Shark Rocket Ultra-Light Stick Vacuum

Aug 12 2015 Update: Had an issue with the motor & had to call cust service. Problem was handled very quickly & efficiently! Thanks! Orig REview: I researched until I was blue in the face because I do NOT like to sweep & I didn't want to buy a problem or a disappointment. Sweeping is a pain & a chore. But to my surprise every time I use this Shark it brings a SMILE! :) Wasn't sure what t to expect with this Shark,...there were some mixed reviews & opinions were helpful. Since I own several Dyson's including a Dyson 44 (I'm not happy with the D-44 or small storage of the Black & Decker Platinum 20v hand vac) I looked at buying the dyson59. Glad I chose this Shark,...though nothing is Perfect...& this Shark is not designed for all situations. PERFORMANCE: I don't try to sweep a large house,..its just not designed for that. It's great for quick, effective clean ups but has flexibility to do larger areas too. Shark give me flexibility to keep my full-size Dyson in the closet much much longer between major cleaning. That's nice. With a cord I have no batteries to run down unexpectedly. Nice. Yes I do have to find an outlet to plug it in, but it's got a very long cord which minimizes that minor annoyance. -The dust /dirt collection cup is much biGGer than the Dyson's I've tried & much easier to dump without a mess. Plus the dirt cup is easily detachable with one hand,..very convenient, well thought out,...a major plus. -The snap connections on the shaft of my portable Dyson are so loose goosey it's like trying to sweep with a droopy wet noodle & leaks suction. Not fun. -But the Rocket is ROCK SOLID! The locking couplers on the shaft are very solid w/no loss of suction. No wet noodle feeling at all. It's a lightweight metal of some sort more durable than plastic. But I resisted buying Shark for a long time because of the huckster feel to their advertising that made me resist buying. Shark's First Class Quality Engineering surprised me. OTHER PLUSSES: * * *NEW UPDATE.... When I need to store the unit I don't use the wall hook. Instead of mounting a plastic hook somewhere to hang the Shark, I lean the Sharp upright against the wall as one unit, nothing detached,....with the bottom vac head close to the wall. It's quick, easy, nothing to disassemble, no mounting hooks involved, convent storage anywhere while minimizing storage space. -Lean Storage works for me because of two small, strategically placed rubberized feet /knobs on the underside of the dust cup that helps grab the wall so it doesn't slide down. It also creates a 3-point stability between the 2 rubberized knobs & the sweeper head flat on the floor. In this 3-point position the Shark rests nicely balanced /stabilized with minimal storage space yet ready to conveniently swing into action quickly. -smartHE (smart Handy Engineering). The placement of rubber knobs is one example of what I call smartHE (Smart Handy Engineering) or smart, handy, practical engineering features that enhance Sharks performance, reduce stress & make it flat out easier /even fun to use. These small rubber knobs do double duty cushioning /stabilizing the plastic dirt cup when laying the sweeper flat on the floor. SUGG: would be helpful if Shark could enhance this upright storage feature with some pop-out rubber feet on the sweeper head & larger rubber on the bottom of the dirt bin. The 3-point storage is easy & simply needs a wall /closet etc to lean against. The rubber under the dirt cup keeps everything stable & in place,...automatically keeping itself from walking /rolling away from the wall or falling over sideways. I store it upright like this even on smooth hardwood floors. Very convenient & gives max flexibility to store it most anywhere out of sight, in an quiet corner, etc.. Nice! With a little practice it's easy to catch on to the technique & not have problems of it falling over as some reviewers have mentioned. -Vac performance works great on medium, short carpeting, hardwood floors & tile. Don't have to change height or anything,...just flip a switch that slows the beater brush on smooth surfaces. On deeper pile carpet I go to high speed. I read the directions. Easy Peasy & effective. -***UPDATE: The Sweeper's Headlight was a BIG SURPRISE. The angle & intensity allows me to actually SEE THE DIRT dirt /dust on my medium dark hard wood floors. Nothing in the marketing describes this benefit, but it's a real help to actually see where I've swept & see the dust in areas yet to be swept. NO MORE GUESSING! As a result I haven't really used any other attachment yet. The slower brush speed setting for wood floors attracts dirt & smart handy engineering keeps the spinning roller from damaging the wood floor. Never a danger of that. -Bot the motorized animal attachment for cat hair & misc on bedding. I can immediately see the results in the transparent collection container. Use Shark for steps too, but often too lazy to switch the heads & simply use my