Canister vacuums this powerful, especially from big brands like Dyson would normally cost around $300 to $500.
The Panasonic MG-CG917 offers an affordable alternative as this cost in the range of $210 to $270 depending on where you buy.
The one caveat though is this uses a bag you’ll have to spend a little bit but a pack of 3 bags will only go for around $8.
But there is a positive – a bagged cleaner like this one would be great for people who suffer from asthma because cleanup will be easy and not dusty.
For a mid-priced canister, fit and finish is pretty good as all the attachments lock in place. So there is very little chance of premature breakage that plague machines that use only plastics.
A quick look at the features
- This has a 12 amp motor
- 12 inch cleaning path
- 24 foot power cord
- 6 foot hose
- Telescopic wand with a power switch for easy access
- OptiFlow technology will have better airflow
- Uses a bag to store debris and HEPA filtration that prevents allergens from coming back out
- Comes with four attachments – floor tool, crevice tool, dusting and upholstery brush, pet turbine brush.
Pros
- Very strong suction courtesy of the 12 amp motor
- Pretty good (but not great) fit and finish – attachments securely fasten on the telescopic wand
- Wide cleaning path – 14 inches
- Comes with an attachment that you can use to clean pet hair on upholstery and stairs
- Power cord is retractable
- Has storage space for tools
- Swivel feature helps this maneuver around furniture easy
- Has a power switch on the handle which means you don’t need to bend over just to turn this thing on
- HEPA filtration
Cons
- Poor performance in terms of edge cleaning
- Somewhat bulky – you’ll need to clear up some room to store this
- When fully extended the telescopic wand cannot stand on its own
What to expect from the Panasonic MC-CG917 “OptiFlow”?
Even at its price point, you’ll get a lot for the money. The cleaning path is wide at 14 inches. It also comes with a long 24 foot cord that is retractable.
The hose length is pretty generous at 6 feet.
One of the unique features I see with this vacuum is the 360 hose swivel that allows you more freedom to move it around without worrying about twisting or possibly damaging on the hose.
Powering this machine is a strong 12 amp motor that you can use from plush carpet to hard wood surfaces.
It has an option to turn-off the motorized brush which is a nice feature because it prevents it from possibly scratching the floor.
Attachments and accessories
This comes with four tools…
- Main floor cleaning head
- Crevice tool
- Dusting/upholstery tool
- Pet turbine brush tool
These tools will allow you to clean multiple areas from the floor, crevices, upholstery up to the ceiling because of the telescopic wand.
Cord length
The power cord is 24 feet long plus it is retractable so there are no issues with cord storage.
Filter clean up
Here’s the good news, both filters (pre-motor and HEPA) are washable so there’s nothing that needs replacing.
But you’ll need to replace the bag once it’s full. One great thing about a bagged vacuum is there’s virtually zero allergen exposure because all the dirt stays inside the bag.
Warranty
This canister vacuum only comes with a 1 year warranty.
See it in Action
Un-boxing video…
Assembly…
Bare floor performance
It is almost unanimous this canister vacuum has strong suction based on the reviews I’ve read in Walmart and Amazon.
Here’s the great part, you can turn off the motorized brush so that it does not scratch expensive surfaces (just in case your house has one).
Carpet performance
The versatility stands out on this surface. It comes with four position adjustable floor tool depending on the type of carpet you’ll clean.
Panasonic says that it will be able to clean even plush carpet because it has very good suction and a motorized brush.
Cleaning stairs (carpet or bare floor) won’t be an issue because of the telescopic wand that’s adjustable. It also comes with a mini turbo pet brush that’s also effective at removing dirt on carpet.
Pet hair removal
As I’ve said in the previous section, it comes with a pet turbine brush allows users to clean pet hair off upholstery and stairs.
This is great because not all canister vacuums have the capability of removing pet hair on upholstery – more often than not, you’d need a handheld to do the job.
To clean pet hair on carpet, the floor tool will be enough to do the job.
Product specifications
| Feature | Panasonic MC-CG917 "OptiFlow" |
| Attachments | Floor brush Dusting & Upholstery Brush Crevice Tool Pet Turbine Mini-brush |
| Cord Length | 24 feet |
| Auto Cord Rewind |  |
| Motorized brush | |
| Brush on/off switch | |
| Swivel | Note: Hose swivel |
| Headlight |  |
| Filter clogged indicator | |
| Full bin indicator | |
| Bagless | |
| Multi-surface | 4-position height adjustment on carpet |
| Self propelled | |
| Net weight | 12.3 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 27.9 pounds |
| Hose length | 6 feet |
| Cleaning Path | 14" |
| Overall length | 12" |
| Dirt capacity | N/A |
| Filter type | bagged filter + HEPA |
| Power | 12 Amps |
| Voltage | N/A |
| Manufactured in | Mexico |
| Warranty | 1 year |
What consumers say?
This got mostly positive reviews from close to 500 consumers who left a review.
Consumers say this vacuum has good suction. One went as far as saying it had too much that it can damage furniture. The telescopic wand’s reach is long enough for folks under 6 feet.
Suction on carpet is good enough while transitioning from hardwood to carpet should not be a problem.
Take note that it has a switch that turns off the motorized brush.
Good suction
Based on reviews, even though this uses a bag, suction is still good even when it gets full.
Consumers who like it say that this makes it easier to dispose dirt because there is no need to clean filters. You only need to replace the bag.
Folks also appreciate the storage space this product has for the attachments. This is a nice feature because it minimizes misplacing stuff.
Power cord length is good enough based on reviews, the retractable feature makes it faster to store afterwards – there is no need to wrap cords.
Consumers say quality is good, particularly the hose that has thick plastic. And attachments fasten securely in place.
A cheaper version of the Kenmore
Some folks mention in their reviews that this vacuum reminds them of something more expensive – a Kenmore canister vacuum (a Consumer Reports favorite).
This one they say is lighter and produces less noise.
Some potential issues
A lot of the complaints here were replaced to defective units, e.g. motor not working, faulty cord retractor, weak suction, and other quality control issues.
Other complains were focused on the poor quality plastics used compared to more expensive brands but we have to put things in perspective here, it’s hard to expect top of the line quality from a midrange product.
Overall consumers were pretty satisfied with the cleaning performance, retractable feature, storage and HEPA filtration. Just remember this is a bagged so you’ll need to replace it so costs will add up over time.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this vacuum in Amazon for just a little over $260. And it’ll come with free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.
Editor’s note: Currently this canister vacuum isn’t available.
To wrap up
This would be a great mid-priced option for people who cannot afford expensive canister vacuums like the Miele S2121 or Dyson DC39.
It will give you 80 to 90 percent of the performance at almost 50 to 60 percent of the price which is great value for money in my opinion.
The adjustable wand allows you to use this on floors, stairs, upholstery and even the ceiling (if it’s low enough).
Good versatility and performance
Cleaning performance on carpet is great thanks to the motorized brush.
After using it, the retractable power cord saves you time from manually wrapping the cord and the storage bin saves you on space and headaches when storing attachments.
Overall this versatility will work great on homes with either carpet or bare floor surfaces though edge cleaning is suspect because the motorized brush does not go all the way to the edge.
A work around for that is using the crevice tool to clean areas like baseboards.
May not work well on really plush carpet
It should also work on thick carpet but don’t rely on it to deep clean really plush carpet because the motorized brush isn’t sturdy enough for the task.
On a final note, even though there are complaints about defective vacuums, you’ll have to remember that every manufacturer will have these issues too since this is an electronic product – a percentage of products coming out of a factory will be defective.
