Panasonic MCCG902 Canister Vacuum Cleaner (Burgundy)

This vac might actually be worthy of a 5-star review, but I haven't used it long enough to have that strong of an opinion, so I'm giving it 4 stars for now.

I never thought I'd buy a vacuum cleaner online -- I'm so picky about little things like ergonomics, how well it cleans, etc, and I know that shipping back an unwanted vac would be so expensive that I'd end up keeping a vac I didn't like.

However, I had looked everywhere in town for a vac that did well in Consumer Reports testing but didn't cost a lot, and I'd had no luck. So, I went ahead and took a chance on this vac; it did really well in the latest Consumer Reports testing and had overall good reviews on Amazon. (BTW, don't confuse Consumer Reports with Consumer Digest; the latter is basically paid advertising designed to look like tests/reviews!).

I've been using my new vacuum cleaner for a few days and really like it. I had a Kenmore Whispertone before that finally died and was surprised that this is almost identical - right down to the connecting pins! It seems just as solid in quality & construction as my Kenmore (which lasted at least 10 years).

The vacuum is a tad smaller and lighter (both the canister & the powerhead)than my Kenmore, which I like because it's easier to maneuver. However, if your house is all carpet (mine's 50-50 carpet & wood), you might prefer the deeper cleaning that a heavier upright has.

I ordered some pricey bags because I didn't think I'd be able to find Panasonic C-5 size bags in town (since I couldn't find a Panasonic vac cleaner). Turns out my old Kenmore Whispertone bags fit. You don't have to order the pricey Panasonic C-5 bags, just take the bag that comes with it to your local KMart or Sears and pick one the same shape.

Pros:
- Handle makes it easy to use on steps.
- Solid construction (steel tubes that really latch together)
- Good quality brushes (real hair bristles on the dust brush).
- Cord rewind button and it really works!
- Sturdy but not unreasonably heavy.
- Good Consumer Reports test results, especially on emissions (important in our house full of allergic folks!).
- Pretty standard canister bag shape.
- It also came with the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, which I didn't know.

Cons:
- Color is a dark maroon red, not a cheery red like I'd thought. Probably doesn't matter to most people but I have to store mine out in the open so I like happy colors.
- No "power paw" attachment (basically a small powered brush head) for getting pet hair out of upholstered furniture. Fortunately my old Kenmore one fits. But it would be better if Panasonic at least offered this as an accessory.

Overall, I'm happy with this product. It gets the job done better and more efficiently than the canister and upright vacuums I was using.

Pros:
- Off/floor/carpet slide switch is on the top of the handle - super convenient to run from rugs to bare floor and back.
- Good suction - picks up small rocks.
- The power head is low profile - gets under the toe kicks and sofa.
- The long cord reaches several rooms, rewinds.
- The extra floor attachment is ~9" and so gets into the nooks and crannies the powerhead won't.
- The wand / powerhead clip on the unit when upright so it stores compactly in the closet.
- Powerhead is light, a breeze to whip around the room, but see handle con.

Cons:
- The carpet height indicator is hard to see in anything but bright light.
- The handle rotates freely 90d ccw, which is good for getting under the sofa if you're right-handed,
but not so good if you're left handed. Also makes the power head harder to control when on rugs/carpet.
- Tool & bag lids are hard plastic, meaning you'll have to be reasonably gentle with them.
- The extra attachments, excepting the one for the floor just slide on, rather than clip.
- the headlight goes off in the floor mode.

Info:
- This unit uses 3 filters:
o Bag: 8" x 13.5" Panasonic MC-V150M | type C-5 | Kenmore 50558, 5055, 50557. # to a pack & bag material vary.
o Hepa: 4 5/16" x 2 13/16" x 13/16", Panasonic MC-V194H | Kenmore EF-2 | #86880. 1 to a pack.
o Motor protector: 5" x 5" x 3/8", Panasonic? | Kenmore CF-1. 2 to a pack.
- Motor head is reasonably powerful, but less so than my old Eureka upright.
- Roller has brushes on both sides, rather than a beater bar & brush.

HTH.

I got this vacuum after initially purchasing another brand and sending it back. This is exactly what I want a vacuum to be. It's lightweight to pull around. I had a similarly designed Hoover for 15 years and this is as powerful as it was, but much lighter and easier to maneuver. Cleverly designed so the handle can rotate to go under beds, etc. without too much stooping on my part, which is good since I have issues with my back. Best of all, it has really powerful suction, even on my deep pile carpets. It was also very easy to put together - I was able to put it together without help from my husband, who gets called in on the tough jobs. It would have gotten 5 enthusiastic stars from me, except for one minor design flaw. I like to use the brush attachment for dusting, but this b rush is so wide and narrow (what was wrong with round brushes?) that when you turn on the vacuum, the suction causes the soft plastic of the brush to close up completely! So basically, the brush tool is useless. I had to use the one from my old vacuum cleaner, which fit snugly enough, even if it doesn't clip into place. Overall, I would still buy this vacuum again, but I will be looking for a better designed brush attachment.

***************Revised 02-14-12******************

After only a year of very light use, this vacuum cleaner blew a relay. I have a cleaning service every other week who use their own vacuum, so I maybe used this cleaner 10 times or so over the course of the year. The relay costs over $125 to replace, and the repair shop couldn't even find one. Every place is sold out of them, which would suggest these sweepers blow them a lot. Must be some sort of design flaw. I will be getting a Hoover next time around.

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