# Vacuum cleaner recommendations



## Alin10123 (May 15, 2006)

Hey guys,
For some reason my previous vacuum cleaner exploded while i was vacumming. I'm in need of a new one. Has anyone here tried one of those new "dyson" vacuums that they claim is powerful and doesn't loose suction?

thanks


----------



## ABTOMAT (May 15, 2006)

Dysons are good, but their advertising is a little over the top and I personally can't stand the styling.

I'd try and pick up a used Electrolux or Oreck (never buy a high-end vacuum new) unless you need a HEPA filter.


----------



## DieselDave (May 15, 2006)

A guy at work bought one a couple of months back and says he likes it. There are a few different models. Sams Club carries them.

On a do not recommend expensive unit. I bought a twice used Meile from my boss 3 months ago. He had it two years but only used it the first week he owned it. He has thick carpet and he didn't buy the power brush so it was ineffective. I have all wood so it works great. I bought it from him for $200. Two weeks ago my wife plugged it in and there was no power. I took it to our vacuum guy and he diagnosed the cord had gone bad at the head of the cord reel. I said great, glad it's not a motor or something. Then he told me a new cord reel is $185 installed. That's right folks, the power cord is $185. I nearly fell over. The reel itself worked fine but the cord attachment point had come loose and the only fix is a replacement. He said it's not that uncommon a problem with the Meile. I had him do it but only because I have 5 boxes of bags and a new HEPA filter in the thing. I was in too deep to call uncle.


----------



## js (May 15, 2006)

Strange!

The vacuum repair store here in Ithaca raves about Miele's and how rare it is to ever see one come in for work.

I got one of the cheaper Meile vacuum cleaners (just over $200, IIRC) and I just love it. And I've had mine for over two years now and it is still working great--and working well.

It is a canister vac, though, and doesn't have a power brush on the head or anything, so it is a bit of work to vacuum shag carpet. We have a Kenmore upright for that, but I don't like it, and something is broken in it now and it the smell of burning oil is emmanating from it whenever I use it. So I will have to repair or replace it soon. Or just stick with the Meile. A little elbow grease is no big deal--it still works good on shag carpet in my experience; it's just a lot more work than a power head upright.

All of that said, I will readily admit that I didn't do any research before buying the Meile, and the Kenmore was a Christmas gift, so I am not very informed about the options that are out there. All I do know is that I have been very happy with my Meile for $200. Everything about it is high quality and well designed, IMO. It feels like a quality piece of equipment to me. And it has a powerful motor in it--that much is for sure. My wife feels that it is a bit too heavy, though. Especially for stairs.

FWIW.


----------



## tdurand (May 15, 2006)

I've got a Eureka Oxygen model like the one found here:
I got it from the rave reviews and the allergy board recommendation. It does an awesome job on carpet and wood flooring. Another pro is the washable HEPA filter and the ease of use. I would recommend the longer canister hose so you don't have to move the canister so often. About the only drawback are the bags that are needed. They're cheap and only a minor frustration. 

My highest recommendation!!


----------



## nerdgineer (May 15, 2006)

Another vote for Miele. It is not cheap but it is the Porsche of vacuum cleaners (or McLux, or whatever). Not fancy, but very, very solid, quiet and high performance. It also does an excellent job of filtering the air which it spits out so you do not redistribute dust when you vacuum - it stays in the machine.

I'm surprised more of the HW geeks here who spring for $200 flashlights and $400 pocket knives don't have Miele's vacuums - they're that good.


----------



## Sigman (May 15, 2006)

Can't remember which Consumer's Reports issue has the latest vacuum ratings, but for years they suggested a Hoover self-propelled Wind Tunnel. 

We've owned a Kirby Heritage for about 26 years. Though we indeed like it, a friend gave us one of the Hoover Wind Tunnels and the Kirby has sat in the closet for the last 6 of those years!!

They also suggested a model from Sears (though I can't remember which one it was - sorry).

One doesn't need to spend the money that some "over advertised" brands demand to get a decent vacuum.

I'll try and find out which issue of CR has the latest report. I would imagine there are some good reviews on the WWW as well...


----------



## NeoteriX (May 15, 2006)

No personal experience, but everyone at NASIOC raves about the Dyson.


