Shark LA502 Rotator Lift-Away ADV DuoClean PowerFins Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Shark LA502 Rotator Lift-Away ADV DuoClean PowerFins Upright Vacuum Cleaner is an advanced cleaning system featuring several of Shark's latest technologies.
Shark LA502 Rotator is a bagless, corded, upright vacuum cleaner suitable even for large homes and apartments, and designed for cleaning various types of stubborn dirt, pet and human hair included, from various surfaces commonly found at home.
Published: April 5, 2021.
Shark LA502 Rotator Features and Specifications
As its label suggests, Shark LA502 Rotator Lift-Away ADV DuoClean PowerFins Upright Vacuum Cleaner features several cleaning technologies, improving the cleaning and simplifying the maintenance.
DuoClean PowerFins - Main cleaner head of the Shark LA502 Rotator features a pair of different brushrolls that work in unison in order to improve cleaning. Soft brushroll is optimized for picking up dust, crumbs, cat litter, and other similar dirt from bare floors and even carpeted areas, while second brushroll based on the PowerFins technology ensures continuous contact with the floor, regardless of its type, and improved vacuuming, especially the pickup of pet and human hair.
To help with the maintenance, Shark LA502 Rotator features a self-cleaning brushroll, preventing the hair wrap.
The main cleaner head also features strong LED headlights, helping the user with the cleaning in low light conditions and for spotting the dirt.
Cleaning width is 9.5 inches (~24.1 cm) and in combination with a swivel neck and rather lightweight of ~12.3 pounds (~5.6 kg), allows the user to cover and clean a rather large area quickly.
The main cleaner head also features an indicator light allowing the user to check the condition of the main cleaner head.
Shark LA502 Rotator is rated at 910 watts and is powered via 25 feet (~7.6 m) long power cord. Shark LA502 Rotator doesn't feature an automatic power cord rewind system - the power cord is manually wrapped around the cord wrap hooks.
To prevent any damage to the main suction motor, Shark LA502 Rotator comes with an automatic thermal switch that turns the engine off if its internal temperature starts to rise.
At first, 25 feet long power cord doesn't sound very long, but the Shark LA502 Rotator also comes with 6 feet (~1.83 m) long flexible cleaning hose, which in combination with a cleaning wand, extends the cleaning reach.
Physical dimensions of the unit are (L x W x H) 10 x 12 x 46.5 inches (25.4 x 30.5 x 118.1 cm).
Lift-Away - Shark LA502 Rotator features a detachable cleaning pod that the user can disconnect from the main cleaner head. Lift-Away pod, in combination with the cleaning hose and wand, helps the user clean areas that are unreachable for classic upright vacuums, like stairs and other elevated surfaces, including bookshelves, sofas, pet beds, upholstery, etc.
Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology - whole Shark LA502 Rotator is designed and manufactured to prevent vacuumed air from being released back into the cleaned area without first being filtered.
Shark LA502 Rotator air filtration system is based on the foam and felt air pre-filters and one HEPA air exhaust filter. According to the manufacturer, Shark LA502 Rotator is able to capture 99.9% of 0.3 microns or larger particles, allowing the unit not only to thoroughly clean but also improving the air quality.
Depending on the vacuum's use, it is recommended to wash foam and felt filter using plain water once a month and to wash HEPA air filter using plain water once a year.
After washing, air filters must be completely dried before being assembled back into the unit - operating Shark LA502 Rotator (or any other similar vacuum cleaner) with wet filters or no filters at all, may damage the unit and render its five-year warranty void.
Note: Shark LA502 Rotator is rather simple to use and maintain vacuum cleaner, but when it arrives, be sure to thoroughly read the manual and to get accustomed to your new vacuum cleaner, including its maintenance procedures.
The dirt cup is transparent, allowing the user to see the amount and type of vacuumed dirt. Dirt cup capacity is 0.89 quarts (~0.84 liters), allowing the user to pick up a large amount of dirt before needing to empty the dirt cup.
Dirt cup features a bottom empty system, allowing the user to empty the dirt cup directly into the trashcan, without ever touching the dirt.
Controls of the Shark LA502 Rotator include the power/surface switch which allows the user to turn on the unit and to set the floor type (carpets or bare floors) and the suction control, which allows the user to increase or decrease the suction.
Note: both brushrolls spin even on the bare floors, although much slower than on the carpeted surfaces. Also, when the unit is in the upright position, brushrolls are not engaged - the user has to tilt the unit backward in order to engage the brushrolls.
Shark LA502 Rotator Cleaning Tools and Attachments
In order to clean a multitude of elevated surfaces, Shark LA502 Rotator features a Lift-Away pod, flexible cleaning hose, and the cleaning wand.
Also, it comes with three cleaning attachments, two of which can be carried onboard the unit, ready to be used at the moment's notice.
