I am considering adding a Eureka bagged "True HEPA" vacuum to my collection, model C5712A. This is the type with the bag enclosed in a hard plastic bin, so that the outflow air can be HEPA filters (thus neatly solving the dust spewing issue... I think!).

Anybody have an opinion on this vac? I'm assuming it's similar in design to the non-commercial Eureka upright that regularly gets top reviews in Consumer Reports, only maybe a bit more robust.

Of course, I don't really NEED another vacuum, but I'm truly curious to see if this one cleans any better or worse than those currently in house.

is this what you mean? i WONDER just how different this one is from the domestic model? noticed it has a 10 amp motor, which might be preferable over 12. somebody must know more about this one...

Yes, that's the one.

So far I've noticed that the power cord is longer (40 feet). The bags may be different as well. The C5712A uses "LS" bags, whereas I *think* the residential model uses "R" bags.

I had one similar to the one David posted and i liked it! I think i liked it because it was quiet. I don't have any really quiet vacuums anymore! Well... never really did! How come vacuums aren't quiet anymore?? Always wondered that!

Kyle

They're louder because they're more powerful. The sound will also tend to be higher in pitch to the older machines, making it much less pleasant than the purr of a vintage vac! And of course, plastic casing doesn't insulate the sound as well as metal casing. In many cases, the motors aren't as well-made as the older machines - the bearings wear out quicker. This is partly because they aren't as well-made to begin with (built-in obsolescence!), and partly because modern users tend to abuse their cleaners far more than previously because they're so cheap to replace now. In the past, people would save for months to buy a cleaner, and treat it with the upmost care! People don't expect their cleaners to last, and treat them accordingly...resulting in prematurely-aged motors!

Cyclonic cleaners are often the loudest because they have no bag filled with dust for the air to pass through, which helps muffle the sound in bagged machines. Also, with the exception of Dyson, most cyclonic cleaners let a large amount of dust get through the system and into the motor, which contributes to overheating and motor damage...

thanks for the info!

high-speed motors require more precise balancing. so do high-speed brushrolls. a poorly balanced motor/brushroll causes vibration. in my experience, many cleaner's noise issues result from vibration. the singer twin-fan (80s) is a good example of a cleaner that vibrates excessively, causing great noise. the plastic cabinets on some cleaners (Hoover Concept) sometimes AMPLIFY motor noise and vibration.

and suds, i thought only the compact Sanitaire lightweight model used the LS bags? not sure.

Swingette,

I got the impression that the commercial Eureka uses LS bags from their web site, which has a link to accessories for the model - and that brought up the LS bags.

I will be checking more on this over the weekend. I can get the $200 C5712A for $150 then.

I got the vac tonight after work, and just assembled it and used it for the first time.

It does use type LS bags, as well as a HEPA filter.

First impressions:

This cleaner is pleasantly quiet. This is a nice change from the bagless vacuums I've been using, which tend to have a lot of air noise.

The vacuum is well built, I think. It does have a mostly plastic body, with the tube for the handle being metal.

I like the 40 foot power cord - it allows me to vacuum multiple rooms from one outlet.

There is a headlight, but it's fairly low powered - and gets dimmer as the vacuum motor scrolls up. But I generally find vacuum headlights to be an iffy feature anyway.

The 5712 seems to work well both on carpets and hard floors. In fact this is the first corded vac I've used to sweep the kitchen and dining room hard floors with.

The suction at the hose seems very strong.

The packaging says this unit has a "commercial motor", which hopefully is going to last longer than the cheap Chinese motors discussed in other threads here.

What was really nice is the "Repair Parts List" booklet that comes with the vacuum. It even includes a part number for the motor, with several pages of full diagrams.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with this machine. It does suffer in comparison with other vacs in terms of its relatively narrow (12 inch) base nozzle, but this is probably a good thing as it concentrates the suction more than a really wide base would. I also find it much easier to manuver than a wider vac. I'm not overly thrilled with the machine having only one standard extention wand - the other one being a combination wand/crevice tool-but they look like standard issue Eureka wands and I probably have a spare somewhere if needed.

After the first vacuum session I did notice some very fine dust inside the bag compartment. This doesn't worry me too much because the HEPA filter will prevent anything from getting back to room air, however it's something I will be tracking.

The wheels are nice - the rear wheels have a soft rubber tread, much nicer than the hard plastic on other vacuums I've tried.

On this vac, the brush roll height selector actually works well, and in a positive manner.

The vac came with a spare belt and bag - nice touch.

Consdering that the HEPA filter on this vac will prevent any dust over 22 microns in size from re-entering the room air, and it uses nice Filteraire bags, I think this one could be a keeper.

glad you liked it. btw, i happen to be a believer in headlights. i like to make sure im not running over something like a coin. anyone who vacuums under a bed needs a lighted vacuum. also, ive written about using Hoovers at the hotel i work at. the sitting areas in the lobby are lit mostly by table lamps, bit shadowy. My heavy duty Hoovers and Eureka all have lights, and helped greatly. one of the lobby bar workers was watching me use my vintage commercial Eureka and said she wished the vacuum they used in the bar had a light. why not take some pics of your new Eureka?

Thanks, David. I thought of taking pics, but the machine is exactly the one you posted earlier in the thread. But I could take some shots of the bag compartment and heavy gauge extra long electrical cord... I suppose... lol...

I'm a little concerned about the dimming light... this means a voltage drop, and if the light isn't wired in series with the motor than that could be a problem. However, the room lights don't dim when the vacuum engages, so it's not as if the motor is drawing much more than its advertised 10 amps. I suppose I could use the light dimming as a visual indicator of motor overload, but the machine is supposed to have a thermal overload circuit breaker that will handle that anyway. I might try to put a more powerful bulb in the headlight - the current one looks like it's not much more than a typical automotive dashboard indicator lamp. Type 904.

This particular model is almost identical to the Contour household model. The main differences are the cord and handle. The contour has a shorter 2 wire cord and all plastic handle. And they both take the LS bags.

Do you have a link to the Contour model in question?

I ask because I searched the web for Contour vacs, and came up with several hits, but none of them are remotely similar to the C5712. The closest match I've found is a couple of Sanitaire models, which vary slightly in amps, cord length, and brush roll width. But basically the same design.

Things to look for: metal tubular handle; sealed HEPA with filter mounted on left hand side (when viewed from operator's position); 40 foot or longer power cord, and LS bags. The power cord on the C5712 is two wire, but a heavier gauge than a standard vac.

The Sanitaire SC5712 is the one on the left.

The main differences:

13 inch wide nozzle on Sanitaire SC5713, 12 inch wide on Eureka C5712;

Washable HEPA std on Sanitaire SC5713, dispo HEPA std on Eureka C5712(but washable HEPA filter avail for about $40);

Cord length probably 50 ft on Sanitaire SC5713 (not listed on mfg web site!), 40 ft on Eureka C5712;

Both use LS bags, HF/WHF5 HEPA filters, same premotor filter, 10 amp commercial motor, etc...