Vax VARU1200

Waste of time and money – Terrible vacuum, was barely used in its lifetime and the roller brush had to replaced 2 times. Vac covered the breakdown the first time (reluctantly) and said the warranty won’t be extended if it breaks down again, which it did. Had to get it fixed then. Now it’s died again and it’s gladly going to bonfire, after which I’ll exercise it with a priest present Show details

This Vacuum sucks – ... and not in a good way. I'm spewing I didn't register for the 3 year warranty or keep my receipt. Guess that serves me right, but I thought it would be ok with all the positive reviews. It worked fine at the start & gradually got worse and worse. I'll start by stating that we clean the filter out weekly. Our vax is only 2 years old. Since… Read more

my 10 year old Dyson carked it, I have been on the search for something at least as good, but was put off buying a new Dyson with their negative reviews. I first bought a Mile upright but it was way too big & heavy for me, then I bought this vax...

I wasn't super impressed with it at the start, it was quite hard to push on our thick high pile carpet, but was ok on the hard floors. The extension hose bunches up from the suction when using the turbine head, making it hard to extend.

Over the last 6 months my husband has been doing most of the cleaning and kept telling me how horrible it had become. I vacced today and saw first hand what he meant, it was struggling to pick up crumbs, not even stuck on crumbs, loose crumbs that I could move with my foot.

Then I moved on to the couch, I had the extension hose & turbine head on, and the hose wasn't bunching up at all. Hardly any suction. Then it turned off and now it won't start. I'm hoping it's just overheated, but on the other hand if it's blown up I'm thinking at least I can buy a new vacuum & not have to struggle with this horrible vax any more.

Vax 1.5L Air Reach Upright Vacuum Cleaner – Our household prefers to use an upright vacuum cleaner and we decided to purchase a new one. On the strength of the comments in Product Review we purchased a Vax Air Reach Machine. We have had the machine for 3 months and my wife is delighted with the results. I have also used it on occasions and it’s the lightest upright machine we have ever… Read more

owned so it’s easy to use.

The head contains a rotating brush for use on carpets and can be switched off for hard floors making it multi purpose.

The Air Reach uses cyclones similar to more expensive models and does not contain a bag resulting in good suction and pickup.

The cable length is the longest of any vacuum we have ever owned so we can reach areas where previously we needed to attach an electrical lead.

The attachments are also very good and easy to use.

If I have to be critical it would be the head is not adjustable, however this does not detract from its efficiency and nothing to be concerned about.

I thank the people who submitted comments about this vacuum cleaner for pointing me in the right direction.

Best vacuum cleaner used in my life – I have used many different brands of vacuum cleaners over the last 30 years - Electrolux, Kirby, to name a few. After reading the rave reviews here, I decided to take the plunge with two sets of the VARU1200 from Harris Scarfe even though I had never used Vax before. The irresistible online price tag of $199 helped nudge the buy button when I was… Read more

viewing the shopping cart.

The two sets came within 4 days. I had placed an order on a friday and they arrived the following wednesday! I was amazed at how fast my order was processed. Unboxing them was straight-forward and uneventful. There were no parts that required assembly as the main body came as a single piece. Taking stock of the accessories was also a no-brainer given that they were the standard ones that anyone would expect from a decent vacuum cleaner brand.

Build quality of the units is fantastic and they feel solid when being lifted and pushed around. Extremely strong suction on top of that was icing on the cake. I could not believe my eyes when the 1.5 litre bin was half full after vacuuming just one carpeted bedroom (the biggest in the house though)! It was full of fine dust and carpet fibre. The first time I used the vacuum cleaner, I emptied the bin before moving to a new room just so I could see for myself how much dust/grit my ducted vacuum cleaner had been leaving in the carpets. The satisfaction (mixed with disgust) I got from that is comparable to having a stubborn blackhead finally squeezed out.

The key grouse I have with the units is how the power cable tends to get in the way when using the vacuum cleaner. It took me quite a bit of familiarisation before I found out the best way of handling the cable. The trick is to hold the cable with the other hand that is free and have some slack in the cable so that it is kept clear of the path.

Handling the units has been easy as they don't weigh too much. It does not take much strength to lift them using the long handle or the bin handle. Be careful about using the bin handle to lift the units around though as that would place quite a bit of strain on the locking mechanism which keeps the bin attached to the main body. I believe prolonged lifting using the bin handle will result in some misalignment of the rubber seal around the air channel between the bin and the main body - definitely not a good thing to happen because that would mean lots of dust coming out of the gap.

