A quick look at the Electrolux UltraSilencer EL6984a

Hi Stephen,

I too bought the North American 120volt version of the Electrolux UltraSilencer Green (model 6984A)....and I love it! For the money, it is the best non-carpet home cleaner on the market.

As many of you know, I use Consumer Reports testing a lot to help me save time and money in my purchases. I sold my stainless steel Hoover Constellation because I could not get used to having its exhaust blow the dirt on the floor around before I could suck it up. And so 2 years ago I went on the hunt for a canister vac that could do everything but carpets well (my Hoover Tempo does an excellent job on my carpets).

The Consumer Reports website has a feature which allows you to filter out tested vacuums which don't meet your specific standards. I set the filters for "very good" or "excellent" test results for the following - bare floor cleaning, airflow through the hose for tool use, noise, filtration, ease of use. I left out the following categories - carpet cleaning, pet hair removal - neither of these mattered to me. I then sorted the resulting 9 vacs by cost from least expensive to more expensive.

What I ended up with was the Electrolux UltraSilencer Green EX6984A at the very top of the list (least expensive) and in number 2 place was the Miele S2120 Olympus in white (similar to the red Miele Contour in Canada sold at Canadian Tire for CAD$400).

Both of these vacs have "very good" test results in the category of "hose airflow for tool use" which to me is the primary reason you would by a canister vacuum cleaner. Most canisters seem to do excellent on "bare floor" cleaning these days so it's really not a factor.

So why did I choose the Electrolux over the Miele? First, it was $50 cheaper than the Miele....I bought it for CAD$350 at a local vac store in Toronto. The Miele is always being sold for CAD$400 here in Canada. Second, I actually think the Electrolux has a 7-foot hose when you include the foot long hose handle at the end. Third, the Electrolux is quieter than the Miele believe it or not! Even on the high power setting, I can listen to music or carry on a telephone conversation while vacuuming. On low power, the sound of air rushing through the hose is actually louder than the motor's noise. Finally, I chose the Electrolux because the hose end has a standard diameter and can take any standard attachments. The dusting brush does not have a thick enough set of soft bristles for scratchfree furniture dusting but I can easily fit a nice Sears Kenmore dusting brush with real horse-hair bristles onto the Electrolux hose for dusting. In upholstery nozzle mode, the Electrolux combo tool is great! The adjustable wings make it extremely efficient to dust the "ridges" and folds of draperies and curtains.

This Electrolux also has a washable HEPA exhaust filter which is nice to have.

My only gripe about the UltraSilencer Green is that there really is no on-board tool storage like the Miele. The combo tool hangs precariously on a clip on the hose handle and there is no provision whatsoever for the little crevice tool. This is astonishing considering both are very small and light and could have fit nicely in a tool compartment on the canister itself. But not a big problem for me - I have always used a separate box for all my vac accessories and I use a covered Rubbermaid plastic file box to hold all the tools and my vacuum bags and filters and belts for my Hoover. I plan to buy a little Electrolux turbo nozzle which will go there as well.

I love the "Dust Magnet" carpet/floor nozzle on this vac! The neck articulates beautifully so that it stays flat on the ground no matter what angle you have the wand, and the internal floating suction channel actually does a pretty good job of cleaning surface litter off carpets! Consumer Reports rated this vac as having "good" carpet cleaning ability in competition with other power nozzle canisters. So it's actually quite useful to do the little mat inside my entry door and to even dust my bed's comforter in a few passes.

It's important for all to understand that Electrolux now uses the label "UltraSilencer" on a variety of canister vac models that are not even similar to the EX6984A. The black UltraSilencer Green we are talking about in this thread is almost identical in body style and form to what we in North America know as the Electrolux Harmony - sold at first in North America in dark orange, then in silver/lime green at Lowe's. For some reason, Consumer Reports tests show better airflow for tool use on the black version compared to the orange and silver/lime green Harmony version. So if you can find this black one made of the recycled plastic, you'll get better airflow for above the floor cleaning.

