Clever, Phendrick! lol Seriously though, I bought maybe five of these already at a much higher price. From what I can tell from the Ta#get reviews when Ta#get sold them, there were PROBLEMS galore with these vacs. PROBLEMS equal returns. They got refurbished, and I have to believe there are all new parts (new brush roller, new crevice tool, new upholstery tool), and then Meh bought them.
My opinion: I have used only one of them, and I LOVE IT! It arrives in a very unattractive generic box (so do not be alarmed), but if you are new to cordless vacs, get this machine. With so many of the new off-brand cordless vacs, you have to change the roller head depending if you are on carpeting or the bare floor, but not with this vac! I take this guy all over the house and vacuum everything! It’s got headlights, so you can see pet hair on the floor that you could not see without the light. It has some severe suction as well. Yes, of all things that suck, this vac is high on that list!
For that price? Do I need a sixth one? Um…
@ZooDoctor Is it really a high-capacity XL dust cup? I have a Dyson stick vac and the dust cup fills up rather quickly and doesn’t seem to hold much. And it’s a mess to empty.
@ZooDoctor I have a slightly different model - no digital screen & bigger dust cup. Bought from Woot as refurbished at the same price. Looked like new and works great. I prefer the slightly simpler model like mine over the meh model. Digital screen on a vac - why? Nevertheless, if I needed one, I would consider this one. Shark seems dependable based on my experience with a cordless and a full size corded model.
@haydesigner@ZooDoctor And here I thought I was being extravagant because I’ve bought 2 of them, based on the glowing reviews the previous times they offered them. And I’m really glad I did - I’ve vacuumed a lot more often since getting them!
@werehatrack The battery is the biggest issue with all cordless vacs! I bought a Shark Vertex cordless with 2 removable batteries and dual roller from an Amazon Warehouse deal, best vacuum I have ever used! I refuse to buy any cordless vac with a fixed, non-replaceable battery.
I think this is the one I got when they had it. It may have been on side deal. Anyway if it’s the same one it’s a nice vac. I’ve been through 4 shark vacs(2 still work) over the years and they’ve all been good machines.
Highly suspicious/ fortuitous that my previously purchased Meh refurbished Shark vac broke just this week (not their fault, we are just hard on the poor things). In for one.
@ZooDoctor missed this question. The powered head has a pair of spring loaded posts mounted on either side of the input tube meant to keep the head from flopping around when the vacuum is lifted. Unfortunately, these eventually break through the bottom plate, leaving gaping holes near the wheels. Eventually, the plastic around the wheels starts to fail causing them to collapse and rendering the head useless. These failed after about 5 years of constant use.
I wasn’t really convinced that cordless was the way to go, but the last time Meh had this model I bought one to try. OMG I love it. I never haul out our old (also Shark) vacuum anymore. So lightweight, yet so effective! Works great on hardwood and carpets. I’ve used it both as a full size vac and also as a handheld with the tools. It has far exceeded my expectations. At this price I’m tempted to buy another one just to keep downstairs.
Just read the TARGET reviews, fer goshes sakes. 23% negative (1+2 stars) and only 60% recommend. Battery life (with actual carpet action) around 8 minutes?! I have an older corded Shark Lift-Away (model LA330 I think), bought refurbished. It worked great for about 12 months, until the cheap plastic handle broke, at the point of greatest torque. Now operating with super-glue and duct tape, but still sucks well.
One Target reviewer pegged it when they wrote: “Just stick to a corded vacuum.” I’ve also found this true of all my outdoor tools: gas or electric gets it done, battery-operated just won’t run…
@MrNews Interesting. Your comment made me think about the Swiffer products. My brother (oral care division, i.e. Crest) and his wife (paper division, i.e. Charmin and those offensive skid-marking bears ) just retired from P&G (Proctor and Gamble). I have learned much from them about how much consumer satisfaction plays into consumerism. Swiffer products have off-the-chart satisfaction ratings because it LOOKS like they are cleaning so well, but in fact, they do not clean nearly as well as it seems. Notice how 95% of vacuums are bagless these days and how they have clear collection cups? They do not need to be clear, but the satisfaction of seeing all that debris is real. Maybe cordless products are in the same category, and people are willing to buy new ones much more often. Just a theory.
@ZooDoctor I think you’re on to something about consumer expectations. My wife bought a Swiffer 12 years ago- it doesn’t work. And yes, the bagless vac cups are all clear (probably so you know when they need emptying). I had earlier flings at careers in advertising and PR. And I’ve been binge re-watching Mad Men all day. It’s all about creating an itch, and presenting your product as the Calamine Lotion…
@MrNews So, you were a Don Draper? You were then day-drinking, smoking everywhere, and wearing skinny ties? Most likely you dabbled in a little sexism as well? Did your secretary get you coffee? Part of me wants you to say “Yes, that was me,” as much as I would be equally horrified if you admitted it. But seriously, what I wouldn’t give for that mid-century modern aesthetic again. I teach fifth-grade science in an urban school, and each year I show “Hidden Figures” in February" as space is a part of common core at that grade level at that time of year. The movie has such cultural and scientific importance, but selfishly I watch it to soak in the year I was born, namely to see those clothes and the cars.
