Review of the Panasonic Upright Vacuum Cleaner

The upright vacuum by Panasonic, model MC-UG471, is an upright style vacuum that uses disposable paper bag technology. This vacuum features a 12 amp motor, QuickDraw attachments, and advanced filtration. The MC-UG471 weighs close to 20 pounds and is available from internet retailers for about $120. This vacuum is backed by a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty.

Panasonic Upright Features:

• Motor Protection System
• HEPA Filtration
• Cord rewind
• Attachments and Other Features

Motor Protection System:

If you’ve ever tried to unsuccessfully dodge a stray paper clip while vacuuming, you know what an important feature a motor protection system can be. Dirt is channeled directly to the vacuum bag, avoiding the fan and motor. This results in your vacuum lasting longer, and it also results in a more effective vacuum cleaner.

HEPA Filtration:

Vacuums that feature HEPA filtration have health benefits for the occupants in the home. The air that is exhausted from the vacuum has 99.97% of particles larger than 0.3 micron removed and captured. HEPA filtration removes many of the common allergens such as dust particles, pollens and other offending particles.

Cord Rewind:

Here is a feature not all vacuum’s have. It’s automatic cord rewind. When you finished vacuuming; press the cord rewind button, and the power cord stores itself neatly away.

Attachments and Other Features:

The MC-UG471 has attachments and design features designed to make your vacuuming as easy as possible. The attachments include 2 extension wands that give you approximately 12.5 feet of additional reach, a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and an air turbine tool for effective cleaning of carpeted stairs and upholstery.

The MC-UG471 has a wide 15 inch nozzle. The wider the nozzle, the less passes you’ll have to make through a room. This model also has a headlight, which obviously illuminates the area directly in front of you, so you can see the dirt more clearly.

And the attachments are stored on the vacuum on a side holster. They are conveniently within reach when you need them.

Panasonic Upright Recommendations:

Mrs. Clean does not recommend this model. Any negative features that make the chore of vacuuming more work would make me want to avoid that model vacuum altogether. The last thing I want to do is pick up pieces that fall off. The cons outweigh the pros with this model.

Pros:

The motor protection system does result in a vacuum that has consistent good suction. The price is right.

This vacuum will do what it is supposed to do on carpeted areas for a reasonable price. I would not recommend this for use on bare floors, and I would exercise caution when using the attachments.

Cons:

The vacuum has a tendency to tip over when using the stretch hose.

This vacuum is not safe for bare wood floors. Even though the vacuum is self adjusting to carpet heights, the agitator still spins when using on bare floors. This can scratch more delicate flooring surfaces.

This continually spinning agitator can also damage carpeting. You’ll need to exercise caution when using the attachments, because the agitator does not stop spinning.

Although there is storage built on the vacuum for tools, they are not very securely attached. This can be very frustrating for the operator. You may have to stop what you are doing to pick up attachments that are falling off. This defeats the purpose of having onboard storage.

The vacuum is awkward and heavy to lift. It doesn’t have a handle placed to effectively carry the vacuum, and this makes it awkward to clean stairs or carry up stairs.

This Panasonic model has a relatively short vacuum cord. At 24 feet, you are either going to be stopping vacuuming to change electric outlets, or purchasing a separate extension cord.