----------



## Kristofg (May 15, 2006)

I have been using a dyson for two years now. It's the HEPA model (not the root cyclone) and I must say that I'm very happy with it. It was originally used in an appartment, so all it had to do was clean a stone floor, no carpets, but since then we moved and during the move I abused the dyson by having it suck trough sawdust, dirty cement floors, dead bugs, carpets with mud on them and after all that, cleaning it out and starting on laminated wood floors. It survived all that (a bag-using vacuum was tried too, but the bags couldn't stand the sawdust and kept clogging up). The only downside to it is that you need to empty the dustcan outside (couldn't do it in an appartment without garden, so I took it to my parents place). But concerning the cleaning power, it just keeps going no matter what you try to feed it and it really does not lose power when it's getting filled up.


----------



## Ras_Thavas (May 15, 2006)

I also have a Dyson that I got from Costco. I give it 2 thumbs up.


----------



## MScottz (May 15, 2006)

Dysons rock! Best vacuum we've ever used.


----------



## twentysixtwo (May 15, 2006)

I'm a big skeptic on Dysons being worth the extra coin.

I had a bagless vacuum cleaner didn't like it. It may have something to do with pets - I don't think they work well with pet hair. They also tend to be much messier having to empty the dirt container - you inevitably end up spilling a little. You can let a bag go a lot longer than a bagless before you change it. 
I gave our bagless to my mother - she likes it. I think the moral is if you do light duty vacuuming and don't have pets then bagless might be for you.

As far as losing suction, our bag type Panasonic probably has some reduction in sucking power when the bag's full but I doubt it's perceptible without instrumentation. 

I am a big fan of HEPA rated vacuums and also recommend a "Dirt Finder" which basically is a sensor that can tell if stuff is moving through the hose. I think it must sense the static charge. Helps so you know how many passes to do - once is enough in the low traffic areas, sometimes in the high traffic areas it takes a dozen passes before the light goes green.


----------



## AlphaTea (May 15, 2006)

For get all the hype.

Go to Wally world or Target and get a Eureka Optima for LESS THAN $60.

Not fancy but a great value.

Over the past many years we have had Hoovers, Electrolux, Oreck, Dirt Devil, Kenmore and many others both upright and canister, bagged and bagless. Few ever lived up to their advertising. 

My wife is a Domestic Engineer (really she cleans houses). She knows vacuums.

We bought this Optima about a year ago and it is by far the best vacuum we ever bought. 

It is small upright light weight, bagless and has a HEPA filter. It is not self propelled. It has all of the standard attachments you would need.

If you don’t like it, you can take it back and get a refund, then buy a more expensive one, but I doubt that you will.


----------



## Ras_Thavas (May 15, 2006)

I have two cats. My Dyson eats up the cat hair with no problem.

I empty the container outside into my trash can. Not any messier than a bag really, in fact it is probably cleaner. I can remember changing the bags on my old Hoover in the house. Invariably a puff of dust would come out while wrestling the bag off the suction pipe.

I tried the cheapie vacuum's. Simply got tired of buying a new one every 18 months or so. Had the Dyson for 3 years now and it works just as good as the day I bought it. It cost me 2x what I paid for the vacuum I previously had, but it has lasted 2x longer with no signs of slowing down. You do get what you pay for.


----------



## PoliceScannerMan (May 15, 2006)

I'll have to ask mt fiancee when she gets home how she likes the vaccum.


----------



## ABTOMAT (May 15, 2006)

One of the important things to me is durability and ease of service, not just sucking power. I have yet to find a department store vacuum that's rugged and friendly to work on. As much as I don't like their advertising, Oreck's pro model got major points from me for coming with a service manual and spare parts. The Elux/Aerus doesn't go that far, but it's an elegant powerful design.

In general I don't like Kirbys. 65 years ago they were state of the art, but it's just too dated a design.

Sanitaire (Eureaka-made from an old design) vacuums are simple and easy enough to work on, but a little clunky. Good parts support, though.


----------



## Cliffnopus (May 15, 2006)

We have three Miele's (one went to SWMBO's mother) and love 'em. Had the first one for ten years now and the second for six. Only problem has been the vacuum wand tube (plastic coil) got a break in it at a flex point and we replaced the tube w/a new one. That was on the ten year old after nine years.

Cliff


----------



## Arkayne (May 15, 2006)

Growing up, my family has always used the Rainbow water vacuums. It is a bit cumbersome but I've yet to use a vacuum that can match its suction and effectiveness. Has anyone else used a Rainbow?

edit: I'd love to try a Dyson though. I like the way that rolling "ball" model feels.


