Too hot? Turbovac 800 $15 at Home Depot, While Supplies Last

[Muse]

That's what the ad said that came in my S.F. Chronicle around 2 weeks ago and I made it over there and bought one. A couple of months before I'd bought it's little sister, the Turbovac 600 for a couple bucks more and thought it was such a good deal I'd get another so I wouldn't have to run up and down stairs all the time when I needed it. But the 800 is 33% more powerful, blows out as well as in and comes with a TON more accessories. It's mind boggling everything that's included. These are small but powerful vacuums weighing about 5 lb., OK for that quick cleanup job you don't want to pull out a big vacuum for.

"Ultra powerful 800 watt turbo vacuum and blower
12 cleaning wands and accessories
20 foot power cord"
etc.

There's no bag and the dirt just gets trapped in a small chamber in the unit, so the capacity is small. It's just for those small jobs.

 

[alm99]

Whats the Turbovac? Is that like the shark?

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: alm99
Whats the Turbovac? Is that like the shark?

Huh? Shark? What shark? It's the brand, I guess. Made in China, but the company's based in Georgia:

TurboVac
2455 Paces Ferry Road N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30339

 

[DaCurryman]

Can anyone else confirm this deal?

 

[substance12]

damn... and i just bought it for 20. oh well 5 bucks isn't that big of a deal.

i'll chime in on this. I like it so far. I bought this for 1 reason... to clean my car. The attachments are satisfactory. The big plus is the attachment for cleaning tight areas like on a keyboard. It's basically a 1" diameter head with brushes on it. It works very well on a car for the corners around your dash.

it doesn't have the pull of a big vaccum but perhaps that is unrealistic. I don't know how it compares with a dirt devil. I used the 2-3" wide nozzle to clean the floormats and it seemed to me like it lost some power... but it did its job nonetheless. It can suck up any loose dirty/grass easy. Maybe I just have high expectations. for some reason i recall a dirt devil being way more powerful. However the "keyboard attachment cleaner" (whatever its name is) is pretty money.

I also wish it had a "narrow" 1 inch nozzle to get hard to reach spots.

 

[WileCoyote]

Originally posted by: alm99
Whats the Turbovac? Is that like the shark?

yes

 

[Doggiedog]

I got one of the 600W versions.

I found it is really useful with one caveat, it overheats rather quickly so it is useless for large jobs.

I used mine for 10 minutes and it overheated and conked out. Fortunately, I was able to get a replacement without problems.

If you just need to clean up small messes, then its perfect but if you need to clean up a room with it, it may not be the right thing.

Not a threadcrap since I like mine alot, just a word of caution.

 

[WileCoyote]

Home Depot website and do a search for 185618

Turbo Vac 800 Dual Action
Model HVC-12

It's a vacuum, it's a blower - It's two powerful cleaning tools in one. Includes 12 cleaning tools and accessories for drapery, furniture, rugs and even tight corners. HEPA filter cleans the air. It's great for cars, around the workshop or house; it can even inflate rafts and air mattresses effortlessly. Carrying case included.

Internet/Catalog # 163894
Store SKU# 185618

Price: $14.95/ea

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
I got one of the 600W versions.

I found it is really useful with one caveat, it overheats rather quickly so it is useless for large jobs.

I used mine for 10 minutes and it overheated and conked out. Fortunately, I was able to get a replacement without problems.

If you just need to clean up small messes, then its perfect but if you need to clean up a room with it, it may not be the right thing.

Not a threadcrap since I like mine alot, just a word of caution.

Thanks for the warning! I'll try to remember that since I now have the 600 and 800. They're probably both underengineered. I was really impressed by the accessories, though. I haven't used them yet, but the accessories seem pretty well made considering the price.

 

[osiris3mc]

Seems great for the car, however the fact that it overheats in ten minutes could be a serious problem. Has anyone else had a similar problem with this?

 

[beamrider]

The 600 I have tries to overheat in about 60 seconds, so I removed the foam filter from the exhaust ports. I get about 3 minutes from it now before the air coming from it is hot enough to evaporate water.

 

[tbird57]

Bought a shark 800 model from Sears this Summer for $25. Used it a couple of times to suck the dust build up in my computers. Then used to clean the car. After a few minuites, may have been close to ten, it stopped completely. Would not work at all after that. Returned it to Sears for a repalcement, the sales person said they burn up when they get hot and did not sell that model any more becasue of all the returns. Refunded my money. I have seen other models of the shark still being sold at the same Sears since that time. Would like to have another one for the computers, but do not over run the thing. Make sure you save the receipt.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: beamrider
The 600 I have tries to overheat in about 60 seconds, so I removed the foam filter from the exhaust ports. I get about 3 minutes from it now before the air coming from it is hot enough to evaporate water.

