Electrolux Precision Upright Vacuum EL8807A

Click to see on Amazon

Avg. consumer rating = 78/100 

The Electrolux Precision EL8807A is a bagless upright with fairly average consumer ratings.  Highlights of the machine include an easy-to-use hose and wand assembly, and a unique brushroll cleaning system.  The Precision is designed for both carpet and bare floors and it includes a couple of tools that increase cleaning flexibility.  However some owners report being concerned about the extent of plastic used in the unit's construction. Also the limited number of height settings make movement and cleaning on carpet a bit tricky.

Consumer ratings from several sites provide the figures shown in the table below.  These result in an average score of 77.5 out of a possible 100 (about 3.9 stars out of 5).  This is a little on the low side and you can compare it to other ratings in our upright vacuum ratings table if you wish.

We see significant disparity between consumer ratings on Best Buy and those on Amazon.  Each outlet has a sufficient number of owner ratings and as a result we would expect them to be closer to one another -– but 4.4 and 3.3 are not close.  Sometimes this can be the result of a significant price difference between outlets (consumers tend to be much more lenient with less expensive products) but at the time of this writing that is not the case – but it may have been in the past.

Owner comments provide the following insights:

PROS
- Brushroll cleaning mechanism works fairly well
- Hose extends easily and vacuum doesn’t tip
- Has nozzle height adjustment foot pedal
- Suction release valve in wand
- Carries a 5-year warranty

CONS
- Some complaints about construction quality
- Versatool not really that effective
- Cord storage is finicky
- Forward exhaust can blow away dust before it is picked up

Consumer comments and ratings seem to indicate that this is something of a love it or hate it machine.  Many owners really like it, others simply hate it. 

There are a number of complaints about the construction quality of the unit.  Some consumers feel that there is too much plastic in the machine’s construction and that the plastic hinges and clips look flimsy and breakable.  Indeed there are indications that these do occasionally break.

The Precision does come with the ability to adjust the nozzle height.  This is important when trying to accommodate bare floors and different pile carpet.  However there are only 3 settings and some owners feel this is insufficient.  The lack of granularity (limited # of settings) can result in a situation where one setting makes the unit too hard to push on carpet while the next higher setting doesn’t provide sufficient carpet cleaning.

Also, the vacuum exhaust blows out the front of the machine.  This can be a bit tricky when you are vacuuming bare floors because – at a certain angle – it will blow the debris in front of the nozzle away before you get to it.  We’ve run into this kind of thing before and it can be frustrating.  The trick here is usually to keep the handle reclined to a level in which the exhaust isn’t directed at the floor in front of the vacuum – but that is not always so straightforward.

Finally, should the brushroll encounter an obstruction it will shut down (the brushroll will stop) and a red light will turn on.  This in itself is a great feature, designed to potentially save the belt and/or brushroll motor.  However, after you have cleared the obstruction you need to press the reset button which many people cannot find.  The button is well hidden and some say almost camouflaged.  While standing behind the vacuum the button is located on the left side of the nozzle.  Although people complain about not being able to find the reset button, we have noticed that it is shown in the manual (to which we have a link further down in the review).

Excerpt from manual: Reset button location - as seen from back of vacuum

Owners do feel that the Precision is a good looking machine and that the ability to turn the brushroll on or off is a useful feature.  There are also quite a few comments that the hose and wand work very well.  Many uprights have a very stiff hose and the vacuum tends to pull over easily when using it.  The hose on the Precision extends easily and the vacuum is quite stable.

You can read more customer reviews on Amazon if you wish.

The Electrolux Precision is a bagless upright that uses cyclonic technology.  This is how most bagless units work today.  This technology involves sending the air stream through cyclonic cylinders which spin the air very rapidly in a spiral path.  As the air spins the dust and debris are forced out – via centrifugal force – and into the dust canister. The Precision is powered by a 12 amp motor.

It is designed for cleaning both carpet and bare floors.  A switch on the vacuum allows the user to turn the brushroll ON or OFF.  It is often useful to be able to turn the brushroll off when cleaning bare floors (helps reduce scatter and – on some delicate flooring – ensures no scratching).

The “Brushroll Clean Technology” is a feature we have not seen before and it will be interesting to see if it catches on.  At the push of a pedal (see below) string, thread, hair, etc is pulled from the brushroll and deposited directly into the dust canister.  A number of consumers report that this technology actually works fairly well.  It doesn’t always work perfectly however and sometime a good old fashioned cleaning (by removing the brushbar and getting out the scissors) is needed.

Several tools are provided with the vacuum including:
- 3-in-1 versatool (for upholstery, corners, stairs)
- Dust brush
- Wand

Electrolux Versatool

We’ve seen the versatool before when reviewing the Electrolux Nimble.  It wasn’t particularly popular with owners then and it still isn’t now. It is a rather unique tool (see image to left) but there are several comments from owners indicating that they would simply prefer separate tools. 

The attachments all store on-board the vacuum which is nice - so you do not have to go fetch them when or if they are needed. 

Hose and wand reach

The wand is made of plastic and it is attached to the end of the stretch hose.  Together they provide a 12 foot cleaning reach.  The wand is telescopic and also has a suction release valve built into it.  This is a handy feature as it allows you to reduce suction at the end of the wand (or at the tools attached to the end of the wand).  This helps when vacuuming delicate items like curtains or lampshades for example.  True suction control, like that seen on many Miele vacuums, typically provides control of the motor and this will reduce suction at the end of the hose and at the nozzle head.  The Precision doesn’t have this kind of suction control but rather uses a very simple sliding valve.

The power cord on this unit is 25 feet in length which is a little short for a full size upright.  It is not entirely uncommon to see a power cord of this length but most owners prefer power cords of 30 feet or more.  The vacuum is advertised as having a lengthy cleaning reach of 37 feet (25 foot power cord and 12 feet of hose/wand reach) but this isn’t really that long.  It is perhaps average.

The Precision weighs in at 17.2 lbs.  This is slightly above average for an upright and there are several comments that the unit does indeed feel heavy.  It also has a washable HEPA filter (nice feature for those suffering from allergies or asthma), a 12 inch wide cleaning path (a little narrow for a full size upright) and soft wheels coupled with a furniture guard to ensure no marring of floors or walls.  The vacuum has no swivel neck so maneuverability is perhaps more “traditional” and one is required to do a little more work moving the vacuum nozzle around.

The Electrolux Precision carries a 5-year warranty.  It is also RoHS compliant and UL certified.

RoHS compliant means that the use of the following six hazardous materials has been restricted in the manufacture of the equipment:

- Lead
- Mercury
- Cadmium
- Hexavalent chromium
- Polybrominated biphenyls
- Polybrominated diphenyl ether

This is done in an effort to solve the problem of the large amounts of toxic electronic waste that are being introduced to the environment today.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
You can check out the Electrolux Precision manual here.

Video
A short 2 min video commercial for the Electrolux Precision can be seen here if you wish to view it.

	Nigel Russco has been writing for Vacuum Cleaner Advisor for years and has a background in business and engineering, as well as a keen interest in anything related to vacuum cleaners. Connect with Nigel on Google+