Author Topic: Vacuum decision  (Read 11040 times)

simple

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Vacuum decision
« on: June 03, 2012, 02:08:49 AM »
Hi all - in need of a vacuum cleaner, wanting to buy something that will last a very long while and be reliable.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Not sure whether there's a long-discontinued model that keeps on keeping on, or if one of the new models makes sense. Had recommendations for Dyson and Nilfisk as brands, but they're pricey and I'm not yet convinced about the value for money.

I'm being a bit lazy, I suppose, hoping someone already knows and can save me a lot of research :)
Joe

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2012, 05:28:43 AM »
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/Vacuums/UprightVacuums/PRD~0436302P/Dirt+Devil+Flite+Upright+Bagless+Vacuum.jsp?locale=en

This Dirt Devil goes on sale around these parts for $49.99 frequently and is hands down the best vacuum I have ever owned. I was extremely skeptical at first (a $50 dollar vacuum...come on) but it performs so well that I convinced family and friends to purchase as well. No one has been disappointed. I purchased it 2 years ago and am still on the original belt with no issues.

I have a dog, cat, 2 kids and this lightweight unit keeps the house clean. Comes with a paper filter but re-washable ones are readily available on eBay for about $10 each. If you can find it, I would highly recommend trying it out.

michelle

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2012, 06:55:33 AM »
Dysons are worth every penny in my opinion. Mines going on 10 years and still amazes me every time I fire it up.

JJ

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2012, 08:13:09 AM »
We got a Nilfisk Extreme because it looked & felt really solid.  Alas, the reality isn't so good.  It still works but lots of things have broken and it's held together with woodscrews and the JB WeldIt equivalent we get back in Oz.  Plus a bit of superglue and plastic offcuts from some irrigation parts come to think of it.  We have kept it because it is quiet and does a great job of actually vacuuming.  The motor and filters are great - it's just the cheapo plastic the body is made from lets the whole unit down. 

The commercial grade Nilfisks are a different story I believe, and it looks like the price point isn't much different, sometimes less, than the domestic models.

I saw a post a little earlier which points to an old Electrolux - I guess if you can find something which is 30years old chances are it will go for another 30.

If I was buying a new vac today I would skip all the consumer/domestic grade vacs and go commercial (probably a backpack unit with a long cord - vacuums on wheels tend to ding the skirting boards and short cords mean wasted time changing power points all the time).  I don't know the brands or warranty, but this kind of thing: http://www.amazon.com/Backpack-Hepa-10-Vacuum-Cleaner/dp/B004IPLNHC or http://www.amazon.com/Hoover-Commercial-Shoulder-Backpack-Cleaner/dp/B001FY6BQC/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_2.  Either that or find an old one from an era where things were built to last. 

Dicey

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2012, 10:45:32 AM »
It's critically important to buy a vac which allows you to turn off the beater bar and adjust the suction (power) level. Suction that is too strong and/or prolonged use of a vac with a beater bar which can't be deactivated can ruin your carpet. Ask me how I know. You might want to consider both the type of flooring you have now and what you may have in the future, since a good vac can last longer than the flooring or you could move to a house with different flooring. No specific brand recommendations, but raw suction power is not the best measure. Also, if you have a choice, a carpet pad with a moisture barrier helps keep dirt and grit from filtering through to the sub floor and makes vacuuming more effective.

Zoot Allures

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2012, 09:19:24 PM »
I just posted yesterday about the 1974 Electrolux I found for $6. I have very little vacuuming to do at home, so I don't need a high-end new machine. And it's fun to own something vintage.

kolorado

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2012, 07:53:40 AM »
I owned a Hoover canister(shower gift)for about 7 years. It did a fairly poor job and I spent over $50 in bags and belts for it over the years. I have long hair and that is a nightmare on beater bars. We switched the house over to all bare floors for aesthetics and my daughter's allergies so I got rid of the vacuum. Since we moved into a carpeted rental and needed a vacuum again I decided to buy a Dyson. I bought their most popular model, the "animal" version, refurbished from Overstock for less than $300.
The day we walked in to the rental, my daughter and I started sneezing. There was no evidence of pets being in the house but something was irritating us. I vacuumed the entire house and like magic we were fine again. The amount of dirt that things gets off of floors that look clean is amazing.
I'm really glad I trusted the high reviews from the multiple sites where I did my research. Vacuums aren't things to get excited about really so when you see raves about something so dull, I figure that has to be something to it. ;)

WageSlave

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2012, 01:34:11 PM »
We've had a Dyson for the last five years or so.  I think it's the "Animal" model, but not sure (it's purple).

