Kenmore - Intuition BU3040

I agree. For the budget and hard floors and lots of rugs I'd go with the Kenmore Intuition. It's a small upright vacuum with swivel steering and hepa bags. The bag only needs to be changed about once every 2 months. It isn't the most durable vacuum it should last 3-5 years, but it' should last longer than most bagless vacuums in this price range. It's light weight, it has brushroll shutoff for hard floors and there aren't too many other bagged vacuums with as many features.

I don't recommend buying any cordless vacuum in used condition. The most expensive part to replace is the battery and you don't know what condition the battery is in and how much longer it will last. Many cordless vacuums have fixed batteries so the whole vac is useless when the battery wears out. If you know the seller and it's a new-in-box or barely used cordless vacuum check that everything works and the exhaust doesn't smell bad. The battery adds so much to the cost of a vacuum that $150 gets you a pretty cheaply made cordless vacuum. I'd either spend a little more on the LG CordZero A913BM $199 or save some money and get a small corded vacuum like the Kenmore Intuition $150-200 but they always go on sale for less. The Vacmaster UB0302E $99 is a Kenmore Intuition without the liftaway mode.

There are cordless stick vacuums with stronger suction like Dyson, LG, and Samsung, but they really aren't more durable. Parts availability is spotty. I don't think any cordless stick vacuum has enough agitation to replace a corded vacuum for cleaning carpets other than a few battery powered uprights. I think maybe a different tact. A lightweight corded vacuum will give you better cleaning power and reliability. The Lindhaus Valzer Eco Green $799 is a light weight upright vacuum, it's lighter than a Sebo Felix. The Lindhaus has swivel steering, brushroll shutoff for hard floors, it's reliable, and very repairable. A different option is the Kenmore Intuition $150-180, its a small light upright vacuum. It's the same size as a Shark Navigator but it uses hepa bags. The suction will be stronger and it will clean carpets better than a cordless vacuum. The Intuition is on the smaller side it's only as wide as a cordless vacuum. It isn't very durable 3-5+ years but it will last longer than most cordless vacuums. The parts availability is pretty bad which makes sense given the lower price. If I had to pick a cordless stick vacuum I'd go for an LG CordZero Kompressor. Good suction, poor carpet agitation, easy to maintain. Many models come with 2 batteries and a charging stand. There are parts but they're expensive when available. Single brushroll powerheads are more reliable across all brands. Thoughts?

I don't recommend Dyson dupes or copies. Cordless vacuums have a lot of drawbacks to be lightweight and get to a certain price. The battery can't be too big or heavy and since the battery is a very expensive component other parts are smaller or cheaper. So I only recommend name brand cordless vacuums that have replaceable batteries and replacement parts available. Sometimes I've seen an LG CordZero A9 and Samsung Jet 60 with basic models under $200. I wouldn't buy anything cheaper than those vacuums because the cheap cordless vacuums break in a year or less and then they're aren't repairable. If you are looking to stay around $100 I recommend looking at the corded Kenmore Intution. It's a small upright vacuum with hepa bags. It's light and since the motor sits near the wheels the handle weight is actually less than a cordless vacuum. Many of the Kenmore Intuitions range from $150-180. There's a cheaper Intuition BU3040 that removes the liftaway mode and usually goes on sale for around $120-130. There's a cheaper Vacmaster UB0302E $100-120 this is same vacuum as the Intuition BU3040 but with less tools and bags included. Another option is to look at the corded stick vacuums. Not the $30 Bissell Featherweights, but the Dyson dupes with a cord. They're even cheaper than the cordless Dyson dupes. Since they are corded they don't have run time limits or battery issues. If you get a corded stick vacuum buy replacement filters to have as backup because they don't stock replacement parts for long. The downside of a corded stick vacuum is it isn't as powerful or have the capacity of an upright and you don't get any cordless convenience. They usually don't stand up and still have a heavy handle weight.

