Shark Vacuum Fascination

[wstonehockertv]

What appears to be the fascination behind Shark vacuums?

 

[panasonicvac]

I once did a torture test with the purple Navigator Lift Away that I used to have and it did impressively well on picking up saw dust. Proving that their cyclonic system worked, I'll give them that. In fact, it never clogged until I overfilled it.

 

[huskyvacs]

You mean with the general public or among collectors?

I don't mind them. Some of them look cool, some work really well. They are always trying new ideas - for better or for worse. If you can get them for less than $50 you got a great deal.

The downsides is they work for about 3 months before the suction plummets for no reason at all, and they cost way too much, and you have to source parts from China to fix them because the company can't be bothered to provide parts.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I've used one or two at work to clean my desk and in the corners and such. I thought it was a pretty good machine, it was definitely one of the better uprights at above floor cleaning, and this was without even taking the canister off the base. Noise level and controls seemed fine, it was pretty quiet.

The main drawback in my opinion was the incredibly narrow floor nozzle. It just seemed it would take far too long to vacuum a large area.

And of course being a bagless vacuum, messy to empty. I did not clean the filters so can't comment on that.

I did recently see a Shark Rotator in the trash and picked it up to play around with. Mainly because I've always wanted one to mess with, but wasn't interested in actually buying one. And it's rare to see Sharks here in the trash, so I figured why not, it's free, if it doesn't work, I can throw it out.

 

[dysonman1]

The constant stream of people bringing in a Shark to be repaired says a lot about their popularity with consumers. Their plastic brush bristles wear off quickly and their motors are running in dirt. The hepa filter is always clogged with dust and the motors scream because the bearings are dry. They want me to 'fix it'. Give me a sledgehammer and I will. The lack of repair parts means I can only fix about half of what comes in - compare that to the fact I can fix all the Kirbys that come in, 50% ability to repair is horrible.

I only sell repairable vacuums, but I never see them for repair. I had to turn away three Sharks today because their repair involved parts we simply cannot get.

 

[wstonehockertv]

Considering that the Euro-Pro era Sharks were also problematic, I'm not surprised to know that the newer ones are still problematic.

 

[thevacuumman]

I bought a Shark Rocket Pet Pro for my wife since she wanted to try one and I was curious if they had gotten any better than the HV301 I had a long time ago. The power nozzle is definitely better as it doesn't obnoxiously yank itself across the floor like the HV301 Rocket did. Its performance is on par from my old rocket and it keeps suction as long as we don't over fill the bin. Now if it was me buying a new vacuum my choice would be the Hoover Windtunnel Max Bagged I had seen at our Ace Hardware though. I think the Shark isn't a terrible choice just not one I would make.

 

[madman]

I have two Sharks, and like them quite a bit. Down to ergonomics, I would say. Just good design and ease of use. Not that I'm saying all Sharks are like this, I detest the Rotator. Big chunky thing, for no reason. And I know little of newer stick-vac type models.

Granted, I didn't pay a dime for either one. Both trash picks. I've trash picked a couple of Hoovers, Bissels, and the like, and I don't like them. If I ever find another Shark... I'm sure it would put a smile on my face.

How about that?

 

[jo]

I’ve found…

I like the rocket stick vacs. First off I hadn’t tried one u til one of my good friends bought hers. I was skeptical but pleasantly surprised. After trying many other vac brands I really liked it. Now I’m a die had Aerus Electrolux fan particularly of the older Electrolux’s and they are quality and easy to use.

A few things I really liked about these rockets are…the power nozzle has a geared belt like the Electrolux power nozzle. This means less need for belt replacement due to slippage or burning or stalling out on thick carpet. Next, I really like the two speed motor system on these power nozzles. Speed one is very low to “sweep” hard floors or be super gentle on those fragile small area rugs and mats that can easily get pulled up into a power nozzle. Also, it seems to have a brain built in for this speed as when I move it to a small rug if the brush seems like it’s under strain and slowing it automatically increases the power some to keep it rolling at the proper speed. On the high speed I like that the brush really lifts the nap nicely on carpeting. Seems to do a very nice job for a vacuum of this size.

The suction power these little motors produce on these small vacuums is really quite something and definitely good enough to be used for heavy duty cleaning.

The bagless system on these little rockets isn’t too bad and manages to keep a significant amount of it away from the filters for some time so it doesn’t clog up quickly. Though it will eventually and more quickly if the user doesn’t empty the bin when dirt reaches the full line. The filters are easy to wash and easy to access and uninstall and reinsert. Just open the door, pull them out and wash like a kitchen sponge and roll in a thick towel a few times to thoroughly dry and reinsert. I’m not a big bagless vac fan but these aren’t too bad.

I prefer the corded versions for power.

I like the attachments. Upholstery tools have lint removing strips on them and air flow channels making them perform very well. I like the crevice tool and dusting brush combination tool. I also like their mini power nozzle. It has its own motor and a geared brush just like the Electrolux sidekicks and doesn’t stall out on thick carpet and does a great job. They also have a nice swiveling hard floor tool and a bending wand on one of the rocket models I have which that wand is great for getting under furniture. The hard floor hero tool is a favorite tool too for people who have a lot of hard floor cleaning to do and in thought spaces. Less clunky than the power nozzle on low speed.

Some models of the shark rockets have LED lights on them and this is very handy.

