Electrolux UltraActive Deepclean EL4300A Canister Vacuum

Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Although there is not much consumer input on this particular machine yet - the comments to date indicate that owners are very pleased with their purchase. This is a lightweight and maneuverable canister vacuum with a motorized brushbar making it capable on both carpet and bare floors. Owners like that the vacuum is quiet, powerful and even has multiple suction settings. However some consumers wish the UltraActive Deepclean EL4300A had more on-board storage for attachments. [REF Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner Reviews]

A review of owner ratings on several well-respected sites provides the following statistics (see table below). While ratings are few, they are still quite good.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	5 stars out of 5	5
Sears	4.5 stars out of 5	5
Overstock	5 stars out of 5	2
Abt	4 stars out of 5	1

Consumer comments were scanned to find common Electrolux EL4300A likes and dislikes. It is apparent from the list below that there are far more positive comments than negative.

PROS
- Quiet
- Powered carpet attachment works very well
- Good at picking up pet hair
- Lightweight
- Easy to Maneuver
- Customer service appears to be fairly good
- Dirt canister is easy to empty and can be washed
- Retractable power cord
- Fairly compact
- Capable on both carpet and bare floors
- Brushbar can be turned on and off
- Nozzle easily gets under low furniture

CONS
- Some of the key attachments do not store on-board
- Some controls are located on the canister not on the handle

First let’s start by minimizing any confusion. Electrolux has 2 UltraActive canister vacuums. The one we are reviewing here is the UltraActive DeepClean EL4300A. The other one is called the UltraActive Turbo 4325A. The vacuums are similar but there are a few key differences. The DeepClean is powered by a 12 amp motor while the Turbo uses a 10 amp motor. The DeepClean is also designed for both carpet and bare surfaces because it has a motor-powered brushbar in the nozzle – the Turbo uses an air-driven brushbar and while this works well on bare surfaces it will not deep clean on carpets.

The Electrolux UltraActive Deepclean is powered by a 12 amp motor and it uses cyclonic suction. Cyclonic suction is commonly used in bagless vacuum cleaners (like Dysons) and it involves spinning air at very high speeds causing dirt and debris to be drawn out of the air and into the dirt canister. This approach is said to help maintain strong suction while vacuuming (as the dirt canister is filling) and also to help filters stay cleaner longer.

Suction on the DeepClean can also be set via controls on the canister. Settings include Minimum, Medium and Maximum and this level of control allows one to vacuum effectively on bare floors or carpet as well as on delicate surfaces like curtains or drapery. There are comments from owners who would have preferred the suctions controls on the handle and not on the canister as it is much more convenient to make changes from the handle.

A compact vacuum

Many owners have commented on how easy it is to store the vacuum and also how easy it is to carry. It comes with a convenient carrying handle but it also only weighs 12.5 lbs. This is really very light for a full size canister vacuum and it is often favourably commented upon. The vacuum is also relatively compact.

This canister vacuum has two motors. One produces the vacuum suction and the other drives the brushbar in the DeepClean Power Head. The brushbar can be turned on or off accommodating both carpet and bare floor cleaning. On/off controls are located conveniently on the vacuum handle. Also if the brushbar gets stuck or obstructed a safety cut-off will engage.

Power head height settings make changing from one surface to another easier. The EL4300A has High, Medium and Low height settings which are set via an adjustment pedal. The DeepClean Power Head also sports a headlight.

Tools that come with the vacuum include:

- DeepClean powerhead
- Crevice tool
- Dusting brush
- Upholstery tool
- Bare floor brush
- Telescopic wand

HEPA filtration is fairly common on full size vacuums these days and it is present on the EL4300A. HEPA filtration removes 99.97% of airborne particulates with a diameter of 0.3 microns or larger. It has been used in the biomedical industry for years to help inhibit the spread of airborne bacteria and viruses. HEPA filtration is particularly popular with allergy or asthma sufferers as it will remove dust, pet dander, dust mite feces, pollens and other allergens from the air.

Easy-to-empty canister

Consumers indicate that the dirt canister is easy to empty. It releases the dirt and debris at the push of a button and has a capacity of about 1.2 quarts. 1.2 quarts is about 0.3 gallons and this is actually quite small. The Dyson DC25 has about the same size dirt canister and it has received comments that it needs to be emptied frequently.

The Electrolux EL4300A is ETL certified (similar to CSA or UL certification). ETL is a group that performs electrical and reliability tests on products to ensure they meet US product safety standards. They also audit the manufacturing site and require that the applicant agrees to future factory inspections to ensure continued adherence to the standards. ETL operates nationally recognized testing laboratories.

Other vacuum cleaner features include a 21 foot power cord (which is a little short in our opinion) with automatic rewind, a bumper on the canister which helps prevent scrapes/bumps on furniture and walls (also prevents the vacuum from getting scratched), and a low profile cleaning nozzle that makes it easy to get under furniture. The Electrolux UltraActive EL4300A carries a lengthy 5-year warranty and uses recyclable packaging. It is available in tangerine orange.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
You can find the Electrolux UltraActive Deepclean EL4300A Canister Vacuum Manual here if you wish to learn more about the machine.

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Karen

| 97.118.78.242 | 2011-10-23 11:07:11

Pros: Electrolux EL4300A I like the bagless feature. The dust that clings to the plastic (static) when emptying the canister cleans off easily with a Swiffer and/or the entire canister and filter can be easily washed and rinsed. The EL4300A has powerful suction for both carpet and bare floor. The carpet brush is self-powered and easy to use. The machine is lightweight and pulls around nicely.

Cons: My biggest disappointment with the EL4300A is the bare-floor attachment. I use this attachment all the time along with the upholstry wand, but, unfortunately, neither is one of the "on-board" attachments. Also, the EL4300A hand grip is rather large and I find that my hand gets tired of maneuvering the rather stiff hose around. The bare floor attachment is very wide which makes it difficult/ impossible to get to those tight spots. The bare floor attachment does not have space in the brush area to allow "stuff" to get sucked in. So you have to tilt the attachment to open up a space to allow things to go in. (I cut out openings in the brush area to allow for this.)

Other things: I'd like to have the on/off switch on the handle. The 2 on-board items, a crevice wand and duster, are inconveniently located in the handle grip. The cord could be a tad bit longer.

Teri - Mad-woman

| 75.143.145.68 | 2012-01-17 21:36:40

For the most part, I love this vacuum. I agree that the hose is stiff and it is taking some getting use, too. However, part of that may be because I am not used to a canister vac. The cord is only 21 feet and I have accidentally pulled it out of the wall a few times. Just another foot or two would allow me to vacuum the entire downstairs without having to switch plugs. However, that's certainly not a deal breaker. Vacuuming has gone from my most hated chore to one of my favorites and that says a lot. I find myself vacuuming several times per day just to see how much dust I can collect. LOL! I'm amazed at what my old vacuum was missing. I do have hardwood floors, but do not use the barefloor attachment for them. I've found that turning off the brush bar and using the regular head works fine. It even easily fits under the toe-kick in the kitchen. The only problem is getting behind the toilets, but that is quickly remedied by simply removing the hose and using it with no attachments. I have had this vacuum for a week and have been a mad-woman cleaning with it. Even the fans and air duct returns have been vacuumed. All of the lamps and light fixture. I've vacuumed window sills and door headers. I do need to order a stair attachment for it (or an adapter so I can use my old attachments - not even sure that exists), but there is no great rush on that since we have a separate handheld vacuum to use on the stairs. But, really - when I go from hating to vacuum to va...