Lightweight and cord rewind don’t normally go together when we are talking about vacuum cleaners but the Featherlite from Dirt Devil breaks the mold and managed to sneak the cord rewind feature into this lightweight canister vacuum.
Though you’ll have to make do with the short 16 foot power cord.
But the fact that it weighs less than 10 pounds makes up for this con.
It doesn’t have any bags so you’ll save in the long run.
And if you are concerned about allergens going back out then don’t worry this comes with a HEPA filter that filters allergens and keeps it inside the dust canister.
Let’s find out how this fared in terms of features and cleaning ability.
A quick look at the features
- Uses advanced cyclonic technology which improves cleaning performance even when the dirt canister is getting full
- Easy to empty dirt cup with a flick of a switch
- Flexible hose and extension wand make this a great cleaning tool for stairs
- Comes with a bare floor nozzle that has a retractable brush
- Equipped with an automatic cord rewind
- Comes with 3 tools – crevice, dusting brush and upholstery tool
- Equipped with a telescopic wand
- Has foot controls for both power and cord rewind
- Has a washable HEPA filter
Pros
- It weighs less than 10 pounds
- Has a cord rewind feature
- Has HEPA filtration
- Caster wheels on the canister make this easy to move around
- Cheap
- Good performance on hard surfaces like hardwood and tile
- Storage is available for attachments
Cons
- No brush roll which means so-so performance on carpet
- Short power cord
- Short hose
- Flimsy plastic
- Noisy
What to expect from the Dirt Devil Featherlite Cyclonic SD40100?
This canister vacuum is a great option for bare floor.
If you look underneath the floor tool it does not have any motorized brush. While it has a carpet setting it won’t do well beyond the thinnest pile carpet out there.
While it has cord rewind, the cord is on the short side at just 16 feet. So you’ll have to plug and unplug this often.
A great feature though is the foot control that allows you to turn this machine on and off using your foot. There’s also a cord-retract feature that makes tidying up easier.
Attachments and accessories
It comes with 2 tools – the crevice / dusting brush and upholstery tool. It also has a telescopic wand that extends all the way to 7.5 feet.
This allows you to clean more areas above the floor, combine that with the 5 foot hose, you have over 12 feet of reach.
Cord length
Power cord is around 16 feet long plus it comes with cord rewind.
Filter clean up
The HEPA filter can be washed and must be replaced every 6 months or so.
To gain access to the filter, watch this video…
Warranty
It only comes with a one year warranty.
Bare floor performance
This vacuum without any brush roll will work best on floors like hardwood or tiles. And consumers did confirm this in the reviews.
It does not have any motorized brush so you don’t need to worry about it scratching any expensive hardwood type flooring.
It is equipped with a telescopic wand so stair cleaning should not be a problem.
Carpet performance
The absence of a motorized brush severely limits the Featherlite’s performance on carpet. You can still use it on carpet to clean surface dirt but don’t expect it to clean embedded dirt on medium to plush carpets.
It does have a brush when you push on a lever on the floor tool but that just pushes down a brush but that won’t be as effective in deep cleaning embedded dirt.
Upholstery performance
It is capable of cleaning various types of upholstery with its bevy of tools. The upholstery tool works great primarily on fabric upholstery. For other types like leather, the crevice / dusting tool will do a great job.
Pet hair removal
You can use this to clean pet hair of upholstery and any hard surface because suction will be strong enough to do so but on carpet it will struggle because it lacks a beater bar that an essential tool in pick up pet hair on any carpet surface.
Product specifications
| Features | |
| Attachments | 2-in-1 crevice / dusting brush Tool Upholstery Tool Telescopic Wand |
| Cord Length | 16 feet |
| Auto Cord Rewind |  |
| Motorized brush |  |
| Brush on/off switch | |
| Swivel | |
| Headlight | |
| Filter clogged indicator | |
| Full bin indicator | Dirt container is transparent so you can see if it's full |
| Bagless | |
| Multi-surface | |
| Self propelled | |
| Net weight | 9.3 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 14.8 pounds |
| Hose length | 5 feet |
| Cleaning Path | 10" |
| Overall above the floor reach | 8.5 feet |
| Dirt capacity | N/A |
| Filter type | HEPA + Washable foam filter |
| Power | 10 amps (1,200 watts) |
| Voltage | 120 volts |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 1 year |
What consumers say
This product has received well over 500 reviews in Amazon alone with hundreds more in other online shops like Walmart.
Consumers who gave a high rating loved how it was lightweight and generally maneuverable because of the caster wheel underneath the canister.
Cleaning performance was great according to them on bare floor surfaces and area rugs but on carpet it will struggle because it didn’t have a brush roll.
Take note that a lot of the negative reviews say that this will not clean carpet very well because it lacks a motorized brush.
The lack of a beater bar limits its effectiveness on carpet. But it does have a stiff brush for agitation.
It may do well on surface dirt but that’s just about it, that same brush also make it difficult to push on carpet.
For homes with carpet, a better alternative would be the Panasonic Mc-CG917 Optiflow. It is more expensive but will clean carpet better.
The telescopic wand is a nice feature because it extends all the way to 7.5 feet which allows even people who are around 5’11” to use this without bending.
Since this is considered a budget vacuum, there will be some fit and fit issues with the plastics and the floor tool. There are complaints about the plastic clips breaking after a few months of use so this is something to consider.
You’ll have to weight in the pros and cons of buying this compared a more expensive brand.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this versatile canister vacuum from Amazon for less than $70 and it’ll be eligible for their free 2-day shipping if you join Prime. They also sell extended warranties of up to 3 years just in case you want that extra peace of mind.
To wrap up
Small and medium homes with lots of bare floor and area rugs will benefit most from this product because it doesn’t have a brush roll.
While there is a carpet setting, it won’t do well beyond thin pile carpet and won’t be able to deep clean carpet surfaces.
The absence of a motorized brush does have a benefit – it will not scratch expensive hardwood flooring.
It also comes with a telescopic wand that extends up to 7.5 feet which allows you to clean areas up to the ceiling where it is toughest to clean.
It has cord rewind but the power cord is rather short at just 16 feet so you’ll need to frequently plug and unplug this.
That’s why I only recommend this for small to medium sized homes, beyond that it would be a nuisance because of the lack of cord length.
The canister has caster wheels while improve maneuverability but the floor tool itself does not swivel so minus points here.
This vacuum will work best in homes with bare floor surfaces. It is light and maneuverable – great for cleaning high traffic areas, tight spots, vents and upholstery. The adjustable wand make this an effective stair cleaner.
But don’t expect a lot in terms of quality because this vacuum is cheap. Plastic used is sub-standard and may crack over time.
