Eureka 4870GZ Smart-Vac

Hello Readers,

Well, the move from text to video is proving difficult. Your Sensei is still trying to find a decent camera, if anyone out there has any advice on a good camera for internet movies let me know! The script is written, actually the first three scripts are written, we’re just waiting on my of my tech savvy helpers to have a little extra time to start production. He wants to have a career in movies and film; I promised him credits!

Vacuum Review: Eureka 4870GZ Smart-Vac
Vacuum Rating: 4 stars out of 5 for impressive unique features, solid performance, and an excellent track record.
Price: $149.99

Anyway, in lieu of a video review I thought it was high time I bring my readers another in depth, text based vacuum review. I’ve decided to take a close look at the Eureka 4870GZ Eureka Boss. It’s an extremely popular vacuum cleaner and deserves a close look!

Air Selector Switch
There was one feature in particular that caught my eye. When I’m vacuuming my house and I disconnect the hose to dust or pick up a few rebellious scraps of paper, I always wonder how much more powerful the suction of the hose would be if ALL the suction was directed through the suction hose. Well, the Eureka 4870GZ Boss Smart Vac is one of the first vacuum cleaners to let me know! The Eureka 4870GZ includes what Eureka calls an Air Selector Switch that directs all the suction from the cleaning head to the suction hose and vice versa. It’s a remarkable feature!

HEPA Filter
If you’ve read more than a few pages of my vacuum review site, you’ll notice that I really like vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters. That’s because they reduce a lot of dust and allergens that cause people like me allergies and sleeping problems. The Eureka 4870GZ comes equipped with a HEPA filter.

Replaceable Light Bulb
Okay, this was another one of the features I was impressed with. Most vacuum cleaners with built in headlights require users to go through a long, drawn out process to replace the light. The Eureka 4870GZ includes simple instructions for removing a burnt out bulb, something I think the vacuum industry in general should emulate. It’s a little thing, but it’s a little thing I really like about the Eureka Boss.

Suction Power
I don’t have too much to say on this subject. I can sum up my sentiments with the word “extremely satisfied”. Definitely not the most powerful upright on the market, but you’re not going to be disappointed.

Price
I’m satisfied with the price, you might want to check on Amazon every now and then for sales and price breaks.

Assembly
Assembly for the Eureka 4870GZ requires attaching the vacuum handle and screwing in a few screws. It should take all of 5 minutes for the average person.

What I Didn’t Like
Overall, the Eureka Boss 4870GZ is a strong showing from Eureka. The only complaint I have is with the Power Paw. I was not impressed with it’s performance.

Eureka 4870HZ Boss Review

Hello!

Vacuum Review: Eureka 4870HZ Boss Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuum Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5 for mediocre suction power, and saving from 2 stars for a sealed HEPA filter system.

Vacuum Sensei here, just got done with another long, hot day at the shop. I really wish the air conditioning repairman would get here! I think my lack of air conditioning is costing me 5 customers a day! Anyway, your Sensei has decided to soldier on and type out another vacuum review based on the notes from his note pad. Today, I bring you a review of the Eureka 4870HZ Boss Vacuum Cleaner.

There are several vacuum cleaners in Eureka’s Boss line and the 4870HZ is the big daddy of all the Boss models. This vacuum runs in the $180-$190 price range and comes with a couple extras to separate itself from the rest of the vacuum cleaners in this line.

When I write a review I always check the official vacuum manual to see what assembly is like, then I’ll have one of the Padawans take it apart and put it back together to see how long it took and how difficult it was. I found assembly for the Eureka Boss 4870HZ was a little more taxing than most other vacuums on the market these days. It’s not a big deal, but if you’re the type of person who likes instant gratification there’s a lot of other models that require significantly less assembly.

What sets the 4870HZ Vacuum Cleaner apart from all others in the Eureka Boss line is a sealed HEPA Vacuum Filter. Remember, a vacuum with an unsealed HEPA filter is basically useless because unsealed vacuums exhaust air that isn’t filtered. Eureka thinks a sealed HEPA filter system is worth about $20 bucks more than the next best vacuum and your Sensei agrees. I suffer from allergies and a sealed HEPA filter system on my vacuum cleaner is a must!

Most high end vacuums have built in heat sensors that shut the vacuum off automatically to prevent you from damaging your vacuum cleaner. The Eureka 4870HZ is equipped with just such a heat detection system and it may turn off on you if you’re cleaning out your car on a hot day.

For a vacuum cleaner that costs nearly $200 I wasn’t impressed with the suction power. The rotating agitator brush on the other hand more than made up for suction. It’s extremely strong and stirs up a lot of the dirt that lay deep inside your carpet.

All right, that does it for your Sensei today. I’m going home to drown my sweating body in my pool.

Eureka 71A Hand Held Review

Vacuum Review: Eureka 71A Hand Held Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuum Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5 for having adequate cleaning power and a couple cool features but failing to deliver customer value and a cordless design.

Konichiwa! Today your Sensei has a review of the Eureka 71A Hand-Held Vacuum. It’s not that often I get a hand held vacuum here at the dojo. Most people don’t bother to bring them in unless they’re covered under warranty. These things are simple enough to make so a vast majority of hand vacs outlive the length of their warranty and when they do break down it’s usually cheaper to buy a new one. Fortunately for my readers a cheapskate came in asking to have the Eureka 71A Hand Held Vacuum repaired.

