Flimsy Bosch Athlet 25.2V cordless vacuum cleaner

I quite like the idea of this vacuum cleaner in that it’s lightweight, easy to use, highly portable and easy to maintain. All things that make a great product.

The particular vacuum cleaner came in to the workshop, just outside of its warranty period and had been looked after well.  However, it had developed a nasty intermittent cutting-out problem when in use.  I also noticed that the charger’s flex had also cracked near the wall plug, making it dangerous while charging.

First things first and it was off with the rollers and filters to clean any obstructions that might make a device like this overheat.  Nothing obvious there, but all items cleaned and washed as a precaution to allow the roller to move freely and the vacuum to breathe easily.

Closer inspection of the handle area revealed a weakness in the design which had meant that the quick-release mechanism had caused an electrical connection to degrade, causing the cutting out.

The only remedy was to address the handle’s weak point with a mechanical fix and make good the electrical contact.

I hope Bosch take note and make an improvement in this area on an otherwise nicely engineered item.

I also did a small repair to the damaged flex on the charger.

Cost of a new vacuum cleaner, circa £250.  Cost of screw… less than 50p (without my time of course!)

Here’s a little video of the repair…

 

 

Author: fixitworkshop.co.uk

Hi, my name's Matt and I'm on a mission to save everyday items from the bin. Many things are repairable, but we've seemingly fallen out of love with mending things. I aim to fix that by publishing each repair I carry out in the hope that others will be inspired to repair their things and keep them for longer.

15 thoughts on “Flimsy Bosch Athlet 25.2V cordless vacuum cleaner”

  1. Thanks for the heads up on a design weak spot in an otherwise accomplished vacuum, it came as a surprise, so many serial connectors !!

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  2. Thanks for the good advice: just cleaning the connectors (quite dirty & carbinised) and tweaking the contacts slightly fixed the same problem for me.

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  3. Thanks. Mine was cutting out now and again. Was not sure if it came from the handle or the bottom connector.
    Cleaned up both. Seems ok now but will end up fitting a screw also as there is a bit of flex.

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  4. Matt, Thanks for this. I have the same cleaner but a problem with the switch as though it slides to the second power it doesn’t increase to full power suction. Any thoughts? I’m trying to get the handle apart to see if I can see a problem with the switch.

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    2. I have EXACTLY the same problem – its definitely a mechanical problem with the switch. Do I really need to buy a new handle for £48 ???

      Cannot open handle because it uses tamper-proof screws,

      A design eroor

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      1. You should be able to open up the casing with care- maybe use a spudger or small blunt screw driver (as I did on another repair). Take your time and you’ll be able to separate the two halves.

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  5. I have a different problem with this model where the connection through the handle still works but it doesn’t charge anymore. Have tried with a different charging cable. It still works for a few seconds but then cuts out. Would that be because of the battery?

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    1. Hi Emily, if the vacuum is a few years old then yes, the battery could be failing. It can be replaced, but there isn’t an official Bosch replacement. I have replaced the cells on two machines with success.

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  7. Hi, I have a Bosch Athlet 18v with a faulty battery and would like to know how to replace the batteries. I know these are not soldy Bosch. Any help? ideas? Many thanks!

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