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S**A
Great Vacuum power, light, and FUN to use!
UMLo V111 Vacuum ReviewFirst impressions:This vacuum appears to be solidly constructed and designed with thought and intention. It is easy to assemble, comes with many accessories, and is easy to clean. This is my third stick vacuum and one thing that the other two did not do well is drive easily or were balanced in your hand. The V111 almost feels as if it knows which way you want to turn. It is the most comfortable in my hand, and of the three stick vacuums, I have the most fun to use. With just a simple twist of the wrist, the desired turn is completed. When pushing the vacuum forward the head tracks straight ahead. You no longer have to lift the vacuum head to get it back on track. This feature is one of the things that I like the most.Another feature that I enjoy is the control head of the vacuum. To turn on the vacuum there is a trigger switch under this display. When you start the vacuum, it always starts on the lowest setting. You need to touch the +/- switch to change the vacuum power. When I looked at this function, I thought that it was going to be difficult to switch power settings while vacuuming. On my first use of the vacuum, I found out just how easy it is to accomplish. All it takes is a simple touch of your thumb while vacuuming. You can cycle through the settings to achieve the next value that is in line. To return to the lowest setting simply turn off the vacuum with the trigger switch and then back on.You have two different ways to determine the remaining power in your battery. The three-segment lights at the top of the head or the % gauge. A feature that I like about the percent gauge is that it also works when charging. It shows you the battery's current state of charge as a percentage.Important things to know:To charge the battery needs to remain attached to the handle. The dust cup door does not detach from the vacuum head. However, the entire dust cup can be removed from the vacuum head. Both brush heads allow the removal of the brushes for cleaning or replacement. There are four filters that you need to be aware of. Two are in the dust bin and two are in the vacuum head.Dust Bin:Disassembly of the Dust Bin:To open the dust bin to empty remove the metal extension tube from the vacuum is attached. Press the button indicated to open the dust bin. (See Pictures) The dust bin door is hinged and does not come free of the dust bin. Use the included brush/hair removal tool to remove the dust bunnies that are stuck in the bin.There are two filters associated with the dust bin. One is the black plastic and metal screen that you see in the dust bin. The other is inside this black plastic part and is a foam filter. (See Pictures)Dust Bin Removal and Disassembly:To remove the bin from the vacuum head, press the black button just above the bin. (See Pictures)The dust bin separates from the vacuum head and exposes the HEPA filter in the head and the top of the dust bin filter cup.Filters:To access the Dust Bin Filters remove the blue plastic filter assembly from the dust bin. You need to be aware of the NOTCH on this blue part. The notch fits into the slot where the electrical contacts are in the dust bin. (See Pictures) To pull the filter assembly out, lift the metal bail and pull it from the dust bin.Holding the blue part of the filter in your hand, twist the black part of the filter COUNTER clockwise about 1/8th of a turn. You should feel it unlatch and stop. Separate the black tube from the blue part. Inside this Black part, you will find the FOAM filter. (See Pictures) I am surprised by how much dust collects on the metal screen. Use either the included brush tool or a paintbrush that is dedicated to cleaning vacuum filters to clean both the screen and the foam filter. You may want to rinse these filters in cool water to clean them. Allow them to fully dry before reassembly and use.Once the filters are clean and dry, reassembly is the reverse of the disassembly process. When placing the assembled filter assembly back into the dust bin make sure you align the notch and the blue tab. (See Pictures) If you are having trouble attaching the dust bin to the vacuum head, the notch and tab misalignment is most likely the cause. Done correctly, no force is necessary to assemble them.The HEPA filter while looking the same on both sides at first glance has only one way that it will fit into the vacuum head. You can see the difference between the two pictures.The final filter is under the rear cover of the vacuum head and surrounds the display panel. To get to this filter press the two silver buttons on either side of the cover and pull away from the vacuum head. On my vacuum, this filter is blue on one side and white on the opposite. When installed correctly the white side is placed into the vacuum head and the blue side is all that you should see. (See Pictures)Disassembly of the Powered Vacuum Heads:Large Vacuum Head:You might find it necessary to either change or clean the rotary brushes in the large or small powered vacuum heads. This is a simple process once you know-how. For the large head, turn it over and locate the release tab on the edge of the head. (See Pictures)Pull the tab towards the back of the head to release the catch assembly. Once it is released remove it from the head. (See Pictures) Under this catch is a tab on the roller bearing. Notice how this notch needs to face up and be centered in the available space. (See Pictures) To remove the roller, pull up on this tab. To reassemble the vacuum head, reverse the disassembly process making sure the tab is facing up and centered. Insert the catch assembly and press down until it locks in place. Gently roll the roller to make sure that it is free to move.Disassembly of the Small Powered Vacuum Head:Take the small vacuum head and place it on its side where the silver button is facing UP. (See Pictures)To remove the side cover of the head press the silver button while pressing downward just above this button. The cover will open slightly. When the cover moves remove it to expose the side of the head. (See Pictures)To remove the roller, pull up on the bearing and remove it from the vacuum head.Reassembly of the small head, place the cleaned or new roller into the hole for it with the bearing facing up. When replacing the side cover, the bearing will need to be placed in the inner circle of the side cover. When aligned simply push the cover up from under the silver button until you hear it lock in place.The Rice Test:I wanted to know how well the V111 would pick up larger than normal particles. The only thing I had on hand to simulate this was uncooked rice. I