Electrolux EL4071A Access T8 Canister Vacuum

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Avg. consumer rating = 69/100 

The Electrolux Access T8, model EL4071A, gets very average reviews and ratings from consumers.  It is one of the lowest rated Electrolux vacuums we have investigated.  The main drawbacks are its limited effectiveness on carpet and short power cord.  These two shortcomings are an issue for quite a few owners and comments bear this out. It would only be fair, however, to point out that under the right circumstances – a smaller home with mostly bare floors for example - the T8 does appear to perform adequately.

As mentioned, consumer ratings for the T8 aren’t great and they can be seen in the table below.  These result in an overall average rating of 3.45 stars out of 5, or 69 out of 100.  Compared to other canister vacuums we have investigated this is a rather low figure.  You can view all of our canister vacuum ratings here. 

Electrolux manufactures two different Access T8 canister vacuums.  As such it can be a little confusing for buyers.  There is the Access T8 EL4071A and the Access T8 EL4072A.  It is simple to tell them apart – the EL4071A (the machine we are reviewing here) is “tangerine orange” while the EL4072A is “vivid green”.  Technically speaking the vacuums are almost identical, however – according to Electrolux - the EL4072A is powered by a 9 amp motor while the EL4071A has a 10 amp motor. 

A review of consumer comments has provided some insights into owner likes and dislikes.
 
PROS
- Lightweight & easy to move/carry
- Easy to change nozzles
- Easy to empty dust canister
- Fairly quiet
- Works well on bare floors and area rugs

CONS
- Power cord is too short
- Not very good on carpet
- A bit messy emptying the dust canister

The Electrolux Access T8 is a compact vacuum and it is also lightweight weighing in at only 8.2 lbs (canister only).  It has a carrying handle and owners report that it is very easy to move and to carry from room to room or up and down stairs.  Maneuverability of the unit is further enhanced via very large canister wheels.

It uses cyclonic suction which is common in bagless machines today.  This technology uses one or several cyclones to rapidly spin air and “throw” the dust and debris out of the air and into the dust canister.  This approach ensures no loss of suction as you vacuum and it also helps the filters stay cleaner longer.  The T8 has 8 cyclones and there are a number of owner comments about this unit’s strong suction.  However, oddly, there are equally as many comments about the T8’s weak suction.  It is possible that some folks mistake the machine’s limited ability on carpet (the result of the turbo nozzle) for poor suction but we don’t know for sure.

The motor protection filter and the main filter on this vacuum are both easy to access and also washable.  They can be washed in cold water and then left to dry for about 24 hours.  They should only be put them back in the vacuum when they are completely dry.   There seems to be some debate over whether the main filter is HEPA or not.  Electrolux describe this machine as having an “Allergen filter” which generally alludes to a filter than is not HEPA, however there are a number of owner comments (and some retail sites) that allude to the unit’s HEPA filter.
 
There are some grievances about the dust canister on the Access T8 .  While it is easy to empty, some folks report having difficulty removing it from the vacuum body.  Others also indicate that a fair bit of dust is released upon emptying.  The dust canister should be emptied when it reaches the “max fill” line (it is made of clear plastic so it is easy to see when this line is reached).  There is also a canister full indicator light (located on the topside of the vacuum body) that will turn red when the canister needs to be emptied.

The Access comes with three floor nozzles: A hard floor parquet brush (for hard floors), a carpet turbo cleaning nozzle (for carpet), and a low-profile cleaning nozzle (for getting under low furniture). Some owners feel that having three nozzles ads to the flexibility of the machine while others feel that one should not have to change nozzles in order to clean different floor types.  A number of canister vacuums come with specialized nozzles for bare floor and carpet so this is not uncommon.  Although a specialized low-profile nozzle (shown below) is not typical.

Low Profile Nozzle

One of the main disappointments with the T8 is the carpet turbo cleaning nozzle.  The brushbar in this nozzle is powered by suction – it is not powered by a motor.  Manufacturers often use the word “turbo” to indicate a non-motorized brushbar.  Consumers report that the brushbar in the carpet  turbo nozzle has a hard time lifting the carpet pile to get at dirt/debris and in some cases the carpet may even stop the brushbar from rotating.  Generally the longer and stiffer the carpet pile the more difficulty a turbo brushbar will have in cleaning.  As a result this vacuum is best for homes with mostly hardwood floors and maybe some small carpeted areas. For homes with a lot of carpet this vacuum may not be the best fit.

Turbo Brush for upholstery, stairs, etc

The Access comes with 3 tools:
- Turbo Brush (image to right -  not to be confused with the carpet turbo cleaning nozzle)
- Combination Dusting/Upholstery Brush
- Crevice Tool

These tools do not store on-board the vacuum (not in any practical sense at least).  They can be attached to the end of the hose or extension wand.  The hose is 6 feet in length and combined with the extension wand and the power cord provides 26 feet of cleaning reach. “A reach of 26 ft” or “extra long reach” – these comments appear again and again in marketing materials.  We believe it is meant to put a positive spin on the unit’s other main shortcoming – its very short 16.5 foot power cord.  Many owners complain about the short power cord on this vacuum and in our experience most canister vacuums have a 20+ foot power cord.  Some consumers even report buying an extension cord to use when vacuuming with the T8. 

The power cord does have a redeeming quality however.  It is auto-rewind (or auto retractable) and this feature is quite popular with owners. The auto-rewind is engaged via a pedal/button on the canister body.  This is one of two large buttons on the canister body, the other being the main power on/off button.

T8 canister body

The vacuum has a cleaning path width of 10 inches which is fairly narrow.  A narrow cleaning path width can make it easier to get in and around furniture and into tight areas but it also doesn’t cover as much area per pass.  The Access T8 has a thermal protection feature which will turn the motor off should it show signs of overheating.  Overheating can be the result of an obstruction such as an overfull dust canister, a clogged filter or even a blockage in the hose.  The vacuum also carries a respectably long 5-year warranty.

	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+