I have been using the two units fervently over the last two weeks or so and have dumped easily more than 7.5 litres of dust/grit. The additional beater brush attachment is a great accessory for fabric sofa and carpeted steps on the staircase. The powerful suction of the vacuum cleaner has enough oomph to drive the beater brush at tremendously high speeds and is effective at getting trapped dust/grit in fabric and carpet out.

Perhaps the biggest testament to how pleased I have been with the two units that I have bought - I went to Harris Scarfe's website again to buy another two units. Imagine the horror I felt when I discovered the price had gone up to $509 (15 Oct 2016).

I frantically scoured the internet for the $199 deal and managed to find it at Harvey Norman's online store. It was not as good a deal as the one from Harris Scarfe though because I had to self-collect it from the nearest HN physical outlet whereas the deal from HS included free shipping. Nevertheless I was happy that HN had the $199 deal and bought two more units - I'm a sucker for brilliantly designed vacuum cleaners. :p

At $199, the VARU1200 is the least expensive and best-performing vacuum cleaner that I have ever used. Kudos to Vax for this great product at a superb price.

Very good all round vacuum – Cons - Not as strong suction on tiled floors (personal opinion) as a Dyson The extendable hose is a little cumbersome to attach and use. Pros - Extremely light weight The whole unit basically is see through so you can see all the dirt and any items lost, anything blocking pipes etc Seems to be excellent suction on carpets using the… Read more

rotator brush (which can be turned on or off)

Multi cyclonic which is latest technology

Can lay almost flat to floor and still have suction which the Dyson can not do, so good for under beds, lounges etc

very easy to manouver

Overall - i bought this for $199 and comparable item in Dyson (multi cyclonic) $599.

Am i happy for $199? yes. Happy probably at $299 too but over this price point i just dont know. Suction is pretty high on the agenda and i would look again at a Dyson if the price was similar.

Great Vac cleaner, lots of suction, easy to use – Purchased this from Harvey Norman last month and have been using it for the last few weeks, I wanted to back to an upright as it is easier on my back, and Harvey Norman said they sell a lot of these vacs to nursing homes. I took out the 3 year warranty which only cost another $25, so has a 5 year warranty on it. Easy to use and empty, the… Read more

extension hose to use along skirting boards is a bit hard to pull out and is too short, but still a good feature. Suction can be very difficult on shag pile rugs and carpet. Cleans along close to skirting boards even for an upright. Great price at $194. Good on carpet and also on my tiles. All in all it is great!

Perfect! – Amazing performance, so easy to move from wood floors to carpet and back by just pressing a button to turn on the rotating head. So easy to move around the house and use on stairs! Have had it about a year and still working as well as when first bought it.  Show details

I can see why it’s discontinued – It was a great vacuum when we first bought it, you could really feel the suction when in use. Now, after not even one year, all that suction is gone. Don’t know what has happened. It doesn’t feel like it’s even cleaning the carpet anymore. I used it then borrowed someone else’s and the amount that was still sucked up after made me sick. Wouldn’t recommend the brand for this reason  Show details

Needed an upright cheaper Vac ! – I needed a cheap between vac as i normally use Dysons and this was on sale at Harris Scarfe for $99. It works well and cleans the floors ( carpet and Lino ) so far very well . I am not impressed with how loud it is , as all my others were a bit quieter than this one ,so beware !! I have had it for about 2 months now and do all the cleans it… Read more

requires to keep it going (filters) so hope its going to last for a while . Having 2 very large Hounds its used frequently so this will be a good test but so far so good . I dont use the hose as we also have hand held Dysons , so cant comment on this . Great to whizz around with and light , easy to use but would love a longer cord !! Foot operation for on, off and tilt . It does seem flimsy and plastic but does the job !

good when it worked – the vacuum worked well until the brushes stopped working I tried the reset button as instructions,but it has no lights. the vacuum part works still, I tried to email support but no answer so will be returning it to the shop for a refund I hope. I have only had it 8 months.  Show details

Love it – This thing is a beast, sucks up crap you didn’t even know was in your carpet. Great if you have pets and dog hair is everywhere. So easy to empty the container, and easy to clean the rotor bristles. Was he cheapest vacuum at the store that was bagless and was for pet hairs. Would have paid extra. 100% would recommend. Dyson who? Cordless vacuums… Read more

are for cowards. I want to be burried with this thing when I die. Low key Inlove. Think I might marry this vacuum, screw it.