I am really pleased with this Electrolux! It's a pleasure to use! Here is a video clip of someone using 220volt European version - model ZUSG3000:

CLICK HERE TO GO TO eurekaprince's LINK


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Post# 206336 11/10/2012 at 03:23 (4,184 days old) by stephenk ()
Checkrate/Likes I just bought this new-to-me Electrolux UltraSilencer EL6984a. I’ve only had it a couple days, but I thought people here might be interested in seeing it. Below you’ll find my initial impressions. I wanted a new vac that would be good for hard floors and upholstery, so this vac is a good fit. My current home doesn’t have any carpets. I strongly prefer non-Chinese products, which was one of the things that led me to this model. It’s made in Hungary. I also consider noise an important feature. This vac is unbelievably quiet, but more on that later. This is also a “green” model. It’s partially made from recycled plastic. Electrolux also offers what looks like an identical model without the “green” designation. That models is the EL6986a. Some online retailers say the EL6984a has been discontinued, but it’s still listed on the Electrolux website with a $399 MSRP. I paid significantly less than that for my slightly used model. Here’s what the vac looks like assembled and ready for storage in the closet. CLICK HERE TO GO TO stephenk's LINK

Post# 206337 , Reply# 1 11/10/2012 at 03:27 (4,184 days old) by stephenk ()
Checkrate/Likes This vac has high-quality attachments. The extension tube is metal and it telescopes. The floor tool is better made than the others I own. The combo upholstery tool/dust brush tool is a little cheesy, but I haven’t used it enough to form a better opinion. One big negative - I think the hose is too short. This model has a 6 -foot hose. Some similar models have 9-foot hoses. Before I bought this vac, I’d been using my Stihl SE 61 vac for general vacuuming. It has a 2.5m (8.2 ft) hose and it’s much better. When using the Electrolux, the hose isn’t long enough to easily vacuum cobwebs or dust at the top of the walls. It’s inconvenient to reach that far. I also find it less convenient to use when vacuuming hard floors. This is just my opinion, of course. E2

Post# 206338 , Reply# 2 11/10/2012 at 03:28 (4,184 days old) by stephenk ()
Checkrate/Likes Here’s a closer look at the canister. The large sliding switch is the motor suction control. It adjusts the RPM of the motor, which increases or reduces the suction. The green button is the on/off switch. The black button retracts the cord. The bag is accessed through the cover on the front of the vac. The HEPA filter is accessed through a cover on the rear of the vac. There is a carrying handle, but it’s folded back in this pic.

Post# 206339 , Reply# 3 11/10/2012 at 03:28 (4,184 days old) by stephenk ()
Checkrate/Likes Here’s a look under the front cover. I was impressed to see a seal around the cover (marked with arrow). There’s a plastic caddy that holds the bag in place. To replace the bag you remove the caddy, swap bags and then put the caddy and bag back in place. There’s also a pre-motor filter behind the bag, but you can’t see it in this pic.

Post# 206340 , Reply# 4 11/10/2012 at 03:30 (4,184 days old) by stephenk ()
Checkrate/Likes Here’s how you access the HEPA filter. You have to remove this cover, which holds in place what appears to be a final foam filter. This picture also shows the carrying handle in the up position.

Post# 206341 , Reply# 5 11/10/2012 at 03:31 (4,184 days old) by stephenk ()
Checkrate/Likes The HEPA filtration on this vac is better than I expected. I thought it would just be a cheap add-on filter that might not do much. I’m no expert on these vas, but it appears to be a sealed system. It looks like the exhaust from the motor is forced through the HEPA filter. There’s a seal around the filter and the cover forces the filter down against the seal, creating a tight fit.

