Hi again, Kyle,
there are a lot of aspects of the Vax I do like - but there are also a few things I don't.
My main dislike is the fact that it's a filter-based bagless system, rather than being multi-cyclonic. At the time it was designed, that was the only option Vax had available to them. The pleated cartidge filter isn't washable - it has a 'clicker' on top of the dust canister which jolts the fine dust from the filter. However, because the filter is encased in a protective plastic frame, the fine dust falls from the filter and into the frame, rather than into the dust canister itself - so of course, as soon as you switch the cleaner on, it's just going to get sucked up into the filter again instantly! This means you have to remove the filter from the canister each time you empty the cleaner, and tap all the dirt out - messy and time-consuming!
It's a shame, because the dirt canister itself has a trap-door/trigger empty design, which makes it pretty tidy to empty - and this is negated by having to reach up inside it, take out the filter and tap the dirt out everywhere. Vax now have their own multi-cyclonic 'No Loss of Suction' system, which is well-designed and works very efficiently. If Vax had been able to use this system in the VX1, I'd recommend it a lot more highly!
Aside from that, I like a number of the features of the VX1 - the brush-bar has its own motor (w/ auto cut-out and reset switch), which you can turn off for hard floors via a switch on the handgrip. The quick-grab hose and wand design is convenient and easy to use, although the little bits of stubble fixed on the end of the wand are no substitute for a proper dusting brush! The 'stairs and risers' tool is a nice idea - and I do like the fact that genuine thought went into designing it - but I think I'd prefer an ordinary upholstery tool!
I wish Vax had made the rear wheels a little bigger and wider - all the cleaners weight bears down on the two small, narrow rear wheels, and combined with the strong suction at the nozzle, it makes the cleaner feel a little heavy to push. I can see this would be a particular problem on thicker carpets, because you'd find the rear of the cleaner sinking in a little!
The extremely soft brush-bar is definitely one for low- to medium-pile carpets. I don't think it would cope well with thicker American carpets! However, it has a great edge-cleaning design which actually works really well. It's good at hard-floor cleaning, and I think it would be best suited to a house with laminate flooring and area-rugs.
For a plastic cleaner, it doesn't feel 'cheap and plasticky' - it feels pretty sturdy and durable. And the wand and the side-sections also incorporate lightweight metal alloy. If you grab it by the handle and try and twist it, the cleaner doesn't 'flex', and there's no ominous creaking!
So, my feelings are mixed. It's a sleek, elegant, integrated design with some nice features, and I like the basic machine, but I'd have to make a few changes before I was totally happy with it!
