Eureka Pet Lover Deluxe 8811AVZ

Avg. consumer rating = 72/100 

We previously looked at another Eureka Pet Lover vacuum, the 3684F canister, and it subsequently ended up on our list of Best Vacuum Cleaners Under $100.  In this review we are investigating the more recent Eureka Pet Lover Deluxe upright (model 8811AVZ).  It has been getting reasonable reviews and consumers report that it has strong suction, is reasonably priced, and is very good at removing pet hair.  However a few owners find it rather loud and it also does not have brushbar on/off controls.

Consumer ratings provide an insight into the sentiment of owners towards the Eureka 8811AVZ.  In the table below we found close to 100 ratings and when averaged these generate a score of 72/100 or about 3.6 stars out of 5.  This is a fairly average to below-average score.  It should also be pointed out that the ratings on most sites were higher than those found on Amazon.  The reason why is not clear.

 

A review of consumer comments from several quality sources provides the following vacuum likes and dislikes:

PROS
- Powerful suction
- Turbine tool works well
- Not too expensive
- Long power cord
- Very effective on pet hair
- Folks like the telescopic self-cleaning duster
- Washable filters

CONS
- Noisy
- A bit heavy
- No brushbar on/off (so may be problematic on bare floors for some)

The 8811AVZ comes with a number of attachments including the following:

- Turbo pet power paw (a turbine tool with an air powered brushbar) 
- Pet upholstery brush
- Combination crevice tool & extension wand
- Telescopic self-cleaning duster (good for dusting blinds, pictures and hard to reach areas)

The turbo pet power paw is used for removing pet hair from both carpet and upholstery.  The tool uses plastic teeth to pull up pet hair, a rubber strip to grab the hair, and the brushbar and suction to whisk it up and into the dirt canister.

The Eureka Pet Lover Deluxe includes a HEPA filter.  HEPA stands for “high efficiency particulate air” and this kind of high-efficiency air filter is capable of removing 99.97% of airborne particles with a diameter of 0.3 micrometers or more. These filters are used for many applications in the nuclear and biomedical industries but have more recently found a home in many new vacuum cleaner models. They are especially helpful to those suffering from asthma and allergies and remove the likes of pollen, ragweed, mold spores, dust mites, pet dander, etc. 

The Eureka 8811AVZ also comes with a charcoal filter that helps to remove pet odours from the air.  Charcoal filters are comprised of highly porous charcoal that has a very, very large surface area (hundreds of square meters per gram of charcoal).  As air passes through the filter certain impurities bond to the charcoal thus removing them from the air.  These filters are particularly capable at dealing with odours.

This bagless vacuum cleaner is powered by a 12 amp motor (most – but not all – full sized vacuums today use a 12 amp motor) and generates suction via cyclonic technology.  This technology is similar to that used in a Dyson vacuum.  Air is spun at very high speeds and the dust and dirt is thrown out from the airflow and into the dirt canister.  Cyclonic suction is reported to help filters stay clean and to provide continued strong suction (no drop in suction as the dirt canister fills).

The Eureka Pet Lover Deluxe weighs a hefty 23 lbs and there are several owner comments indicating that the machine is indeed heavy and that it can be a chore moving it up or down stairs.  The Eureka 8811AVZ also has a good cleaning reach and the power cord is a full 30 feet long.  Like many uprights however it does not come with automatic cord rewind. 
 
There is also a height adjustment feature on the vacuum to allow the machine to work more effectively on both carpet or bare floors but it should be noted that the brushbar cannot be turned off and, as a few owners have noted, this can make bare floors cleaning problematic.  A thermal shutoff feature will also shut the vacuum off should the motor get too hot.  The motor may overheat as the result of an obstruction, a full dirt canister or even a clogged filter.  Should the thermal shutoff kick-in then the blockage should be removed and the motor turned back on after about 30 minutes (time for the motor to cool).

Other vacuum cleaner features include a fairly wide cleaning path of 15 inches, edge cleaning capability (helps clean up close to baseboards) and a dirt canister with a capacity of 1.6 dry quarts. Also the dirt canister has a flip-open bottom making it reasonably easy to empty.  The Eureka Pet Lover Deluxe carries a 2-year limited warranty. 

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
More details regarding the vacuum, its features and maintenance can be found in the online Eureka Pet Lover Deluxe manual.