It's been reliable and has retained it's suction power just fine over the years.  So in that regard, we like it.

Where it fails huge for us is the attachments.  In particular, the furniture attachment (basically a mini-beater brush) doesn't attach to the tube with any kind of snapping or locking mechanism; it's simply a friction fit.  So whenever we vacuum our couch or stairs, we're constantly re-attaching the tool, since it falls off rather quickly.  (Either than or we try to hold it such that our gripping hand straddles both the tool and the hose; but that just trades an unstable attachment for a wicked hand cramp.)

If it were a cheap vacuum cleaner, it wouldn't be such a big deal.  But Dyson's shtick is all about being this great innovative engineering company.  Isn't part of engineering attention to details?  Didn't anyone do a test run with these attachments?  Clearly not, or they would have quickly realized it sucks.

reverend

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2012, 05:23:51 PM »
This!  The Dirt Devil "featherlite" (here in the US) is $50 and outperforms the common Dyson and Hoover vacs.  I still have my Hoover Savvy from many years ago and I actually tested it side by side with the neighbors Dyson and was surprised how poor the Dyson was in actually picking up dirt.  I could get several of my vacs for the price of the Dyson.

For the price, you could have one Featherlite in every room and still come out ahead in price and performance. :)

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/Vacuums/UprightVacuums/PRD~0436302P/Dirt+Devil+Flite+Upright+Bagless+Vacuum.jsp?locale=en

This Dirt Devil goes on sale around these parts for $49.99 frequently and is hands down the best vacuum I have ever owned. I was extremely skeptical at first (a $50 dollar vacuum...come on) but it performs so well that I convinced family and friends to purchase as well. No one has been disappointed. I purchased it 2 years ago and am still on the original belt with no issues.

I have a dog, cat, 2 kids and this lightweight unit keeps the house clean. Comes with a paper filter but re-washable ones are readily available on eBay for about $10 each. If you can find it, I would highly recommend trying it out.

jpo

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2012, 08:20:39 AM »
Personally I would recommend one of these if you have a dog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWMkOwq2qIU


Cranky

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2017, 05:17:52 AM »
I had a dyson Animal for 15 years, and it did a fine job (until it fell down the stairs and was rendered inoperable.) When I replaced it, I considered how my life has changed - now we have only adults at home, and only two cats, and no carpeting.

So, I bought a bagless Hoover for $100, and it fits my needs just fine. It is clearly a dyson style knockoff. It's easy to empty. It's easy to take apart to wash the filter. It's easy to get the bottom off it and clean off the beater bar. I'm thinking about buying a second one to keep in the basement so I don't have to haul it up and down, which will probably increase its lifespan!


BlueMR2

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2017, 11:55:32 AM »
My extended family all has Eurekas.  And it's pretty much a buy once, keep the rest of your life deal.

We went a different way though and bought a Shark.  It's really nice, but we've only got 6 months of experience with it so far vs. the 30-40 years the older family members all have with their Eurekas.

ketchup

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2017, 12:02:26 PM »
I've had really bad luck with bagless, but we bought a plain Jane bagged Panasonic for around $120 two years ago and it's had zero issues.

macleod7066

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2017, 12:34:28 PM »
I highly recommend Kirby.  Now before anyone yells at me for the price of a Kirby vacuum let me give you some history.  In 1999 I got a job selling these things, and sold one to my parents for the absurd price of $1500.  While the cost is high, these vacuums clean extremely deep in carpets.  In fact, it was so deep that if you ran the best $300 dollar vacuum back then over a carpet, the Kirby would still pick up more dirt from deeper.  Fortunately, I did not have to buy a new one, as I was gifted it 15 years later from my parents, and I am using it now, 18 years later, and it runs like new.  It is strongly built, and will get any animal or other material out of your carpet.  Furthermore, the only upkeep needed is to clean the band every so often, and change the bag.  Highly recommend finding an older one, as they truly last a lifetime.

