When the hose at the floor nozzle of our Shark stick-type vacuum finally gave out, after about 7-10 years of devoted service, I decided to replace it with another Shark. This time, I choose the ZU55 upright because it was loaded with features, has a larger dust collection cup, a hepa filter, and was available at a 22% discount at Sam's Club over Labor Day.
I visited the store to check out the weight and size and I was impressed. The unit is certainly heavier than the stick, but feels about the same since all the weight is at the floor nozzle, and not in the hand unit.
I got the unit home and tried it out, only one day after vacuuming with the stick. I was impressed how simple assembly was, and that everything snapped into place smoothly and firmly. On an oriental rug in the den, where the pup likes to hang, the unit pulled up an enormous amount of hair that the stick left behind! I love the weight and maneuverability of a stick-style unit, but this thing has much more power. Additionally, the Hepa filtration will really help with our allergies. The floor nozzle has a "swivel" like action, and while the debris cup gets in the way, the flat nozzle will get a few inches under furniture, when needed. The unit stands upright on its own. The new technology is amazing! This unit has terrific suction strength - comprable to any of our past, high-dollar, vacuums. I thought the adjustible suction was just a gimmick, but it makes a big difference when using it on carpet - turning down the suction strength makes it easier to move the unit, while craking it up on hard floors will help there.
This package came with a turbine brush hand nozzle - which I hadn't expected! This makes vacuuming the stairs much simpler. I had three complaints: 1) The power cord attaches near the bottom, which gets in the way... BUT... they thought of that and attached a holder on the upright section to help control the cord. 2) The attachment holders are not designed for the included accessories - other components interfere with them fully seating in the holder, and they can easily fall off. [I discovered that my accessories from the stick model do fit the tubes on this upright.] And, 3) The sliding power switch seems to be the cheapest part of the unit; I am afraid to overuse it - and it should be near the handle where it would be simple to use, not on the body.
I think this is the best bang-for-buck available, today, especially at the sale price!