all uprights with a rotating brush.

I have had mine a month-or-so and the the belt driving the brush has broken twice due to some yarn becoming caught in the brush, ordinarily an easy enough repair job, but it is made difficult by the screws being used to house the belt being very made of very soft (or cheap) metal and the heads of them are wearing away after only the second occasion of unscrewing them. I am tempted to leave the brush inoperable, but it does make a different when cleaning - especially if you have pets.

All round, a very powerful cleaner but it pays to be careful when using it.

Would not buy another - disappointed.

Had my Vax Zero for around six months now and although it has been excellent at picking up the dust, dirt, and dog hairs from around my home, I would not buy another.
On the first day that I used it and on the first switch-on I had a problem. I found that it had very little suction. Attaching the turbo tool to the hose failed to generate enough suction to spin the brushes. Most people would have packed the vacuum back in the box at this point and returned it. However, I decided to investigate, and after removing a few screws I found that a plastic membrane in the suction tube had failed to perforate enough on the intial switch-on to allow sufficient airflow through the pipe. It was a bit fiddly, but I eventually managed to cut away the plastic membrane and gain full suction.
I then found that the mains cable was about 2 metres shorter than the dyson that it replaced and therefore meant that I could not hoover my lounge from the one socket.
As has been previously stated in another review, the effort required to heave this cleaner up the stairs would leave many people wheezing on their landing.
Then after around three months of use I found that the small holes in the dust canister were becoming blocked, even though I had been regularly cleaning the canister and internal dust collector. I am still looking for a long handled brush that will fit up inside to clean out these little holes. It would be a great help if the internal section was able to be removed from the cannister, but it can't.
Then only two weeks ago (Feb 7th 2008) while emptying the contents into my dustbin, the plastic flap on the bottom of the dust cannister broke off. The plastic hinge is just not sturdy enough to take anything that amounts to slightly rough treatment. Luckily, the bottom flap can still be attached without the hinge and has not rendered the cleaner unusable.
But it is not all bad. The suction on this cleaner is excellent, and the automatic brush shut-off in the case of a jam is really useful for extracting shoe-laces and string etc before they become too far tangled around the brushbar.
Overall though, I regret buying this cleaner and would choose another model when I need to replace it.

DO NOT GO NEAR A HOOVER

Bought this item believing in the good name. Both wheels fell off, the catch holding the unit upright broke, resulting in several clonks on the head. The cable has frayed and worn through, and has resulted in at least one electric shock. These units ARE DANGEROUS.

Never again.