Post# 206342 , Reply# 6 11/10/2012 at 03:32 (4,184 days old) by stephenk ()
Checkrate/Likes Here are my initial impressions: -The vac has good build quality, including nice attachments and a decent filtering system. -It’s really, really quiet. I read reviews online saying it was very quiet, but I thought it would be louder than it is. I thought my Stihl SE 61 vac was quiet, but it’s loud compared to the Electrolux. In a recent Consumer Reports test, only four vacs were rated “Excellent” for noise. Three were Electrolux UltraSilencer models and the fourth was the Miele S 6290. -Very good suction. The Stihl is rated at 71” of H20 and the Electrolux seems to have more suction, although I don’t have a spec for the Electrolux. -The hose on the Electrolux is too short. I’ll need to use it more before I form a final opinion, but I may look into replacing the hose with a longer version from another vacuum model.

Post# 206355 , Reply# 7 11/10/2012 at 11:18 (4,184 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota)
Checkrate/Likes *They seem nice* I tried two ultra silencers at lowes they seem like pretty nice vacuums overall the only thing that concerned me about them was the issues they've had with the buttons/switches on the hoses on the power nozzle models but other than that they were so quiet, they had powerful suction and seemed to have pretty good airflow, overall they are pretty impressive

Post# 206357 , Reply# 8 11/10/2012 at 11:52 (4,184 days old) by stephenk ()
Checkrate/Likes I wasn't aware that buttons on the hose were a problem with these models. But, I didn't really research that, since I was only interested in the models without the powerhead. This one doesn't have any buttons or electronics on the hose because it doesn't have the powerhead.

Post# 206390 , Reply# 10 11/10/2012 at 18:32 (4,183 days old) by electromatik (Taylorsville, North Carolina, U.S.A.)
Checkrate/Likes They seem to me to be fairly decent machines. Although I must admit I hate to see Electrolux on them. People think they are the Electrolux grandma had. It seems as though the Swedish inventor of the original Electrolux spawned 3 companies. American Electrolux, which became Aerus today, Lux International (the original decendent of the first Luxes), and Electrolux corporation (who added thier name to the Lux tanks first). The present day company using Electrolux name on it's vacuums is wholly divorced from the original Lux. It's really quite a confusing historical journey.

Post# 206376 , Reply# 9 11/10/2012 at 15:36 (4,184 days old) by Vacuumfreeeke ()
Checkrate/Likes I've seen a few videos of that on Youtube, and they do seem cool... thanks for sharing here. I still one one of the bigger ones with a power nozzle, but would never pay what they ask new for one.... I think that's a perfect machine for a situation like you have with no carpets.

