Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Eureka! 63073 Dust Filter For Our Eureka Maxima 4700 Vacuum: Very Average.



The Good: Fits perfectly, Keeps crap from getting into the air.
The Bad: Clogs far too easily to be superlative.
The Basics: Durable, but easily clogged by common household dirts, the 63037 replacement filter for Eureka vacuums is good, but not extraordinary.


A few months ago, my wife proudly purchased a new vacuum for us. It was an inexpensive vacuum, the Eureka 4700 vacuum (click here for that review!) which has served us well ever since. However, I discovered two things rather quickly. First, the filter for the vacuum gets clogged ridiculously easy when living with a dog, two cats and a rabbit and that once the filter is punctured, it is pretty much worthless.

The filter for the Eureka 4700 is the 63073 filter. This is a surprisingly heavy air filter which is able to filter out all manners of dust and allergens and prevent them from going back into the air. Using the 63073 is remarkably simple. It is essentially a 5” long cylinder with a 3” diameter which has three tabs at the top. The tabs fit into slots in the wind chamber (the removable place that would have the bag if only the 4700 had bags instead of a canister) and one need only twist and the filter is locked in place. The filter is locked in solid with the plastic components, though the actual filter is a compressed fiber material that is stiff like canvass.

Once the 63073 filter is locked in place and the canister is returned to the vacuum, simply turn on the vacuum and the filter does what it is supposed to. This filter is exceptionally good at preventing hair, dust mites and dirt from getting back into the air after vacuuming and as a result, it is good for people with allergies. My partner has allergies and after using the vacuum, she never seems to have trouble breathing, so it is a winner in that regard.

Why am I not enthusiastically praising this filter, then? It’s quite simple. The 63037 filter gets clogged ridiculously easily. When passing the vacuum over the floor near the litterboxes our cats use, the 63037 gets so clogged that the suction on the vacuum diminishes noticeably. This becomes a huge problem when trying to clean the filter out. This filter is intended to be washable, however, kitty litter does not wash out of it. Instead, it becomes something of a clay and makes the filter useless. And the filter does not hold together when trying to remove the caking from the filter. Instead, one is much more likely to puncture the filter.

The problem compounds with normal hair and fibers as well. Large bits of animal fur, for example, will quickly clog the 63037 and the result is that the vacuum becomes unusable until one cleans the filter out. The easiest way? Bang the dusty, dirty, hairy filter out a window. However, this puts all sorts of dirt, dust and hair into the air again and ultimately, it undoes the benefits of such a powerful filter.

In short, the 63037 is adequate, but in no way extraordinary.

For other vacuums or small appliances around the house, please check out my reviews of:
Dirt Devil KWIK hand vacuum
Dyson Air Multiplier fan
Hamilton Beach 727 Milkshake Mixer

5/10

For other appliance reviews, please visit my index page for a listing by clicking here!

© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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