Electrolux Intensity

[eureka1998]

I'd like to know more about this interesting unit and what peoples experiences with them were! Lately I've been more fascinated by them, but I heard that for some reason these did not sell all too well and I'm kind of wondering why considering there have been similar type of vacuums in the past, such as the slightly smaller and bagless DD Roommate. What's the history behind it.

 

[huskyvacs]

The bag being too small was one factor. I think the handle was prone to breaking after being folded/unfolded so many times, as well as the fact that it was cumbersome. This was during the weird time Electrolux had in the mid 2000's where they were experimenting with different things and trying crazy ideas, not all of them great ones.

 

[eureka1998]

Huskyvacs

Honestly confused the heck out of me as a kid with Electrolux, you had the Aerus version and then you had the Eureka versions. My aunt had a Electrolux Guardian canister, and my other aunt had the Electrolux (Eureka) Aptitude. Of the uprights of the Eureka Electrolux line I heard that one was like th best of the three (that, the O3, and this). Seems like many companies took the mid 2000s as a time of VERY WEIRD experimentations. Like Hoover with the Z and Windtunnel 2, both of which competitors to this and others at the time and also prone to failure. My aunt bought the latter after her Aptitude and it failed, and I think she went back to her Aptitude LOL.

 

[human]

I used to work for Tuesday Morning and we got a bunch of those in the stores around 2010 and sold them cheap. If I recall correctly, they were featured in our sale circular and fairly flew out the door, but about a third of them were returned. I don't know what the complaint was. Somehow, I was never on the register when one came back. Since they were used, we couldn't resell them, so they went into the dumpster. I thought it was an intriguing design and I suppose I could have had one of the returns for free, but I wasn't as much into vacuums back then as I am today, and I never even thought about it.

 

[bagintheback]

I remember those for sale at Sears. Across the aisle was the similar-looking and equally ill-fated Hoover Z. They had to have been direct competitors, both selling for their aesthetic and not their performance. The bags were tiny. This was also during a time when nearly every mainstream upright aside from maybe Orecks and base model Panasonic/Kenmores had onboard tools. I think the fact that they were sold at Tuesday Morning (and often returned!) speaks to their usability. I always thought they were cool because they looked like a lawn mower and I loved those as a kid too lol.

At one point in time I think I had the paper brochure for it. I'll have to look for it but this was many years ago

 

[eureka1998]

Bagintheback

I like the intensity cause it looks like a giant hand vac held by an upright platform LOL. But I did hear aside from their flaws they were INCREDIBLY powerful cause of how short the air path was, creating a big bulk of airflow. Id like to try one honestly.

 

[blackheart]

eh

It's been my experience that it's a good performer but probably not quite as powerful as one may expect it to be.

 

[huskyvacs]

Based on old reading several dozen old Amazon reviews, I surmised the following complaints were most often reported on a constant basis;

1) cord too short

2) bag too small

3) Poor build quality; handle falling apart and wheels randomly unscrewing were most often reported

4) too hard to push and pull due to the shape and bend on the handle (I expect the physics of it make it perform like a hand truck)

 

[niclonnic]

I actually recall looking at this vacuum quite a bit on Electrolux's website, circa 2008. I thought that the design and concept were really cool, but now I can see why this vacuum was short-lived.

Blackheart, the brushroll design looks very similar to the one used on a clutched Dyson, which means it'll get tangled with long hair VERY quickly.

huskyvacs, in addition to the complaints you listed, one reviewer stated that the bag came off in the middle of use, thereby allowing dirt and hair to get into the motor and burn it out.

In late 2008, former UK member vintagehoover (now known as ElectricUtopia on YouTube) purchased a brand new Intensity, and his unit came with LOTS of additional bags in the box, presumably because Electrolux wanted to compensate for the tiny bag capacity.

One interesting video shows the Intensity lifting up 5 bowling balls at once as a demonstration of its suction power.

 

[vacuumdevil]

I fixed many over the years they have many issues.
I've got one I think that needs a few parts sitting around I keep meaning to fix it up they are such a strange vacuum. Definitely worth picking up and putting in the colleca collection. They weren't particularly powerful but they did filter well.

 

[eureka1998]

vacuumdevil

I think the best Eureka Electrolux uprights was most likely the Aptitude. I think my aunt liked it. She had two but had to get rid of the first one cause somehow the cord started tearing, I think it hit into something, she had no problem with the second. They have the look of decent filtering machines, dont know if they were though.

 

[eureka1998]

bagintheback

I heard these were also sold at Lowe's. Did Home Depot carry any of these "Eurekaluxes"? Can't remember all too well if they did.

 

[panasonicvac]

I remember seeing those at Lowe's before when they were new. Along with the Electrolux Aptitude and Oxygen 3 uprights. And I think some of their canisters too like the Harmony and Oxygen.

 

[eureka1998]

Panasonicvac

This vacuum for me just has that super nostalgic mid 2000s aesthetic. No doubt this was competition to stuff like the Dyson's of the time, Hoover z or Windtunnel 2, etc. But it was also a time of severe experimentation with many flaws. But in all honesty, shopping for vacuums even then was alot cooler, instead of seeing several Shark and Dyson clones scattering the vacuum aisle. So bland now.

 

[panasonicvac]

I definitely agree with you. When I was younger, my favorite thing to do whenever we'd go to a store was going through the vacuum aisle. Nowadays it just doesn't feel the same. Especially at vacuum shops as well.

 

[eureka1998]

Panasonicvac

Sears was the BEST (of which these Intensity's were sold at) because you could test out each one. I remember someone telling me to be careful with the Dyson cause it was expensive. More like overpriced flimsy plastic.

 

[panasonicvac]

Right? I also did liked that about Sears. I still remember when I was shopping with my step aunt (then uncle's girlfriend at the time) at Sears one time trying out the machines when she needed a new vacuum. I suggested to her a Kenmore because they were my favorite and we tried out the ones that she was interested in. She bought the green Kenmore Stylite but returned it later because she didn't liked the bagless design. She then later bought a NOS blue Hoover Windtunnel Supreme (pretty sure it was a U5453-900) from that same Sears store as well. She also later returned that one as well because I didn't like how bulky and awkward it was for me using at her condo. So both her and I couldn't find what she was looking for at Sears so I then suggested to her a used Panasonic from my old vacuum store which she did. And she still has it the last time I visited her.

 

[eureka1998]

I have fond memories of......

a store called National Wholesale Liquidators, prominent in the New York Metro area. It was possibly my favorite of all the stores to shop for vacuums, with Sears being ALMOST tied. Big selection, and most of their vacuums were NOS, vacuums that had already been discontinued a few years beforehand, sold alongside current vacuums. Unfortunately, the closest location to me, they filed for bankruptcy around 2008-2009, so I was sad when that closed up. Thrift Stores for me kind of filled that void, but its still...not the same.