I don't recommend Dyson dupes or copies. Cordless vacuums have a lot of drawbacks to be lightweight and get to a certain price. The battery can't be too big or heavy and since the battery is a very expensive component other parts are smaller or cheaper. So I only recommend name brand cordless vacuums that have replaceable batteries and replacement parts available. Sometimes I've seen an LG CordZero A9 and Samsung Jet 60 with basic models under $200. I wouldn't buy anything cheaper than those vacuums because the cheap cordless vacuums break in a year or less and then they're aren't repairable. If you are looking to stay around $100 I recommend looking at the corded Kenmore Intution. It's a small upright vacuum with hepa bags. It's light and since the motor sits near the wheels the handle weight is actually less than a cordless vacuum. Many of the Kenmore Intuitions range from $150-180. There's a cheaper Intuition BU3040 that removes the liftaway mode and usually goes on sale for around $120-130. There's a cheaper Vacmaster UB0302E $100-120 this is same vacuum as the Intuition BU3040 but with less tools and bags included. Another option is to look at the corded stick vacuums. Not the $30 Bissell Featherweights, but the Dyson dupes with a cord. They're even cheaper than the cordless Dyson dupes. Since they are corded they don't have run time limits or battery issues. If you get a corded stick vacuum buy replacement filters to have as backup because they don't stock replacement parts for long. The downside of a corded stick vacuum is it isn't as powerful or have the capacity of an upright and you don't get any cordless convenience. They usually don't stand up and still have a heavy handle weight.

There aren't many corded stick vacuums. Most are from Bissell, Shark, and the Chinese Amazon brands. I don't recommend a bagless vacuum if you have severe allergies, you will still need to empty the bin a lot and wash the filters regularly, which will expose you to all the stuff you are trying to remove. I recommend looking at the Kenmore Intuition. It is a small corded upright vacuum. It has hepa bags and a hepa filter. The handle weight is actually lighter than stick vacuum because the motor is near the wheels and not up at the handle. The Intuition is as narrow as a stick vacuum. The Intuition BU4050 is popular because it has an anti-hair brushroll (helps reduce hair wrap but not eliminate it completely) and includes more bags and tools. Most models and most have liftaway mode. The Intuition BU3040 does not have liftaway and that makes it a little lighter weight. The Henry Quick Cordless vacuum is one of the few cordless vacuums that use pods/bags. The pods are nearly Hepa filtration at 99% of 0.3 microns. Hepa is 99.97% of 0.3 microns. In the U.S. the Henry Quick are expensive at $649. Since your Mom really wants a stick vacuum, the Shark Powerdetect Ultralight HZ4002 $229-299 is one of the few Shark corded stick vacuums with a hepa filter. I really don't think these are lightweight or easy to use, so if you buy one buy it from a store with a very good return policy. Sharks aren't durable or repairable so this is a vacuum that you should buy the extended warranty from the store. What do you think?

You're welcome. The Henry Quick corded just came out in the U.K. I'm hoping we'll eventually get it here in the U.S. too. The corded version is about half the price of cordless, which I'll guess it'll go for $325-350 in the U.S. which is still expensive. Yes the Kenmore Intuition is sealed and more importantly the dirty air goes through a hepa bag and then a hepa filter. That's better than a fully sealed bagless vacuum.

All cordless vacuums will have similar clogging issues. They have to be small so there are many tight corners. Some will clog a little less. I think you should check out the Kenmore Intuition models. They’re small upright vacuums as narrow as a cordless vacuum. They’re light weight and the cords are usually 30 ft unless you get one of the cheaper versions. They use hepa bags so they avoid those tight corners in bagless bins. They’re $150-180 so under budget too.

What is the mix of your flooring? A canister without a powerhead will be ok if you just have a few rugs but if you have carpeted rooms and rugs I’d go with a carpet powerhead.