----------



## evan9162 (May 15, 2006)

The house we just moved into has a central vacuum system. It's bagless and filterless, and exhausts to the outside. It's also original to the house and is 17 years old. 

It has more suction power than our expensive hoover and my cheap bissel both put together when they have clean filters/new bags. Plus, the canister is about 10 gallons, so only needs to be emptied about every 6 months. The power unit is in the garage, so the only thing you hear is the whooshing sound of air being sucked in, and the motor on the beater bar if using the power head.

We haven't even touched our other vacuums since moving, and we've hardly even touched our brooms either (flooring attachment)

Even though they are $$$, I really love having a CVS.


----------



## ABTOMAT (May 15, 2006)

It's interesting, everyone I know with a CVS has stopped using theirs. Several broke down (leaks in the pipes, I think) and one woman didn't like the long hose.

Have you had any trouble with it? When they're working it's hard to top for suction power.


----------



## mobile1 (May 15, 2006)

Get a Miele (one of the later high powered models) - they actually spend the money they make on engineering and building better vac. clenaers, rather then marketing. Hard to get in the US, but they put a lot of thought into their products....


----------



## evan9162 (May 15, 2006)

ABTOMAT said:


> It's interesting, everyone I know with a CVS has stopped using theirs. Several broke down (leaks in the pipes, I think) and one woman didn't like the long hose.
> 
> Have you had any trouble with it? When they're working it's hard to top for suction power.



No problems so far, but we've only been in the house for just over a month. The vac and all of its attachments are 17 years old, and still work like a champ. 

I have run the vac continuously for several hours at a time a few times (I was doing work in the house that created hazardous dust, and just ran the CVS along where I was working) - I was somewhat concerned extended runtime, but it ran fine, and the motor was just warm.

I can't see how the pipes could leak, it's just basically PVC plumbing - unless they never bothered to cement the joints together or something - they should last forever.

We also have a kick-sweeper in the kitchen. There's a foot-operated switch that turns the vac on, and a slot under one of the cabinets. Just kick or sweep debris from the floor in there, and you're done. I've thought about throwing away our dustpans. There's a lot of pergo flooring in our house, and the flooring head is nice to use in leu of sweeping. We haven't used our broom much since moving in (I think once...)

The long hose can be a bit cumbersome at times, but I like it better than pushing around a heavy upright or worrying about running over power cords. It's a lot less work pushing around a beater head and moving a light hose than wrestling with a 30 lb Hoover. The hose is actually longer than the power cords on either of our uprights, so you get more done before having to find another inlet. (well, our remaining upright, we gave the cheap one to a friend of ours that needed one.) We have 3 inlets that cover every inch of the house, and one in the garage which makes vacuuming out the cars a dream.


----------



## MScottz (May 15, 2006)

3 cats and a dog. The Dyson works better than anything else we've ever used. Ever vacuumed brand new carpet? Our old vacuum couldn't finish one room without clogging from all the new carpet lint. It doesn't even slow down the dyson.


----------



## sunspot (May 15, 2006)

Arkayne said:


> Has anyone else used a Rainbow?


My wife and I had one for 10 years. Great suction but a PITA to clean the tank. We now have an Oreck. It's light weight but difficult to clear a clog. I don't care too much for it.
I never heard of the Miele but it sounds good. I'll check it out.


----------



## mobile1 (May 15, 2006)

or if you are lazy get a Roomba....


----------



## raggie33 (May 15, 2006)

my bigest compaint on vacums is the darn cord and no matter how much ya try to avoid runing over ya adapter cords ya always hit em


----------



## eluminator (May 15, 2006)

I have a $70 Hoover and it sucks. What else should a vacuum do?


----------



## ChocolateLab33 (May 16, 2006)

*I have a Sears Kenmore Progressive and I like it because the suction is great and the hepa bag is cloth and not crappy paper so I don't have a problem when I empty the bag. The huge downside is that if you vac every day like me (2 dogs) it can't handle heavy use. I have the warranty on it and have had it in for repair (lucky I have a spare) many times. I don't abuse it, I just use it every day.*


----------



## Alin10123 (May 16, 2006)

Thanks for everybodys replies. So far i haven't heard one bad thing about the "dyson". I'm looking at getting the DC14 model. The 15 model is the same as the 14 except it has the ball thingie which i dont think i need. The 14 sounds perfect for me in my opinion and so far everyone that owns one has everything good to say about it. Before i pull the trigger though.. besides the obvious price difference between the other brands, can anyone honestly say something bad about it? 

