Like a puppy, it's both cute and annoying

I bought my Dirt Devil at Meijer for $89.99. All I wanted was a vacuum to suck up the crumbs in my kitchen, vacuum the couch and drapes, and get the spiders and other crawly things that I get during the hot weather. I really did not want a bagless because I had had one before and I knew how messy they were but Meijer did not have any bag vacuums at a reasonable price and I already have a good upright Hoover for my carpet so the Dirt Devil was the best I could do. I just did not feel like going all over town for a lightweight vacuum.

The Dirt Devil appealed to me because of the HEPA filter. The instructions tell you to replace the HEPA filter once a year. If you have allergies, I would do that. The filter is attached to strong, thick plastic on the top and bottom so you can really wack it against the trash can to shake out the dirt. (Make sure you do not do this step inside your home because the dust does fly.) My old vacuum was emitting a bad odor and when I say old, I do mean old. It might have been a wedding present. Let me see, married 13 years, divorced 23 years....oh my God! And I still have it in the garage! It is an antique!

This Dirt Devil has a 12 amp motor with an incredible suction power. It is so strong that it is downright annoying. When I am trying to vacuum up the ants at my front door it gets stuck to the area rug. However, it does have a ringed adjustment on the handle so you can turn it to allow for less suction. I always forget to turn the thing.

One of the things I do not like about it is the cord. It seems to always be tripping up the vacuum cleaner. The cord has a cord hook where you can wrap the cord which is good for storage but when you want to unwrap it, it is a pain and a mess of cord entanglement. Also, the hose seems very flimsy and I am sure one of these times I am going to yank it while it is stuck on the cord and tear the hose. But I have plenty of duct tape so I am prepared.

Another thing I like about it is that you can rest it on its wheels or you can sit it up (like a dog). This ability makes it easy to find a space for it in a closet or other equally hideable space, unlike my more expensive upright vacuum.

Normally I read directions thoroughly when I buy something new but this you could do blindfolded. I just slapped the nozzles together (wrong at first) and when I realized they were wrongly connected (although they would have worked anyway), I reconnected them correctly. I saved the attachments from my old vacuum (the one that is in the garage) and they all fit this vacuum.

The shoulder strap idea seems to me to be one of desperation to be different. It would be way too awkward to lug this on your shoulder while you vacuum your drapes (as they show in their illustration). The hose is long and with both attachment nozzles you do not need any extra length by slinging the thing on your shoulder. I just realized something. I have been looking at the directions and apparently they distinguish between the two nozzles: one is a 10-inch floor nozzle and the other is an 11-inch carpet nozzle. But I am here to tell you that they fit together nicely and you have got one heck of a long reach with these babies! (Plus, they show the two of them together in the illustration I mentioned.) Go figure.
One of the things that concerned me about this vacuum is that they state that it can get too hot and will automatically shut off. It contains a thermal protector which shuts it off at abnormally high motor temperatures. It has never gotten too hot and has never automatically shut off on me.

So, despite the fact that it has some very annoying features, I like it because it really does the job it is supposed to do: get the dirt! I think this vacuum would be a great gift for a college student or a newly married couple. It is a starter vacuum, you know, like a starter home. In time, you move up to better quality. It is a good knock-around type vacuum cleaner.