You could be forgiven for thinking the Eureka Flash NES510 is one of the new wave of cordless stick vacuums. This vacuum has a cord, but using AC power provides some major benefits. A lower price tag and extra power make the Flash a great choice for a do everything vacuum.
Usability of the Flash NES510
Like other stick vacuums, the NES510 uses a modular design, letting you put together components to best fit your cleaning needs. It has a motor head that can be used on its own as a handheld vacuum. Attach the wand and cleaning head, and you have a full-size, 45-inch tall vacuum with an 11 inch wide cleaning path. Attach the head directly to the motor, and you have a compact vacuum for cleaning stairs. Eureka also includes a crevice wand and an upholstery attachment. These can attach directly to the motor, or to the end of the wand, giving you extra reach for cleaning up high.
Driving this vacuum is a 500 watt motor, which Eureka says generates 15 kPa of suction, which is about average for this segment. Keep in mind the most stick vacuums peak at 18 kPa, just 20% more than the NES510.
The power switch is built into the handle, so it’s always at reach. The Flash has a three-way switch, letting you turn the brush roller on and off as you switch between floors and carpeting. Swivel steering makes maneuvering effortless. At 6.3 lbs. fully assembled, it’s no problem carrying lugging this vacuum around in wand mode while removing dust from curtains and vents.
The Flash has a 30 ft. cord, something you normally expect on full-size vacuums. Plug it in next to a doorway, and you can vacuum several small rooms before moving to a different outlet. As you’d expect, this cord is manual, winding onto the side of the motor.
Four small LED lights in the head of the vacuum let you see under furniture while still maintaining a slim profile.
The Flash has a built-in filtration system, but it isn’t HEPA rated. Air is ejected out of the back of the motor housing. Some users report feeling this hot air on them while they use this vacuum.
Maintenance and Storage
The dust cup is easy to use. Push a button on the vacuum, and the cup pops out. From there, just remove the cover and dump the cup into the trash. There are no latches or filters to deal with.
The NES510 breaks down for compact storage, fitting into an included docking base. Once disassembled, the vacuum is short enough to fit in a kitchen cabinet. This makes it a great choice for small apartments and RVs. However, since this vacuum can’t stand up on its own, you have to take it apart after each use.
This vacuum doesn’t have an automatic cleaning system for tangled hairs, so you have to cut them off of the roller manually.
The Flash has a pair of inlet filters and one post-motor filter. All three filters are washable. Eureka recommends letting these filters air dry for at least 24 hours before putting them back in the vacuum. Fortunately, replacement filters are cheap. If you want a vacuum that’s always ready to clean small spills, you can pick up a spare set of filters. That way, one set can be in the vacuum while the other set is drying.
Warranty
Eureka guarantees this vacuum for three years.
How Does the NES510 Compare to Similar Eureka Vacuums?
The popular Eureka Blaze seems similar on the surface, aside from the dated design and tiny price tag. After all, the dimensions are identical, down to the 11 inch cleaning head. At just under 4 lbs, it takes almost no effort to move the Blaze. However, this vacuum doesn’t have a brush roller, so it’s not effective on carpets. It also has about half the motor power as the Flash, it comes with a much shorter cord, and it doesn’t do overhead cleaning. While the Blaze is useful for cleaning bare floors, spending extra for the Flash gets you a much more usable vacuum.
What about rechargeable vacuums? The Stylus' weight is almost the same as the Eureka Blaze. It costs 80-100% more, which shouldn’t be a surprise. However, keeping weight low with a battery means it takes a pretty big performance hit. The Stylus’ motor has 350 watts of output, and you’ll need to stick to low speed settings to get the battery’s rated maximum of 45 minutes of runtime per charge. The warranty is also shorter at 12 months for the battery and two years for the rest of the vacuum. Meanwhile, the rechargeable Eureka RapidClean Pro is closer in price to the Flash, but it only has a 150 watt motor. In both cases, if you’re willing to put up with a cord, you’ll get a lot more power when you choose the NES510.
Pros
Cons
ConClusion
The Flash NES510 manages to bridge the gap between stick and full-size vacuums. It has enough power for general use, yet it retains all the features that make stick vacuums great for tight quarters and hard-to-reach areas. If you don’t need HEPA filtration and you can deal with a cord, it’s definitely worth a look.
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