normal floor attachment for steps too,... with great success. * * * UPDATE... WHEEL NOISE & HARDWOOD FLOORS: Not an issue for me. The two large wheels have rubberized tread which deaden click clacking over wood /tile floors & superior to all-plastic wheels wheels on most vacs. -The two small spacing rollers on the front of the sweeper head are not rubberized & do make some rolling noise on wood. Some reviews reported the noise was annoying on hard floors but on balance was not an issue for me. * * * NEW TIP: IF YOU HAVE A BAD BACK or trouble bending over you can wind the electric cord without bending. While standing upright with cord in hand, simply let out enough cord to loop it over the lower hook when draw the cord back over the upper hook then let out enough length to loop under the lower hook & repeat. The cord is flexible yet stiff enough to make this work easily. With a little practice you'll catch on easily. Works for me. -Does have a nice LOOOONG cord. But I always come to an end somewhere where an just an extra 5 feet would be nice. It's one of those things where LOOOG is never long enough! An extra 5 feet would be handy if it can be safely done. -Durability & Longevity....only time will tell. But this Shark is starting from higher quality level /features than battery powered units like Dyson44 /59. That higher quality & attention to detail usually translates to durability & longevity. GREATEST STRENGTH: HIGH QUALITY & VERSATILITY. Does not pretend to be a full size vacuum. But delivers Big time features. Shark adapts well to most situations /hardwood /tile /medium & short carpet, under furniture & hard to reach places with excellent heppa filtration that's easy to clean & refuse. No special filters to constantly buy. So it's versatile, self contained & easy to maintain filters with peak performance. It is wrist arm intensive so if you're handicapped in those areas you may want to stay with traditional floor sleepers,,,but can always give it a 30 day test /return. -Usually avail at a lower price than battery powered competitors. With Shark there's no limit on run time,...no expensive batteries to wear out or repurcha$e. Just plug & run. -TOO MUCH: Suction & cleaning performance are excellent. Some sweepers I've used have TOO MUCH suction making it tough to easily move the sweeper across the carpet because it sucks down on the floor /carpet & won't glide. No problem here w/Shark due to smart engineering that manages the suction well & picks up the dirt. With a little care & technique I can sweep even loose throw carpets without it being sucked off the floor into the sweeper head. SUGG: it would be nice if Shark had a safety overload pop-out reset switch to protect the head roller & motor if something gets caught in the roller. CONS & More SUGGS: There aren't many. Plastic wall mounting hook is a little weak. But that's not an issue for me since I use the handy 3-point storage for leaning against a wall in a closet or empty corner out of sight yet close at hand. This makes sweeping quick & effective,...not a big production. An extra 5ft on the cord would be nice. Extra lights on the sweeper head that shine not only to the front, but to the sides for larger viewing area would be nice. Adjust the motor to get rid of the annoying whine. A simple quick wheel lock to keep the unit from rolling away from the wall when storing /leaning it upright. -A larger accessory bag that closes more secure with a couple fabric loops for hanging would be nice. I don't change accessories very often & store them in the handy bag on a hook in my closet. Some reviewers prefer having all attachments on the shaft at all times, but for my taste that reduces portability & performance which is Shark. Besides, I can use my big, bulky sweeper if I want all my attachments at my fingertips. * * * UPDATE: MY CAT ALWAYS JETS out of the room whenever I start a sweeper. To my compete surprise, my cat GRACIE just calmly sat there watching me sweep away! Who knew?! Ha! SHARK IS CAT ENDORSED... :). BOTT LINE: Brings a s-m-i-l-e every time I use it. Pushing my Shark I feel smart, refined & minimal. Now when going back & pushing my full sized vac I feel clunky & out of step. Just sayin. Unexpectedly gives me a smile & lift on what used to be a chore. After owning 3/4 Dysons, I finally chose to break away from all that overpriced hype & poorly fitting cheap plastic. It was hard to convince myself to do that. I know we're just talking about a sweeper here, but the feeling of freedom & discovery was worth it. This shark delivered solutions for all the annoyances that were trapping me with Dyson & other brands. Shark's smartHE (smart Handy Engineering) features are second to none. Superior fit /finish, exceptional cleaning performance, versatility, larger collection cup easily removable, smarter design, usually less expensive... this Shark is a winner in my book. Glad I gave it a try. Our cat Grace is much happier, too. HIGHLY Recommend. EASILY EARNS 5-STARS!