As my vacuum cleaner has well and truly given up by now, I recently went on the look out for a brand spanking new one. I personally haven't got a clue when it comes to vacuum cleaners, all I know is that I need it to cater for pet hair as my chocolate Labrador Josh moults an awful lot.

Vax U89-P8-P Power 8 Pets Bag less Upright Vacuum Cleaner:

'This Vax vacuum cleaner is great for both pet hair and normal use and has 3-litre dust capacity. TurboTool - perfect for picking up stubborn pet hair.'

Attachments:

The price includes: -

* Extension Tube - This fits onto the hose, just like a long round plastic tube.

* Crevice Tool - This is like the extension tool but has a thinner end, which makes is easier for smaller gaps.

* Turbo Tool - Which fits onto the extension tool and looks like a handheld vacuum, I found this great for the stairs and rugs.

* Dusting Brush - A smaller attachment great for the top of frames e.g. mirrors or photos.

My findings:

Like I said, I really didn't know what to look for when purchasing a new vacuum cleaner. My only requirements were bagless, upright and is suitable for collecting pet hairs. In this family, vacuums don't last long, and our last one wasn't even a year old before it gave up! The Vax is for dry vacuuming only and not suitable for any liquids whatsoever.

Going onto the Argos web I didn't want to spend anymore than £100 so as I started browsing I came across one I liked the sound of. It also had positive reviews attached to it which gave me a little more confidence.

I chose one by Vax, which had everything I was looking for and under the £100 mark. I reserved one and went to pick it up from Argos in Merry Hill Shopping centre, West Midlands. When I picked it up I noticed the box was much smaller than anticipated. I even asked the store assistant if it was the right one!

Now when I got it home it was time to set the Vax up, opening the box (which was easy to open) I saw a few pieces which did make me worry at first. As personally I'm not a fan of messing with electrical products but clearly no way around this one and my partner (bless him!) is a DIY disaster!

Following the user guide I laid out all the parts so I could see what I was doing. There were a total of nine steps to set this Vax up and the guide was clearly illustrated and worded simply so I could follow step by step. For me the trickiest part was step two which required inserting the screws and twisting them in place. It didn't come with any tools to help so I had to raid the garden shed to find myself a pozidrive screw driver.

To start with the screws went in quite easily, however towards the end it required a lot of force in order to get the screw into its firmest position. If I hadn't have screwed them correctly, the dirt container would not have sat in place. The rest of the steps I had no problems with whatsoever, and was a case of clipping the rest of the items into place.

So once everything was set up, I gave it another once-over to make sure it all looked in place. I didn't want any technical issues when it came to plugging it into the mains! Before plugging the Vax in on the plug there was some card I had to remove first. So, now all plugged in I turned on the vacuum this is done on the side at the bottom of the Vax and right next to the power button is the button to recline the unit too.

For me this was a little heavier than my last vacuum but for me that isn't a problem. However for someone with a shoulder/arm problems they may have an issue with this. I started with the living room at first and if I'm honest I was disgusted with just how much dust and dog hairs that came up, it half filled the container! It just showed that my old vacuum wasn't sucking up right for a long time. At first I didn't notice but at the front of the Vax is an adjustable switch for high carpet or you can turn it to low carpet. I have just kept it to high and I've had no problems when sucking up tiny bits. It also states on the user guide if you are going to use the vacuum upright, the hose it needs to be set on high.

Once I had vacuum the living room I needed to go around the sides so was time to try out the hose and one of the attachments which was the crevice tool. To use the hose it could not be simpler, it just needs pulling from the side of the Vax. It comes off nice and easy at the top of the hose and has a slit for you to add your chosen attachment.

With my last vacuum, this job was particularly annoying as it took several attempts for it to look like it had been cleaned. With the Vax, I had gone around all the walls and skirting boards within minutes. It sucked up extremely well and even managed to pick up the stubborn hairs that can embed themselves into the side of the wall and carpet (pet owners will know what I mean!). The hose doesn't come out too far away from the unit itself, but it gives enough slack in order to do what I need.

The cord itself is 10m which is definitely long enough for home use. It is certainly longer than my last vacuum too which is great as it reaches into the hallway without the need of me having to stop, unplug and re-plug in the hall before I can start again. There is also two hooks so you can store the cable on the Vax with ease.

When having a new item that is electrical, I do like to have a good read of the guide. It states a few times (stressingly) that in order to obtain a good performance from your Vax you need to keep the fillers clean, which is understandable and so far I have cleaned them once. Again I found it easy,

Once the dirt container is removed, you need to twist off the bottom and then you will see the filter. You just give it a tap and you will see dirt / dust coming from it. It then recommends running it under a warm (not boiling) tap water then place it back once completely dry.

I always empty after every use even if there is only a small amount of dirt. It is the easiest vacuum I've had so far to empty. You press the button at the top of the Vax on the handle to release the dirt container then at the bottom of the container is another button and pop its open ready to pour into the bin. Sometimes I've had to give it a shake as the dog hairs get a little stuck, however it doesn't affect the performance of the machine. Well hasn't so far and a little shake it just falls out anyway.

Putting the container back you just close the flap at the bottom that I had to open to remove the dust and then clip it back onto the unit. It always clips in easy and straightway so no need to fiddle around it is nice and easy plus fast so you can get back on with your cleaning.

Another thing I'm happy about is that is model came with a two year guarantee, which is in a postcard in the box with the details on with what you need to do. It has also been fitted with a thermal cut-out incase the machine should overheat in anyway. This will automatically turn the unit off and there is even advice in the guide if this should ever happen.

If you do purchase this model the advice I have is to make sure you know where you have stored the user guide. As it has steps/instructions you might need if the Vax ever gets blocked or you need to change a part.

Price and Availability:

RRP is around the £139.99 mark however Argos currently have this on sale where this Vax cost me £79.99, and from results so far it is much better than the vacuum (Hoover) I had before. I just hope this one lasts me longer.

Overall:

For me I think this is a neat Vax vacuum however a bit more setting up than I wanted but it wasn't too hard and I didn't have much of a problem following the instructions. For pet owners I would certainly recommend this item.

Four out of five stars from me

Thank you for reading.





Additional Information:

2200 watts.
300 air watts.
Ideal for pet hair.
Side suction for edge to edge cleaning.
Length of hose 3.2m.
Stretch hose for staircase cleaning.
Capacity of dustbin 4 litres.
Total capacity 4 litres.
Easy and hygienic dustbox emptying.
Antibacterial.
HEPA filtration.
Washable filter.
Manual cord rewind.
Foot operated on/off control.
Adjustable floorhead.
Includes turbo tool, crevice tool, dusting brush, 2 piece extension tube.
On-board tool storage.
Plastic extension tubes.
Suitable for carpets and hard floor.
10m power cord.
Size H113.5, W38.3, D33.5cm.
Weight 8kg.
Manufacturer's 2 year guarantee.
EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 5012512131955


www.argos.co.uk