Eureka NEW400 review: Dead simple to use and an easy on the wallet wet dry vacuum

We do many reviews around here, with most of them being directly related to technology. But once in a while we do get something in that’s not too technical but is still something even nerds (like us) would use. I’ve reviewed beds, heaters, and bicycles. Not very techie, but still items used by most techies. We have yet another non-techie device that is essential for everyone, the Eureka NEW400 wet/dry vac.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

The new Eureka NEW400 isn’t aiming to be the top of the line every button wet/dry vac. Its aim is simplicity and price point. Priced at $199, it is an affordable workhorse that does what it is made to do and nothing more. Let’s jump into the review of this simple to use but easy on the wallet wet/dry vacuum for your home.

The Quick Take

The simple quick take on the Eureka NEW400 is this. This affordable wet dry vacuum does exactly what it’s made to do. Nothing more and nothing less. Are there other brands that do it better? Maybe. But for this price, you are getting a good value. If you’re in the market for a wet dry vacuum and don’t want to bust your wallet, this is an excellent option.

Specifications

The Eureka NEW400 has the following features and specifications:

• Model Number: NEW400
• Product Dimensions: 9.45″L × 11.42″W × 46.85″H
• Product Weight: 8.7 pounds
• Motor Wattage: 120 watts
• Other (Battery Type, Run Time, etc.): 30 minutes
• Cordless: Yes
• Power (Voltage Amperage): 8.5 Amps
• Sponge head
• The self-traction system makes movement effortless during cleaning; and with a flexible brush head and advanced swivel steering, cleaning hard-to-reach areas is a breeze.
• Vacuum and wash at the same time. Clean wet and dry messes on sealed floor types such as including hardwood, tile, laminate, vinyl, and marble.
• Eureka’s dual-tank system keeps clean and dirty water separate, you’re always cleaning with fresh water. No more pushing around dirty water like with a traditional mop.
• Never touch a dirty roller again. The hands-free self-cleaning function automatically flushes the inner tubing and brush roller, for a fast, mess-free maintenance.
• 2-year limited vacuum cleaner warranty and 12-month limited battery warranty. The Box comes with a cordless hard floor vacuum mop cleaner with 1 accessory rack, 1 roller brush, 1 bottle of cleaning solution, 1 base and 1 filter assembly (includes 2 foams).

What’s In The Box

• Eureka NEW400
• Base/Self Cleaning storage tray
• Cleaning Solution
• Cleaning Brush
• Accessory Rack
• Power Adapter
• Manuals and Documentation

Design

There isn’t a lot to say about the design of the Eureka NEW400, I mean, it’s a wet dry vacuum. It looks like a vacuum and is designed like most others. I like the height of the NEW400, it sits tall and that really gives a nice feel when using it.

The handle is ergonomic and comfortable to hold. The materials used for construction are mostly plastics, but there is some metal, most notably the stem of the handle. The handle houses three buttons, power, low/high, and self-cleaning. Moving down, you have the clean water tank and directly below that the dirty water tank and filter.

Going all the way down to the floor, your mop roller is located there, and the hands-free self-cleaning function automatically flushes the inner tubing and brush roller, for a fast, mess-free maintenance. The whole unit is fairly lightweight and easy to move around.

The back houses the barrel plug port for charging, and the plastic base is used to hold the Eureka NEW400. The base is mostly a drip tray to keep water from pooling on your floor, it does not charge the unit. The NEW400 moves smoothly and swiftly with a good swivel angle. It can get under most everything but it did have issues getting under our cabinets. This may or may not be an issue for you, depending on how low your cabinetry sits.

Overall, the design is basic, but the Eureka NEW400 is well-built with high-quality materials. It’s comfortable to operate and hold and I love that there is a clean and dirty water tank.

Assembly

Assembling the NEW400 is straightforward and only requires you to mount the handle. Everything else is already assembled but you will need to remove various pieces of protective film and tape around the vacuum. Overall, this is just about ready to use out of the box. Apart from filling the tanks, setting the handle and removing some packaging.

Performance/Battery Life

Most of our home is made of laminate faux wood flooring, and having two dogs that haven’t figured out how to wipe their paws proves to be troublesome. We used the Eureka NEW400 to do general cleaning, also some basic spills of condiments, coffee, tea, water, the occasional egg, and of course, muddy dog paws.

The NEW400 seemed to handle everything without an issue and cleaned up all the messes my family has thrown at it. At first, I didn’t think the small tank size would be enough, but I was wrong. Being that I am used to throwing the kitchen sink at a problem, I was expecting a huge amount of water flow. But that’s not how the NEW400 works, it outputs the right amount of water to do the job. Which is nice because it dries so much faster this way.

Speaking of drying, to me, it seems the air from the vacuum aids in drying. I was worried that doing the entire floor would mean no one could walk on it for a while. But the floor dried rapidly, kids and dogs were able to walk on it within 3 to 5 minutes. Depending on how many times the area was mopped over.

Speaking of vacuuming, the Eureka NEW400 handled solid material fine, I wouldn’t say it’s for large masses of big particulates. I would recommend a sweeping before hitting your areas with the NEW400. It will get whatever you leave behind, but LEGO’s, marbles, coins, and other larger materials may pose a problem. To me, this isn’t a dealbreaker because I do not see this device as a heavy vacuum. This is a lightweight, light load device made for quick cleaning.

The tanks are small, not tiny, but small. Though they are enough to do all of our floors with water/solution left over and only a partial tank to empty. I would recommend emptying the tank after each use. And don’t overdo the cleaning solution, Eureka gives you measurements, stick to those. Again, I’m the guy who would throw a half bottle of Pine-Sol into a bucket to clean a floor. There is no need for this with the NEW400, follow the company’s guidelines and you’ll be golden.

As for battery life, Eureka says you should get 30 minutes of run time. I saw more than that, but it also depends on how you use the NEW400. If you’re constantly on the higher power setting, you’ll use more battery. The battery claims are accurate, but I think most people should be able to get more than the advertised time. Battery life will vary from person to person.

Another nice feature is that this thing is not noisy at all. Eureka claims a 80db(a) level but it seemed even quieter than that. I could hold a conversation with others while using it, so it’s really great in that aspect.

Overall, the Eureka NEW400 performed well, tackling all the jobs we normally need it for with ease. Battery life is as advertised and should last users one whole cleaning. I always just plug it in when we are done with it.

Price/Value

The Eureka NEW400 is priced at $199 and sometimes can be seen on Amazon with coupons. The value is here. It’s simple to use, does what it says it does (provided you’re not expecting a shop vac) and has great battery life.

Wrap Up

The Eureka NEW400 is a great wet/dry vacuum that does not break the bank, performs well, and is priced in the sweet spot. This is an excellent value for those who aren’t too crazy messy and only need to clean light to moderate messes. If you need something heavier duty, check out some of Eureka’s other products.

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Last Updated on March 13, 2024.