placed uncooked rice on my floor to find out if it would pick it up and if it would scatter the rice. One of the complaints of stick vacuums is that on hard surfaces the spinning roller scatters the dust and particles rather than picking them up. I went across the line of rice at Low, Med, and High-power settings. All three settings picked up the rice. One thing I did learn doing this is that the speed of the head traveling across the dust does make a difference. If you go too fast you might not pick up everything. Also, do not pull the head in reverse over the dust. If you do this the brush on the back edge of the head will prevent the dust from reaching the brush and will leave a line of dust. The correct direction is to push the head forward across the dust. This way the dust is channeled into the spinning brush for pickup. I did not notice that there was any scattering of the rice at any power setting. The brush rotates so that it pulls the dust under the vacuum head. (See Pictures)The Headlight:If you have not used a vacuum with a headlight on the powerhead you are missing one of the features that I absolutely love on this vacuum. You can see how the headlight makes the dust and debris on the floor visible. I love the visual confirmation that I am cleaning my floors. (See Pictures)Closing Thoughts and Ideas:Once a month I clean my bed for dust mites. I lightly spray the mattress cover with a 50/50 solution of Isopropyl Alcohol and water. I do this very lightly and very early in the day. I then turn on a fan so that it helps evaporate and dry the mattress pad. Once the mattress pad is DRY, I put the small upholstery head-on and run across the mattress pad to extract whatever is there. NEVER, NEVER vacuum any fluids or moisture with this vacuum. If you do, you will destroy it and void your warranty.I love the fact that I can use the additional attachments directly on the powerhead without having to attach the extension tube. This allows you to get into tighter spaces to vacuum like your car or truck.So far, I find that the low power setting does most of the work that I need to be done. I use the medium setting for those crumbs that love to bury themselves into the mat of the carpet. When I want to fluff up the mat of the carpet is when I use the High-Power setting.The big question is will the V111 replace one of the other two stick vacuums that I have? Absolutely YES it will. It is easier to use, lighter, and tracks straight ahead when vacuuming. I love how it does not scatter what I’m trying to pick up. Also, it has a stronger vacuum as demonstrated by the rice pick-up test. Finally, it is easier and fun to use.I hope this helps you in your evaluation.
H**L
Best bang-for-the-buck cordless stick vac
Update - 2/20/22:- I did a couple of timing tests to answer someone's posted question, but I thought I'd also update my review as well: from a full charge vacuuming carpet-only on the highest power setting, it ran continuously for 20 minutes & 10 seconds, which was quite impressive not only because it is 33% longer than UMLo's stated 15 min runtime on max, but also if vacuuming on both carpet and hard/bare floors, the battery should last even a bit longer that that.- UMLo's charging time estimate is spot on - I charged the battery from completely dead to 100% in 4 hours & 59 minutes, which is stated in the manual to take "about 5 hours to fully charge".- I also discovered that besides the 10-minute increments of battery life on the digital display, it shows a 5% charging level as well (presumably meaning when there is between 1-5% charge left), which is a nice additional warning/notification that the battery is about to die.Original review:I researched all of the cordless stick vacs in Amazon's top 100 best-selling (under their "Stick Vacuums & Electric Brooms" category), have tried out a couple of them, and in the end imho this UMLo V111 is the best one for the money. Why? Let me count the ways - first, features that set this apart from just about everyone else:1. 4000mAh 18.5V battery - this thing is a beast, and reminds me of batteries in the 5.0a range used in cordless 18V/20V power tool systems, which are quite beefy and generally very good batteries. This is the largest battery among the top 100 best-selling cordless stick vacs; almost everyone else has a 2000-2200mAh battery, one has a 2600mAh battery, and the Dysons don't list their mAh (but after digging, I found out that they range from 2100mAh for their V7 up to 3600mAh for the V11/V15).2. In-line design - most cordless vacs aren't designed this way, and it's usually only found in only the high end models; physics and simply logic-wise, it makes sense that airflow and suction are more efficient with such a design when there's fewer kinks/impediments to the airflow and hence suction power.3. Mini motorized brush - an accessory that isn't included with quite a few other cordless stick vacs that aren't high-end models; very nice to have for stairs, furniture, and smaller areas that you want to agitate with a brushroll and not just use a crevice tool.4. "Easy Rest" feature - while it cannot stand up on its own, and shouldn't be expected to since it has arguably the biggest battery available in any cordless stick vac, this is the next best thing: great handle design so you can use it to lean it where it somewhat acts like a hook so there isn't a fear of it falling down when you let it go.5. Digital readout of battery life in 10% increments - while not as accurate vs if it stated the exact percentage, these increments imho are better than just staring at 1-4 bars.Some other positives that, while perhaps are not quite unique among cordless vacs, aren't necessarily common either:- 5 bright, useful LEDs on main brush head - this sadly cannot be said for a number of other cordless stick vacs that either have only 4 LEDs and/or they're rather dim and pretty much useless; I know this from first-hand experience in trying them.- Most all parts and accessories for this vacuum are available in their Amazon store, which unfortunately cannot be said for at least some other cordless stick vac manufacturers.- Responsive and understanding customer service - they've replied pretty quickly to my several emailed questions, before and after purchase.My only suggestion in terms of room for improvement is that it would be nice to be able to recharge the battery without having to hook it up to the handle/motor assembly (the charging port is permanently attached to handle); although, there is one big benefit of doing so in that you can keep track of the recharging level in 10% increments with that great digital display.
Trustpilot
1 month ago
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