Kenmore 700 Series Canister

[tylerawells]

I bought this machine from Sears last week. It's a newer offering of theirs, I believe designed to replace the red Progressive with dirt sensor model. It slots right below the silver Elite canister with Crossover nozzle in the lineup.

The Powerhead has what they call an Ultra-Plush-System designed for the newer carpets. There are small vents on both sides of the powerhead that is supposed to help air circulate better and prevent it from getting bogged down. The powerhead has 360 degree swivel at the neck where it connects to the rest of the cleaner. It comes with the standard Kenmore suite of tools and the Pet Power Mate miniature powered brush for use on upholstery. The quality of the hair/material on the dusting brush is absolutely wonderful and it works very well. The crevice tool is kind of dinky, but it doesn't get in the way and is very snug on the back of the handle. My only complaint as far as tools go is I wish the bare floor brush was better - both bigger and had some small wheels on it. My only other complaint is the light on the suction wands does not come on unless you're using the powerhead in carpet mode - even using tools with the carpet switch turned on, the LED wand lights don't light up.

It also comes with the suction adjustment system right on the handle grip.

Noise-wise to me the machine is very quiet in operation, even with the powerhead running.

Overall I like the machine and I will be keeping it.

I've shared several pictures as well of the machine.

 

[tylerawells]

More Pictures

Tool storage

 

[tylerawells]

Crevice tool

 

[tylerawells]

Handle controls

 

[tylerawells]

Ultra Plush Nozzle

 

[tylerawells]

Special Side Vents

 

[tylerawells]

Bag Compartment

 

[tylerawells]

Underside of Canister

 

[tylerawells]

Brushroll

 

[tylerawells]

PN Running

 

[tylerawells]

Profile of the Main Machine

 

[suckolux]

Very handsome!

 

[s_matt37]

Do those little vents actually do anything? Just seems interesting. Would be fun to test on a thick shag rug.

 

[vac-o-matic]

That is a handsome machine Tyler! I'm curious to know what the warranty is from Sears, and if they offered an extended period. If you plan on using it frequently, I would recommend extending the warranty on this if it is still an option. I tend to see a lot of Kenmores in for service issues when I visit friend's vacuum shops. It's usually wand/hose/ power nozzle electrical connection issues, as with really any of the more modern vacs that use these type of wands. Even Mieles can have issues, but it seems like they take a lot longer to show up than some other models. I noticed the label doesn't say where it is made, but I have a hunch.

 

[tylerawells]

I did get the extra 2 year warranty agreement. The standard warranty from Sears is for 1 year. The machine was made in China.

 

[eurekaprince]

I thought all high-end Kenmore vacs are made in Mexico...with only a few low end vacs made in China.

 

[n0oxy]

kenmore vacuum

I wonder if this model is made by Panasonic? Also, what is the size of the hose end? I remember hearing that a lot of the Kenmore vacuums started using a nonstandard size for their tools.

 

[blknblu]

The prefix 116 in the model number indicates that it is still made by Panasonic


Model number 116.81714510


I have a working Kenmore Intuition & Progressive that both run, except for some broken plastic pieces.


The hoses look similar, but do not interchange. 


The vacs are as big as a large frozen turkey, and plastic doors on both of them are flimsy.


The fact that all of the controls are on the hose is convenient, but makes them bulkier.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Haven't seen that one yet interesting.

I have the preceeding red Progressive. I must say I like the dusting brush on yours and the Elite better than the horseshoe shaped one on mine. Mine is horsehair too but bulky to fit in small spots like shelves or the car dashboard edges. If I used mine more often I might buy the other brush. I agree the floorbrush could be bigger but I like the swivel and the felt pads it has to keep from scratching floors. The crevice tool leaks air from the slots on the sides.

I'm surprised your wand lights don't come on without the Power Mate attached. My wand and handle look the same and mine do come on without it attached if it's set to carpet. I don't adjust my wand anymore because on the first one the connection inside broke when I slid it out. It was still under warranty then so they replaced it but I don't want to break it again out of warranty!

Does the canister hose end swivel any more? The connection on this and the Elite looks like they changed from the 1984 style end.

Mine was made in Mexico but some newer Kenmore uprights seem to be Chinese made.