Vax Mach Air Reach

[DysonAnimal]

A common comment from owners of the original Vax Mach Air was that a longer cord and a longer hose would be handy. So Vax launched the Mach Air Reach - an onboard extension hose boosts total hose-reach to 4.2m, and a 10m (33ft) cord allows a cleaning radius of 15m. It also includes a turbohead, and the HEPA filter has a bacteria-killing screen.

I just WISH the UK had the option to buy Hoover's 'WindTunnel Air' version with the WindTunnel head! I wonder if it would be possible to fit a UK suction motor into the US machine, or to fit a US WindTunnel head onto a UK machine by swapping the brush-bar motor over...

 

[DysonAnimal]

Extension hose fitted...

 

[DysonAnimal]

Total hose reach...

 

[DysonAnimal]

The handle attaches to the end of the hose for high-up or low-down cleaning...

 

[DysonAnimal]

Turbohead...

 

[DysonAnimal]

10m of cord...

 

[DysonAnimal]

The modifications make the Mach Air Reach a little heavier than the basic Mach Air - 5.3kg, rather than 4.9kg. But the extra weight is worth it for the extra reach, in my opinion!

 

[vacman117]

I really like the fact that they added the turbo nozzle to this. I have been using one of my regular Hoover ones on my Air, but if it came with one, then that would be nice! I also really like the purple!

 

[turbo500]

I was looking at these in Currys just the other week. My Mum is after a new vacuum, and having a bad back she needs something lightweight, but still quite high performing. We looked at both this and the DC24 - seems like a very funky and powerful little vacuum. Would you say the extra extension hose is worth the price difference?

 

[DysonAnimal]

Would you say the extra extension hose is worth the price di

It really depends on your situation - with the basic Mach Air, you can clean a flight of stairs, if you're happy to carry the cleaner in one hand, or stand it on the steps, as you go along. The combo-tool isn't very practical to use, though, so the Reach's turbohead is a plus. You can clean a larger house with the shorter cord if you have a lot of free plug sockets available, and you don't mind plugging it in as you move from room to room.

I think the extra features of the Reach are nice to have, but it really depends on how much a buyer is willing to compromise for the sake of saving money.

Currently, Vax are offering the Mach Air on their site for £139.99, and the Reach for £199.99 - and each comes with a free cordless handheld vac, although that isn't anything particularly special!

 

[DysonAnimal]

As for Mach Air vs. DC24...

Although the 1200w Mach Air uses nearly twice as much energy as the 650w DC24, the '24 outperforms it on all surfaces in Which? Magazine's tests. In fact, Which? were rather scathing about the Mach Air, while the DC24 is a Best Buy-rated machine. I'd personally rate the Mach Air a little higher than Which? did, but it's something to take into consideration, especially when the DC24 can be bought on Amazon.co.uk for £199.