I'd go with a Kenmore Intuition $150-180. They are small upright vacuums that are lightweight and narrow. They use hepa bags and a hepa filter. There are several models, the lowest does not have liftaway mode. Most of the models have liftaway and then the included bags and tools differ. A corded vacuum like this Kenmore will have more suction power than cordless and it will pickup cat litter and other heavy particles better. Downsides are a short hose and non-standard tool size. If you really want a cordless vacuum maybe the Dreame R10 $149. I'd only get a cordless vacuum that has removable/replaceable batteries and hepa filter. The R10 has a post motor filter that is almost hepa filtration. I like that the R10 comes with 2 powerheads, one regular brushroll and one soft brushroll. The dual brushrolls like on the Vertex Ultralight are compromised on both hard floors and carpets. Downsides to the Dreame are budget build quality and battery degradation where most batteries this price only last 1-2 years.

If you just have low to medium pile carpets a lot people like the Kenmore Intuition $150-180 because it's bagged and lightweight, it's smaller than a full-size vacuum like the Hoover Anniversary. It has brushroll shutoff for hard floors and swivel steering and liftaway mode. Downsides are it isn't as durable as your old Hoover and the hose is short. But I'd make some of those tradeoffs for a much lighter vacuum. There's an Intuition BU4050 that's popular because it has a brushroll that reduces hairwrap and it comes with the most bags and tools included. If you have high pile or plush carpets you really carpet height adjustment. The Hoover Complete Performance Advanced $180-200 is good for carpets and without self-propelled motors and extra wheels it's much lighter than your old Hoover. It doesn't have brushroll shutoff though, so it's not great on hard floors and the brushroll spins even when you use the hose. The Kenmore Elite Upright $250-300 has carpet height adjustment and brushroll shutoff, but it's the heaviest of the three. Not as heavy as your old Hoover and I find the weight average when using the vacuum but if you have to lift it up it is the heaviest and it has a short hose. The Kenmore Elite has the most features and the best build quality of these 3 too.

I think you should look at the Kenmore Intuition $150-180. It's a small corded upright vacuum similar to a Shark Navigator but the Kenmore Intuition uses hepa bags and a hepa filter. The Intuition also has swivel steering and liftaway mode. It's lightweight and it has brushroll shutoff. Downsides are a short hose. The cheapest Intuition does not have liftaway mode but it's a little lighter. The hepa bag will last around 2 months each bag. I don't recommend the Shark Navigator, Eureka PowerSpeed, or Bissell Cleanview. They're all bagless which means more maintenance and they don't last as long because the bagless design stresses the motors more. Sharks are nearly impossible to repair and the Eureka and Bissell do not have a hepa filter. Thoughts?

The Kenmore Intuition is one of the few hepa bagged vacuums under $200 that is good for carpets and hard floors. Kenmore vacuums are primarily sold through Amazon. If you don't need the BU4050 model there are a few versions like the BU4020 and BU4021 that you can buy through the Kenmorefloorcare website but they cost more than they do on Amazon. I'm ok with buying the Kenmore Intuition through Amazon but it does mean that you should throughly inspect the vacuum when it arrives. Check that it isn't dirty and used or missing any pieces. That way you can quickly return it and get a new one before your return window closes.

Bagged vacuums tend to last longer and don't have bins and filters to clean. You just change the bag when it gets full and bags usually last around 2 months each. The Bissell PowerForce Bagged #1739 is $58 at walmart. It is a basic but capable vacuum for carpets. It doesn't have brushroll shutoff so it's not good on hard floors. You can buy aftermarket hepa bags for better filtration over the standard paper bags. The Kenmore Intuition $150-180 is a small vacuum with a lot more features. It has swivel steering and liftaway mode. It has brushroll shutoff for good hard floor cleaning. It uses hepa bags and has a hepa filter for good filtration. There's a cheaper version, Vacmaster UB0302E $99, it loses liftaway mode and some tools, and it gets a shorter cord. But it's slightly lighter than the liftaway versions too. Downsides are the Intuition does not have carpet height adjustment so it's not good for ultra plush carpets or shag rugs. I think the Kenmore Intuition is worth the extra for a longer cord, more included bags and tools, but the Vacmaster is just as powerful.

