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- Bare floor brush to easily clean non-carpeted stairs and other hard surfaces
- On/Off brushroll switch to clean carpets or safely clean bare floors
- 28 ft reach systems with a 25 ft cord, 3 ft hose and crevice tool
- Soft easy roll wheels won’t scratch or nick hard floors
- Powerful 6 amp motor for superior cleaning performance
- On/Off brush roll switch to clean carpets or safely clean bare floors
- This unit is 6 Amps
- This unit is made only to be used in 120V outlets
A big improvement over the original model,
I have been interested for a long time in the Eureka EasyClean 71B which has been advertised as an aggressive pet hair vac. This newer model, the 41A, is being marketed a little differently. Besides the obvious name difference from EasyClean to RapidClean, in addition to being touted for pet cleanup it is now being promoted as also being ideal as a “step” vacuum (such as for staircases).
I never ended up buying the EasyClean so I can’t compare them head-to-head, but they are very similar machines. The differences, according to Eureka, are that the RapidClean has a more powerful motor (6 amp vs 5.5 amp), a more comfortable handle and a more versatile brush that adjusts well to vacuuming stairs, a task made easier by the addition of two smooth-rolling wheels on the new model.
One thing that attracts me to both models is that they are AC powered. Unfortunately most cordless hand vacs are still in the stone age as far as the NiCad battery system that they use while most of the world has long since moved on to Lithium Ion batteries. In short that means they have a short run time and once the non-replaceable battery dies (my experience has been not much longer than a year) the entire unit must be discarded. The beauty of the Eureka units is they have a standard AC power cord. While not quite as convenient, that means they will run as long as you need them to run at 100% full power and will never need to have batteries charged.
The RapidClean’s power cord is slightly longer (25′ vs 20′) than the EasyClean’s to emphasize that point. You can vacuum an entire staircase, or your car’s interior while parked in the driveway, or sudden dry spills, without dragging out the big heavy vacuum cleaner. And when finished, the power cord wraps neatly around the rear of the case.
My stairs and upper landing are the only areas of my house that are carpeted (by choice). They are berber, which wears well but shows dirt within days of vacuuming. While I love my big vac for weekly cleanings of both the upper landing and the rest of the hardwood in the house, it is very hard to maneuver on stairs. The RapidClean lives up to its name by making this periodic chore much more effective and pleasant without giving up the power of a real vacuum cleaner.
The sound level is less than most full-sized vacs … about the same as a typical hair dryer. I am tending to use the RapidClean as my first choice to do quick “oops” cleanups, despite the fact that I have to plug it in instead of it being rechargeable. It comes with a crevice tool that can be attached to the end of the grey hose. Eureka has even thoughtfully designed a parking space for the tool so it doesn’t get lost.
And, oh, how does it do with pet hairs? REALLY well! The powered brush (with its own on/off control) seems custom-made for maximizing pet cleanup. As is true with the majority of vacuums these days, emptying the bagless collection bin is a “snap” and cleaning the filter is just as easy. I hope the days of messy vacuum cleaner bags is long-gone! At 6 lbs (one pound lighter than last year’s model) this vac isn’t quite as lightweight as the little battery-powered hand-vacs but the center-handle design makes it well balanced so it doesn’t seem heavy.
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|Nice improvements made to an already great vacuum,
In addition to this RapidClean 41A, I also have the EasyClean 71B. I love the 71B, I bought it after being fed up with low battery power on cordless handheld vacuums, and the 71B was a treat in how well it picked up dog hair and pine needles from the carpet and couch. This 41A is even better with a longer cord, more suction power, and what I really like, little wheels were added to make it easier to move along whatever surface you’re cleaning. These little wheels are very nice because with the older 71B I was just dragging it roughly along the surface of the carpet or couch. This newer 41A with its wheels gets rid of the dragging feeling and makes it easier to move it along the surface. Very nice.
I’m very happy with this RapidClean 41A, they made small improvements over the 71B that make a difference. I love it, and yes it’s a bit heavier than a cordless vac, but it means I don’t have to worry about a battery dying out, and it has so much more power to pick up the messes with.
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