@ZooDoctor I was definitely not Don Draper, more like Ken Cosgrove or Paul Kinsey. I had an interview at DMM in Detroit around 1980, but had zero ad experience, an MA in Film, and a ponytail. (Though I did spend weeks preparing by reverse-scripting TV commercials.) I drifted into radio news & management for 11 years, then joined a tiny PR firm in the NYC suburbs. Just the owner and me and one 19-year-old secretary (whose grandmother played the paranormal scientist in “Poltergeist”). It was a great business-- except for the clients-- so back to another 11-year radio stint. Been running my own consulting business since 2008, now basically retired. But having grown up in the 1960’s, and adoring the ‘psychology of persuasion,’ Mad Men speaks to me…
Mine just arrived! Whoo hoo! Wait - it’s got a dusting brush! I wanted the upholstery brush! (Oh. I clicked wrong, I guess - the order says dust brush. Pits.)
Specs
Product: Shark PRO Cordless Vacuum w/ Self-Cleaning PowerFins Brushroll (Refurbished)
Model: IZ531H_EGB, IZ531H_E2GB
Condition: Refurbished
What’s Included?
OR
Price Comparison
$329.99 at Target
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Tuesday, Jun 20
How do they get so many refurbished vacs to sell? Were they bought and returned?
@clonetek Which is it? They’re returned because they suck/don’t suck?
This deal sucks both very lightly, but plenty mightily?
Shouldn’t every shark have self-cleaning fins?
@phendrick That’s what remoras are for.
Clever, Phendrick! lol Seriously though, I bought maybe five of these already at a much higher price.
From what I can tell from the Ta#get reviews when Ta#get sold them, there were PROBLEMS galore with these vacs. PROBLEMS equal returns. They got refurbished, and I have to believe there are all new parts (new brush roller, new crevice tool, new upholstery tool), and then Meh bought them.
My opinion: I have used only one of them, and I LOVE IT! It arrives in a very unattractive generic box (so do not be alarmed), but if you are new to cordless vacs, get this machine. With so many of the new off-brand cordless vacs, you have to change the roller head depending if you are on carpeting or the bare floor, but not with this vac! I take this guy all over the house and vacuum everything! It’s got headlights, so you can see pet hair on the floor that you could not see without the light. It has some severe suction as well. Yes, of all things that suck, this vac is high on that list!
For that price? Do I need a sixth one? Um…
@ZooDoctor… umm… five of them?
@ZooDoctor Is it really a high-capacity XL dust cup? I have a Dyson stick vac and the dust cup fills up rather quickly and doesn’t seem to hold much. And it’s a mess to empty.
@ZooDoctor I have a slightly different model - no digital screen & bigger dust cup. Bought from Woot as refurbished at the same price. Looked like new and works great. I prefer the slightly simpler model like mine over the meh model. Digital screen on a vac - why? Nevertheless, if I needed one, I would consider this one. Shark seems dependable based on my experience with a cordless and a full size corded model.
@heartny It does…I can get four days out of it. (Two dogs and two cats worth.)
@haydesigner Yes, sad but True. Discovering Meh has been a mixed blessing. The good news: I am using everything I have bought!
@haydesigner @ZooDoctor
And here I thought I was being extravagant because I’ve bought 2 of them, based on the glowing reviews the previous times they offered them. And I’m really glad I did - I’ve vacuumed a lot more often since getting them!
I got this last time it was on sale on the site, and I like it a lot. Perfect for a small house (~1100 sq ft)
Oi, we didn’t get an Upholstery Tool option last time. What a rip.
@DrunkCat We did get it, but it’s just a small brush attachment.
@DrunkCat @ZooDoctor This time they give you a choice; the two I got came with the dust brush and didn’t offer the upholstery brush.
@Kyeh @ZooDoctor I’m with Kyeh, got the vacuum but no upholstery brush.
One non-universal, non-user-serviceable lithium battery. Neither the normal runtime nor the ultimate service life can be extended by swapping packs.
@werehatrack The battery is the biggest issue with all cordless vacs! I bought a Shark Vertex cordless with 2 removable batteries and dual roller from an Amazon Warehouse deal, best vacuum I have ever used! I refuse to buy any cordless vac with a fixed, non-replaceable battery.
I think this is the one I got when they had it. It may have been on side deal. Anyway if it’s the same one it’s a nice vac. I’ve been through 4 shark vacs(2 still work) over the years and they’ve all been good machines.
