Dirt Devil UD40275 Power Path Dual Stage Cyclonic Bagless Upright

Very Powerful But With a Quirk, February 14, 2011

I bought this to replace a cheap bagless vacuum cleaner I’d bought several years ago during a Black Friday sale. Said vacuum didn’t pick up dirt very well, clogged easily (both the hose to the dirt compartment and the area around the ‘filter’ at the top of the compartment). It also didn’t have a hose. However, until I used this Dirt Devil on my carpet, I had no idea just how bad it was.

This vacuum picks up dirt better than the last bagged vacuum I owned. I learned this in an unfortunate way; skipping over the instructions on how to empty it, I ended up dumping the contents partly on my hand. Those contents were a very thin, almost rice-like powder, nothing like what my previous vacuums had picked up. Best of all, when I ran it over some loose cat litter, it didn’t spit anything back out at me like many vacuums. The hose is generous with several nifty attachments (I haven’t used them all but soon will) and the sucking power is strong enough to yank my hands towards the hose. But be careful when you first remove the vacuum from the styrofoam packing; I was repeatedly shocked when I vacuumed my floor, and badly. I recommend running a dryer sheet over the hose before using it the first time (unless you let it sit out for a while).

Speaking of the bagless compartment, it has easy removal to empty and the bottom-opening method is rather clever once you know it’s there. The HEPA and foam filter are also very easy to get to (pop open the catch once you’ve removed the collecting compartment, and voila!). It’s also about double the size of my old one. I vacuumed a mid-size living room and it was only 75% full (I have a Maine Coon cat, so most of it was fur). The old vacuum had to be emptied halfway through most of the time.

However, there are a few minor problems with this vacuum. The box suggests it can be used on bare floor, but it merely blew a small area of dirt all over the kitchen. But I’ll not quibble over that since vacuums are meant for carpets anyway. The biggest complaint I have is that the collecting container falls out. It has yet to fall out during use, thankfully, but you should’ve heard me scream when it first fell out as I was putting it away. This was before I realized that the container is utterly sealed. No mess to clean up if it tips over (though at the time, I believe it was already empty – call it a habit from the old vacuum that had repeated spills). It seems to come loose if you set it down too hard. It’s fairly secure when simply moving the vacuum back and forth, or even shaking the handle. It’s a vertical jarring that does it.

This vacuum is quite heavy, so I’m not sure it’d be good for taking up and down stairs. But the heaviness is all in the bottom of the vacuum, and helps push the vacuum onto the carpet. So it’s a trade-off. I can’t tell you if there’s any extra oomph to be had by the cyclonic airflow. I did notice the cat hair was more evenly distributed rather than clumping in one spot and restricting the flow. There’s also quite a bit of exhaust air, but I didn’t notice it having as bad a dusty/dirty quality to it as most vacuums, so perhaps the HEPA filter matters. Lastly, I’m 5’9 and most vacuums tend to have me stooping slightly, but this one seemed to be tall enough for me. Personally, I’m pretty happy with the Dirt Devil UD40275, flaws and all. Good value for the price.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment

A Great Little Devil, February 16, 2011

The machine works like a charm and has plenty of power for any job. Would highly recommend this product for all uses. Very reasonable purchasing cost, I think so much of this item I believed I should of purchased two at that price !

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment