| OptiFlow Canister Vacuum Cleaner, 360 Degree Swivel Hose, Easy Grip Handle, On/Off switch on body, Bare Floor Switch on handle, Performance Indicator, Power Nozzle Overload Protector, 24-inch Cord with Automatic Cord Reel, Powerful 12 Amp Motor, 3-Stage HEPA Filter System, Tools on-board include: Dusting Brush, crevice tool, 14-inch Nozzle, Headlight, 4-Position Chrome Wand, 6-inch Hose, Removable Outflow Bag Caddy, Replacement accessories: Dust Bag (AMC-J3EP), HEPA Filter (AMV95K5J0H0P) |
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 Will thrill the clean freak in you! |
| Review Date: December 24, 2008 |
| Reviewer: A. Boston, Boston, MA United States |
Update March '10: I just wanted to say I've had this vac for over a year now, and still use it at least twice a week(and look forward to using it) to maintain my hardwood floors. I absolutely love it!
Original review: I am a self professed clean freak. We have 2 cats that I am allergic to, so the floors being clean is especially important to me. This Panasonic vac has made me very happy! I live in a 2nd floor apartment with a carpeted hallway downstairs and carpeted stairs, as well as a back enclosed porch that has this faux grassy turf stuff(hello 70's!) which houses our kitty litter box & the rest of my apartment is hardwood floors with linoleum in the kitchen. I've used it everywhere and it's AMAZING! As someone described it to me, it will 'suck chrome off a tow hitch', which sounds a little funny -- but that is the power it has.
Putting it together is easy and will take a matter of minutes, but be careful that you put the metal poles together correctly, otherwise you won't have power to the vac head that you push on the floor. It took me a bit to figure out that I had made this error in my hast to get it together and use it.
The power button is on the handle, which I thought was an absolutely must have feature. There would be nothing worse then trying to find a button on the unit behind you. You can also switch it from carpet to bare floor with this button, so it's an seamless transition. That button makes it effortless for me to vacuum my little area rugs that are on my hardwood floors and in the kitchen. When using the carpet setting the light comes on the vacuum head and it self propels on its own making it very easy and lightweight to use. The canister was gliding along behind me no problem. I took care of my entire apartment in about 15-20 minutes.
Another of my favorite features is that the cord goes inside the body of the canister and can be sucked back in with the push of a button. No fiddling around with getting it raveled back up, which is something I particularly hate about my upright. This one also adjusts heights with a little foot pedal from x-low to high so if you have short carpet or tall shaggy rugs, it should work amazingly.
I right away took care of my front carpeted stairs, since they haven't been done in some time. We only had an upright vac previously and I found it impossible to do the stairs with that. My boyfriend tried it once or twice, but it honestly just does not get the nooks and crannies. With this new Panasonic vacuum, I maneuvered it around and then went back and got the nooks after easily removing the vac head. I was even able to hold the canister while I did it, which makes it extremely lightweight and not at all cumbersome to vacuum in odd locations.
The only cons for me -- I would love if this was a bagless vac. I hate having to find bags. That feature would make this the absolute star of vacuums to me. Also, if I could strap this baby on my back and not have to roll it around(especially for doing stairs!), that would be thrilling, but it's not a make or break, just something I'd personally like.
I've never had a canister vacuum and after using this one, don't know how I existed without one! Thank you Panasonic for helping me keep my house clean with ease!
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As Powerful As They Come
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| Review Date: January 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Avid Reviewer, San Jose, CA |
I'm simply thrilled by how well the Panasonic MC-CG885 cleans! At 12 Amps, this vacuum cleaner is as powerful as they come! The powerful suction helps in tackling large areas with amazing speed and ease. It works very well on both bare floor and high pile carpets. On carpets, the motorized beater brush provides plenty of torque to quickly loosen any deeply embedded dirt or pet hair. It should take at most a couple of passes to clean an area, even on very dense carpets.