Must have been designed by NASA.

 

[BG4533]

I am going to have to get one for my myself as well as my mother and girlfriend. Hopefully they dont burn up.

 

[BG4533]

Just got 3 at my local Home Depot. The in store price was $20, but I got the manager to PM their website. I opened it up and tried it out and it is pretty cool. Seems to have better suction than similarly sized "dust busters" and I like all the accessories.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: beamrider
The 600 I have tries to overheat in about 60 seconds, so I removed the foam filter from the exhaust ports. I get about 3 minutes from it now before the air coming from it is hot enough to evaporate water.

That's probably a really good idea. Those filters probably serve more to overheat the motor than keep the exhaust air clean. I'm doing that too. Thanks.

 

[elgorey]

Looks like a good deal, Ill try to pick one of these up asap.

ps -Wilecoyote Im JMU class of 01 Go Dukes!

 

[BG4533]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: beamrider
The 600 I have tries to overheat in about 60 seconds, so I removed the foam filter from the exhaust ports. I get about 3 minutes from it now before the air coming from it is hot enough to evaporate water.

That's probably a really good idea. Those filters probably serve more to overheat the motor than keep the exhaust air clean. I'm doing that too. Thanks.

Yeah, with a HEPA filter before them no dust or anything should really be getting through anyway.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: BG4533

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: beamrider
The 600 I have tries to overheat in about 60 seconds, so I removed the foam filter from the exhaust ports. I get about 3 minutes from it now before the air coming from it is hot enough to evaporate water.

That's probably a really good idea. Those filters probably serve more to overheat the motor than keep the exhaust air clean. I'm doing that too. Thanks.

Yeah, with a HEPA filter before them no dust or anything should really be getting through anyway.

These suckers have some serious gyroscope action!

I don't think the 600 has the HEPA filter, just the 800. I did the mod (removing the exhaust vent filters in the Turbovac 600). It's a little tricky, so if you modify the 600, take a pretty close look when you get it open so you will know where everything tucks back in. The trickiest is probably the little spring near the on/off switch that extends the button that releases the debris cage. That spring sits over a little black plastic nub that's about 1/4 inch long. It doesn't go in the nearby hole, which is where I tried first, and of course that didn't work. Got it all together again and I'm sure it'll have much less tendency to overheat. In fact, it maybe won't, but I'll try not to tax it anyway. For big jobs I have other vacuums.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: tbird57
Bought a shark 800 model from Sears this Summer for $25. Used it a couple of times to suck the dust build up in my computers. Then used to clean the car. After a few minuites, may have been close to ten, it stopped completely. Would not work at all after that. Returned it to Sears for a repalcement, the sales person said they burn up when they get hot and did not sell that model any more becasue of all the returns. Refunded my money. I have seen other models of the shark still being sold at the same Sears since that time. Would like to have another one for the computers, but do not over run the thing. Make sure you save the receipt.

Is that Shark 800 the same as the Turbovac 800? Might be a good idea, then, to think about modifying the 800 too. It looks a whole lot different than the 600, however. I don't see exhaust ports with obvious filters. I may take it apart carefully with an eye to making some kind of modification, maybe even drilling some holes in the case for ventilation.

 

[Fant]

Just ordered one. Deal is still on.

 

[tmc]

any ideas on this "Regina Vacuum Combo Pack" (Model HD100)? it has both bagless upright vacuum cleaner & steamvac for $99.99.

----

Perfect for the whole house, this total cleaning solution is three different cleaners. The 12 amp lightweight, bagless upright vacuum comes with several handy attachments. The MicroFresh filtration system traps over 99% of dust and allergens. Use the Steamer Carpet Cleaner for really tough spots. Cleans deeply, then cleans up easily. For minor cleanups there is the 5 amp hand vacuum

Internet/Catalog # 163893
Store SKU# 211538

 

[Harry10]

Mine came today! Quick ship. Nice toy.

 

[Harry10]

Mine came today! Quick ship. Nice toy.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

I tried to PM this at a B&M, got denied. Are these things worth the $20 I had to pay at the B&M?