Electrolux EL6988D Oxygen3 Canister Vacuum Cleaner

OK, on to the vacuum. I bought mine after much research at Lowe's. While opening and putting the thing together, a small clip that holds the power head on the shaft broke off. I called the company and they said they would send me a new piece with out much hassle, but then got a call back 15 minutes later saying that since the product was so new, it might take 2 months to send me a replacement part and suggested I just return it for a new one to Lowe's. My over all experience with thier customer support leads me to beleive that I won't have too many problems dealing with them in the future.

My second vacuum unpacked fine and after a couple uses I'm quite satisfied with it's performance. The carpet powerhead does very well on my rugs, and even does ok on hard floors. The hard floor attachment is more than a foot wide and makes quick work of the hard wood in my house but is so wide you have to switch it for the corner tool to get around most furnature. I was impressed with the suction from the vacuum, even before I noticed that I only had it turned up half way :) So I'll try to sum up the pros and cons.

Pro:
Cool looking
Nice cord length and roll up storage
Wide reach on the attachments
Small size of the canister
Does a good job of sucking up small stuff
Bags are just more than $1 each (for the standard bags)
Easily turn on and off the roller on the power head
Both the hard floor attachment, and the power head easily go under beds and couches

Con:
Hard to deteach the hose from the canister for storage
Power head won't work on bath mats

I'll post again in a few months when I see how it's holding up.


the handle melted!   January 14, 2005
Ann Reid (Red Hook, NY United States)
92 out of 93 found this review helpful

Well, I have to revise my review, which is listed below. I posted that review just after I bought the Oxygen in 2005. It worked fine for four years, so I guess I got my money's worth, if you think it's worth $100 a year. Then the plastic handle just melted -- I kept smelling a burning smell as I was vacuuming, and thought at first it was the engine, but then I saw the plastic was red-hot and literally melting near the handle, where the attachment plugs into the handle. I took it to an Electrolux store to get it fixed and they said (a) it's not really Electrolux, it's a Eureka, and (b) it would cost several hundred dollars to repair it. So I bought a really nice Panasonic canister vacuum from Amazon, the Panasonic MC-CG885, that seems to be working well so far (knock wood)... It has a metal hose, so at least that can't melt.

Here's my original review:

My main complaint with other vacuum cleaners I've had (and I've had many -- Kenmores, Eurekas, Hoovers, you name it) is that they're heavy, and loud. The Oxygen is lightweight (it weighs a mere 13 pounds, as opposed to most other cleaners, which weigh at least 20 pounds) and very quiet. But it's very powerful, has great suction, and almost breaks away and cleans on its own when you turn on the carpet feature. It's very easy to switch between carpet and bare floor, since the control is on the handle. The only drawback: the bare-floor brush attachment doesn't attach very well -- it should snap on, but it doesn't, so it tends to come off sometimes. But that's nothing compared to all the wonderful things there are about this neat little vacuum cleaner. Definitely worth the extra money.

By the way, I used to own an Electrolux, the real kind that's made in the USA, and although it was a good vacuum cleaner it weighed a ton and was difficult to lug around different rooms. I'd much rather have this lighter-weight Swedish model, esp. since it's half the price of the American Electrolux.


Didn't Last Long   April 21, 2006
Aliza's Mom (CT)
88 out of 92 found this review helpful

I researched for a long time before deciding to purchase a vacuum. I went to the store to buy a Hoover, and came out with this Electrolux after my husband and a store employee convinced me it was a better vacuum. I got it because of the Electrolux name and the $100 rebate. Well, from the moment I put it together, I was sceptical of the way the pieces fit together. When you start the rug attachment, it takes off on you, which is kind of cool. It also cleans my carpets wonderfully! I don't like the way the bare floor and other attachments just sit on it instead of attaching securely. I also find that the bare floor attachment doesn't have much sucking power. I have also had trouble getting the rug attachment off. You have to step on something on it, and pull. For me, it isn't easy, plus it seems as though it will eventually just break off. A few months ago, the rug attachment wouldn't work and I discovered that a prong that is part of the handle connections was bent. Well a few weeks
ago, it snapped right off and I had to bring it to a repair facility. Luckily it is still under warranty. But I have only owned it for about 8 months and I only use it once a week. It shouldn't be broken already. They just don't make vacuums as sturdy as they used to be. We have a very old real Electrolux that was given to us, used, by my husbands parents and it still
works. Of course it is held together buy a shoestring and lots of duck tape! I also have trouble with the rug attachment sucking up things like the cover for the couch and then shutting off. It is very powerful so beware. I still haven't gotten my vacuum back from the repair place, and they told me it might take a while depending on when Electrolux sends them the parts to fix it. I also have trouble finding the bags for it. Our old Electrolux, had bags you could find really cheap at any store, but not this one. I would not recommend this vacuum.


Really Nice Vacuum   February 12, 2004
bettyjen (Texas)
43 out of 43 found this review helpful

I bought this vaccum after developing allergies for the first time. My parents have had an elextrolux for the past 25 years and it has always worked great. Although Eureka is now making these electrolux vaccums I expect that in order to preserve the integrity of the name they will make every effort to make sure this product line is up to standard, and I think they have succeded in this regard.
Contrary to the other reviews I took my vaccum home and was able to connect all of the pieces by myself without any problems. The bags are small, but so is the vaccum. If you want bigger bags chose an upright, but beware, the hepa filtration on those units is not as good. The filter and bags are easy to acess. The power head is very sturdy but has a little trouble standing on its own- it can do it, but will fall down with the slightest breeze.
The vaccum is very quiet. To test the suction I first vaccumed with my old vaccum and then revaccumed with this one. I was very impressed. I could hear every piece of sand and crumb climbing up the hose- and there was a lot!!! It even has a light so you can vaccum in the dark, or in a dark corner. The head seems to move itself effortlessly across the room.
If you are considering this machine, don't be afraid of the other reviews. I did not experience their woes.


Light, compact , power and a washable HEPA filter   January 8, 2005
N. Russ (Boston, MA)
35 out of 35 found this review helpful

After much research and reading these reviews, I decided to order the EL6988A to replace an old Kenmore canister. I found a much better price than the standard prices listed on most websites so research is important. My new vacuum arrived in one day with no shipping cost. To use a format used by another user which I found quite helpful:

Pro's
Very eary to set up - took less than 5 minutes. Bag and filter already in machine
Light weight and easy to carry
Good power and suction control right at the handle
Washable HEPA filter (they say good for 2 - 3 years)
Well rated for control of dust, pollen and other irritants
Large floor attachment (along with other attachments)

Con's
Small bag - but as someone said the cost is around $1.00 per bag which is not too bad
Attachments do not fit inside the machine (this is obviously due to the compact size of the vacuum which makes it light). A little inconvenient if you use attachments all the time.

Overall, it is a very good value with good features when compared to the prices for some of the other higher-end vacuums.