Attachments
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- Cleaning Attachments:
The only fault I can find with it is the lack of an upholstery tool and a floor brush. Besides the main bare floor/carpet attachment, the unit comes with only (1) a small dusting brush and (2) a crevice tool. For the most part though, the lack of a floor brush attachment is not a big deal since bare floor/carpet attachment is really light and maneuverable. Besides, I use my Shark Cordless Hand Vac in conjunction with the Panasonic to tackle the hard-to-reach areas. For upholstery cleaning, I suppose the dusting brush will have to do.
Pluses
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- Lengthy Power Cord
The length of the retractable power cord is 28 feet, so it provides PLENTY of slack for even the largest rooms. It can be quickly retracted by pressing a button.
- 4 Adjustible Heights
The height of the floor/carpet cleaning attachment can be adjusted for vacuuming bare floor and low pile to high pile carpets. There are 4 height settings: XLO, LO, MED, HI.
- Quick and Easy Assembly/Dissembly
The unit can be quickly assembled for use and quickly dissembled for storage after use.
- Easy-To-Clean Beater Brush
The motorized beater brush, unlike those on some vacuum cleaners, can be easily cleaned -- no more impossibly tangled mass of hair and filth on the brushes.
- HEPA Air Filter
The tiniest amount of dust in the air can trigger my nasal allergies (that's why I use a Honeywell Air Filter). If you're an allergy sufferer like me, you'll appreciate the Hepa filter on this vac, which traps the smallest dust particles to prevent them from being released back into the air.
- Economical Replacement Bags
The replacement bags are easy to replace without causing dirt and dust to spill out and make a mess. A brand new bag may look small, but the slightly elastic material will stretch out as needed to contain the dust and dirt as it fills up. Each bag can actually hold a lot. The vacuum uses the Panasonic AMC-J3EP replacement bags - they come in a 4-pack and are very affordably priced. (Note: this vacuum comes with a vacuum bag included.)
Ergonomics
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- The Power Switch/Slider has 3 modes: Off, Floor, Carpet. It is conveniently located on the handle and is designed to be operated with the thumb of the hand holding the handle of the unit. This makes it possible to maneuver the wand while freeing up your other hand to reposition the cannister when needed.
- For those who are right-handed, the handle is free to rotate up to 90 degrees counter-clockwise to help accommodate the natural position of the wrist. Sorry, lefties, this ergonomic feature is designed only for those who are right-handed.
Conclusion
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Last but not least, I must mention this thing is a beauty, so it won't be an eyesore when it's not tucked away in a closet. It's well-designed and looks to be very well-constructed - I'm looking forward to using it for many years to come. For me, the only drawback is the limited cleaning attachments. Still, I have rated it 5-stars based on its impressive cleaning ability, ergonomic design, and looks. Yes, the price is steep, but price aside, if you're looking for a powerful vacuum cleaner that's easy to use and maintain, the Panasonic MC-CG885 OptiFlow Vacuum Cleaner is it.
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Great Vacuum
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| Review Date: August 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Scientist, Minneapolis, MN United States |
I bought this vacuum to replace my upright Eureka, which was driving me crazy due to its noise. In addition, you cannot go under the bed without removing the mattresses. Finally, I could not turn off the brush when going over the bare floor, which resulted in scattering the small rocks from shoes all over the place.
All problems are gone now. The Panasonic is very quiet. Cannot directly compare to Electrolux Harmony (I tried it in store with higher background noise), but seems to be very close. It's not like you can vacuum in the same room with a sleeping person, but you can safely do it in the nearby room with a shut door.
The brush is 100% identical to the brush on the Kenmore vacuums (made by Panasonic). However, the design of the vacuum itself is very different. No large ugly wheels (while still rolling fine on high carpet). The canister looks like a droplet, very cute. The white color is more like light grey.