Top upright for the price – Love how much this vacuum cleaner sucks up. It came with 3 year suction warranty and has a 10 metre electrical cord. You can really see the difference in the carpet after the first vacuum. Easy to manoeuvre and is very light weight. I recommend you empty out and clean the filter every time it fills. This will ensure best suction performance. Very happy with my purchase at a discontinued product price. The 3 year warranty is not affected. Show details

Love my new Vax vacuum – I have hard vinyl floors in the living areas and carpet in the bedrooms. This vacuum is great on both and does a great job. My only issue is the extension hose for the hand nozzle needs to be longer so I am going to purchase the optional extension which will make the cleaning easier.  Show details

Inexpensive and good – I think Vax VARU1200 is no longer available. It is a good cleaner. We bought it in urgency as our last vacuum broke on a weekend and we had guests visiting that day. There was a sale at Harris Scarfe and I think we got it for half the price. This vacuum has strong suction power but misses a suction adjuster. This is a problem because it almost… Read more

sucks the carpet in. Another design flaw is that you need to wind the cord on the hooks it has at the back. A self-winding cord would have made it much easier to wind the 10 meter cord. The long cord is a plus though. Vacuum clear is quite heavy and slightly noisy. Cleaning the container is very easy though.

If you are looking for a cheap yet effective vacuum cleaner, then Vax vacuums are recommended. For the price, I would buy this one again.

Powerful and lightweight – Great suction, lightweight so easy to manoeuvre, does a great job. Can select to turn rotating brush off for different floor surfaces, easy to empty and comes with 3 years Warranty.

Great for vacuuming pet hair! – This was a great buy for my son, who owns a large dog that sheds lots of hair and his house has dark grey carpets! It cleans the hair off the carpet easily. It is light weight and easily manoeuvred around furniture Great for both tiled and carpeted floors as has a function for both of those. The handle height is fully adjustable. Emptying the… Read more

barrel is easy and with a press of a button the contents are emptied so no handling of dirty bags etc.

I did have difficulty finding this vacuum to purchase, as it was out of stock online from Harris Scarf, and at other stores it was $200 more expensive! After a phonecall to Harris Scarf they posted one to me straight away and at a cost of $199 it has been the Best Buy.

I would definitely recommend. I've never owned a Dyson vacuum cleaner but when this vacuum does such a great job at less than half the price I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

Best vacuum I've ever owned – Light with great manoeuvrability, particularly for going underneath furniture. Does brilliantly removing cat hair from carpet, and easy to move from one place to another - I can easily lift it with one hand! Very simple to empty, despite having 3 stage filtration. Only minus points are on hard surfaces it can blow light debris back onto your feet, and the pole to the handle feels a bit flimsy, even though it's actually not.  Show details

Best vacuum we have owned – We needed a vacuum that would suck up 100% cat hair as we had a new granddaughter crawling on our carpeted floor. I researched vacuums here and on Choice and this one came up as affordable and 100% cleaning for pet hair. We have had it about 4 months and it is fantastic! I empty the canister after each vacuum and am amazed at how much it picks… Read more

up. I don't find the suction too much or too hard to manoeuvre. You can easily flick off power brush when you are on hard floors to stop bits flying around. its not overly noisy and it is fantastically lightweight. I love it! (NB Harvey Norman did not have model out on display. I had to ask for it. I wondered whether that was because they had arrangements to display other more expensive brands. So ask for it if they don't have it out)

Replacement for Dyson upright – We Recently purchase our Vax upright. It is the lightest upright vacuum we could find. It is much cheaper than most other upright machines.It is much quieter than our Dyson upright which sounded like a jet!It is very easy to manoeuvre and store. The suction is also excellent and the machine is easy to empty.  Show details

New vax – Hi just purchased the vax varu1200,, i couldnt believe how much dirt and dog hair came out of our carpet, we thought we were pretty clean lol,, downside is im 64 yrs , have back and shoulder problems, it is really hard for me to push , on both cycles, up side is hubby can handle it a bit better , so i gave it to him , really strong suction ,  Show details

Attachment that reduces suction – There is a Youtube video that shows an attachment you can get, that reduces the suction. The attachment has a hole in it to let air escape, reducing the suction. I read a lot of UK reviews where people complained about the too-strong suction making it difficult to vac. I don't know where to buy the attachment. Maybe try Vax.  Show details

Super sucker! – This vacuum is so good, it's too good. Suction is to the extreme and you can't adjust it. It is impossible to vacuum on lino as a result! Despite it being only 10kg, it's really difficult to push around on carpet as well. In fact, it's the best workout I've had in a long time. I purchased it because I thought it would be easy for my 70yo mum… Read more

to push around (you know, the 10kg thing), but I've been left with having to do the vacuum now because it's too sucky for her to move! Called VAX customer service to see if there was a way to reduce suction and the lady told me it's the first time she's had someone complain about a vacuum that sucks too hard!! So if you have the endurance, go for this model. It's pulled an unbelievable amount of dirt and debris from our carpets after only 3 vacuums.