MayDay

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2017, 05:55:10 PM »
I've had a Dyson for 11.5 years. Kids, golden retriever, etc. Only repair was replacing the filters after 9 years.

I'm curious how much longer it'll last.

Rubyvroom

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2017, 06:03:04 PM »
I highly recommend Kirby.  Now before anyone yells at me for the price of a Kirby vacuum let me give you some history.

We have a Kirby as well. SIL was maybe 19 and trying to find a job and wound up selling these things for a short time. We decided to help her out and bought one. That was over 10 years ago and it's still going strong. We've only bought refill bags and changed the belt out once, just this year. We have three pets and just over half of our 1,200 square foot home is carpeted, to give you some idea on usage. The price tag is steep, but I literally feel like I'll never have to buy another vacuum again *knockonwood*

MsPeacock

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #16 on: April 11, 2017, 07:44:31 PM »
Dyson for about 13 years now. I broke a few parts and bought a used one on craigslist to use the parts (mine was dropped down the stairs more than once). It is now 6 different colors but continues to work. I have a newer Shark that I think is so-so. The cleaning lady swears by her canister vac w/ bag. The vacuum store told me the canister vacs w/ bag are the best ones.

APowers

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #17 on: April 12, 2017, 09:58:56 PM »
*snip*

If it were a cheap vacuum cleaner, it wouldn't be such a big deal.  But Dyson's shtick is all about being this great innovative engineering company.  Isn't part of engineering attention to details?  Didn't anyone do a test run with these attachments?  Clearly not, or they would have quickly realized it sucks.

Vacuums are supposed to suck. That's literally their job. ;)

letired

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #18 on: April 12, 2017, 10:42:27 PM »
I got a Miele canister off Craigslist for pretty cheap. I'm pretty happy with it. I foster cats and it picks up the cat hair (and mine) well. The reddit vacuum guy recommends bagged vacuums, which influenced my choice. I had previously had a bagless upright that I strongly disliked, in part because of the baglessness. I got rid of during one of my moves.

bryan995

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #19 on: April 12, 2017, 11:39:11 PM »
Dyson.

Get on Slickdeals and set up an alert. About once a year you can get them for ~50-70% off.

chemistk

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #20 on: April 13, 2017, 05:56:00 AM »
This is the vacuum that we have had for about 18 months now:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NGVF4II?ref=emc_b_5_t

I cannot recommend Shark enough, as a fantastic alternative to higher end vacuums. It's incredibly small, lightweight, versatile, and comes with a myriad of useful attachments. The filters are washable and it's bagless.

My Mother in Law owns Oreck and Riccar vacuums. We took this vacuum to her house, vacuumed a room with the Riccar and then went back over with our Shark. The Shark canister filled with dust about 3/4 of the way through the room.

We got ours at bed bath and beyond using one of their 20% off coupons. $170 out the door.

We have an older Shark that I stupidly fried the motor on the brush roll - even without the brush roll, it can still lift dust and dirt out of medium pile carpet.

Spork

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #21 on: April 13, 2017, 06:44:27 AM »
I highly recommend Kirby.  Now before anyone yells at me for the price of a Kirby vacuum let me give you some history.  In 1999 I got a job selling these things, and sold one to my parents for the absurd price of $1500.  While the cost is high, these vacuums clean extremely deep in carpets.  In fact, it was so deep that if you ran the best $300 dollar vacuum back then over a carpet, the Kirby would still pick up more dirt from deeper.  Fortunately, I did not have to buy a new one, as I was gifted it 15 years later from my parents, and I am using it now, 18 years later, and it runs like new.  It is strongly built, and will get any animal or other material out of your carpet.  Furthermore, the only upkeep needed is to clean the band every so often, and change the bag.  Highly recommend finding an older one, as they truly last a lifetime.

