My wife and I went in search of a new vacuum several years ago. After looking around online and visiting a couple of stores, we came across the
Electrolux Harmony EL6985 Bagged Canister model at Boscov's and thought we'd found "the one."
It was expensive -- $300 -- but it seemed to be everything we wanted in a vacuum. It was lightweight, portable, quiet, and since it was an Electrolux, we figured it would certainly run well. So we bought it.
At first it was a let-down. The vacuum IS lightweight and portable, which is nice, but it had next to no cleaning power. Our house is almost completely carpeted, and the vacuum only pulled up a fraction of the dirt and debris that was present in the carpet. Dog hair accumulated in the carpet because the Harmony refused to pick it up.
The vacuum comes with several different attachments, and once we discovered the "turbo" brush, the suction got a lot better, but still left something to be desired. Vacuuming the house had become a tiring chore of going over every bit of carpet two or three or sometimes four times to get up whatever dirt was there.
On tile the vacuum seems to work marginally better. The vacuum can be set for tile or carpet, and the switch is located right on the head so you can change the setting with your foot.
The EL6985 is certainly quieter than most other vacuums I've used. It comes with a HEPA filter, and it has a button that (at first) would cause the 20-foot power cord to retract like a hyperactive snake when you were done cleaning. Now the cord has become temperamental -- sometimes it will retract, and sometimes it will just lay there and twitch.
Once the bag starts to get full, the suction power drops dramatically. And hair easily gets tangled in the brushes, reducing the vacuum's cleaning ability. But with a new bag, the turbo attachment, and clean brushes, the vacuum runs fairly well.
The canister weighs 12 pounds, so the vacuum is portable, but it's bulky and awkward when used on stairs. It comes with several different attachments that each have their own uses, but the turbo brush is the one we've used the most, especially since the regular head doesn't work very well.
I haven't used too many other vacuums, so there's not a lot I can compare it to, but it seems to me that for the money we spent on this thing, it could pull dirt a little better. However, we've had it for a few years and it hasn't had any serious problems or malfunctions. I would recommend buying a cheaper vacuum that may not last as long, but will hopefully have more suction power.
(
Originally published on Helium.com, August 2009)
For an Electrolux Harmony canister vacuum, the owner's manual recommends replacing the exhaust filter every fifth time you change the vacuum bag. Follow these steps to replace your Harmony's exhaust filter.
The Electrolux Harmony canister vacuum cleaner has two filters in it: a motor filter and an exhaust filter. According to the user manual, Electrolux recommends replacing both filters every fifth time you change the vacuum bag. This article describes how to replace the motor filter.
(commissions earned)- Electrolux EL6985A Harmony Canister Vacuum Cleaner