Review on Kenmore 10701 Pet Friendly Compact HEPA Canister Vacuum: Lightweight, Bagless, and Powerful with Pet Turbine Brush and Advanced Cleaning Accessories - Blue by Kate Love

This is the third Kenmore canister that I have owned in my entire life. I bought the first one in 1984 and lost it in my second divorce. Right after the divorce I bought a second Kenmore canister in 2003 which broke in 2015 when some animal damaged the hose. After a 4 year love hate relationship with Eureka I was very happy to see Revain start selling Kenmore products. My last Kenmore was a 27914 so I was already familiar with all the details; and only had to spend a few minutes to become familiar with part of the canister. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if I kept the old 27914 accessories, everything would be compatible. The only difference in accessories is that the Upholstery PowerMate Tool is now called the Pet PowerMate Tool. Unlike previous iterations of the Kenmore canister vacuum, the accessory is now housed in a trolley attached to a telescopic pole; instead of the internal storage compartment built into the canister/motor unit. This reduced the cost of the vacuum cleaner. However, the container does not hold the crevice tool securely and there is no storage space for the Pet PowerMate. This can lead to "gravity anxiety" when you're using a telescoping stick and need to keep track of where you last left your upholstery/pet tool. The canister is supported by two large fixed rear wheels; and a smaller swiveling front wheel. Due to the physical way dirt moves through the trash can, it is very important to only use the vacuum when all three wheels are at the same height (surface). This warning is not in the owner's manual but is located on the underside of the motor and is only visible when the dust cap is removed (first image). In addition to thermal motor protection, this model is equipped with a motor protection valve. . Like the safety valve on a pressure cooker; The motor protection valve opens when the air flow through the hose and dust bag unit is insufficient (second picture). When the valve opens you know it because there is a sudden change in pitch (high to low) from the motor. The valve will only close when sufficient airflow through the hose and dust bag assembly is detected. A suction control valve is located on the front of the handle and hose assembly. Its purpose is to control the suction power at the "working end" of the hose. It works by manually opening and closing the vent on the front of the handle (third image). A slightly open vent reduces the likelihood of unnecessary cycling of the engine protection valve. Even when the ventilation is fully open, the suction is so strong that; If you get your fingers too close to the vent, you'll feel the vacuumed debris hit your fingers at an alarming rate. Routine maintenance is easy as indicated in the instruction manual; although I strongly recommend that you practice disassembling and assembling the dust box, motor and filter assembly when you first unpack the vacuum; while everything is "still clean". Speaking of filters, since Kenmore canister vacuums seem to have a long lifespan, you can buy 1 or 2 extra sets of primary and exhaust filters. Additional drive belts for agitators are not required as they have never broken on me. Based on my previous experience with Kenmore canister vacuums; You can count on an average device lifespan of at least 12-20 years.