The vacuum comes with only one bag, so stock up on extra ones. They are relatively small. However, due to the OptiFlow design, it sucks the air from all sides of the bag, allowing it to fill up completely without losing suction. And the suction is great! There is also a HEPA filter in the vacuum, which IS included, unlike with other higher-priced brands.
The only gripe I have is I wish it had a handle on top, not front, to pull it while vacuuming (like Electroluxes have).
Other than that, no problems. Love it. |
Really Happy with it!
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| Review Date: September 6, 2009 |
| Reviewer: G. D. Wildman, Cape Cod MA |
| Bought this vacuum because I owned one similar to it in years past and really liked it. Was looking for a light weight canister. My last vac. was a Dyson and although it picked everything up, it was too heavy and cumbersome for me. I also am not a fan of bagless vac's since they tend to get so dirty and need to be taken apart to clean so frequently. This vacuum picks up all the pet hair (2 dogs, 3 cats) and everything else. It's SO much easier to manuveur and goes under the bed easily. I really like the bags. Yeah, they're still more money than a bagless, but they've got filters built in and I feel like the air in my house is cleaner after using them (always felt that there was dust in the air from the Dyson). Very happy with my purchase! |
Excellent Vacuum Cleaner - 1st Time Canister Users
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| Review Date: January 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Tarun Chachra, Hillsborough, NJ |
Hello All.
A bit of background....
We are a large family with 3 kids...two of them 6 and one 12.
There are lots of opportunities to vacuum our carpets, hard wood floors, and our ceramic tiles in the kitchen.... Vacuuming is easier then sweeping...on tiles and floors.
We have bought various vacuums, all uprights. The latest addition was the ORECK classic upright...because of its weight and guaranteed suction.
I am no fanatic of 4-5-600 vacuum cleaners..because in the end they all have issues.
The Panasonic vacuum was packaged well and was easily unpacked, setup, and ready to go.
We have used it daily for about 2 weeks now and we vacuum about 2 times a day....(especially when the kids were home for the holiday break) otherwise it is once a day. The unit is lightweight and comes with a standard set of accessories for a canister. A brush, a blade type accessory etc. It is a bag unit....as the description says. The cleaning power of this vacuum is notable. As I said...we have been through a lot of up right vacuum's and thus my comparison may be on the weak side...but I am quite positive that this thing out sucks a Oreck classic (excuse the pun).
The unit sets up very easily. The hoses can be detached at two locations....one towards the bottom using your foot so that you get an extended cleaning hose...and one right at the handle for the shortened version.... The power switch is at the handle and has 3 positions (Carpet, Floor, and OFF)....very convenient to have the switch easily available to your thumb to switch modes. The motorized brush has a floor, low pile, and high pile setting which is easily changed by tapping your foot on the button....there is a display window that shows the setting.... The light works as intended.
The best part, for me, was the ability to be on the carpet one moment..using my foot to detach the the motorized brush and move to the floor...change the setting to floor...and then quickly move back to the carpet.. VERY easy.
The filtration seems plentiful and thus if you have dust allergies or other allergens floating around...this will definitely help a bit.
I have read that Panasonic makes all of the Kenmore canister vac's also...that is proof positive that this is an excellent product. I cannot compare its pricing as I have not shopped for a canister vac...however I can tell you that my days of purchasing OTC (over the counter) Uprights are over...I have had it with replacing vac's every year/two. This one is a keeper and we will be buying a second unit as a gift very soon.
Pros:
Light Weight
Wind up Cord
Filtration
Ease of Use
Build Quality
Cons:
N/A
Excellent item.....
Update 1-12-09
WE have donated all of our old vacuum's to the salvation army and decided that we will make this unit our main household unit. It is doing a great job of cleaning and has not lost any suction power thus far. The bag is half full. It is a great unit.
Update 03-19-09
The vacuum continues to run flawlessly. We were finally able to order replacement bags and could not be happier with the performance of this unit. |
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