Panasonic MC-CG917 "OptiFlow" Bag Canister Vacuum Cleaner - Corded

NOVEMBER 2014 UPDATE: Just happened to be responding to a response to my review and noticed all the negative comments about this vacuum! I'm shocked! While I don't doubt any of these reviews, I do have to say that I am still very happy with the vacuum, and so is my daughter with hers. It still runs beautifully and I have absolutely no complaints. Nothing has gone wrong with any of the parts or attachments. Can't comment regarding the customer service issues and that is unnerving to know. However, spending $200 for a vacuum is not a huge amount of money. For me, personally, I would still be happy with mine even if it started to act up after a few years of use. Things just aren't built the way they used to be. If Kenmore vacs were built the way they used to be (I had my old one for 15 years), I would have bought another Kenmore. For me, my Panasonic is holding up and I'll just keep my fingers crossed for the future!January 2013 UPDATE: It's been a year that I've owned and used this vacuum. I thought it important to add an update so here it is: This is an EXCELLENT vacuum and works as well a year later as it did upon purchase. I have no doubt that it will last for years to come. One word of caution: DO NOT USE THE POWER VAC DIRECTLY ON ANYTHING BUT CARPETING! I know that sounds stupid but I used to cheat and use my old Kenmore power vac (the heavy duty part used for carpeting) on my furniture if I was in a rush... never had a problem with the Kenmore (which tells you that the suction wasn't that great). HOWEVER, the Panasonic's power/suction is so terrific that it damaged my upholstery fabric... pretty much chewed it up! I mean it really did some damage! This is not a negative for the vacuum... it just goes to show what a powerful vacuum this is and what a GREAT job it does on my carpeting! It was such a dumb/stupid thing for me to do but I certainly learned my lesson and that couch cushion will only be used on one side now! LOL! Anyway, I love this vacuum and HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!My old Kenmore Progressive needed replacing and, let me tell you, it was exhausting researching the world of vacuums! Found out that Kenmore's reputation isn't what it used to be, so I decided on an LG Kompressor canister but couldn't find one available anywhere to try out or even to buy. Called LG directly and they weren't helpful, plus I asked why they are so difficult to find if they are so good? No answer. Ratings are outstanding but if you can't buy it what good are those ratings? So then I tried out a Miele and loved it until I found out they're not great on carpeting or cat hair. Also, very expensive since when I would have to add the heavy duty powerhead for floors (about $900 for what I wanted/needed). Then I thought about the Dyson canister but reviews weren't what I expected. Also, I know some professional house cleaners who hate them for many reasons. Scratch the Dyson! So, then I came across this Panasonic canister on Amazon... didn't even know Panasonic makes vacuums! Furthermore, Panasonic now manufactures Kenmore vacuums BUT the Panasonic vacuums are rated much higher than the newer Kenmores. I found that very curious. As for the reviews for this Panasonic model, they are excellent everywhere I checked, even better than the higher priced, fancier Panasonic canister. Decision made. I actually paid less for this new vacuum than I did for my Kenmore 15 years ago! Well, I got my vacuum, put it all together and got a kick out of how similar it is to my old Kenmore. Even the attachments are identical! It's a lighter version, a little more plastic, maybe feels not as solid. I decided to test it out on my family room carpeting. My old Kenmore was having trouble vacuuming against the nap so I had to vacuum in the same direction in order to get a smooth, vacuumed look. Plus, my carpeting has grooves left by furniture that has been moved... couldn't get those out by vacuuming or even rubbing the spots with a damp cloth and then vacuuming them. I got the Panasonic vacuum ready, started to vacuum... okay, not as loud as my old vacuum but still scares the cat! Really has fantastic suction. Handles really nicely like my old Kenmore. Then I went against the nap and VOILA it worked beautifully! Kept going back over it and before you know it, the carpet looked brand new (it's 5 yrs. old). Took the end of the nozzle and applied it directly to the bothersome grooves... another VOILA! The grooves didn't disappear (they've been there awhile) but they certainly look better! I'm sure that after vacuuming a few more times over the next few weeks that they'll be gone. You know what I love about this vacuum? It's almost identical to my old Kenmore Progressive which was an excellent vacuum. The suction is much better on the Panasonic (it's new, it should be) and it's just such a great design, especially for carpeting and pets. And you cannot beat the price! I hope it lasts me as long as my old Kenmore. If it does, I'll be a very happy consumer!