There's really only one bagged cordless vacuum right now it's the Henry Quick but it's expensive about $649 in the U.S. I agree with FlatDirection, I think you should check out the Kenmore Intuition as well. It's a small corded upright vacuum, it's as narrow as a cordless vacuum. It weighs 14 lbs and it can stand up, which most cordless vacuums cannot stand up. Importantly the Intuition has hepa bags and a hepa filter and it can clean carpets and hard floors. The Intuition BU4050 $169 is popular because it has the hair eliminator brushroll and it comes with the most bags and tools. The Intuition BU3040 $149 does not have the liftaway mode most models do so it weighs less at 12 lbs. The downsides of the Intuition are they are cheaper vacuums than a Miele so they won't last as long and the hose is short.

I love Kirby vacuums, I have 2 right now, but I don't think they're a good fit for the OP. Real self-propelled vacuums like the Kirby make them light to push while they are on but they add weight when you have to store or lift the vacuum. Kirbys are big, heavy, and loud. They do last forever, they're easy to repair, and used Kirbys are very affordable. The powerhead isn't the best for hard floors so the OP will need go through the process of removing the powerhead to attach the hose, wand, and hard floor brush, which is several steps. I think the OP should look at the Kenmore Intuition and Oreck Elevate, both are much lighter and have hepa bags too.

I think your awesome! Thanks for this. Yeah was thinking about the Henry quick but dang its spensive and only seems to be available from Amazon. I see in the UK they have the corded version. The kenmore is sealed and won't blow microscopic dust back out right? I know mieles are sealed and have seen them tested with particle counters.

Oh that is awesome on the kenmore. It has great suction. I think I'll just get that. It seems small enough to be maneuverable and easy to weild. Im mostly the person that vacuums anyway.

Man that intuition is awesome! It has amazing suction. The only downside is it is more heavy then we wanted but it'll do until that henry comes to the U.S. I dont think its sealed though as my allergies were kicking up but it could just be the brush kicking stuff up and to the side.

I don't know why people recommend the Kenmore intuition. I tried it, and the suction was so weak, it was shocking. Maybe people don't trealize how bad it is? In addition, there is no manual carpet height adjustment. It was weaker than our stick vacuum on high. Returned it.

i’d say go for a vacuum like the kenmore intuition if you’re looking for something under $200

A lot of people on here work in vacuum shops, either managing them or as technicians repairing vacuums. We are all telling you that Shark / Dyson are garbage and you have to spend a fair amount to get a decent vacuum that will last you 4+ years. If you have all hardwood floors or some very low pile carpet, get a SEBO K2/E2, or a Miele suction only model. If you have carpet that is fairly high pile, you are kind of forced to spend a decent amount for a E3 or K3 type vacuum. If you don’t want to spend that much, Kenmore makes some halfway decent vacuums like the Intuition or Pop N Go that are fairly affordable with an electric head. I don’t know why most of your replies to people are you arguing with people whose literal job it is to work with vacuums about what is good and what’s not.

If you have a meaningful amount of carpet and it’s anything higher than a low-medium pile you’re gonna need to spend a bit more to get a “long term” vacuum. Look into the Sebo E3/K3. You more than likely need something with an electric powerhead. If your carpet is extremely low pile you can get away with an E2/K2 with a turbo brush. If your budget was 300 I doubt you’re willing to more than double that, so my advice is to look into the Kenmore Intuition or Kenmore Pop & Go. They should last you at least 3-4 years, hopefully more if you take care of them.