After I gave this man an estimate of $27 to fix his hand vac he said “no thanks.” I stopped the man just as he went for the door and said “I could use it, I’ll give you $10 bucks.” The man agreed and your Sensei has repaired the hand vac and gave it a thorough review. This is what your Sensei found.

The Eureka 71A has a very similar look and feel to the Power Paw included with some Eureka Upright Vacuums. If you read my thoughts on the Power Paw you’ll know I really, really liked it. Just like its counterpart the Eureka 71A Hand Held Vac has lots and lots of power for a hand held and picks up plenty of dirt.

The 71A Vacuum by Eureka separates itself from a lot of hand helds by including a built in vacuum. You’re probably buying a hand held to clean hard to reach areas and the rectangular design of most hand helds prevents users from taking full advantage of the portability they offer. An on board suction hose allows you to reach places you normally couldn’t with your average hand held vacuum cleaner and your Sensei really likes this feature.

Another thing your Sensei likes is the spinning brush head. This is a relatively new trend in hand helds and it looks like it’s catching on. Your Sensei prefers spinning brush head hand helds over the conventional style because spinning brushes or “agitators” loosen up dirt and dust in your carpet or upholstery making it easier for your vacuum to pick up.

However, your Sensei can’t give this hand held vacuum cleaner his best 5 star rating. I’m really of vacuums that don’t do what they’re supposed to do well. A hand held vacuum cleaner is supposed to be quick and easy to use, put away, and store. Unfortunately, the Eureka 71A is powered with an electrical cord rather than batteries. It’s not convenient to reach high to vacuum out cob webs or go behind your couch if you’re tethered to a cord. For this your Sensei is going to mark this Eureka Hand Held down quite a bit. A power cord ruins a lot of the benefits of buying a hand held. As far as price, this unit comes in around $45 - $50 and as far as I’m concerned, it’s an average deal.

*One note your Sensei forgot to mention is that this unit is a little heavy.

Cool Links

Eureka Boss Smart-Vac 4870GZ Review

Eureka Boss Smart-Vac Upright Vacuum Cleaner Review 4870GZ
Vacuum Rating: 4 Stars out of 5 for a fair price considering performance and features
Buy the Eureka 4870GZ Vacuum Cleaner

What Your Sensei Thought
Gosh, today your Sensei was going to get even further ahead on his vacuum review cue, a rare situation, but it was just too damn hot! Your Sensei decided to call it a day and put aside his other duties and take a swim in a neighbors backyard pool. But before I indulge in the fruits of my labor I feel I owe it you my loyal readers to review one last vacuum cleaner before calling it quits. Today, I bring you a review of the Boss Smart-Vac Upright by Eureka.

At just about 25 lbs. the Eureka is one of the lighter vacuums your Sensei has to review. Don’t let this lightweight fool you like it did me, this is actually one of the sturdier vacuum cleaners on the market. Some vacuum handles are loose and wobble when you push them, in extreme cases this can ruin your posture and unstable handles indicate a poorly designed vacuum cleaner. I’ve read many emails of people complaining that they would be able to user their vacuum cleaner for the next 5 years if the handle weren’t about to fall apart!

The Eureka 4870GZ is not the most powerful vacuum cleaner I’ve encountered, but it satisfactorily completed the cleaning task. It can pick up most dust and pet hair in your carpet, but don’t expect it to be as powerful as a Dyson.

The Vacuum Sensei will never judge a vacuum cleaner for “good intentions”, I judge a company by results. Unfortunately, the Power Paw Stair Brush accessory is just that, one of Eureka’s good intentions. The agitator brush simply isn’t powerful enough to provide any practical value. You’re better off using more traditional vacuum cleaner attachments to clean crevices and couches. Oh, there’s also no place to store the Power Paw onboard, that means you’ll probably have to search every room in your house before you can use it anyway.

One of the things that irks me is a large vacuum cleaner with a small vacuum bag. Ughhh, one of the things I hate is replacing vacuum bags, (My reason for keeping a canister vacuum at home.) and the Eureka Boss Smart Vac has a very small vacuum bag compared to its size. If you live on a ranch or farm and have a very dusty floor get used to switching out the vacuum bags fairly frequently. It’s not that big of a deal, but its one factor reducing my rating of the Boss Smart Vac. It also emits more heat that your typical vacuum. It definitely detracted from my cleaning experience in this extreme summer heat, but I suspect if I get to use another one of these units in the winter I’ll be extremely grateful.

One quick note about price, the price was just right. While it’s definitely not the bargain of the century, Eureka has priced the Boss Upright very fairly.

Included Tools
Power Paw for stairs and upholstery
Crevice tool
Brush
Extension wand

Specifications
Size: 15” x 44” x 12”
Weight: 25 lbs.
Amps: 12

Eureka Vacuum Cleaner Reviews

Eureka Smart Vac 4870GZ Review
Eureka 4870HZ Boss Review
Eureka 71A Hand Held Review
Eureka Boss Smart Vac Review