Volta UB156D

Perfect for those too lazy to grab out the big regular vac – My multimaster is around 20 years old. Over the years I have not had to replace its battery at all. The stick vacuum is old enough to use a sealed-lead-acid rechargeable battery. I always keep it on charge for the quick run around my home. I have previously owned an electrolux ergorapido that seemed to be a perfect replacement for this volta multimaster, but since its battery died 4 years after I have been using my old volta again. Also, the ergorapido's brush kept on getting jammed and it took some effort to free the brush from hair. On the other hand, the volta's brush is much more resistant to hair; it keeps on spinning even though it has quite a lot of hair on it. Furthermore, the multimaster has a clutch and reset button for the motorised beater bar which stops the belt from damage if you vacuum say carpet tassels; the ergorapido did not have a clutch and simply jammed. For ease of use, the ergorapido took about 5-6 passes to remove debris from the carpet, whilst the multimaster only needed 1-2. In regards to runtime, the multimaster now runs for 20 minutes from 30 minutes originally; whilst the dead ergorapido once ran for 20 minutes. But overall I was surprised as how the multimaster outlasted the ergorapido. Perhaps it is as they say, 'things nowadays are not made to last'. Despite seeing the current hype on dyson cordless vacuums, I have decided to not buy another rechargable cordless vac until this multimaster dies.

Excellent – This is a life-saver for me. Very good suction and does everything I need it to do and more. I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend the volta UB156D to anyone wanting to keep their hard floors clean. Can't think of any fault. Great for quick clean ups of all hard floors, including running over rugs. I bought this for use over a large ceramic tiled floor surface - but find myself running through the whole house because it is so easy to use. I find it is effective for reaching into edges and corners as well. You need to empty and clean the product every use - or every other use. It is a necessary evil - the dust and dirt have to go somewhere, and if you don't keep the barrel and catcher clean, the suction will be affected. Easy to do - I reserve a laundry brush especially to sweep down the internal "sock". Also, I have long hair and once a month I need to sit down and clean out the roller mechanism. See it as therapy.