Vax hoover / vacuum that needed replaced as the cable was worn on previous one.

This is a hoover that always is used and needs replaced every 3/4 years as there is always some issue eventually, nothing lasts forever but the power is always really good and the suction i feel is good and can be adjusted for hard, short pile, or long pile carpets etc. the handle has changed since previous one, now has a handle that looks like a petrol pump rather than the knobbly one that dug into the hand a bit…

This comes with a crevice tool, as well as a ‘turbo brush’ attachment although this is not powered itself, it relies on suction to move the bristles in the tool.

For £80 approx. it will do well for a few years, ultimately i chose not to buy a cordless as i didn’t want to fuss with holding it up off the floor and it would be the same suction power.

An amazingly complicated brush bar mechanism that seems to have been designed by a 3 year old.

Instead of being simply able to slide the bar out for cleaning from the *opposite side* of the belt drive mech, like in a Dyson cordless I have, the belt and its associated parts have to be removed and disassembled from the drive side first. To put the bar back in, you have to reassemble the retaining parts and then line it all up at one end with a shallow square recess whilst holding the other bits in place at the opposite end. Also the removable “wand” is too short and should have been designed to extend.

The whole “stretch” description is a bit of a stretch, bar the long cable.

Very unimpressed with the whole thing and would not recommend.

I have always had a Shark but after the last one died I decided to go with this cheaper Vax.

Pros: The suction on the Vax is excellent, it works great on all floor surfaces. It’s pretty lightweight compared to Shark.

Cons: The base doesn’t move/isn’t flexible like the Shark so its difficult to navigate easily in corners and around furniture, you can only hoover in straight lines. It’s also a nightmare if you want to keep switching between hoovering the floor, and skirting boards/tight corners etc as you have to keep detaching the hose from the base to attach it to the handle/pole and visa versa. I’ve never seen this before on any other hoover I’ve owned and I have to say it’s really quite annoying!

The extremely long power cord is both a pro and a con. It’s great that you can plug in and reach the entire house. However, you have to spend so long winding it back up on the hoover after use, you literally wrap it round the hooks about 100 times.

In summary, for the price the hoover is OK, the suction is great and it will clean your home – but if like me you are someone who hoovers quite frequently (especially if you have malting dogs etc) then this probably isn’t the one for you!

As a pet owner (2 German Shepherds) Vacuum cleaners are important. I spent years buying standard vacuums. Every 18 months, they would by then be clogged with hair, lose suction and be useless.
In 2019 I bought my first Shark Vacuum, game changer. It lasted 6 years. While the suction from the motor is still good, my Shark vacuum hoses have split and cracked and have been endlessly duct taped only for new cracks to appear. I couldn’t source replacement hoses anywhere.
A few weeks ago I was about to hit “Buy Now” on another new Shark for over €220 , when I saw this Vax Air Stretch Pet Max.
I have been using it for over a month now – so here’s my thoughts.

PROS:
Suction is actually better than the Shark. Like the Shark it has a rotating brush for carpets but the suction is far stronger than the Shark. Especially on hard floors.

13 Metre Power Cord – this is extremely handy as it means less plugging/unplugging to vacuum around the house. I used to use a 5m extension cord on my Shark.

The filter is easier to clean, it has a removable foam filter like the shark, but the plastic main filter can also be removed for easy cleaning.

Price, obviously the Vax is less than half the price of most Sharks.

This is where the good points end!!!!!

CONS:
While the suction is stronger, the slide for controlling suction is at the very bottom of the hoover, meaning you have to continuously bend down to adjust it if going from carpet to hard floors to rugs. Also the slide is very stiff. The Shark has the suction control slide near the handle – which is much more convenient.

The rotating brush cannot be easily removed like the shark. This brush regularly gets hair, or string wrapped around it. You have to cut it with a scissors. If you want to remove the brush you have to first remove 3 screws on the side. It is a 15 minute task that takes less than a minute with the Shark.

It has no LED lights like the Shark, so you cannot see the dirt or hair on the floor in front of you.

The small wheels at the bottom are already clogged with hair that is impossible to remove, I had to use a stanley blade to cut it away.

The biggest drawback is with the Shark if you want to hoover corners near the ceiling or corners near the floor you simply press a button and remove the wand.
With the Vax you have to switch it off, press a button to remove the wand, then detach the suction hose from the bottom of the hoover and attach it to the extra provided suction hose on the wand. This is by far the most annoying feature. It makes hoovering take a lot longer. It means you have to hoover the whole area, then use the wand afterwards to do the corners, otherwise you will be constantly attaching and detaching the hoses .

The Vax hoover does not swivel or rotate like the shark. Making it a lot less manuverable. This is another huge drawback, it literally only hoovers in straight lines.

The volume of the dirt bin is only 1.5 litres, my Shark was about 3 or 4 litres, so requires emptying more often. And it does not click & seal into place like the shark.

I seriously doubt the plastic clips for attaching wand suction hose, and attaching multi tools will last. The plastic seems very weak and flimsy.

Also the motor heats up to a very high temperature after just using it for a few minutes (very worrying)

VERDICT: If you already own a Shark and are thinking of buying this Vax – don’t. The differences are too many and will annoy you, and you will wish you paid the extra for the Shark. If you never owned a Shark and want a cheaper Vacuum then buy this.

I think within 12 months Ill be dealing with broken plastic clips (mentioned in other reviews) and will just end up replacing this with a Shark.

I have serious buyers remorse. I WISH I JUST BOUGHT ANOTHER SHARK HOOVER.

I love the way my rugs and carpets look and feel after using this hoover. I couldn’t believe the amount of dirt it was able to lift out of my carpets. Now they nearly look new.

The hoover is a bit big and bulky and not the handiest to manoeuvre around under tables and chairs etc. but I have a small battery one for that. I really just needed something powerful that would do my carpets properly. And I am delighted with the results!

Oh and the cord is very long so can do my whole bungalow without unplugging! Huge plus!