fan-of-fans
Well-known member
Some of you may remember when I saw a white Kenmore Progressive canister on clearance at Sears for $149. Well, it sold soon after. However, a few weeks back I saw they had a used TOL red Kenmore Progressive for $191. Well, last week I happened to see it was reduced to $95! I waited a few days and it was still listed, so I went to the store and they had it still. I asked if I could try it out and the salesperson plugged it in for me. I really liked it so decided to buy it. She said I was getting a great deal and I agreed as it is a $399 vacuum.
Comparing this to my 1999 Kenmore Whispertone, the suction on this model seems higher. The suction motor seems a bit louder than on my Whispertone which is surprising as this is the TOL model. However on the low speed setting it's pretty quiet.
The hose on this model is eight feet long, which is longer than I've ever had on a canister. I think I prefer a shorter hose, but it can be nice when cleaning far away areas. The handle includes a switch for the vacuum and Powermate, and a variable speed control for the suction. I found the lowest speed setting to actually be adequate for much of the vacuuming I have done.
The Powermate is a bit smaller than I expected. It's shaped a bit differently than the one that comes with the other Progressives and basic models. The Swivel+ steering is a nice feature, and I notice the PN is quieter than my 1999 PN, even when I lift it off the floor it's not very loud.
Another feature I really like is the LED headlight on the wand, as it helps when doing the bare floors with the floor brush. The wand also telescopes with various increments, but I actually find that the shortest setting is fine for me to use. I do think the end of the wand where the LED light is could have been better if it was smaller, as it is hard to fit into tight spaces.
As for the small attachments:
The brush that stores on the handle isn't bad. The bristles to seem to be horsehair, but it would be better if they were longer in length. It's kind of hard to remove the brush from the handle and put it back on. The crevice tool stores on the bottom of the hose handle, and is shorter than earlier versions. One odd thing I noticed is there are vents on each side of the crevice tool. I'm thinking this might be to keep the motor from overheating when using the tool? If the dusting brush part is removed, another rubber tool with slots called the pet hair remover can fit on in place of the dusting brush. It's mainly for upholstered furniture, and I find the suction is very concentrated with that tool.
I really like the floor brush. It stores in the front canister compartment with the pet hair remover. The bristles are positioned just like other Kenmore/Panasonic floor brushes, but the new swivel can swivel forward and back as well as side to side which helps to lay the wands flat to get under furniture.
I haven't tried the Petpowermate yet, so can't comment on that. It stores in the rear compartment on the canister.
The only things I found that I dislike have to do with the bag chamber. When I opened the bag lid, I find it very hard to get closed again. The premotor filter was also a bit of a drawback to me. My older canisters had a washable foam filter with a plastic frame. This model has a foam filter with an electrostatic material attached that must be replaced when dirty. It also does not have a plastic frame, but simply slides into slots, so doesn't seem to seal as well.
As for the bag, this model seems to be sold with a cloth HEPA bag, which makes it TrueHepa and is certified as Asthma and Allergy Friendly, however a type C/5055 bag fits as well. Mine came with a yellow type C bag installed, not sure if it is original or replaced.
In reviews I read of this model people were complaining how cheap the plastic is. Really I don't find it to be any cheaper in quality than my 1999 Whispertone, however they did use thick plastic in place of metal where the wand connects to the hose and Powermate. Also, it seems to me that Sears should include more than a one year warranty on their higher end machines such as this.
I may post pics later. Here is the link showing this model: http://www.sears.com/kenmore-progressive-canister-vacuum-cleaner-red/p-02021714000P
Comparing this to my 1999 Kenmore Whispertone, the suction on this model seems higher. The suction motor seems a bit louder than on my Whispertone which is surprising as this is the TOL model. However on the low speed setting it's pretty quiet.
The hose on this model is eight feet long, which is longer than I've ever had on a canister. I think I prefer a shorter hose, but it can be nice when cleaning far away areas. The handle includes a switch for the vacuum and Powermate, and a variable speed control for the suction. I found the lowest speed setting to actually be adequate for much of the vacuuming I have done.
The Powermate is a bit smaller than I expected. It's shaped a bit differently than the one that comes with the other Progressives and basic models. The Swivel+ steering is a nice feature, and I notice the PN is quieter than my 1999 PN, even when I lift it off the floor it's not very loud.
Another feature I really like is the LED headlight on the wand, as it helps when doing the bare floors with the floor brush. The wand also telescopes with various increments, but I actually find that the shortest setting is fine for me to use. I do think the end of the wand where the LED light is could have been better if it was smaller, as it is hard to fit into tight spaces.
As for the small attachments:
The brush that stores on the handle isn't bad. The bristles to seem to be horsehair, but it would be better if they were longer in length. It's kind of hard to remove the brush from the handle and put it back on. The crevice tool stores on the bottom of the hose handle, and is shorter than earlier versions. One odd thing I noticed is there are vents on each side of the crevice tool. I'm thinking this might be to keep the motor from overheating when using the tool? If the dusting brush part is removed, another rubber tool with slots called the pet hair remover can fit on in place of the dusting brush. It's mainly for upholstered furniture, and I find the suction is very concentrated with that tool.
I really like the floor brush. It stores in the front canister compartment with the pet hair remover. The bristles are positioned just like other Kenmore/Panasonic floor brushes, but the new swivel can swivel forward and back as well as side to side which helps to lay the wands flat to get under furniture.
I haven't tried the Petpowermate yet, so can't comment on that. It stores in the rear compartment on the canister.
The only things I found that I dislike have to do with the bag chamber. When I opened the bag lid, I find it very hard to get closed again. The premotor filter was also a bit of a drawback to me. My older canisters had a washable foam filter with a plastic frame. This model has a foam filter with an electrostatic material attached that must be replaced when dirty. It also does not have a plastic frame, but simply slides into slots, so doesn't seem to seal as well.
As for the bag, this model seems to be sold with a cloth HEPA bag, which makes it TrueHepa and is certified as Asthma and Allergy Friendly, however a type C/5055 bag fits as well. Mine came with a yellow type C bag installed, not sure if it is original or replaced.
In reviews I read of this model people were complaining how cheap the plastic is. Really I don't find it to be any cheaper in quality than my 1999 Whispertone, however they did use thick plastic in place of metal where the wand connects to the hose and Powermate. Also, it seems to me that Sears should include more than a one year warranty on their higher end machines such as this.
I may post pics later. Here is the link showing this model: http://www.sears.com/kenmore-progressive-canister-vacuum-cleaner-red/p-02021714000P