You know this is just a sales technique Kirby uses, right?  The truth is you can do this with ANY vacuum.  In fact, reverse the demo.  Sprinkle dirt.  Vac with Kirby.  Then vac with the customer's vacuum.  OMG, it picks up stuff the Kirby didn't get.  The reason:  There is so much damn dirt in the carpet that any time you vacuum, you're going to pull more of it out.

Edit to add:
We have a 50+ year old Electrolux.  I paid $10 for it at an estate sale.  It's got more chrome on it than a '57 Chevy and works great.  It is a cannister and has no beater brush, so probably not great if you have carpet (but we don't have carpet and won't ever have it if I can help it.)
« Last Edit: April 13, 2017, 08:50:47 AM by Spork »

AMandM

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #22 on: April 13, 2017, 08:38:59 AM »
I bought a Dyson after trying out my friend's three-year-old one.  I'd had relatively high-end Kenmores before that, and not been happy with reliability.  I had coupons and discounts on top of a sale at Kohl's, so I think the net cost was only about $200, comparable to my previous Kenmore.

I made the mistake of rejecting the Animal on the grounds that we had no pets.  I didn't stop to think that my five daughters and I drop more hair than most dogs.

Main pro:  the suction for dirt/dust is very good, especially on carpet, even after five years--longer than my previous vacuums lasted.

Cons:  Unwieldy, not good at small areas, not great at hard floors, not good at picking up larger objects like scraps of paper, and you have to release the whole cord to use the attachments.

If and when it dies, I will probably look for something different to replace it.

channtheman

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #23 on: July 18, 2017, 01:16:14 AM »
Looks like the one I used to buy is no longer available, but instead an upgraded version is sold by Walmart now, at a 10 dollar increase in price.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bissell-PowerForce-Helix-Bagless-Vacuum-1700-New-improved-version-of-1240/49369571?variantFieldId=actual_color

I've purchased the prior version of that vacuum 3 times now.  I moved to Virginia and bought one to vacuum the small house I rented.  When I moved to Kansas City a year later only putting what fit in my car, it didn't make sense to take up so much valuable space with a 40 dollar vacuum.  I bought it the 2nd time in Kansas City.   1 year later and moving back to Arizona, again taking only what fit in the car I did the same thing.  That 3rd vacuum has been going strong for 3.5 years with no maintenance other than occasionally cleaning out the filter with the hose and letting it air dry before putting it back in.

Perhaps it's not as high quality or doesn't do as good of a job as the expensive vacuums, but to me I don't notice a difference, and I grew up with parents that bought Dyson vacuums every 5 years or so as they wouldn't last (probably partly due to the 8 kids they had who were brutal on everything).   

My logic with the cheap vacuum is even if I bought a new one every year for 40 dollars (now 50), in 10 years I would only spend 400 dollars (now 500).  The price of a Dyson is 500 bucks so it HAS to last 10 years to even be comparable in my view (again, I don't really notice a difference in suction or performance).  With this vacuum going on 4 years, it will soon have only cost me 10 dollars a year to own, and that is going down with every passing year. 

chasesfish

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #24 on: July 18, 2017, 05:36:05 AM »
I agree with the others, Vaccumes are something you have to look at the "life-cycle" cost.  If you can't find one gently used, snag a Dyson from Costco when they run a coupon.  They last forever

CindyBS

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #25 on: July 18, 2017, 06:41:34 AM »
I got a reconditioned Dyson from Ebay.  I think the company was ABC something?  It did not come in a original box, but otherwise was fine.  Works great and was about half the price of new.

affordablehousing

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #26 on: July 18, 2017, 01:21:29 PM »
Adding a vote for Miele. I think they work great on all surfaces, and they are easier to access the parts on than on Dysons. Also the generic bags work fine for them and are pretty cheap.