Brilliant vacuum cleaner! – I bought this vacuum for $200 from Harris Scarfe (reduced from $600). I havent had it for long so I cant speak for how it will last but what I can say is that I am really impressed (I must be because this is the only time I have ever bothered writing a review). I have a cat and cant believe how much hair this vacuum picks up. The suction is so… Read more

strong you feel like youre stuck to the carpet. It is equally as good on hardwood floors and the tiles in my bathroom. It is easy to use and has a massive cord so I can do my whole 2 bedroom apartment in one go. The additional tools are easy to put on and easy to use. It also has a stretch cord so you can do stairs without carting it up and down. It is easy to empty and clean.

I bought this machine based on the reviews and wanted to help other people who were looking. BUY THIS MACHINE. It is definitely value for money and I couldnt recommend it highly enough.

Great vac at a great price – After my Dyson died I was in the market for a good vac but didn't want to spend a fortune I got this one on sale and absolutely love it. It's great for carpets and hard floors and has great suction :) You don't need to spend a heap to get a great vac  Show details

Best Vaccum cleaner I have ever had – This is the first upright Vac I have purchased and the first "VAX". Very impressed with this unit. Here is what I have liked so far: 1) Price - picked it up on clearance at Godfreys for only $99 2) Has amazing sucking power. The container is full after each run of my house 3) Very versatile - you can swap parts around so it can clean a wide… Read more ·  1

range of items.

I have had it for 3 years cleaning a very large house (weekly) with carpets and it keeps on going. I have had to get it serviced a couple of times but I have been so impressed with it - I was happy to do so to keep it going.

I am keeping an eye out a cordless Vax to replace it.

GREAT UNIT

Good bagless upright – PROS: - light and convenient - good suction for bagless upright - strong brush bar - easy to store with collapsible handle CONS: - brush bar unit doesn't make the best seal on low pile carpet - difficult above floor cleaning - hose detaches from behind floor head - hose length for above floor cleaning is short - terrible if you're trying to clean stairs or a car, though extension hose for unit is available for purchase  Show details

Satisfied good price although a few tweeks & it would get 5/5 – I bought the Vax 1200W Air Upright Vacuum based on reviews as my old vacuum was on its last legs. $199 from $250 at Harvey Norman with 3year warranty so price very good The first room i used it picked up so much dirt & i had only vacuumed 2 days earlier however i found the cord very short so had to use an extension lead & change plugs several… Read more

times

The attachment hose is also extremely short & causes hoover to topple over so to use i had to unscrew the plastic holder & remove the hose to give more flexibility although it didnt make a huge difference but to prevent scratches & the vax getting bashed its best to lay it on the ground when using hose as it only falls over anyway

if Vax fixed these issues the hoover would be perfect

After hoovering my whole house 4/2 there was so much dirt/dust so i was happy with suction however when i emptied the case into wheelie bin I shookit to get dirt out & all the parts fell into bin which was a nuisance so ensure to hold it carefully when emptying next time

Id recommend as value for money & is defo better than my electrolux which cost double & constantly had to replace parts for.

I meant to say i have large area wooden floor a shaggy rug & 5 carpet rooms. Easy enough to manouvere & not too loud.

Dissapointed – I bought this this vacuum expecting to have it for years and not have any issues with it, I have already had to replace 2 wheels. I was vaccuming one afternoon after my husband left for night shift while my 2mth old was laying in cot happily, and the vacuum had a burnt out smell and went bang, i turned it off immediatly as i didnt want to get… Read more

electrocuted, It had to be sent away to be fixed as I didn't live near a vax repairer, (I had to pack it up in a box for courier to collect, so I had to make a box for it to fit as I didn't have the original box) it was gone for over a month, we lived in Mount Isa QLD where it is very dirty and dusty, so during this time I had to borrow a friends vacuum to use until mine was returned, they sent it back wrapped in black plastic, so it would have most probably travelled on 2 different trucks back to me, The handle where you can adjust the height wasnt working anymore, so it is on the lowest height and down the bottom under the dust chamber and under the filter where the motor is or something is all pushed out looks like it has exploded, and since then it has been heaps louder, and then it was making a huge squeeling noise, then about 2 weeks ago it just stopped working all together, I tried it in another powerpoint, but that didn't work, so I called VAX and they advised me to drop off to the nearest repairer which was in Mayfield which is about a 35minute drive from my house, I took it down droped it off then it started working, they told me they would look at it, apparently there was a blockage for it to be squeeling, I showed them the bottom bit where it looks like it has exploded they left that like it is, now I picked it up yesterday went to vacuum today and now the actual handle that you hold onto to vacuum comes off when vacumming and vacuum falls to fall, so I have had to put some tape on it to keep it on so I could vacuum, I wish I would of spent the extra money and bought a dyson. I really regret buying it and the customer service from VAX