These three tools include:
8" Crevice Tool is intended for cleaning crevices (hence the name), gaps, corners, edges, and similar hard-to-reach surfaces.
Pet Multi-Tool is a 2-in-1 cleaning tool combining a cleaning brush with stiff bristles and a more gentle upholstery tool. Pet Multi-Tool is an unpowered cleaning tool.
Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush features a tangle-free mini-brush, powered by an air turbine and is an excellent cleaning tool for deep cleaning of stairs, pet beds, car interiors, and similar. Surfaces that are perhaps too sensitive to be cleaning using Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush should be cleaned using Pet Multi-Tool.
Of course, if required, other cleaning tools and attachments can be ordered later, just be sure to order tools for the Shark LA502 Rotator vacuum.
These tools include Upholstery Tool, Duster Crevice Tool, Dusting Brush, etc.
Shark LA502 Rotator vs Shark ZU782 Rotator - Differences and Similarities
Both Shark LA502 and Shark ZU782 are upright vacuums featuring DuoClean main cleaner head and Lift-Away design, but they also differ in several, very important features.
First of all, Shark LA502 is a newer model featuring DuoClean PowerFins main cleaner head, while Shark ZU782 features a 'classic' DuoClean head. According to the Shark, DuoClean PowerFins is an improvement over older DuoClean head, decreasing the number of required passes over the same area in order to completely clean the floor.
But, both DuoClean main cleaner heads come with tangle-free (no hair wrap) brushrolls.
Shark ZU782 is a larger and more powerful units - it weighs ~17.5 pounds (LA502 ~12.3 pounds), it is rated at 1200 watts (LA502 910 watts), it features a cleaning path of 12 inches (LA502 9.5 inches), it is powered by a longer power cord (30 ft vs 25 ft).
Also, Shark LA502 Rotator comes with an 8" Crevice Tool, Pet Multi-Tool, and a Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush, while Shark ZU782 comes with a 12" Crevice Tool, Upholstery Tools, and Pet Power Brush.
Although Shark ZU782 features a somewhat longer Crevice Tool, Shark LA502 comes with Pet Multi-Tool which includes Upholstery Tool and Pet Power Brush that features self-cleaning brush - personally, Shark LA502 comes with more versatile cleaning tools.
If additional cleaning tools are required, they can be easily ordered from online shops.
For more reviews and recommendations of Shark ZU782, feel free to check the Shark ZU782 Rotator Lift-Away DuoClean Pro Amazon link (link opens in the new window).
Shark LA502 Rotator vs Shark AZ2002 Vertex - Differences and Similarities
Both Shark LA502 Rotator and Shark AZ2002 Vertex share many Shark's cleaning technologies, including DuoClean PowerFins self-cleaning main cleaner head, Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology, HEPA air filtration, additional cleaning tools, etc.
But, Shark AZ2002 is a larger, more powerful, but also, more expensive model.
Shark AZ2002 is rated at 1344 watts (LA502 at 910 watts), it features 12-inch cleaning width (LA502 9.5 inches), it features a longer power cord (30 ft vs 25 ft), and a larger dirt bin (1 vs 0.89 quarts) but it also features somewhat shorter cleaning hose (5.5 ft vs 6 ft) and it is a heavier unit (16.4 vs 12.3 pounds).
But, Shark AZ2002 is a Powered Lift-Away unit, while Shark LA502 is a Lift-Away vacuum - Shark AZ2002 can use its (powered) main cleaner head attached to the cleaning wand. Shark LA502 can use 'only' its cleaning tools (and not the main cleaner head) attached to the cleaning wand.
Shark LA502 Rotator comes with an 8" Crevice Tool, while Shark AZ2002 Vertex comes with an 8" Pet Crevice Tool. Both units come with the Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush, but the Shark LA502 also features Pet Multi-Tool (Stiff Bristle Brush combined with Upholstery Tool), while Shark AZ2002 also features Dusting Brush.
If additional cleaning tools are required, they can be easily ordered from online shops later.
Obviously, both Shark LA502 and Shark AZ2002 are great upright vacuums, but the Shark AZ2002 is a more powerful and larger unit, allowing the user to clean larger areas faster - but, it also costs more.
For more reviews and recommendations of Shark AZ2002 Vertex, feel free to check the Shark AZ2002 Vertex DuoClean PowerFins Upright Vacuum Amazon link (link opens in the new window).
Long Story Short: Shark LA502 Rotator is well designed and built upright vacuum cleaner, well balanced between its features and price.
It is suitable even for large homes and apartments since it is capable of cleaning various types of stubborn dirt from the most common surfaces found at homes.
For more reviews and recommendations, feel free to check the Shark LA502 Rotator Lift-Away ADV DuoClean PowerFins Upright Vacuum Amazon link (link opens in the new window).