Shark la502 vs az2002 – What’s the difference? (Explained)
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The Shark LA502 rotator and Shark AZ2002 are two duo-clean powerfins upright vacuums designed for the same purposes. But, the retail price of the Shark vertex AZ2002 is 100 to 150 dollars more than the Shark rotator LA502.
The Shark vertex AZ2002 featured a powerful motor that can make 99 inches of suction power. On the other hand, the suction power of the Shark LA502 is 79 inches. Despite the suction power difference, the cleaning effectiveness on hard and carpet flooring was closely similar in our tests.
So, if your home is above 50% hard flooring, then the shark LA502 rotator is the best bet in budget.
Key feature difference
HomeGear Choice
Shark AZ2002 Vertex
- Hard floor: 5/5
- Thick Carpet: 4.8/5
- Area Rugs: 4.8/5
- Low pile Carpet: 4.8/5
- Carpeted Stairs: 4.6/5
- Under Furniture: 5/5
- Pets: 4.8/5
- High-pile Carpet: NA
- Shag carpet: NA
Shark Rotator LA502
- Hard floor: 4.8/5
- Thick Carpet: 4.6/5
- Area Rugs: 4.5/5
- Low pile Carpet: 4.5/5
- Carpeted Stairs: 4.5/5
- Under Furniture: 3/5
- Pets: 4.7/5
- High-pile Carpet: NA
- Shag carpet: NA
What’s the difference Between the Shark LA502 And Shark AZ2002?
A brief discussion
- Price Difference: The Shark vertex AZ2002 is running about 150$ more than the shark LA502 for its few premium features, larger dust canister, powerful suction, and more.
- Powered Lift-Away: Powered lift-away is one of the game-changer premium features of the Shark vertex AZ2002; this feature is lacking in the shark rotator LA502. The difference between the Powered lift-away and standard lift-away mode; In shark Powered lift-away, you can turn the upright vacuum into a handheld model, but when the dust canister detaches from the body, the wand still has power. In the standard lift-away mode, the primary wand won’t have the electrical power after converting the vacuum into a handheld model. The advantage of the power lift-away mode, you can use the main cleaning head and other motorized pet brush.
- Dust canister size: The larger the canister size, the more dirt it can hold, and it also gives you more extended cleaning sessions. In terms of dust cup size, the Shark AZ2002 featured a 1 Quart canister, and the shark LA502 has 0.89 Quarts, which is around 10 percent smaller than the shark vertex. But this slight difference won’t hamper your practical cleaning sessions.
- Difference between suction power and motor wattage: Regarding motor wattage and suction power, the shark vertex AZ2002 is ahead of the shark LA502. The shark AZ2002 featured a 1300 Watts motor, and we measured its suction power around 98 inches. On the other hand, the shark LA502 boasts an 890 Watts motor that can maximize the suction power at around 80 inches. But in our tests on different surfaces, both sharks’ cleaning performance was closely similar.
- Weight difference: The vertex AZ2002 is slightly bulkier than the LA502, weighing 16.38 pounds. On the other hand, the shark LA502 weighs 14.5 Pounds. The shark AZ2002 might be hard to push in carpets flooring if you do not select the right suction power.
Shark la502 Overviews
The shark rotator LA502 is our best pick at mid-budget. It’s a duo clean upright model vacuum that features powefins technology. It is more effective in hard floor and carpet deep cleaning and has better hair-tangled preventing capability than the sharks’ regular Duo-clean floor head.
Here’s why this shark LA502 is a budget bet.
- Self-cleaning brush roll: The shark LA502 features a duo clean brush roll floor head. A soft brush roller locates at the front of the primary cleaning head and the second one in the middle. Both brush roller is motor powered, and you will notice silicon fins and soft bristles in the main beater bar, which have been used instead of stiff bristles. The main advantage of this type of brush roller, it does not cause scratches on sensitive wooden floors and is more effective in preventing hair tangling.
- Lift Away functionality: With a full-size upright vacuum, it’s hard to clean stairs. To make this job easier, the shark LA502 features lift-away technology that allows you to convert it into a handheld model. This feature makes it more convenient to clean up sticking pet hair from upholstery, pet beds, and stairs using a pet turbo brush.
- Complete sealed HEPA filtration: This filtration system you’ll notice in all the sharks’ upright and cordless models. The exhaust air from the vacuum passed through the HEPA filter, which captures 99.9% dust allergens.
Verdict: This Shark LA502 offered everything you’ll get on the shark vertex AZ2002 except powered lift-away. And cleaning effectiveness on the hard floor and carpet was closely similar. But if you need more robust suction, powered lift-away, and lengthier cord, and your home has multiple stairs, you must choose the Vertex AZ2002.
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Can the shark LA502 clean up pet hair and cat litter from all surfaces?
Yes, it can do that effectively; the shark rotator LA502 features a duo-clean floorhead—the soft cotton brush roller at the front of the primary head, which is motor powered. The soft brush roller starts spinning when the vacuum turns on with the cleaning mode at the carpet position. When the vacuum acrosses through the vacuumable dust, fine dust, cat litter, and pet hair, the soft brush roller effectively moves them to the intake.
When cleaning pet beds or stubborn pet hair from upholstery or carpeted stairs, you need to convert it into the lift-away mode, and using the pet brush is a must.
Does the main cleaning head of the Shark LA502 Have a brush roller/beater brush for carpets?
Yes, the shark LA502 has the beater brush, which is motor powered. But the beater is not like the shark’s standard brush roller. The shark LA502 features PowerFins technology, which means have used soft silicon fins instead of stiff bristles on the top of the beater bar.
But remember that this beater bar of the shark LA502 is ideal for deep cleaning low/medium pile carpets and rugs. It has no height adjustment feature, so it would be wrong if you choose it for shag or long pile carpet cleaning purposes only.
Can the shark LA50 clean under furniture in Lift-away mode?
The answer is NO. It features the sharks’ standard lift-away option; This means the primary cleaning head won’t run when you detach the canister from the body. This feature is available in powered lift-away vacuums only.
Shark az2002 Overviews
Shark AZ2002 is a premium vacuum cleaner in sharks’ premium upright vertex lineup. The primary cleaning head type and filtration system are identical to the shark rotator LA502.
The effectiveness of the shark AZ2002 on hard surfaces and carpets was closely similar to Rotator LA502.
But in terms of suction power, the shark vertex AZ2002 is the beast, and it boasts a 1300 Watts motor that can maximize the suction power at 98 inches, which is massive for collecting any stubborn debris.
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Hi, Eddie T. Jones and I am the author of homegearsolution.com. I have been working with household appliances, tools, outdoor gear, and gardening tools for several years. I publish unbiased comparisons based on user reviews, expert reviews, and test results. I hope you like the website.
Best regards, Eddie T. Jones
