It’s not often that a reviewer as jaded as I am stands in awe of a piece of equipment, but this morning, I met the Shark NV752 Assault Vacuum Cleaner. To say that my jaw dropped at its capabilities and performance would be an understatement.

The NV752 is Shark’s entry into the Assault Vacuum Cleaner market, also known as Modern Sporting Vacuum Cleaners. It’s modular design, along with sleek styling, makes it a strong contender to move Hoover off of its Number 1 spot.

The NV752 requires some assembly before use, but clicks together in less than 5 minutes. Just a few moments of glancing at the included documentation, and you’re ready to roll. It’s modular, snap-together design gives the user choices between an easily concealed ‘detached’ mode for getting at those non-permissive environments in every home all the way up to crew-served vacuuming of large rugs and hard floors.

As you can see, the ergonomic pistol grip at the top of the handle is built for any number of hand sizes. I am led to believe that MagPul is working on a parts kit to make both the drip and the other polymer panels both more stylish and functional, but out of the box it fit my paw well.

Recoil from the powerful 120v electromechanical motor was sharp, but manageable. Less experienced vacuumers might want to start off with short sessions to get their grip and arm strength up, but those who have been around the rumpus room a few times will have no problem controlling this beast.

One note – two features of the NV752 may cause issues for some vacuumers.

First, the integral sound suppression provided by the included 3-stage filtration system (foam, felt, and HEPA) do not appear to have been evaluated and approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Vacuums. After the DustBuster Arm Brace fiasco a few years ago, vacuumers should be ready to register their new carpet sweepers when the ATV comes knocking.

Second, the high-capacity dust catcher included with the NV752 may not be legal in some localities. Residents of Hawaii, California, Illinois, and Washington D.C. should make sure they are legally allowed to own it prior to purchase. I have it on good authority that an aftermarket part is being made available by Palmetto State, but a release date has not been announced.

As to performance, I cannot stress how well this beast pulled dust, pet hair, and small children out of my carpet. I regularly vacuum and shampoo our living room, but a few minutes with the NV752 actually lightened the color of our carpet. The vacuum head, complete with a rolling-block beater bar that rotates at a ridiculous 4500 RPM, patterned quite well on vintage shag carpeting. As long as I did my job, it did its job.

I have never seen a vacuum that was less picky about what it sucked up as the NV752. While some more up-market machines might only be able to process finely curated dust and artisanal debris, the NV752 ate everything I served. Steel, brass, polymer, or even ceramic went through it with no issues. I had no stoppages or failures to vacuum during an entire cleaning session.

For those in the government or private cleaning sectors, the NV752 should be considered for either general or special use. I would suggest a two-person team for each system. First, a ‘Vacuumer” to operate the NV752 and direct its cleaning. In addition, an “Assistant Vacuumer” will be helpful to rapidly switch out collection tanks, as well as carry spare filters and extension cords. A crew-served vacuum such as this would be critical component in both the conventional janitorial squad or more specialized units.

The NV752 is Shark’s entry into the DOD’s Next-Generation Carpet Cleaner program, but let’s be honest. Sig is going to get the contract, even after it’s shown that its equipment will spontaneously vacuum without anyone touching the power button.

MSRP on the NV752 is $319, but I was able to get it for $269 at Amazon. The cost-conscious consumer should be wary of knock-off vacuums that have the look and feel of the NV752, but when torn down for maintenance, are constructed out of construction paper and wood glue. In this case, you get what you pay for.