PRODUCT REVIEW
Nilfisk Attix 33: Mobile M-Class vacuum performance
NO review of a Nilfisk vacuum should fail to point out that the company has been making vacuums (and other cleaning machines) for over 100 years and therefore has a LOT of expertise and experience to draw on. Therefore, in my view, you can buy a Nilfisk machine with confidence, and my own experience of them has always been very positive.
Since dust has come to the forefront as a major safety hazard on jobsites, trades have been forced to get to grips with the necessities of protecting themselves and their clients from its dangers. An M-Class vac is now considered a minimum requirement since it should collect 99.9% of fine dust when used correctly.
Having now got used to this collection standard, I find that the jobsite experience is a more comfortable and cleaner one and I, for one, wouldn’t go back to the old standards.
16
M-Class machines are, by definition, more complicated than a simple vac that collects dust into a bag (or not) and the key difference between M-Class machines, in my view, is how well they manage all the parameters. Everything from how the hose and cable are managed and how easy it is to clean and unblock (it does happen) becomes important on a jobsite where time and efficiency are paramount.
Attix 33 – handling and mobility The Attix 33 looks very similar to all of the others in the Attix 33 and 44 ranges, so users need to ensure that they choose the right one for their needs. The addition of a ‘pram handle’ on the mobile version, for example, does help to move the machine around easily but may be an issue when packing it in the back of a crowded van.
Mobility and handling are definitely two parameters that are important for me. The Attix 33 I tested scores well for ease of movement, even over rougher surfaces,
By PETER BRETT
because of its large rear wheels and castored and braked front wheels. Perhaps I shouldn’t do it, but I do end up pulling it along by the hose – a bit like a small elephant pulled along by its trunk – but it works and it is very easy to steer.
With a weight of nearly 15kgs and a fair amount of necessary bulk (all that collected dust has to go somewhere) it is handy to move the Attix on its wheels whenever you can. But inevitably there will be stairs and other obstacles on jobsites where the well-centred lifting handle is needed. Having had to manoeuvre the test machine down a very steep and narrow cellar staircase this week, I think it does the best in the circumstances.
With any vac there is the ‘what to do with the hose and cable’ conundrum. The anti-static hose on the Attix is over 5m long and Nilfisk offers several solutions for end users on how to store it. A single
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