I am not that tall (5'3") and I need to stoop to keep the brush head flat. I think the vac head should be redesigned to lay flat on the floor.
I also have a Riccar Butler which seems to have the same issue so perhaps its a design flaw for all lightweight portable vacs?

This is an OK machine. It works well on floors but it does not do a good job on carpets.

I wanted a light weight vacuum that works, I found it. I'm an amputee so I need something I can move around. Plus I have a German Shepard service dog that sheds. This vacuum is powerful enough to pickup the dog and other bits on the rug, and on a hardwood floor. The ease of removing the bag is a major plus. Just wish the bag was bigger so I didn't have to empty it each time I vacuumed. But it will get through a vacuuming session. There are several attachments that aid in doing all kinds of vacuuming. I'm glad I bought this one.

I really wanted to love this vacuum. It is beautifully designed, at least if you like a rugged, commercial aesthetic. Pieces click to together in a satisfying way, and the chrome gleams against the gray and orange color scheme. I really enjoyed putting it together. I enjoyed the fact that it is not as loud as my previous Hoover, and the children and cats did not flee the room in terror when I turned it on.

However, when it came to using it on our hardwood floors, it did not perform. I felt like I was chasing the dirt around, rather than sucking it up. I had to put my hand over the nozzle to make sure that it really was functioning, and yes, if you place your hand right over the tube, you can feel suction. A moderate amount of suction. I found that if I swept really well ahead of time, it might pick up some of the stray leftover dirt. But forget about anything stuck in the cracks between the floorboards. If I didn't sweep really well, I was on my knees, picking up bits of tissue and stray threads that the vacuum had failed to suck up. With some experimentation, it became clear that the suction was not strong enough to spread over the floor cleaning tools with any effectiveness, and the best result was achieved with the crevice tool or the bare nozzle. Sweeping a 1 inch tube back and forth over the entire surface area of our small home would make vacuuming a long and dull task.

Just so you know, if you are purchasing bags to use with this machine, you also need to purchase an adapter, another $10 or so. The adapter is just a funnel with a little rubber band type thing that you roll onto the neck of the bag. When you replace the bag, you are faced with the gaping maw of funnel as you fumble with the rubber band thingy. This wouldn't be a dealbreaker if the machine actually worked, but I was sort of unhappy that I would be faced with staring at/breathing the stuff I just vacuumed off the floor.

The vacuum that I'm replacing is nothing fancy, just a 10 year old upright hoover, an unglamorous plasticky and clunky machine whose suction has seen better days. This new Hoover has weaker suction than the 10 year old Hoover. It's going back where it came from. I don't really understand how this product has such good reviews-- it doesn't seem like it would be very much help if you have any real dirt to clean. I don't feel like I have especially high expectations for a vacuum, but if this is the story with vacuums at this price range, I might have to double my budget and splurge on an entry level Miele. In fact, I just did.

The Model 1049 Hoover shown in the photos finally gave out after 30+ years of service. The US made consumer grade canister of the early '80s is now a "commercial grade" made in China. ~sigh~. Judging entirely by the weight I believe it has the same ratio of plastic to metal parts inside and has every bit as much suction. So I overall I am very pleased to find this replacement.

All parts interchange between the two. The new extensions are steel instead of plastic which makes them lighter. The cord is longer and heavier and no longer wraps neatly around the handle so they provide a loop with snaps to manage it. The suction hose extends to the same length as the old one but retracts to about 2 ft. - very handy for a hand carried vac, even if it doesn't last 30 years like the old one.

I would not consider this vac for carpet. We have always used an upright with a powered brush for that. But this is a perfect small carry-around for corners and ceilings and windows as well as small clean ups. And the only one I have found with a cleanable / reusable filter bag.

The seller - Next Day MRO: very prompt.