I've got some pretty thick carpets so i'm thinking i'm going to need a good vacuum. The last one exploded in my face and all i was vacuuming was dust around the corners of the wall that haven't been vacuumed in a while. Scared the crap out of me too. My ears started ringing after that. That was a $50 vacuum from like 5 years ago though and i never really felt like the carpets were clean too.


----------



## Ras_Thavas (May 16, 2006)

Ok, here is my one gripe about the Dyson. When you detach the wand and use the tools the coiled hose has a little too much tension, which sometimes causes the vacuum to roll back and hit me in the leg.

In looking at the picture for the DC14 they have changed the design of that part, so maybe it is not an issue anymore.


----------



## buba (May 16, 2006)

The March 2006 issue of consumer reports rated the DC14 as a middle of the pack performer. The Eureka Boss Smart Vac Ultra 4870 got one of the best buy nods with an excellent for carpet rating. The overall rating on the DC14 was '63' while the Eureka has an overall score of '73'. Hit your local library for the March 2006 CR issue for full details.

I have neither, I am still using a 1954 (year not model) Kirby.


----------



## eluminator (May 16, 2006)

Weren't those Kirbys sold door to door. ?

When I was in college in the 1960s, I answered an ad offering part time employment and a large income. It turned out to be a master con artist vacuum cleaner salesman. I think it was Kirby. This guy was awesomely good. He could sell 4 or 5 a day to naive housewives for around $500 with all the attachments. Allowing for inflation, wouldn't that be around $5000 today? 

This guy made big bucks and it was an incredible experience watching him work. I found him disgusting but interesting. He gave a seminar trying to recruit salesmen. At one point he was talking about dust in the air and telling us that just running the Kirby would eliminate it. He painted a verbal picture of the dust that we have all seen when illuminated by a beam of light, like at a movie theater or when a beam of sunlight comes though the window.

When he had us all thinking of this dust, he covered his mouth and coughed. Everyone attending the seminar then coughed. Everyone but me. I just sat in the back of the room and took it all in. He had everyone in the room believing the Kirby was the greatest invention ever and well worth the $500. 

When you can get everyone in the room to cough on cue, you're good. Well a good con artist anyway.


----------



## bwaites (May 16, 2006)

I don't know, a Kirby that is still running 50 years later, even at $500 seems like a good investment to me! 

I can't tell you how many we've bought since we got married 22 years ago, but I would have traded all of them for one that didn't break for even *10*years!!

I'm currently in the market again, after watching our last "top rated" by CR vacuum die after less than 3 years!!

I'm currently down to one of the Dyson's, (everyone I know that has one loves it!) or one of the Meile's. 

Unfortunately, I haven't found anyone nearby that has one of the Meiles models I'm considering in stock.

I WILL have a built in system in my next house!!

Replacing the cannister in the garage is not tough, and you can get models with A LOT more suction than any stand alone model.

Bill


----------



## flashfan (May 16, 2006)

Kirby?!? No way, no how. Scam, scam, scam. They're sold door-to-door using very high pressure, and my elderly parents were "coerced" into buying one a couple of years ago for about $4,000.00 (actually ended up with two units in a terrific, super-duper, extra special, two-for-one "sale" to senior citizens--a Kirby rep actually admitted that they target senior citizens). A Consumer Reports issue I had seen at the time, listed the price at about $1,200.00 each--I read elswhere that others had negotiated and paid about $1,000.00 for the same model.

Kirby = worst vacuum ever. I don't use the word "hate" often, but I hated that vacuum. Retro perhaps--it looked as though it came from the 60's. Unit was heavy, and using the DETACHED "attachments" was a joke--NOT intuitive, and considerable strength is needed. Hardly the vacuum for senior citizens. The bag sticks out on one side of the vacuum, making work in fairly tight spaces impossible. Adding insult to injury, replacement vacuum bags are available only from a Kirby store/rep.