Good until it needs to be repaired. This vacuum had everything I wanted -- bagged canister style, on board tools, retractable cord, actual beater brush. Supposedly the build quality was good. The reviews mention Kenmores a lot, which I've never used. I was thinking more of my dad's old TriStar canister vacuum. That thing was a beast and all metal. I'm pretty sure my dad took it apart to repair it several times. However, it seems if you want anything quality and metal anymore you have to pay 5 times more than this vacuum, which I am still unwilling to do. While this thing was working, I remember thinking the build quality was just fine even though it was mostly plastic.You absolutely CANNOT take this thing apart whatsoever to try to fix it. You can access a segregated area for the bag and HEPA filter, and a separate area for the tools and that is it. Other than disconnecting the hose, there is literally no way to disassemble any other areas if you have a problem. There are some very, very deep inset screws, but for the life of us, we could not unscrew a single one.After owning this for 1 year nine months, suction was bare minimum and a "beating" sound could be hear where I assume the motor is and it would get very hot very quickly. Even things it apparently would suck up would drop out once the vacuum was powered down, so I don;t think anything at all was reaching the bag. There wasn't anything in the hose; there is very obviously something wrong in an area we can't access. If it had been within a year, it would have been covered by either Amazon's warranty or Panasonic's. I am currently trying, for the first time ever, to use the extended warranty my credit card offers to get it repaired. Try checking for the nearest official repair center right now. I live in Chicago and there is only one repair center within 50 miles. We took it there and they said they couldn't even repair it. They had to ship it off to Panasonic. Still waiting to see if this is "repairable" and what my warranty will cover.UPDATE: Their site now says there is no shop within a 200 mile radius. I wonder if their website wasn't updated an my "repair" has sparked removal of them from their database. Even more reason not to buy a new Panasonic -- there are literally ZERO places to have it repaired!This makes me wonder if a regular repair shop (the repair shop had to be Panasonic approved for the warranty) would ever be able to repair it if I come across another problem (assuming they decide to repair the one I have). Is the unopenable design of these "cheap" vacuums Panasonic's insurance that we will buy a new one as soon as something minor goes wrong? I find this new trend where the consumer isn't allowed to access the "dangerous" areas of the very product they purchased extremely frustrating. You see this more and more with electronics and it's pretty upsetting.If I have to replace this vacuum, I don't know if I will even be able to find once that is user-serviceable. Maybe it would be more worth my time to find one of those expensive metal beasts newly repaired/gently used. At least I would be able to GET them repaired in my own city, I hope, even if I cannot open the machine myself. I will DEFINITELY be looking into the approved repair centers in my area and it WILL NOT be a Panasonic of any stripe.I don't know how to fairly rate this in stars. While it worked, I would have given it a "4" for my minor gripes, but overall I thought it was a great vacuum for a fantastic price and it seemed all my "research" supported this. However, the fact that the repair process is so bungled and this is obviously meant to be a disposable (?) appliance, I can't help but regret the purchase entirely. I'm just hoping it gets repaired at near-no cost (had to pay shipping to Panasonic from their repair place) to offer another near-two years of service and then I guess it would be best to get a new one (?). I regret this purchase now and currently would rate it a "1". A small part of me feels that is unfair, because I really don't (and can't!) know what is wrong with it. Was it my fault somehow? I feel like something just came a little loose and if only I were allowed to peek inside I could fix this minor problem and be on my merry way. Instead this idiotic protection against accessing the internals of this machine I OWN makes the whole thing USELESS.

I Love My Panasonic 'OptiFlow' Canister Vacuum Cleaner!!!!! It runs beautifully, does a great job on both carpets & floors!!! The only thing wrong with it is the plug which inserts into the wall outlet... not up to par with the standard of the vacuum cleaner. The plug doesn't stay in the wall socket very well... it fits loosely and comes out without much provocation. Too bad, otherwise the unit is a keeper. Panasonic... you need to work on this problem to secure a perfect fit, otherwise an exceptional vacuum cleaner.

Love this vacuum. I tried it immediately on my carpets and the suction was perfect; also it's great on my hardwood floors. I don't find it to be too heavy and the noise level is acceptable. The upholstery accessory is really appreciated since I do have a dog and I like the handy way it's hookable to the main sweeper. Practical. Quality vs price is excellent. I bought a Panasonic back in 1980 and it lasted more than 20 years. I'm confident this newer model will last just as long.

Works as advertized,and our cleaner likes it but finds it heavy.If I were buying again I'd go for a 10 pound max. unit vs around 16 pounds for this unit. Fine for young people-I'm mid 70's and its too heavy for me and for my wife.

Speedy delivery. I still like the older style of vacuum. Glad I purchased this one. Love the colour:)Very pleased.

Great machine so far. Lots of power. I have always had great luck with Panasonic products.