Highly suspicious/ fortuitous that my previously purchased Meh refurbished Shark vac broke just this week (not their fault, we are just hard on the poor things). In for one.
@canneddirt Wait, what? Curiosity piqued! What happened?
@ZooDoctor missed this question. The powered head has a pair of spring loaded posts mounted on either side of the input tube meant to keep the head from flopping around when the vacuum is lifted. Unfortunately, these eventually break through the bottom plate, leaving gaping holes near the wheels. Eventually, the plastic around the wheels starts to fail causing them to collapse and rendering the head useless. These failed after about 5 years of constant use.
Bought this previously and use it all the time on our hardwood floors. Might use it for a quick clean of a Cheerios spill on carpet.
Battery lasting a decent amount after three months of daily use. Charges fairly quick if need a little extra cleaning.
One thing that is annoying: no way to keep the tools on the vacuum. Really only care about the crevice tool.
Overall, been great for what we need it for but does not replace our bigger corded vacuum for carpeted areas.
I wasn’t really convinced that cordless was the way to go, but the last time Meh had this model I bought one to try. OMG I love it. I never haul out our old (also Shark) vacuum anymore. So lightweight, yet so effective! Works great on hardwood and carpets. I’ve used it both as a full size vac and also as a handheld with the tools. It has far exceeded my expectations. At this price I’m tempted to buy another one just to keep downstairs.
Just read the TARGET reviews, fer goshes sakes. 23% negative (1+2 stars) and only 60% recommend. Battery life (with actual carpet action) around 8 minutes?! I have an older corded Shark Lift-Away (model LA330 I think), bought refurbished. It worked great for about 12 months, until the cheap plastic handle broke, at the point of greatest torque. Now operating with super-glue and duct tape, but still sucks well.
One Target reviewer pegged it when they wrote: “Just stick to a corded vacuum.” I’ve also found this true of all my outdoor tools: gas or electric gets it done, battery-operated just won’t run…
@MrNews Interesting. Your comment made me think about the Swiffer products. My brother (oral care division, i.e. Crest) and his wife (paper division, i.e. Charmin and those offensive skid-marking bears
) just retired from P&G (Proctor and Gamble). I have learned much from them about how much consumer satisfaction plays into consumerism. Swiffer products have off-the-chart satisfaction ratings because it LOOKS like they are cleaning so well, but in fact, they do not clean nearly as well as it seems. Notice how 95% of vacuums are bagless these days and how they have clear collection cups? They do not need to be clear, but the satisfaction of seeing all that debris is real. Maybe cordless products are in the same category, and people are willing to buy new ones much more often. Just a theory.
@ZooDoctor I think you’re on to something about consumer expectations. My wife bought a Swiffer 12 years ago- it doesn’t work. And yes, the bagless vac cups are all clear (probably so you know when they need emptying). I had earlier flings at careers in advertising and PR. And I’ve been binge re-watching Mad Men all day. It’s all about creating an itch, and presenting your product as the Calamine Lotion…
@MrNews So, you were a Don Draper? You were then day-drinking, smoking everywhere, and wearing skinny ties? Most likely you dabbled in a little sexism as well? Did your secretary get you coffee? Part of me wants you to say “Yes, that was me,” as much as I would be equally horrified if you admitted it.
But seriously, what I wouldn’t give for that mid-century modern aesthetic again. I teach fifth-grade science in an urban school, and each year I show “Hidden Figures” in February" as space is a part of common core at that grade level at that time of year. The movie has such cultural and scientific importance, but selfishly I watch it to soak in the year I was born, namely to see those clothes and the cars. 
@ZooDoctor I was definitely not Don Draper, more like Ken Cosgrove or Paul Kinsey. I had an interview at DMM in Detroit around 1980, but had zero ad experience, an MA in Film, and a ponytail. (Though I did spend weeks preparing by reverse-scripting TV commercials.) I drifted into radio news & management for 11 years, then joined a tiny PR firm in the NYC suburbs. Just the owner and me and one 19-year-old secretary (whose grandmother played the paranormal scientist in “Poltergeist”). It was a great business-- except for the clients-- so back to another 11-year radio stint. Been running my own consulting business since 2008, now basically retired. But having grown up in the 1960’s, and adoring the ‘psychology of persuasion,’ Mad Men speaks to me…
What the hell… going for it.
/giphy classy-pedestrian-turtle
Mine just arrived. Looks like new - very impressed with this as a refurb! It came with a 70% charge and it shows it is charging now!
/giphy Exciting!
Mine just arrived! Whoo hoo! Wait - it’s got a dusting brush! I wanted the upholstery brush! (Oh. I clicked wrong, I guess - the order says dust brush. Pits.)