# Has anyone used a "Shark Cordless Sweeper"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2005, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558 "2005-01-31T08:04:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/1 "2005-01-31T08:04:15Z")
I watched a shitty infomercial about a cordless vacuum cleaner called the (cue drum whirl) Shark Cordless Sweeper. If what they said is true, I want the thing. Wanting something I saw in a crappy infomercial makes me feel dirty and if I buy it and it doesn’t perform as advertised I’ll feel dirtier than a piece of dirt in a bag of more dirt. Therefore I turn to you guys. Has anyone used it? Is it any good? [sub]I know “shitty infomercial” and “crappy infomercial” are tautologies. Still, I felt I needed something extra to accentuate the shittiness and crappiness.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![SparrowHawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SparrowHawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparrowHawk)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/2 "2005-01-31T09:03:36Z")
Sorry, but all I have is hearsay evidence from a friend of mine who got one and said he loves it. I’d never heard of it, so I didn’t pay much attention. But he was very enthusiastic. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/3 "2005-01-31T14:04:06Z")
I have the Shark _Limited Edition_ which comes in metallic cherry red. Yowza! It’s great. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/4 "2005-01-31T14:21:05Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > I have the Shark _Limited Edition_ which comes in metallic cherry red. Yowza! It’s great. It’s as good as they say? The battery lasts for a whole vacuuming session? Dust doesn’t get caught in the little brush things? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/5 "2005-01-31T15:45:26Z")
For light rug cleaning, it is nice. It really shines when you do flooring, like vinyl laminate, tile or hardwood floors. We use it constantly on rugs, runners, too. It won’t suck the bejeebers outta the pile, but if you have some cherrios tossed about, or some lint, grab the Shark. I don’t like how ours plugs in: the AC input is in the back, at the bottom, at I have to position it so tha the plug and input aren’t damaged. Actually, my mom and in-laws got one after using ours. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/6 "2005-01-31T15:46:41Z")
It is as good as they say. I just vaccumed my car in advance of a road trip. Make sure you get the cordless one. It has a HEPA filter. It does a good job of collecting both dust and dog hair, in which I abound. This is the [Shark](http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13473668&RN=79) I have. ---
**Author:** ![FriendRob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@FriendRob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriendRob)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/7 "2005-01-31T16:38:45Z")
Funny you should post this thread, I was just thinking about getting one of these myself. Unfortunately, the reviews at [epinions.com](http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Large_Appliances-All-Vacuum_Cleaners/submitted_form_~ultrafinder/ultrafinder_submitted_~%20Go%20/skp_~1/search_string_~shark%20vacuum/linkin_id_~/sp_~/search_vertical_~all) aren’t so positive. The main complaint with the cordless version seems to be that the battery doesn’t hold its charge as the unit ages. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/8 "2005-01-31T17:10:39Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > This is the [Shark](http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13473668&RN=79) I have. I was thinking of [this one](http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13404267). I’m planning to use it as my regular vacuum cleaner. > [@FriendRob](#): > > Unfortunately, the reviews at [epinions.com](http://epinions.com) aren’t so positive. The main complaint with the cordless version seems to be that the battery doesn’t hold its charge as the unit ages. Sod. Well, there goes that idea. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-used-a-shark-cordless-sweeper/287558/9 "2005-01-31T21:13:18Z")
I own the one you are looking at. It is a good sweeper. It does not replace a vacuum. Sweepers are good at picking up things that sit on top of the floor or carpet, not at sucking out things in carpet pile. So it is very good at picking up some things, like sticky food bits and cereal and big bits of things that would just clog a vacuum, and on hard floors it is great. I have a dog and a baby and I use it a lot for cleaning up around the high chair, much easier than lugging out the vacuum every time. It was wonderful for cleaning up pine needles after our Christmas tree. Picked up every one no problem. What it won’t do is suck dust and sand / dirt out of carpet pile, as it has no suction. You can use it on carpet and it makes the surface look clean, but the dirt is still trapped inside there. So it can be a very useful tool, but it is not a vacuum cleaner. I use mine every few days and I don’t have to vacuum nearly as often, but when I do a big cleaning I still vacuum. It is easy and quick since it is cordless, and I can do our whole house on one full charge. The battery runs out faster on carpet than it does on hard floors. You do have to treat the rotating brushes with some care. I pull out the hair and fur that gets wrapped around them every time I empty the container (I do have to empty it about twice to do our whole house, but we have an abundace of pet fur so it fills up fast). I also let the battery run out completely before charging it, like any rechargeable battery it won’t last forever and if you keep it always plugged in and never let it run down you will kill the battery. I read the reviews too and I think that may be part of the problem people are having. I keep it unplugged until the battery is dead, then I charge it fully. I do understand once the battery dies you may as well throw it out as it is almost as much for a new battery as it is to get another sweeper. I have had it about 6 months and have not noticed any reduction in battery life yet, but like I said I am careful about it. The examples they show on that informercial are true, it really will pick up all those things easily. It is pretty fun to use if you are into that kind of thing (I like cleaning gadgets). But it won’t suck dirt out, so I would recommend it if a sweeper is what you need, but not as a vacuum replacement. Hope that makes sense.