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- Verified Buyer
This is a review of the Rubbermaid Commercial FG421588 Galvanized Steel Brushless Mechanical Sweeper, 10.5" Length x 9.5" Width x 44" Height, Black, Model No. 4215--the expensive one. It's worth the extra dough.When I was a kid, we had one of those big old Bissel carpet sweepers, and I've always thought they were an ingenious alternative to the cumbersome, noisy, electricity-consuming vacuum cleaner. Of course, they won't do everything a vacuum will do, but for a lot of clean-ups on bare floors or low-pile carpets they're just what the doctor ordered.I didn't know what to expect of the Rubbermaid sweeper's rubber squeegees, which take the place of the Bissel's (and cheaper Rubbermaid models') rotary brushes, but I've been very happy with them. They seem to pick up dirt, dust, and cat litter quite as well as brushes, if not better; and I imagine they'll also do a good job on wet spills, though I haven't had to test that hypothesis yet.I hesitated to give this sweeper five stars, because it's not much use in close quarters (such as on the bathroom rug in a New York City apartment's tiny bathroom), but I decided it wasn't fair to knock off a star for that, considering how the contraption works. Still, buyers should understand this inherent limitation: *You have to have room to move the entire sweeper head roughly a foot in a straight line, or it can't do its thing.*The rotary squeegees, which are two or three inches behind the leading edges (back and front), have to pass over the dirt while turning, or they can't sweep it up. The little stationary, downward-pointing brushes on the corners are presumably intended to reach dirt along the baseboard, where the squeegees can't go (because those are enclosed by the body of the machine), but they're not very effective. That's not a huge complaint, though. If there's dirt right up against the wall, you can use a broom or hand-brush to sweep it out into the open, where the sweeper can get it.This sweeper isn't meant to replace the vacuum cleaner or the broom altogether--it's just easier to use on the jobs it works on, and it works on a lot of common jobs, particularly little spills, tracked-in dirt, and various messy accidents--as long as they're more-or-less out in the open. And it might very well replace the dust pan.The construction of the sweeper seems good. The materials feel sturdy, and the moving parts operate smoothly, without wobbling, squeaking, or other indications of sloppy manufacture or assembly. I've seen complaints about the handles of other manufacturers' sweepers, which are made up of sections that are supposed to hold together by friction, but reportedly don't stay together very well. This machine's handle is sectional, too, but the sections are threaded and they screw together. (Note that the cheaper Rubbermaid models also have friction-fit handles. I have no idea how well or poorly they stay together. Reports vary.) As long as you're careful not to get the threads crossed, this handle should go together and stay together fine, and it feels very solid, once assembled. (Useful tip: To avoid cross-threading, always turn any threaded parts backwards, as if you were unscrewing them, until you hear or feel the click that means the threads have engaged properly.)The rotary squeegees sweep dirt into trays under the front and rear edges of the sweeper. Transparent ABS plastic covers let you see when the trays are getting full, and when you're ready to empty them, you just hold the sweeper right-side up over the trash can and push down on a little tab at the corner of each dust tray. The tray opens downwards, dumps the dirt into the trash can, and springs shut again. These assemblies feel sturdy, and work smoothly and firmly.The sweeper is about as good-looking as anybody can reasonably expect--an unobtrusive shape, and no garish colors, just basic black (though it looks like yellow trim is available if you like garish). It folds flat for easy storage. It's easy to clean, and the squeegees are less prone than traditional rotary brushes to get hair, thread, etc., wrapped around them, which I consider a big advantage. I can't say how durable the parts are, because I haven't used mine very much yet, but I don't anticipate problems. Note that Rubbermaid considers this a "commercial", not a "home", product, so information about it is to be found on the Rubbermaid Commercial web site, at [...]This isn't the cheapest sweeper on the market, but my advice is always to save up and buy the best quality you can possibly afford. A year from now (unless you're in such bad shape that you shouldn't be shopping on the Web in the first place), you won't miss the extra money you spent; but each and every time you use the thing, you'll appreciate having something that works properly and makes your work easier, rather than harder. I'm glad I spent the extra money for this well-made sweeper, and I'm happy to recommend it.