One "positive" point about Kirby. I don't know if it is still in effect, but they have(or had) a policy for customers 60 years of age and older--you can rescind the sale within one year of purchase and get your money back. My parents got their money back, but lost out on the vacuum they had "traded-in" (an almost-new $300+ Hoover). Oh, by the way, if it matters to anyone, buying a Kirby ostensibly puts more $$ into billionaire Warren Buffett's pocket (assuming Kirby is still part of the Berkshire Hathaway family).

So much for Kirby. Over the years, I've used a central vacuum, one of those Rainbow vacuums, plus Hoover, Sears, Panasonic, Fantom, Eureka and a few others. Each had it pros and cons. I've been using a Hoover for a few years now, and I like it well enough, but durability is a bit disappointing. The Panasonic canister vac I used previously was a workhorse, and I did like the Rainbow. As stated in a previous thread, the Rainbow is a pain to clean out, but I liked the idea that the dust was "trapped" in the water, keeping it from being dispersed back into the air.


----------



## bwaites (May 16, 2006)

I looked at a Rainbow several years ago, but was turned off by the high pressure sales pitch I got from THEM! It looked like a good vacuum, as have the Kirby's I've seen. (None recently though) But a vacuum that lasts 50 years, that's impressive!!

I think the door to door thing can get pretty offensive anyway.

Bill


----------



## BigHonu (May 16, 2006)

+1 for the Dyson. Had one for about two years now and still works great! Still remember the day we got it. Went though the house with it even though we just vacuumed the day before (with our old Kenmore) and picked up a half-canister of stuff out of the carpet.


----------



## Ras_Thavas (May 16, 2006)

> +1 for the Dyson. Had one for about two years now and still works great! Still remember the day we got it. Went though the house with it even though we just vacuumed the day before (with our old Kenmore) and picked up a half-canister of stuff out of the carpet.



LOL we did the same thing. Wife looked at the half full canaster on the Dyson and remarked that we had just cleaned the carpet with the old Hoover.


----------



## ABTOMAT (May 16, 2006)

Electrolux, Rainbow, Filter Queen, Kirby, etc all have high pressure sales pitches. But Kirby's probably the worst and they're bar far the most expensive. When a Kirby rep demos one in your house they don't even let you use a bag on the test model--has a special collector used for sales calls.

Kirbys are not _bad_ vacuums, but their time has passed. The push Kirbys were sold almost unchanged from the '20s into the early '90s. The really fussy and annoying accessories stem from the fact that when it was designed no one had figured out how to do it better. The self-propelled Kirbys were introduced around 1990. They kept the basic layout but beefed everything up and added a power drive. And you need the drive--a G6 weighs something like 25 pounds.

For flat open area carpet (like a hotel lobby) it's hard to beat a Kirby for performance. And they're reliable. But for anything else pretty close to useless. The crummy accessories are probably only included to convince people their ~$1000 isn't being wasted. Actually, I've been told that if you really haggle with them you can get one for about $600.

A vacuum lasting 50 years isn't all that hard. Motor bearings, plastic wheels, fans and hoses are about all that normally goes wrong. If you use one heavily it'll be much shorter--I had a ten-year-old Kirby G4 that the previous owner had used so much it was falling apart. On the other hand I have an Electrolux LX from the '30s that runs fine.


----------



## koala (May 16, 2006)

Miele - BMW of all vacuum cleaners + HEPA filter you are all set.

My family used these for the pass 18 years. We have three units. The 18 year old unit motor was overhauled in 1999 still going strong. The newer units are cool with speed control and all the air filters. I have no experience with other vacuum cleaners though.


----------



## bwaites (May 17, 2006)

OK,

After about 2 months of reading reviews, checking all the little things that drove me nuts about the Kenmore that died, and after having decided that I would DEFINITELY buy a Miele or Dyson, the Consumer Reports review of the Eureka 4870 and it's rating as a best buy at less than $140 convinced me to take a look.

It rated higher than the Dysons or the Mieles, (not that I was happy with the last CR recommendation of a Kenmore), but Eureka's have a good reputation as not needing a lot of service. 

So I swung by WallyWorld and, lo and behold, they had one in stock.

I checked out the instore demo and was impressed.

For way less than half the cost of the Dyson or the Miele, it seemed like a bargain. How can I go wrong for $140? Even if it works only 18 months, it's a better buy than the Kenmore I had and after the stories I've heard about emptying the bagless systems, I figured the bag can't be that bad.

I'll report back in 6 months or so.