I do not recommend the eureka power speed. It does not have a legitimate filtration system and will blow dust right back into the air. Shark isn’t the most recommended machine on this market but some are far better than others. The Navigator Lift-Away NV350 series or NV360 (Walmart) are actually decent cleaners inexpensive if maintained properly. There’s a few things to keep an eye on and they can last quite a long time. 1. Keep the lint screen in the dust bin clean. Hair can sometimes wrap around it. It’s easy to access through the top of the bin. 2. Keep the brush roll free of hair. There is a built-in groove that allows you to easily cut hair. 3. Filters. Purchase a jumbo pack online for $20. Wash the foam and felt pre-motor filters once a month and just replace them every 3. Do not wash the post motor HEPA filter, and replace every 6 month I’ve found these to work well on carpet and hard floor. There is a suction reducing valve on the hose handle that makes it work well on tricky rugs. The Kenmore Intuition upright is another great inexpensive choice. It’s bagged and eliminates the hassle of constant bagless maintenance. Also look at a Kenmore 200 or 400 series canister. Canisters are better for lots of different floor surfaces. You can get a Kenmore pet powermate mini power nozzle that fits the 200 / 400 for extra tough stuff and the fitting it uses is generic so lots of attachments will work with it. I think this is probably going to be your best bet. The 400 series goes on sale online for $220 if you can stretch

Good place to start is SEBO Felix and Dart. I’m also A fan of the oreck power team: an oreck elevate series upright and a compact canister. Less expensive options that work well for small spaces and are more affordable: kenmore Intuition. It’s bagged, and does well on hard floor and carpet. Unfortunately there aren’t tons of bagged options that are compact and upright. Plenty of canisters though.

That’s going to be a really tough price point. Cheapest I can think of is a Kenmore Intuition (bagged) not bagless

I wouldn’t seriously consider any shark. They’re junk. I prefer the Kenmore version of the intuition over the vacmaster. the lift away is nice for getting stairs and furniture. Worth the premium alone. And depending on which intuition model they all come with slightly different attachments. I’d say use it and see what you need to add for your use case. If you have pet fur on couches etc a turbo attachment might be nice to add.

Canisters aren’t that much more bulky, in my opinion. The 31150 is a good one or the Intuition. Note: the 31150 is 20ish lbs so it’s on the heavy side.

Kenmore Intuition is what you're looking for then. Under $200, has good performance with good size bags, and has brushroll shuf-off control so it works great on hard floors.

It's a great vacuum, I think you'll be very happy with it.

Tight budget, the best filtering models start at roughly twice that. But there are some decent filtering models in that price range. The Kenmore intuition upright or Kenmore 200 series canister with powerhead are both good performers on carpet. Both are bagged, which capture dust nore effectively than bagless vacuums on average. The 200 series canister had better attachments for furniture cleaning and the canister design makes it easier to get under furniture. Some people find canisters to be bulky though. The intuition is a typical upright style, bit easier to store and move around but I don't like them as much for cleaning under furniture or using the tools. Make sure you use the hepa style bags for either one you go with. The hepa bag plus hepa filter on the exhaust combined will provide good filtration. And when it's full, just throw out the bag. Much less risk of dust spraying around and no dirty filters to handle and clean. Higher end models like miele and sebo include better seals and generally tighter construction, plus higher quality filters. They are top tier but again, pricy. The entry level miele models aren't well suited to carpet cleaning.

Look at a kenmore intuition instead, better all around machine with less regular maintainence required. Similar design and weight as sharks. They come in below your budget with the sales currently going on.

That's a really tough set of requirements, and obviously you don't have much room to compromise on any of them either. Hepa filtration is not a given. Many vacuums dimply don't mention it, make similar allergy catching claims without actually filtering to hepa standards, and many models with hepa filters leak, permitting dust ti bypass the filter entirely. In my opinion anything bagless should be ruled out. Even so-called self emptying stick vacs require filter cleaning. Anything involving a bagless container eventually does no matter what. I'm not aware of any bagged stick vacuums, corded or cordless, avaliable within your budget. Having said all that, do you think a lightweight upright would be easier to handle for you? You could possibly get an oreck and buy the highest quality bags avaliable (the default ones aren't hepa). Alternatively a Kenmore intuition upright would probably be a little less cumbersome for you, and it has hepa, bags, etc.

Maybe not up to miele standards but in recent years the kenmore exhaust hepa filters have been redesigned to be a lot more robust and seal a lot more tightly. That combined with hepa style bags and they filter quite well. Older kenmores with the cardboard frame filters weren't so good I agree.