Eureka AirSpeed ONE AS2013A

 

Avg. consumer rating = 73/100 

The Eureka AirSpeed ONE (AS2013A) is inexpensive and rather cheaply made but it has tons of suction. This is a bagless upright where compromises have clearly been made in an effort to offer a unit that can be found online (at some retailers) for as low as $55.  The power cord is short, the fit and finish isn’t great and the dust canister is small.  However the unit is very lightweight and consumers report that the suction is rather astounding.

Consumer Ratings
A total of 151 consumer ratings were found for the AirSpeed ONE on several websites.  These are recorded in the table below.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	3.4 stars out of 5	94
Lowe's	4.0 stars out of 5	52
ShopYourWay	3.7 stars out of 5	3
Home Depot	5 stars out of 5	2

When averaged the ratings produce a score of 72.7 out of a possible 100 (or about 3.6 stars out of 5).  You can compare this to the ratings for other uprights in our upright ratings table here.  As you can see this rating is lower than most.

Other AirSpeed vacuums we have reviewed and rated include:

- Eureka AirSpeed Gold AS1001A (score = 76/100)
https://vacuum-cleaner-advisor.com/Eureka-Vacuums/Eureka-AirSpeed.html

- Eureka AirSpeed PET AS1051A (score = 83/100)
https://vacuum-cleaner-advisor.com/Eureka-Vacuums/Eureka-AirSpeed-PET.html

- Eureka SuctionSeal Pet Upright Vacuum AS1104A (score = 80/100)
https://vacuum-cleaner-advisor.com/Eureka-Vacuums/Eureka-SuctionSeal.html

Consumer Insights
A review of owner comments provides the following likes and dislikes

PROS
- Very lightweight
- Strong suction
- Dust canister is easy to empty
- Not too expensive
- Easy to assemble

CONS
- Dust canister is small
- Compact machine not well-suited for large area cleaning
- Mostly plastic parts
- Hose often falls off the holster in handle
- Attachments often fall off
- Power cord is short

The AS2013A does not fare as well as most other uprights we have investigated, however it is also much less expensive than most other uprights (something to keep in mind).  You should be able to find this unit for between 50USD and 70USD depending on the retailer.

Several owners report that the AirSpeed ONE is rather compact.  As a matter of fact some owners state that it is too modest a vacuum for large area cleaning and that it is best suited for cleaning a very small house or a small apartment.  The vacuum is made with many plastic parts and the fit, finish and durability seem to be suspect.  A few folks have highlighted that the machine’s parts are quite flimsy and that the vacuum lasted them less than 6 months.

Another common complaint is that the attachments frequently fall off the machine when you are vacuuming and that the hose slips out of the hose retainer in the handle.  A number of owners find this frustrating and further evidence of poor construction (and to some extent poor design).

Also the AS2013A does not have edge cleaning and it will not clean up tight against baseboards, and it is loud with some apartment owners appearing concerned that it might even disturb the neighbors.  Finally, the dust canister sometimes doesn’t sit well into its seal and there can be dust leakage.

Having pointed out the above flaws, the vacuum does have some redeeming qualities.  One of the most common comments about this unit is the fact that it has tremendous suction and very good pickup.  There are reports that it will pull up carpet and even stick to linoleum if the nozzle height is set too low.  In addition, many owners like the extreme light weight of the machine which makes it easy to lift, move and maneuver – especially for folks who may struggle with a heavier (15+ lbs) upright.  The AirSpeed ONE weighs only 9 lbs.

Vacuum Details
When you first unpack the AS2013A it does require some assembly but this is quick and easy.  It is powered by a 10 amp motor and, as the vacuum name suggests, the machine uses Eureka’s AirSpeed technology.  This technology involves utilizing a short but large diameter, smooth air pipe (with few bends) between the floor and the dirt canister. The exhaust pipe is also larger to accommodate the increased airflow through the machine. The approach is said to increase vacuum suction and dirt removal.  Perhaps this configuration has something to do with the extra strong suction that owners report.