I like the concept of the rocket. Because it can easily convert from a hand vac to a canister to a stick vac or an upright concept or even be worn over the shoulder using a 5 foot dog leash and using the flexible hose. So it can be used in a way similar to a canister or upright with all the attachments. Though the power nozzles cannot be used with the flex hose is about the only thing it cannot do but that isn’t that big of a deal.

Most of the tools seem to be pretty durable and well designed and thought out.

Jon

 

[luxlife]

“Fascination”?? I was thinking of the word “bamboozle”.

It seems like there’s a constant barrage of new Shark models that are flash in the pan: gone as soon as we realize we like them. Their entire product line is so incongruous that it’s hard to determine what their market strategy is. As soon as I blink after seeing/trying a model that I like, it’s gone! Shark isn’t here for a long time, they’re here for a good time- at the consumer’s expense!

 

[madman]

luxlife - That's everything nowadays, isn't it? I mean, aside from Kirby that hangs on to a product model for 20+ years... Bissel, Hoover, Dyson, etc. all pretty much do the same thing. Look how shiny this new model is! New bells and whistles! It's like cell phones. They change the shape and look and even the software of the new model... but realistically, the hardware underneath is the same. They haven't *actually* advanced the technology, but they changed their product just enough to call it "new" and to be incompatible with any parts from the previous model.

And let's be fair here. A product like a vacuum cleaner is now a disposable appliance. Whether that is because of planned obsolescence, or consumer abuse, doesn't really matter here. If the average person buys a new vacuum every year or two, they don't want to buy the exact same model. They want the "new and improved" model. The vacuum companies know this.

 

[wstonehockertv]

You know madman, you might have a good point.

 

[luxlife]

Madman- Shark seems to be one of the few doing informercials and they seem to release new models faster than the other brands. It's almost as if they call the factory in China to have them switch things up in the middle of a production run so that they can release something newer that's been slightly modified. Also, they have some elusive models that they don't advertise as much.

I can't keep up with Shark's marketing strategy. They only seem to extoll their virtuous "sealed filtration" on some of the models, which shows that they really don't care about filtration if they're still willing to make dirty machines. The one thing that we don't have in the "plasti-vac" market sector is a brand that preaches HEPA filtration in all that they do. They're much too concerned about keeping the opportunity to upsell, which is the lesser models in all brands allow them to do.

 

[madman]

I have noticed that some crap vacs don't have HEPA filters. On a $50 machine, I guess it makes sense. But otherwise, no. As far as I've seen, Sharks all have HEPA, or at least a filter of that type. Not sure about stick vacs though.

 

[luxlife]

Not all Sharks have HEPA

Definitely not all stick vacs or the Rocket models.

 

[fanofvacuums2]

People like them because they sell nice looking products with features that are appealing to customers. Putting all personal opinion aside, features such as powered lift-away mode, the DuoClean heads, quick draw wands, anti-wrap technology, sealed systems, bagless bins, odor reduction, and so forth are all attractive features that Shark vacuum cleaners have among other features. I may be alone here on Vacuumland, but a lot of their more expensive vacuum cleaners are not awful to use and have features that I personally find to be useful, some of which are unique to Sharks. Not all of them are that nice to use, but some of them are not horrible.

With that said, they do get a reputation in the service industry because they have a few select problems; examples being the hoses ripping, the microswitches failing, the brush rolls failing (mainly the DuoClean ones), the cyclones being poor, and so forth. I agree with MadMan, though. These are not necessarily things that they need to fix, because a good chunk of their customer base keeps their vacuum cleaner purchases on a rotation anyway. Why dump money into revising the current designs and upping the build quality when that money can go to designing and releasing a slightly different and well-marketed new model that people will jump on buying? Plus, their reputation among the average consumer is fantastic, so they have that brand recognition and are a trusted name.

Some people also seem to have a fascination with hating Shark. They are not good vacuum cleaners for the "buy it for life" crowd, but I do not think they are trying to appeal to people who want to keep their vacuum cleaner for decades. Some people exaggerate the lifespan of a Shark and say that they normally last six months to a year, but a more realistic lifespan that I have found is usually two years to five or six years, although I have seen people make them last longer. The main thing that kills them is definitely the hoses, though. Like anything, it usually comes down to if they want to fix it or buy a new one, and customers often opt for the new one. I have noticed that certain Shark models tend to be tougher than others, too. Some of the more mid-range models they sell without the fancy heads, but with longer hoses tend to outlast the more basic ones and more complex ones, in my experience at least.

Those are just my thoughts.

 

[ocscott3085]

I believe FanofVacuums2 nailed it. Sharks are very appealing to the masses because of their reasonable price points and plethora of features. Most buyers have been brought up with vacuums seen as disposable items. They don't care if it breaks in a few years because it wasn't a huge Rainbow/Kirby investment. I live in a pretty affluent neighborhood with large homes. Many have central vac systems and yet, the bulk of our neighbors all seem to own two of the most hated vacs - a Shark upright of some sort and a Dyson cordless. Both come highly recommended on our neighborhood Facebook group. Sure, some of us have Mieles and Riccars but most have those two machines.

 

[hoover300]

These will for sure be collected in 10-15 years much like Hoover Elites.

 

[wstonehockertv]

I feel their commercials do not please anybody. For them to say that Dyson was the first cyclonic machine, they're wrong.