Electrolux EL6988D Oxygen3 Canister Vacuum Cleaner

I was quite confused when I first started doing research on electorlux. My mother, and her mother, have always owned electrolux vacuums. This electrolux is not the same company that has been doing business in the U.S. under the electrolux name in the past. The old electrolux has changed their name to Aerus Electrolux.
Electrolux is an international company that states on their website “Electrolux is the world’s largest producer of appliances and equipment for kitchen, cleaning and outdoor use.” In the United States they do business under the familiar names: Eureka, Frigidaire, Poulan, Weed Eater, and now thier upscale brand Electrolux.

OK, on to the vacuum. I bought mine after much research at Lowe’s. While opening and putting the thing together, a small clip that holds the power head on the shaft broke off. I called the company and they said they would send me a new piece with out much hassle, but then got a call back 15 minutes later saying that since the product was so new, it might take 2 months to send me a replacement part and suggested I just return it for a new one to Lowe’s. My over all experience with thier customer support leads me to beleive that I won’t have too many problems dealing with them in the future.

My second vacuum unpacked fine and after a couple uses I’m quite satisfied with it’s performance. The carpet powerhead does very well on my rugs, and even does ok on hard floors. The hard floor attachment is more than a foot wide and makes quick work of the hard wood in my house but is so wide you have to switch it for the corner tool to get around most furnature. I was impressed with the suction from the vacuum, even before I noticed that I only had it turned up half way So I’ll try to sum up the pros and cons.

Pro:
Cool looking
Nice cord length and roll up storage
Wide reach on the attachments
Small size of the canister
Does a good job of sucking up small stuff
Bags are just more than $1 each (for the standard bags)
Easily turn on and off the roller on the power head
Both the hard floor attachment, and the power head easily go under beds and couches

Con:
Hard to deteach the hose from the canister for storage
Power head won’t work on bath mats

I’ll post again in a few months when I see how it’s holding up.
Rating: 5 / 5

I researched for a long time before deciding to purchase a vacuum. I went to the store to buy a Hoover, and came out with this Electrolux after my husband and a store employee convinced me it was a better vacuum. I got it because of the Electrolux name and the $100 rebate. Well, from the moment I put it together, I was sceptical of the way the pieces fit together. When you start the rug attachment, it takes off on you, which is kind of cool. It also cleans my carpets wonderfully! I don’t like the way the bare floor and other attachments just sit on it instead of attaching securely. I also find that the bare floor attachment doesn’t have much sucking power. I have also had trouble getting the rug attachment off. You have to step on something on it, and pull. For me, it isn’t easy, plus it seems as though it will eventually just break off. A few months ago, the rug attachment wouldn’t work and I discovered that a prong that is part of the handle connections was bent. Well a few weeks

ago, it snapped right off and I had to bring it to a repair facility. Luckily it is still under warranty. But I have only owned it for about 8 months and I only use it once a week. It shouldn’t be broken already. They just don’t make vacuums as sturdy as they used to be. We have a very old real Electrolux that was given to us, used, by my husbands parents and it still

works. Of course it is held together buy a shoestring and lots of duck tape! I also have trouble with the rug attachment sucking up things like the cover for the couch and then shutting off. It is very powerful so beware. I still haven’t gotten my vacuum back from the repair place, and they told me it might take a while depending on when Electrolux sends them the parts to fix it. I also have trouble finding the bags for it. Our old Electrolux, had bags you could find really cheap at any store, but not this one. I would not recommend this vacuum.
Rating: 2 / 5

After much research and reading these reviews, I decided to order the EL6988A to replace an old Kenmore canister. I found a much better price than the standard prices listed on most websites so research is important. My new vacuum arrived in one day with no shipping cost. To use a format used by another user which I found quite helpful:

Pro’s

Very eary to set up – took less than 5 minutes. Bag and filter already in machine

Light weight and easy to carry

Good power and suction control right at the handle

Washable HEPA filter (they say good for 2 – 3 years)

Well rated for control of dust, pollen and other irritants

Large floor attachment (along with other attachments)

Con’s

Small bag – but as someone said the cost is around $1.00 per bag which is not too bad

Attachments do not fit inside the machine (this is obviously due to the compact size of the vacuum which makes it light). A little inconvenient if you use attachments all the time.

Overall, it is a very good value with good features when compared to the prices for some of the other higher-end vacuums.

Rating: 5 / 5