Above all, though, find your vacuum on the street. If you live in a City, I swear vacuums seem to be thrown out more often than any other device. I guess they are big? College students get them but don't use them? People don't know how to untangle hair from the beater bar? People get new ones as gifts? I've literally taken home about 13 vacuums in the past 11 years and sold some, gave some to family and friends, and kept a Miele canister, Miele stick, Hoover over the shoulder and a Shopvac. Several found were Miele, which sell like hotcakes on Craigslist, and any that seemed "broken" really just needed to be cleaned.


marielle

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #27 on: July 18, 2017, 01:32:12 PM »
I got a Miele canister off Craigslist for pretty cheap. I'm pretty happy with it. I foster cats and it picks up the cat hair (and mine) well. The reddit vacuum guy recommends bagged vacuums, which influenced my choice. I had previously had a bagless upright that I strongly disliked, in part because of the baglessness. I got rid of during one of my moves.

+1. I got my Miele off Craigslist too and it's life-changing. Vacuuming is SO easy now! Mine is a heavy upright version though, so not the best if you have to carry it upstairs. It glides very smoothly though and only feels heavy when you pick it up. The canister would be better for that for stairs.

I will never go bagless ever again. I'm convinced that Dyson is overpriced and not worth it.

redbird

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #28 on: July 18, 2017, 05:18:37 PM »
I bought a little Shark Rocket, specifically the DeluxePro/TruPet (same thing, different colors and marketing on box). I love it. That thing sucks up dirt way better than any vacuum I've ever had. I like that it's small, light, and bagless. I've never had a Dyson, but it works way better than my in-laws' Dyson. Sometimes a carpet looks completely clean and then it picks up all sorts of stuff! It has this neat attachment for hardwood floors that's like a combination Swiffer and vacuum. It makes the floor look like it was just mopped. I also like the really long power cord.

I would highly recommend buying no smaller than that one though. There's a Shark Rocket that has a smaller tank than the one I ahve. I can't see having a smaller tank. For reference, my house is 2 humans (one with very long hair) and 1 bird, and I vacuum once a week. If you have more humans or cats/dogs that are shedding, the smaller tank versions would definitely be impossible.

BlueMR2

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #29 on: July 19, 2017, 05:15:03 AM »
You know this is just a sales technique Kirby uses, right?  The truth is you can do this with ANY vacuum.  In fact, reverse the demo.  Sprinkle dirt.  Vac with Kirby.  Then vac with the customer's vacuum.  OMG, it picks up stuff the Kirby didn't get.  The reason:  There is so much damn dirt in the carpet that any time you vacuum, you're going to pull more of it out.

I've done that experiment on our carpets and it's not true.

Spork

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #30 on: July 20, 2017, 08:49:06 AM »
You know this is just a sales technique Kirby uses, right?  The truth is you can do this with ANY vacuum.  In fact, reverse the demo.  Sprinkle dirt.  Vac with Kirby.  Then vac with the customer's vacuum.  OMG, it picks up stuff the Kirby didn't get.  The reason:  There is so much damn dirt in the carpet that any time you vacuum, you're going to pull more of it out.

I've done that experiment on our carpets and it's not true.

A buddy of mine did the experiment for the Kirby salesdude.  He started off quite overconfident.  He slinked off very red faced.

triangle

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Re: Vacuum decision
« Reply #31 on: July 21, 2017, 02:48:10 AM »
I am in the Miele camp. They are typically sold through dealers so it is hard to find a big discount or big price difference between your local shop and something online. Their quality is high and ones with a hepa filter are nice. One can find 3rd party filter bags so it is not like buying a multi-blade razor or ink-jet printer where the manufacturer has a monopoly on the consumables.

The original Dyson bagless patent has expired so one can buy similar Shark or other brand for a relatively cheaper price. I generally read positive reviews on the Dyson suction effectiveness. But when it comes to removing the canister one might want to take it outside to avoid some of the dirt/dust getting back into the living space, and that the canister might require emptying nearly every time it is used.