Eureka Quick Up Vacuums

 

Avg. consumer rating = 90/100 

The Eureka Quick Up group of vacuums appears to have some average vacuums and some winners.  The corded 169H or 169J are getting top notch ratings. The 96 series is also quite popular and are all very light and have good, strong batteries.  All of these stick vacs are inexpensive and double as handheld vacuums.

Eureka makes quite a few stick vacuums (about 15 at last count) and a number of their upright bagless machines are sufficiently lightweight and compact that they could be considered stick vacuums.  They produce a very popular line of light, small stick vacs called “Quick Up”.  Within the “Quick Up” group there are 2 series – the 169 series and the 96 series.  A review of these 2 series on Amazon presently indicates that the 169 series is the consumer favourite and what our overall vacuum rating is based on.

Eureka 169H/J

This is a 2-in-1 stick vacuum that converts easily to a handheld unit.  It has a 15 foot power cord and a motor driven brush roll with on/off controls.  It weighs just over 4 lbs and is getting some very good ratings and reviews from owners.  It carries a 1 year limited warranty.

Following we provide scores for the 169H/J Quick Up.  These ratings are recent (January 2016) and have been used to score the vacuum.

 

PROS
- Good suction
- Lightweight (< 4lbs)
- Small footprint
- Easy to assemble
- Converts to hand vacuum
- Motorized brush roll
- Good on carpet and bare floors

CONS
- Short power cord (15 ft)
- Power button is low on unit

 

 

Eureka 96 series

According to the Eureka website the following vacuums are in the Quick Up 96 series (this changes over time):

- 96JZ
- 96DZ
- 96F
- 96H

Amazon carries many of these including older models like the 96B however one has to dig to find them all.  They are not consistently named or categorized.  Also Amazon specifications are not entirely in agreement with those found on the Eureka site. 

It should be noted that a study of online retailers, product reviews and other information related to these vacuums yields a tremendous amount of confusion as there are several very similar models as well as older models with different model numbers.  We have even noticed areas of inconsistency on Eureka’s website (for example they indicate that the 96F/96H/96JZ have no on/off brushroll capability but in their vacuum descriptions they state that the on/off Brushroll on all these units allows you to pick up dirt from bare floors and area rugs). 

These machines are all very similar and they are all bagless and cordless.  According to the Eureka website they are powered by a rechargeable 6 volt battery and weigh a very lightweight 4 lbs.  The 96H, 96JZ and 96F all have a cleaning path width of 10 inches while the 96DZ cleaning path is less wide at 7.5 inches.  Consumer comments indicate several or all of these have the ability to turn the brushroll on and off.  This feature allows for effective transition from carpets to bare floors.

None of the Quick Up models come with additional tools and they all have an easy-empty dirt canister.  In addition, they quickly convert from a stick vac to a handheld vacuum.  These are not large vacuums and with the handle on they stand about 44 inches.  They also come with a charging stand that is either wall-mountable or standing.  Warranties are a standard 1 year.

Two popular Quick Up models are the 96DZ and the 96F.  Consumer insights related to these two models are provided below:

 

Eureka 96DZ

Consumer ratings do not abound for this machine but those that were found at a few reputable retailers indicate a very high level of owner satisfaction.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	4.6 stars out of 5	31
AJ Madison	4.8 stars out of 5	6

 

The following are common likes and dislikes gleaned from the consumer comments found online.

PROS
- Inexpensive
- Good value for money
- Reliable
- Easy to attach and remove the handle
- Very lightweight
- Most consumers (but not all) feel it works well on pet hair
- Small and easy to get into tricky areas
- Respectable suction
- Can also mount on wall
- Some stores provide a second battery with this vacuum (you should check)

CONS
- Filter is tricky to remove and clean
- Not really capable of large area deep cleaning
- Latch on dirt canister can be tricky to open

There are many stories of owners having this vacuum for years and also of batteries lasting many years.  We also notice very few complaints about battery life (this is often a contentious area with owners of battery operated stick vacs).

 

Eureka 96F

Consumer comments found at several quality online sites provide the following consumer ratings for the Eureka 96F cordless vacuum cleaner.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	4.4 stars out of 5	229
Epinions	4.0 stars out of 5	22
AJ Madison	5 stars out of 5	1

 

PROS
- Battery charge lasts a reasonable amount of time
- Light weight
- Good suction
- Works well on small size debris on hard surfaces
- Well priced

CONS
- Not a replacement for a full size vacuum
- Hair easily gets wrapped in the brushbar and is a pain to remove
- Hair also easily gets caught in the wheels
- Plastic handle not very durable
- Struggles with larger sized debris
- Still fairly large as a handheld vacuum
- Not great on carpet

The 96F seems slightly less popular than the 96DZ and consumer ratings appear to bear this out.   The 96DZ is also a more expensive stick vacuum.

Eureka Vacuum Manual
You can read more about these vacuums, their features and their maintenance by browsing the manual here.