Friday, August 15, 2008
Electrostatic Carpet Sweeper VS Shark Vac
Recently, my mother told me about an electric sweeper that had been donated to her church and asked me to pick one up for her the next time I was at Costco. It was called the "Shark", she told me. I assumed it was some kind of vacuum since she already has a Fuller Brush Electrostatic Carpet Sweeper (ECS). This past Tuesday I was at Costco, and sure enough they had a huge pallet of the "Shark Cordless Sweeper". This is the Model V2022, a 2 speed model. I picked one up for mom and since I knew I would have to assemble it for her, and the fact she was out of town for a few days, I decided to put it to the test.
The Fuller Sweeper vs the Shark Vac
Assembly: The main body of each comes assembled, the only thing needing to be done is assemble the handle. We will call this even.
Weight Both units are lightweight, the Shark Vac at 4# per the manual, the Fuller ECS about 2#. There is no difference in feel to me so I will also call this even.
Sweeping Area: The Shark has about a 12" wide sweeping area, the Fuller ECS about 8" wide. Advantage Shark.
Time To First Use: Once assembled the Fuller ECS can be used. The Shark needs to be charged minimum of 20 hours before it's first use or the charging abilities of it's batteries may be compromised, leading to shorter usage time and shorter battery life. Advantage Fuller.
Interruption- The area I planned for the test was a kitchen/dining room with Pergo(tm) flooring, and a living roon with carpeting. It should be noted I have a Yellow Lab, named Cody. I should have named him Sheddy. So you now have an idea of the main thing I look for in a sweeper/vacuum.
Results of First Use The Shark Vac was given first go round. I thought being motorized it would be easier to push on carpet than the Fuller ECW. Not so, they both are about the same. On the Pergo(tm) the Shark and the Fuller ECS both performed the same, picking up dust, dog hair, cereal spills and dirt. On the carpet, the Shark seemed to be doing ok, but when I looked at a different angle I could see dog hair left behind. I emptied the Shark's dust cup and went over the area again. I could still see some dog hair there so I went over the area I had already used the Shark on twice with the Fuller ECS and it picked up the dog hair the Shark had left behind. Advantage Fuller ECS.
Cleaning The Units: To empty the Fuller ECS you hold it over recepticle (trash can in this case) and push in on the duct bins, opening a flap which allows the collected dirt & stuff to drop into the can. With the Shark, you press a lever with your foot to life the dust cup from the unit with the handle, place the cup over the trash and puch a button, releasing a spring loaded flap which empties into the can. I do like the Shark's emptying system better and will give it the advantage on that.
Other: The Shark vac has a Nickel-camium (NiCd) battery pack. This must be charged and recharged for the sweeper to work. While inexpensive, it does add cost over a period of time. In addition, should the battery pack need to be replaced (Per the Shark owner's manual - "NiCd batteries have a long useful life but at some time they will need to be replaced.")it will cost $14.90 for a new pack from Shark (plus tax in some locales) and the old battery pack must be disposed of properly. The cadmium in the NiCd battery is a toxic heavy metal and must be either sent to a proper recycling facility or hazordous waste disposal facitlity. The Fuller ECS has no batteries to replace or dispose. Advantage Fuller.
Brush CleaningThe Fuller ECS comes with a special comb to clean the brushes which make the sweeper work. The Shark does not, but does tell you in the manual to inspect the brushes and clean them if necessary. Nice of them. Advantage Fuller.
Purchase Cost: I found the Shark online for $49.95. The Fuller ECS is often (currently) on special for $49.99. The Shark I purchased at Costco was $44.97. Given the variables, I am going to call this even.
Warranty: The Shark has a 1 year limited warranty, requiring you to ship them the unit AND include a payment of $7.95 for them to return the unit to you. Read the Fuller Brush guarantee on the Fuller Brush website. Advantage Fuller.
I know I am somewhat prejudiced, but to me it is Advantage Fuller all the way!
To purchase an Electrostatic Carpet Sweeper, go to my Fuller Brush Factory Direct Website and enter 101 in the search box.
The Fuller Sweeper vs the Shark Vac
Assembly: The main body of each comes assembled, the only thing needing to be done is assemble the handle. We will call this even.
Weight Both units are lightweight, the Shark Vac at 4# per the manual, the Fuller ECS about 2#. There is no difference in feel to me so I will also call this even.
Sweeping Area: The Shark has about a 12" wide sweeping area, the Fuller ECS about 8" wide. Advantage Shark.
Time To First Use: Once assembled the Fuller ECS can be used. The Shark needs to be charged minimum of 20 hours before it's first use or the charging abilities of it's batteries may be compromised, leading to shorter usage time and shorter battery life. Advantage Fuller.
Interruption- The area I planned for the test was a kitchen/dining room with Pergo(tm) flooring, and a living roon with carpeting. It should be noted I have a Yellow Lab, named Cody. I should have named him Sheddy. So you now have an idea of the main thing I look for in a sweeper/vacuum.
Results of First Use The Shark Vac was given first go round. I thought being motorized it would be easier to push on carpet than the Fuller ECW. Not so, they both are about the same. On the Pergo(tm) the Shark and the Fuller ECS both performed the same, picking up dust, dog hair, cereal spills and dirt. On the carpet, the Shark seemed to be doing ok, but when I looked at a different angle I could see dog hair left behind. I emptied the Shark's dust cup and went over the area again. I could still see some dog hair there so I went over the area I had already used the Shark on twice with the Fuller ECS and it picked up the dog hair the Shark had left behind. Advantage Fuller ECS.
Cleaning The Units: To empty the Fuller ECS you hold it over recepticle (trash can in this case) and push in on the duct bins, opening a flap which allows the collected dirt & stuff to drop into the can. With the Shark, you press a lever with your foot to life the dust cup from the unit with the handle, place the cup over the trash and puch a button, releasing a spring loaded flap which empties into the can. I do like the Shark's emptying system better and will give it the advantage on that.
Other: The Shark vac has a Nickel-camium (NiCd) battery pack. This must be charged and recharged for the sweeper to work. While inexpensive, it does add cost over a period of time. In addition, should the battery pack need to be replaced (Per the Shark owner's manual - "NiCd batteries have a long useful life but at some time they will need to be replaced.")it will cost $14.90 for a new pack from Shark (plus tax in some locales) and the old battery pack must be disposed of properly. The cadmium in the NiCd battery is a toxic heavy metal and must be either sent to a proper recycling facility or hazordous waste disposal facitlity. The Fuller ECS has no batteries to replace or dispose. Advantage Fuller.
Brush CleaningThe Fuller ECS comes with a special comb to clean the brushes which make the sweeper work. The Shark does not, but does tell you in the manual to inspect the brushes and clean them if necessary. Nice of them. Advantage Fuller.
Purchase Cost: I found the Shark online for $49.95. The Fuller ECS is often (currently) on special for $49.99. The Shark I purchased at Costco was $44.97. Given the variables, I am going to call this even.
Warranty: The Shark has a 1 year limited warranty, requiring you to ship them the unit AND include a payment of $7.95 for them to return the unit to you. Read the Fuller Brush guarantee on the Fuller Brush website. Advantage Fuller.
I know I am somewhat prejudiced, but to me it is Advantage Fuller all the way!
To purchase an Electrostatic Carpet Sweeper, go to my Fuller Brush Factory Direct Website and enter 101 in the search box.
Labels: Carpets, Floors, Fuller Brush
# posted by Jeff @ 11:53 AM 
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