Eureka AirSpeed Bagged Upright Vacuum

I accidently purchased the AS1050A as a second vacuum instead of the Eureka 4870UZ, which I had also recently purchased, to be used in our basement, where our cat and I office together. So, I thought I would provide a bit of a review/comparison of the two machines.

I will start by saying that I have finally donated the last of the three Eureka bagless vacuums that I have been using over the course of the last several years. This is not to say that the bagless machines didn't work, however, the cleaning of those types of machines was getting on my nerves. Moving on... and again, the basis of this review is more of a comparison to the 4870UZ (Air Extreme), which is a great vacuum.

Assembly of the AS1050A was reasonably simple, and no tools were required. After assembly, I fired up the machine and immediately noticed that weight and handling of the AS1050A was both lighter and easier to handle than the 4870UZ. This could be a result of the fact that the AS1050A is about two inches narrower and a few pounds lighter than the 4870UZ. My wife commented that the AS1050A, because of its narrower width, is easier to maneuver in tighter spaces. Another notable difference in handling is that the AS1050A is able to vacuum with the handle virtually parallel to the floor.

In terms of performance, both of these models are extremely powerful and work very well on all types of floor surfaces. A small consideration is that the 4870UZ roller brush stops when set to bare floors and while using the hose tools, and while locked in the upright position, and the AS1050A does not. While this means that the 4870UZ is quieter while using the hand tools, I didn't feel that the AS1050A was that much louder.

There are several other small differences. The hand operated power switch on the 4870UZ is located in the front of the machine, whereas the AS105A power switch is foot actuated and located near the foot switch to release the vacuum from the locked-upright position. Either seems equally convenient to operate. Perhaps a more noticeable difference was that of the operation of the foot switch to release the vacuum from the locked-upright position. The AS1050A's switch works as easy as anyone might expect, however, the 4870UZ's switch operates with a bit of difficulty. Again, this might be due to an additional mechanism which engages the roller brush when the handle is placed in the vacuum position. Both vacuums have a different bag and method of installation, and both seem as easy as the other. The dirt capacity of the 4870UZ appears to be a bit more, based on the size of the bag. The AS1050A has a full-bag indicator, where the 4870UZ does not. The cord is a little longer on the 4870UZ.

Overall, the AS1050A is a great vacuum, and, after having used the 4870UZ for several months, my wife immediately chose the AS1050A over 4870UZ, mostly for its ease of handling. However, both of these models have received many great reviews.

I've tried to highlight the differences that are apparent to me, and I hope this review helps anyone who might be contemplating between these two models.

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