The video below shows assembly and some basic operation tips (the video uses a different AirSpeed ONE model but assembly is identical).

This bagless upright also uses cyclonic technology – which is the common dust separation technique we see on most bagless vacuums today.  It involves spinning air at very high speeds and throwing the dust and debris out of the airpath and into the dust canister.  This technology ensures no loss of suction while you vacuum and also helps to keep the filters clean. 

The vacuum suction can be directed to the floor or the hose via a switch on the vacuum.  You can see the switch in the image below.  When it is set to “floors” the suction is directed through the floor nozzle, and when it is set to “tools” the suction is directed through the hose and tools. 

 

Tools that are provided with the vacuum include:
- Crevice tool
- Dusting Brush
- Wand

Tools can be attached to the end of the hose or the wand.  The wand isn’t really a tool but it does attach to the end of the hose.  The tools are all stored on-board the vacuum which is a nice feature as they are easily within reach when/if you need them.  However, as mentioned previously, the tools sometimes fall off the vacuum which can be annoying.  We should point out that this model does not come with a turbo tool – so cleaning stairs and upholstery (for example) may be difficult. If you want a turbo tool you may want to consider the AirSpeed ONE Pet (AS2030A). 

 

The hose is only 5.5 to 6 feet in length which is short and doesn’t allow for much reach.  The hose, combined with wand, tools and power cord provide an overall cleaning reach of about 28 feet which some owners may find limiting.  It is not uncommon for an upright to have a cleaning reach of 40 feet or more.

The brushbar on this unit is motor driven but there is no on/off control.  Many consumers like brushbar on/off controls as they prefer to turn the brushbar off when cleaning bare surfaces.  In this case one may want to use the height controls on the vacuum nozzle to ensure the brushbar is not scraping against whatever bare surface is being vacuumed.  There are 5 settings on the height control switch ranging from low pile carpet to high pile carpet and bare floors.

The power cord on the ONE is non-retractable and is 20 feet in length.  This is short for a full size upright and is frankly even a bit short for some canister vacuums.  We usually like to see a power cord length of 30 feet (or more) in an upright and anything less usually results in some complaints from owners – as in this case.  A number of owners report being frustrated that they have to frequently plug and unplug the machine when moving from room to room. 

There is only one filter in this vacuum – the dust canister filter.  It is easy to remove and wash but it must be air dried fully before it is re-installed.  Eureka suggests leaving it to dry for at least 24hrs.  The AS2013A does not come with a HEPA filter.  This may be an issue for some folks, although HEPA filtration in this kind of machine may not work as well as you might think – read our article on HEPA filtration.

 

The dust canister itself is fairly easy to detach and empty although it does not use the popular bottom empty method.  Rather the canister itself is twisted off the bottom of the dust canister assembly then emptied (see graphic to right – from the manual).  This seems to work fairly well.  Although there are some complaints that the dust canister – when reattached – does not always seal properly and dust can therefore escape when vacuuming.

A thermal cutoff switch (which turns the vacuum off) is built into the vacuum to protect the motor should it start to overheat.  The motor may be strained and overheating due to a blockage, a very dirty filter or even a full dust canister.  Should the thermal cutoff switch activate, first turn the vacuum power switch to OFF then unplug the machine.  Fix whatever it is that may have been straining the motor, then wait 30 minutes, plug the vacuum in and turn it ON.  It should start up.  The vacuum power switch is a small step-on pedal on the back of the nozzle.  If you have other problems you may want to check out our “How to Fix a Vacuum” article.

Additional features include a bumper guard around the nozzle which ensures that furniture and walls do not get scuffed or marked, and a 13 inch wide cleaning path which is a little narrow for a full size upright but it does enable the nozzle to get into tight areas.  The vacuum carries a 1-year limited warranty – which is usually standard for vacuums at this price point.

The Eureka ONE is ETL listed. 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.

Vacuum Manual
The manual is rather brief but it does cover assembly, operation, basic maintenance, and some troubleshooting.  You can find the manual here.

	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+