Very powerful when the filter/catcher is clean, and the brush lets you use it on carpet, where it works almost as well as an upright. However, it is a PITA to empty, and to get full suction you really need to rinse and dry the filter/catcher once in a while - or replace it I suppose (I'm waaaay too cheap to be doing that, though!). Thus, vacuuming a large area is really out of the question unless you want to stop every 2-3 minutes.Overall, if you have a small, carpeted area to vacuum (boat, RV, detached office, whatever) this thing really sucks (in a good way), and if I lost it, I'd probably get another.