Kenmore 81214 200 Series Bagged Canister Vacuum Cleaning Tools, Orange

My Eureka Oxygen Vacuum of 24 years finally died.It was an excellent vacuum.I spent a lot of time researching vacuums to replace it.This Kenmore 81414, at first use, appears to be an excellent twin.Pluses:The canister follows me easily.With the hose attached at the top, it does not want to roll over when its pulled(I don't have stairs so don't know how it handles stairs)Hose is very sturdy.No crimping or collapsing.Attachments come on & off easily.++ for me is my Eureka attachments fit like they were made for the Kenmore.Cord is longer than my old vacuum.The tube adjusts up and down with a push of the button, easy for hands that are now painful.The canister weighs 11 pounds, lighter than my Eureka at 15 pounds.(one review called it super heavy at the online listing of 22 pounds.This weight must have been the canister, hose & carpet power brush!I actually weighed both canisters)Power carpet brush has an edge cleaner on Both Sides of the head.(It was hard to find a vacuum with a power carpet brush.Most use suction only)Noise level is about the same as the Eureka.The Eureka's description was listed as "quiet".Tho I suspect the newer vacuums may be quieter with new technology.Price point - at $239 (4-18-2024) it is not an arm & a leg like so many of the other brands.Negatives:Dusting brush is kind of wimpy.Not an issue for me as the Eureka duster fits well.Hose is a tad short.But the tube can be lengthened to compensate.Taller folks will like the extra length.This Kenmore has all the features I liked about my Eureka.You can even wash the motor filter, saving $$.Time will tell if it has the same staying power as the Eureka.Bravo for now!!!Oh, in re-reading my review I realized I didn't say anything about how the vacuum cleaned.It does a great job.Good suction.Very easy to change because the control is on the handle.Slides to switch on, carpet, bare floor and off.

Growing up, my family had a Kenmore canister vacuum cleaner that just wouldn't die.It must have lasted for more than 30 years.To this day, I still have and use the floor cleaning attachment.After years of using short-lived upright vacuum cleaners, including a series of somewhat weak battery-powered vacuums, I broke down and purchased this Kenmore 400 series canister vacuum cleaner.I've had it for several months and I’ve used it a number of times, so I now feel knowledgeable enough to give it a thorough review.What do I like about the Kenmore 400 series vacuum cleaner? First of all, it is an extremely powerful vacuum cleaner, with plenty of suction. The suction level is adjustable to facilitate vacuuming more delicate things such as curtains. However, for floors and most of my other uses, I keep the vacuum suction level on maximum.I really like that the vacuum cleaner has an automatic shut off of the rotating brush when it encounters rug fringe and other items that could tear and get jammed in the rotating head. We have wooden floors throughout our house and lots of area rugs with fringe.(Many are missing fringe because of previous vacuums that would voraciously attack the fringe and not release it voluntarily.) This shutoff function activates extremely quickly and usually before any damage is done! Simply turn the vacuum cleaner off and then back on to resume using the rotating head. I like that the wand can be extended as it enables one to find just the right wand length for their particular height.That feature is a back saver!I also love the controls located on the wand handle.Very convenient!What don’t I like about the vacuum cleaner?  Well, I find it difficult to pull the cleaner easily and on a straight line using the hose. The canister has two large wheels in the back, each with rubber treads, and one small rotating wheel in the front.  However, it simply does not pull easily, and it rarely pulls in a straight line, probably because I’m pulling it by the hose. I would like for it to be a little easier to pull, so that I can exert less energy moving it from one location to another.  It also gets a little tiring having to frequently redirect the device from pieces of furniture, door jambs, and anything else that it can find to get stuck on. Another thing that I don’t particularly care for is the attachment holder that attaches to the wand itself. I have a tendency to knock the whole assembly off when I change hand positions, and the hose attachments occasionally fall off too. I would much prefer something that’s permanently mounted, preferably on the vacuum cleaner itself, rather than being on the wand. The other thing that’s a minor annoyance is that the small floor attachment doesn’t really lock into position in its designated cubby on the vacuum cleaner. So, it occasionally falls out when I carry the vacuum by its handle. Overall, however, I really like the vacuum cleaner, and especially it’s powerful suction, powerful, rotating head, and the fact that it gets my floors cleaner than they’ve ever been with any other vacuum cleaner. So, I can overlook some of the vacuum cleaner's quirks to enjoy the level of cleanliness the vacuum provides.

This is a review of the Kenmore 81214 200 Series bagged canister vacuum cleaner. The full model number is 125.81214610. I bought this to replace a Kenmore vacuum that was more than ten years old. That one ran fine and continued to do a good job of cleaning carpet. It failed because the wand connections stopped working. Nevertheless, it earned my customer loyalty because I stuck with the Kenmore brand.This new Kenmore 200 Series has excellent suction and a very effective beater brush that turns on and off at the handle. To turn on the vacuum, you must use a foot switch on the canister section (or bend over and push it by hand). In vacuuming the same floors I have always cleaned, I noticed that the cord is about three feet shorter than before. The way the hose attaches to the canister is also different. The connector sticks straight up from the canister instead of arching over parallel with the floor. It still allows the canister to be pulled around effectively. There are the same large plastic wheels and the same rubber bumper as before, and the noise level is the same. So I hardly noticed the difference between the old one and the new one except that the new model cleans better and quicker.There is no attachment for cleaning carpeted stair steps with this model. From my point of view, that was a plus because it apparently simplifies the wand connections and keeps the cost reasonable, and I don't have any carpeted stairs anyway. Also the head does not swivel left and right, but I hardly miss that feature. The bracket that allows the basic attachments to ride on the wand is a bother. I just keep those pieces in the closet and get them out when I need them.This model has HEPA filtration and uses the Kenmore C bags which are easy to find in stores. This keeps all the dust and dirt contained and easy to dispose of. Overall this is a fine cleaner at a good price point.