Eureka 71b Hand Held Vacuum

I received this vacuum just today. I’ve been neglecting my stairs because the Dirt Devil I bought previously was far too noisy and didn’t do an amazing job. I opened this vacuum up and tested it out, and…. Wow!…. I have a long-haired cat who sleeps on the stairs and a Collie who drops lots of hair as he trots up and down the stairs. So, there was lots of dirt for this initial trial. The 71b is impressively quiet (in contrast to the Dirt Devil’s high-pitched screeching). The brush-roll power is separate from the suction, so you can shut it off if you are using the crevice tool.
I am giving the product 4 stars just because I’ve only owned it for 1 day. W’ll see how well it lasts with the furry creatures in my home!

I got the Eureka 71b sometime last week and I have tried it twice on the stairs so far. Its suction power is excellent. I previously owned a Dirt Devil and thought it was the best, but after trying this one I’ve now changed my mind. This is better than the Dirt Devil. The only downside to the 71B is that it’s not as light as the Dirt Devil, but it has a lot better suction. I was impressed to see how much dust this one sucked up from the stairs.

Pros: Good Suction
Cons: Very Heavy

2 cats and 2 fabric-covered sofas, can you understand my pain? As time went on I was going crazy. I was spending all my money buying adhesive-type lint rollers, the rubber ones (like the “Sweepa”) and the reusable brush kinds did not do a good job. Everybody kept telling me about Dysons over and over, so I started to save my money for one. But then I thought to myself, hey, what I need is a little motorized rollerbrush attachment — so I went on the internet, did a search, and found the Eureka 71B. I thought $40 instead of $500 might be worth a try, especially judging by the positive reviews.

…and it *was*. It takes all the cat fur off of my sofa, and the good thing is that the hose just pulls right out so you can get the little cracks and crevices without batting an eyelid. The “riser visor” thing, I thought was kinda silly til I started using it — and it’s a nice addition. You can vacuum both horizontally and vertically, and for uphlostery, carpeted steps, etc. that is an excellent feature.

My only gripe is that it’s just a tad too heavy, especially if you use it for a long time. It tires your arm out, but that could be a positive thing as well.