Post# 206391 , Reply# 11 11/10/2012 at 19:05 (4,183 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Hi Stephen, I too bought the North American 120volt version of the Electrolux UltraSilencer Green (model 6984A)....and I love it! For the money, it is the best non-carpet home cleaner on the market. As many of you know, I use Consumer Reports testing a lot to help me save time and money in my purchases. I sold my stainless steel Hoover Constellation because I could not get used to having its exhaust blow the dirt on the floor around before I could suck it up. And so 2 years ago I went on the hunt for a canister vac that could do everything but carpets well (my Hoover Tempo does an excellent job on my carpets). The Consumer Reports website has a feature which allows you to filter out tested vacuums which don't meet your specific standards. I set the filters for "very good" or "excellent" test results for the following - bare floor cleaning, airflow through the hose for tool use, noise, filtration, ease of use. I left out the following categories - carpet cleaning, pet hair removal - neither of these mattered to me. I then sorted the resulting 9 vacs by cost from least expensive to more expensive. What I ended up with was the Electrolux UltraSilencer Green EX6984A at the very top of the list (least expensive) and in number 2 place was the Miele S2120 Olympus in white (similar to the red Miele Contour in Canada sold at Canadian Tire for CAD$400). Both of these vacs have "very good" test results in the category of "hose airflow for tool use" which to me is the primary reason you would by a canister vacuum cleaner. Most canisters seem to do excellent on "bare floor" cleaning these days so it's really not a factor. So why did I choose the Electrolux over the Miele? First, it was $50 cheaper than the Miele....I bought it for CAD$350 at a local vac store in Toronto. The Miele is always being sold for CAD$400 here in Canada. Second, I actually think the Electrolux has a 7-foot hose when you include the foot long hose handle at the end. Third, the Electrolux is quieter than the Miele believe it or not! Even on the high power setting, I can listen to music or carry on a telephone conversation while vacuuming. On low power, the sound of air rushing through the hose is actually louder than the motor's noise. Finally, I chose the Electrolux because the hose end has a standard diameter and can take any standard attachments. The dusting brush does not have a thick enough set of soft bristles for scratchfree furniture dusting but I can easily fit a nice Sears Kenmore dusting brush with real horse-hair bristles onto the Electrolux hose for dusting. In upholstery nozzle mode, the Electrolux combo tool is great! The adjustable wings make it extremely efficient to dust the "ridges" and folds of draperies and curtains. This Electrolux also has a washable HEPA exhaust filter which is nice to have. My only gripe about the UltraSilencer Green is that there really is no on-board tool storage like the Miele. The combo tool hangs precariously on a clip on the hose handle and there is no provision whatsoever for the little crevice tool. This is astonishing considering both are very small and light and could have fit nicely in a tool compartment on the canister itself. But not a big problem for me - I have always used a separate box for all my vac accessories and I use a covered Rubbermaid plastic file box to hold all the tools and my vacuum bags and filters and belts for my Hoover. I plan to buy a little Electrolux turbo nozzle which will go there as well. I love the "Dust Magnet" carpet/floor nozzle on this vac! The neck articulates beautifully so that it stays flat on the ground no matter what angle you have the wand, and the internal floating suction channel actually does a pretty good job of cleaning surface litter off carpets! Consumer Reports rated this vac as having "good" carpet cleaning ability in competition with other power nozzle canisters. So it's actually quite useful to do the little mat inside my entry door and to even dust my bed's comforter in a few passes. It's important for all to understand that Electrolux now uses the label "UltraSilencer" on a variety of canister vac models that are not even similar to the EX6984A. The black UltraSilencer Green we are talking about in this thread is almost identical in body style and form to what we in North America know as the Electrolux Harmony - sold at first in North America in dark orange, then in silver/lime green at Lowe's. For some reason, Consumer Reports tests show better airflow for tool use on the black version compared to the orange and silver/lime green Harmony version. So if you can find this black one made of the recycled plastic, you'll get better airflow for above the floor cleaning. I am really pleased with this Electrolux! It's a pleasure to use! Here is a video clip of someone using 220volt European version - model ZUSG3000: CLICK HERE TO GO TO eurekaprince's LINK

Post# 206392 , Reply# 12 11/10/2012 at 19:07 (4,183 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes That Electrolux UltraSilencer is very nice. It looks like it would be easy to use, the tools look like they function well, & it's nice to see it has a good filtration system. BUT, having said that, I would take a Miele S2 Olympus over this. The build quality & filtration would be so much better, & the Miele sells for $100 less, at $299. Plus a HUGE disadvantage the UltraSilencer has is it cannot add an electric hose, wand & PN later if desired, yet this can be done with the Miele S2 Olympus. Rob

Post# 206393 , Reply# 13 11/10/2012 at 19:19 (4,183 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Hi Christopher....it's actually the other way around...... :-) Truth is, the Electrolux vacs you are now seeing in North America are actually closer to the "original" Swedish Electrolux vac company - they are all now sporting the Swedish Electrolux typeface and logo and are being designed in Europe. The North American "Electrolux" companies that sold vacs in the USA and Canada from 1968 to 2008 were actually the companies and vacs which were "wholly" divorced from the original European company. All they had was the right to use the Swedish "Electrolux" name in North America - a name which they gave back to the original owners of the name in 2008. It was the Europeans at Electrolux who originally developed the canister vacuum cleaner. It was the Americans at Hoover who originally developed the upright vacuum cleaner. More floors in Europe, more wall-to-wall carpeting in North America. Just Google the history of Electrolux and you can read about the corporate acrobatics that resulted in all the confusion... :-) Eurekaprince Brian :-)