Panasonic OptiFlow Lightweight Canister Vacuum Cleaner, Bagged,

Will thrill the clean freak in you!, December 23, 2008

By 

A. Boston (Boston, MA United States) –

  

Update March ’10: I just wanted to say I’ve had this vac for over a year now, and still use it at least twice a week(and look forward to using it) to maintain my hardwood floors. I absolutely love it!

Original review: I am a self professed clean freak. We have 2 cats that I am allergic to, so the floors being clean is especially important to me. This Panasonic vac has made me very happy! I live in a 2nd floor apartment with a carpeted hallway & stairs, the rest of my apartment is hardwood floors with linoleum in the kitchen and tile in the bath. I’ve used it everywhere and it’s AMAZING! As someone described it to me, it will ‘suck chrome off a tow hitch’, which sounds a little funny — but that is the power it has.

Putting it together is easy and will take a matter of minutes, but be careful that you put the metal poles together correctly, otherwise you won’t have power to the vac head that you push on the floor. It took me a bit to figure out that I had made this error in my hast to get it together and use it.

The power button is on the handle, which I thought was an absolutely must have feature. There would be nothing worse then trying to find a button on the unit behind you. You can also switch it from carpet to bare floor with this button, so it’s an seamless transition. That button makes it effortless for me to vacuum my little area rugs that are on my hardwood floors and in the kitchen. When using the carpet setting the light comes on the vacuum head and it self propels on its own making it very easy and lightweight to use. The canister was gliding along behind me no problem. I took care of my entire apartment in about 15-20 minutes.

Another of my favorite features is that the cord goes inside the body of the canister and can be sucked back in with the push of a button. No fiddling around with getting it raveled back up, which is something I particularly hate about my upright. This one also adjusts heights with a little foot pedal from x-low to high so if you have short carpet or tall shaggy rugs, it should work amazingly.

I right away took care of my front carpeted stairs, since they haven’t been done in some time. We only had an upright vac previously and I found it impossible to do the stairs with that. My boyfriend tried it once or twice, but it honestly just does not get the nooks and crannies. With this new Panasonic vacuum, I maneuvered it around and then went back and got the nooks after easily removing the vac head. I was even able to hold the canister while I did it, which makes it extremely lightweight and not at all cumbersome to vacuum in odd locations.

The only cons for me — I would love if this was a bagless vac. I hate having to find bags. That feature would make this the absolute star of vacuums to me. Also, if I could strap this baby on my back and not have to roll it around(especially for doing stairs!), that would be thrilling, but it’s not a make or break, just something I’d personally like.

I’ve never had a canister vacuum and after using this one, don’t know how I existed without one! Thank you Panasonic for helping me keep my house clean with ease!

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As Powerful As They Come, January 8, 2009

By 

Avid Reviewer “A Music Fan” (San Jose, CA) –

  

  

I’m simply thrilled by how well the Panasonic MC-CG885 cleans! At 12 Amps, this vacuum cleaner is as powerful as they come! The powerful suction helps in tackling large areas with amazing speed and ease. It works very well on both bare floor and high pile carpets. On carpets, the motorized beater brush provides plenty of torque to quickly loosen any deeply embedded dirt or pet hair. It should take at most a couple of passes to clean an area, even on very dense carpets.

Attachments
———–
– Cleaning Attachments:
The only fault I can find with it is the lack of an upholstery tool and a floor brush. Besides the main bare floor/carpet attachment, the unit comes with only (1) a small dusting brush and (2) a crevice tool. For the most part though, the lack of a floor brush attachment is not a big deal since bare floor/carpet attachment is really light and maneuverable. Besides, I use my Shark Cordless Hand Vac in conjunction with the Panasonic to tackle the hard-to-reach areas. For upholstery cleaning, I suppose the dusting brush will have to do.

Pluses
——
– Lengthy Power Cord
The length of the retractable power cord is 28 feet, so it provides PLENTY of slack for even the largest rooms. It can be quickly retracted by pressing a button.

– 4 Adjustible Heights
The height of the floor/carpet cleaning attachment can be adjusted for vacuuming bare floor and low pile to high pile carpets. There are 4 height settings: XLO, LO, MED, HI.

– Quick and Easy Assembly/Dissembly
The unit can be quickly assembled for use and quickly dissembled for storage after use.

– Easy-To-Clean Beater Brush
The motorized beater brush, unlike those on some vacuum cleaners, can be easily cleaned — no more impossibly tangled mass of hair and filth on the brushes.

– HEPA Air Filter
The tiniest amount of dust in the air can trigger my nasal allergies (that’s why I use a Honeywell Air Filter). If you’re an allergy sufferer like me, you’ll appreciate the Hepa filter on this vac, which traps the smallest dust particles to prevent them from being released back into the air.

– Economical Replacement Bags
The replacement bags are easy to replace without causing dirt and dust to spill out and make a mess. A brand new bag may look small, but the slightly elastic material will stretch out as needed to contain the dust and dirt as it fills up. Each bag can actually hold a lot. The vacuum uses the Panasonic AMC-J3EP replacement bags – they come in a 4-pack and are very affordably priced. (Note: this vacuum comes with a vacuum bag included.)

Ergonomics
———-
– The Power Switch/Slider has 3 modes: Off, Floor, Carpet. It is conveniently located on the handle and is designed to be operated with the thumb of the hand holding the handle of the unit. This makes it possible to maneuver the wand while freeing up your other hand to reposition the cannister when needed.

– For those who are right-handed, the handle is free to rotate up to 90 degrees counter-clockwise to help accommodate the natural position of the wrist. Sorry, lefties, this ergonomic feature is designed only for those who are right-handed.

Conclusion
———-
Last but not least, I must mention this thing is a beauty, so it won’t be an eyesore when it’s not tucked away in a closet. It’s well-designed and looks to be very well-constructed – I’m looking forward to using it for many years to come. For me, the only drawback is the limited cleaning attachments. Still, I have rated it 5-stars based on its impressive cleaning ability, ergonomic design, and looks. Yes, the price is steep, but price aside, if you’re looking for a powerful vacuum cleaner that’s easy to use and maintain, the Panasonic MC-CG885 OptiFlow Vacuum Cleaner is it.

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