Philips PowerPro Expert FC9745/09 review

The Philips PowerPro Expert FC9745/09 is recommended by many web shops as the best vacuum cleaner. But is this correct? This bagless vacuum cleaner would have a good suction performance on any floor type and is also suitable for vacuuming pet hair. I have put it to the test and have extensively tested this bagless vacuum cleaner. Curious about my experiences? You will discover that in this extensive Philips FC9745/09 review.

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Accessories: unboxing the Philips FC9745/09

Like every other vacuum cleaner review, I start with the unboxing of the Philips FC9745/09. When lifting the large box I immediately feel that it will probably be a heavy vacuum cleaner: how heavy is that! Because this vacuum cleaner is labeled by many web shops as an all-round choice, I expected a lot of suction nozzles. Unfortunately I discover few extra suction nozzles.

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1. Philips FC9745/09 PowerPro Expert: a bagless vacuum cleaner
2. TriActive combi brush: a combi suction brush for hard floors and carpet
3. Parquet brush: a parquet brush with soft bristles that protect wooden floors
4. Turbo nozzle: a small brush for removing pet hair
5. Crevice tool: a narrow nozzle for crevices and small corners
6. Vacuum cleaner hose: a vacuum cleaner hose with integrated dusting brush
7. Vacuum cleaner rod: an adjustable vacuum cleaner rod (telescopic)

Suction performance: how well does this bagless vacuum cleaner perform?

How well does the Philips PowerPro Expert FC9745/09 perform? To answer this question, we tested the suction power on various floor types. As we have just seen, it comes with a multi-surface brush and a parquet brush, among other things. We tested the bagless vacuum cleaner on a wooden floor (hard floor), low-pile carpet and short-pile carpet.

Suction performance wooden floors, carpet and pet hair

The Philips FC9745/09 has no problem with small and large dirt on wooden floors. The multi-surface brush sucks up everything neatly, but notice that larger dirt is pushed a bit more forward. This also happens with the supplied parquet brush.

I don't have any problems with both high-pile and low-pile carpet. I use the TriActive multi-surface brush, which I set on the carpet setting. Although the dirt is also pushed slightly forward by the brush here, everything is neatly and properly sucked up when I lift the brush slightly.

The PowerPro Expert comes with a turbo brush. Unfortunately, this is not motorized, but I do notice that this vacuum cleaner has no problem at all with sucking up animal hair.

• Hardwood Floors: 8/10
• Carpet: 8/10
• Pet Hair: 8/10

Suction and Airflow

With vacuum tester, one of the fixed parts of my vacuum cleaner reviews is the suction power measurement. I use a specially developed tester, with which I can measure the suction power. The Philips FC9745/09 PowerPro Expert scores 14 kPa. It's good to know that I only use these measurements to compare vacuum cleaners. For example, I measured 16.5 kPA in the Philips Performer Silent FC8784/09 review, which means I can conclude that the suction power is slightly higher with that model.

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In addition to the suction power in kPa, I always measure the AirFlow; the airspeed. With an air speed of 44.6 m/s, there is a very good AirFlow.

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User-friendliness: how easy does the vacuum cleaner work?

Apart from the suction performance and the supplied accessories, it is of course very important to zoom in on user-friendliness. When considering the user-friendliness of a vacuum cleaner, I always look at the following factors:

• Maneuverability
• Service
• Ergonomics
• Weight
• Noise level
• Cord length (and radius of action)

In my opinion, these factors are all important for a user-friendly vacuum cleaner.

Maneuverability, handling and ergonomics

If we look at the maneuverability of this Philips FC9745/09 PowerPro Expert, it's all right. It is equipped with super large wheels with a rubber edge (which I have encountered before with vacuum cleaners from Philips). This makes the vacuum cleaner very easy to follow behind me. The vacuum cleaner itself has two large buttons on the top: a button to roll up the cord and an on and off button. On the handle I discover two more buttons to set the power.

The vacuum cleaner comes with a vacuum cleaner rod that you can easily adjust in length. When you disconnect the rod, you will discover an integrated handheld vacuum on the handle. This is super handy for vacuuming furniture or small surfaces.

Noise level, weight and cord length

Those looking for a vacuum cleaner that is as quiet as possible may make a less good choice with the Philips PowerPro Expert FC9745/09. In my noise measurement I arrive at 70.9 decibels, which is not very quiet. It is certainly not a loud noise, but if I compare it with the noise measurement in my AEG VX82-1-ÖKO review (54.9 decibels) it is really a lot louder.

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The vacuum cleaner is also not a light choice: with 5.5 kilograms without accessories, it can be heavy for some people. However, I discovered a very nice handle on top of the vacuum cleaner, which makes lifting the vacuum cleaner very easy. If we measure the weight with the vacuum cleaner hose, vacuum cleaner rod and the combi suction brush, we arrive at 6.2 kilograms.

The cord of the vacuum cleaner is 7 meters long. If I measure the total vacuum cleaner's range – the distance from the plug to the suction brush – I arrive at 10 meters. This is a great working range for the average living room.

Maintenance

The Philips FC9745/09 PowerPro Expert is a bagless vacuum cleaner: with this type of vacuum cleaner you will have to maintain the filters more often than with a vacuum cleaner with a bag. This model has a washable filter, which can be found behind the dust container. The filter can be removed from a plastic frame, after which you can wash it under the tap. You must let the filter dry for at least 24 hours before you can use it again.

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At the bottom of the vacuum cleaner we discover another filter, the H13 filter system from Philips. The filter system captures 99.9% of fine dust particles. According to Philips, the filtration level is equal to that of a HEPA 13 filter.

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The dust container of the vacuum cleaner is very easy to empty: you can click the dust container out by pressing the button on the handle. You can then empty it above the trash. To date, I have not experienced a lot of dirt remaining in the dust container during emptying.

Conclusion Philips PowerPro Expert FC9745/09 review

The Philips PowerPro Expert FC9745/09 is a very versatile canister vacuum. Because this is a bagless vacuum cleaner, you will never have to buy vacuum cleaner bags again. The vacuum cleaner has an extremely good suction power on all floor types. Thanks to the included parquet brush, you don't have to worry about damaging your wooden floor.

What you have to take into account with this vacuum cleaner is a somewhat higher noise level: with 70.9 decibels, it is not a quiet choice. The weight of the vacuum cleaner is also on the heavy side: with 5.5 kilograms without accessories, it is not a lightweight choice.