Unreal – Have spent to much on Vacuum cleaners. Dyson,Bissell etc bought this machine purely on the reviews on this site. They are all correct. Great machine ,great price and 3 year warranty. FANTASTIC..Don't waste your money on any thing more expensive.Lifts the carpet away from the floor , easy to clean has a light on the power head to tell you if it is blocked. Cheers  Show details ·  1

excellent value – after reading other positive reviews about this product I purchased it on special from Harris Scarfe, and certainly it performs so much better than my old hoover , very easy to use ,working out the how it tilts, required a call to customer service number as the diagram is not the best, ( a little counter intuitive requiring your foot to… Read more

be paced on the suction head rather than a button or lever ) , but a call to the 13 number service person who was well trained and & understood the confusion very quickly, resulted in problem sorted within seconds, the dirt container is a breeze to empty , overall like many others I recommend this unit as appearing to be good value for money..

Dyson beater – Hum dinger! Especially for the price. Special at harris scarf again. Even at is full price Its smaller, lighter , much quieter and less cumbersome than the dyson uprights ive used. Amazed at the grunge it pulled from seemingly clean carpets. Easy to use, easy to clean. Power head on the floor tool is really powerfull. Other attachment heads… Read more

arent brilliant buy ok.

I give it 5 stars for design , ease of use, and cleaning power. Cant say much about reliability as its 1 day in service but looks and feels well built and it does come wih a 3 yr warranty so that gets my thumbs up as well.

Im wondering if the person that rated it 1 star has their models mixed up?

Cleans carpets, not wallet! – I was first thinking about going for Dyson which are very expensive but since I have been using Hoover vacuum cleaner for long time and it has never failed on me even once, i decided to give VAX a chance this time and I am very pleased with my purchase. The power brush is great and can collect hairs and every small thing from carpet in just one… Read more

go. The only downside I see is its cable location which sometimes comes in your way when vacuuming but for this price if I can get a vacuum which I can clean carpets with no efforts, I can ignore cable issue. Definitely worth a consideration, and if it was me, i'd definitely buy one.

Absolutely love it! – I researched this product everywhere (Choice, Product Review and the Harris Scarfe site) and the ratings are pretty solid. The machine picked up all the cat hair and dust that I couldn't see. It's pulled the pile up and my carpet looks amazing. Easy to use, easy to empty and quiet. I love it.

Fantastic Vax VARU1200 Vacuum Cleaner – I would definitely recommend this vacuum Vax VARU1200 to everyone; even more so for pensioners, people with physical disabilities, & pet owners. I have a cat, am currently experiencing a physical impairment, & I'm a pensioner. The vacuum is easy & light to lift & use, & vacuums up close to skirting/walls. It cleans fabulously well, including… Read more

pet hair; as does the turbo tool too, that's used on doona covers, lounge suite cover, etc.

As stated, the suction is powerful, assisted by the brush beaters, on carpet, & without brush beaters on tiled floors, & lino.

The long cord reaches around the whole 2 BR unit, & the switch to stop the brush beater when vacuuming off carpet is a fantastic idea.

The very low noise level; a low pitch too, makes for rather pleasant vacuuming, now. My previous vac was seriously noisy & had a high pitch sound, both so bad it 'hurt' the ears, plus it was heavy & cumbersome.

The adjustable handle is a plus, as I'm not so tall, hence the height I can have it is so comfortable compared to my other upright vac.

It is easy & straight forward to empty the canister, clean the filters, as well as, the canister.

This is definitely the best upright vac I've owned & used, at a good price too. Bought at Harris Scarfe for $219, Thank you.

The only disadvantage is that my higher pile rug is more difficult to vacuum because of the strong suction. There is no height adjustment for the varying carpet pile heights, or adjustment to suction power, like my previous upright. The pros though, far outweigh that issue, making the vac an impressive little machine!!

Best Vacuum I have owned – I malt and so does the cat so I thought I should get a decent vacuum. It is amazing. It picks up all the hair off the floor and I can use the attachments to do the couch and other furniture. Purchased it from Harris Scarfe for $199 and it was worth it. I've previously had smaller $50 barrel vacuums but it is absolutely worth paying the extra to get this model. It does what it says it will and its pretty easy to empty.