Others say...

"All the negative reviews are wrong!"
I just don't get all the negative reviews. This vacuum for what it is, is awesome. I have had it for several years now. People just expect everything from a cheap vacuum. Yes, this is not made for rugs but does a good job just for surface cleaning on them. They use this vacuum for everything and try to vacuum their rugs too. It cannot, and I repeat cannot vacuum rugs sufficient enough because it does not have an aggitator. And to top it off I guarantee they hardly ever, ever clean out the unit. This Shark is extremely strong and does a phenominal job on hardwood, tile and solid surfaces. I have been through many vacuum's because my whole house is brazillian cherry and tile. I do have some area rugs and I surface clean them also. When I need to deep clean I bust out the monster. You must take the canister apart a couple times a month and clean it out. Most people just think they can use a clogged up vacuum all the time. It has to be cleaned. You would not believe the dirt it picks up after you clean it. And if you see that it picks up alot of dirt, IT MUST BE CLEANED! The hepa filter is expensive and does clog quickly. What I do is take it out, get a steak knife and run it through the pleats to pull out all the built up dust, but do not cut through it. Then I run it through hot water and air dry it. Now, if this is to much work for you then there is no vacuum out there that could work for you. Hire a maid.

"amazing"
I bought this after many other stick vacs. I have tile and wood floor and could not find anything to actually suck up the dirt instead of just blowing it around. I asked the store if I didn't like it could I return it and since they said yes I took it home. This thing is amazing!!! It sucked up so much dirt I was amazed. I also used it on my area rugs and I could not believe how much dirt came up. You do have to empty the container once or twice during cleaning the whole house but that is fine with me. Just the fact it is getting up that much when the floors look clean still blows me away. I bought one for my sister the next week I was so happy with it and she loves it too!!!

"Great for the price for small jobs with NO carpet"
I have a small studio (<700 sq feet) that is all hardwood floors with only small area rugs. This vacuum is great for my needs - it picks up all the dust bunnies under the bed and all of the hair that accumulates in the bathroom. It is also light to carry, and very importantly is small and compact. There's a handy side tubing that works well for small corners or spaces between furniture. The cord wraps up neatly on the back of the vacuum with a little clip on the plug part that keeps it in place.

There are definitely numerous shortcomings. The canister is small and I have to empty it twice when I vacuum the whole place. The HEPA air filter has to be tapped clean after each use, and my palm gets sore after doing so. The indicator light that tells you when the filter is dirty turns on after only 10-20 seconds of use. It does not do well on my area rugs, especially in the bathroom where I have to use a lint roller to pick up hair and dust from the rug there. Lastly, it's very loud so I've considered earplugs when using it in the bathroom.

Overall it's an inexpensive vacuum that has served me well for almost 4 years now.

"This vacuum sucks. And not in a nice way."
Let me preface this review by saying, "I have no one to blame but myself." I violated two of my own hard and fast rules, 1. NEVER buy an electric/electronic product that is on sale for no discernible reason and 2. NEVER shrug off the negative reviews other people have made.

I went ahead and bought it because the previous Shark I owned (very similar in appearance) I loved! This one sucks big time (see Title). First, every hair on your floor will soon clog the brushes on the NONrolling brush head AND the rolling brushhead - and I do mean SOON. The PREfilter, a small, circular blob, fills up alarmingly fast and is impossible to clean. It is roughly 2.5 inches in diameter, thick and flimsy (don't ask) and cannot be banged against anything to remove the huge gobs of ycch it traps (unless you don't mind damaging all your knuckles). I have resorted to taking it outside (in my 15 degree winter) and trying to rinse it with the faucet - one must grip the filter in both hands and hold it under the faucet to remove even a small trace of yccch, all of which splashes into your face. The filter itself is a snap to clean because nothing ever gets through the prefilter.

I bought the vacuum because of my experience with the previous Shark and because it is small and I have a very small place.

I will not ever buy another Shark. CAVEAT EMPTOR!

"poor"
This vacumm is awful. It did not pick up a thing. What a waste of money. It did a great job of sucking.