Bill


----------



## Alin10123 (May 17, 2006)

Update: Ok, i took everyone's consideration and i basically narrowed it down to the miele or the Dyson. The way i saw it, i didn't really like the canister type. Plus the dyson is more readily available and people that own a dyson always gawked at the amount of leftover stuff their vacuums did not pickup. So anyways... last week i had my fish tank overfill and water got all over the carpet. I put baking soda all over the wet spot to soak up the excess moisture and to ensure that no odor occured. Today i finally got a chance to vacuum it up... i must say... this thing was way quiter than my older vacuum, the suction power is pretty impressive, and i had no idea that i actually ended up putting that much baking soda into the carpet. lol
I have yet to test it throughout the house since some folks are sleeping now. But i think it will do awesome! You can feel the pretty powerful suction in the attachment peices especially. This thing is almost as powerful as the central vacuum system that my parents had in their house when i was growing up. I got the DC14 complete model from Costco $469. On my way home i was thinking "this had better be one hell of a vacuum of i'm going to be pissed". Well... so far nothing to be pissed about. My carpet looks clean now from the surface, but lets see how it fills up when i vacuum out the whole house tomorrow to test it out. hehe


----------



## Alin10123 (May 17, 2006)

buba said:


> The March 2006 issue of consumer reports rated the DC14 as a middle of the pack performer. The Eureka Boss Smart Vac Ultra 4870 got one of the best buy nods with an excellent for carpet rating. The overall rating on the DC14 was '63' while the Eureka has an overall score of '73'. Hit your local library for the March 2006 CR issue for full details.
> 
> I have neither, I am still using a 1954 (year not model) Kirby.



Did they take into consideration a full bag of clogged filter as the loss of suction? haha
No but seriously, i remember some people i know that own the dysons commenting that when they first got it they cleaned with their old vacuums and then witht he dyson and there was tons the others left behind. I think that's what had me sold. That... and it's made not to be clogged by stuff.


----------



## verbie (May 17, 2006)

wish i've seen this thread when we were deciding which vacuum to buy. i've read users's reviews on the net about the dyson and there were a number to negative reviews. frankly, dyson was just over my head and i couldn't risk charging it if it's not perfect. another thing, i really prefer a bagged vacuum, which is very hard to find these days. we went and got a hoover, forgot which model. it's a bit heavy, but it's done and over with. i guess we all have to live with our decisions. 

Alin, good luck on your new vacuum!


----------



## John N (May 17, 2006)

Consumer search: 
Best Canister Vacuums
Best Vacuum Cleaners


----------



## Trashman (May 17, 2006)

We currently use a Hoover Wind Tunnel. It works fine. A while back I found a Kirby that someone was throwing away, and I found that it had more suction than any other vacuum I'd seen. It was a little on the heavy side, though. I eventually gave that to a friend. It seemed to be built like a tank and near fool proof. Panasonics also seem to be pretty good. I found one of those and it was *very* quiet and worked really well. It's still in use at the house of some friends. I used to have a buyer for vacuums that I'd find, and for him, the Hoovers were the most desireable (he also resold them). Most Eurekas that I've found, despite often working, were as noisy as hell (the buyer never wanted any Eurekas unless they were the newer bagless models). I don't know if the new ones are different, but the ones of the 90's had motors that ended up making so much noise they just had to be thrown away. The old Royal vacuums were top notch. I'm not sure if they're still making vacs or if they're any good any more, though. I'm not really too sure, but I would think that the commercial vacuums, any names of which I cannot think of at the moment, would be pretty good.


----------



## ABTOMAT (May 17, 2006)

Take any Consumer Reports rankings with a grain of salt. With a lot of products, especially outdoor equipment, most people in the respective industries can't figure out how CR's list is sorted.


----------



## bwaites (May 17, 2006)

CR is not my bible of info, that's for sure. But, they at least do a little real world testing.

The Eureka is MUCH quieter than our Kenmore was, but we'll see how it does over time.

Bag/bagless is really the question now I think. 

As far as cleaning after using your old vacuum, that's an old Kirby salesman trick. Of course a new vacuum will pick up more stuff, isn't that why you would be considering replacing your old one?

That said, my sister lucked into one of those situations that present themselves only once in while. She had a Kirby demo scheduled one morning. He asked her to vacuum with her old vacuum and then went over it with a new Kirby, picking up a ton more stuff after she had already vacuumed. She was impressed, but told him she would call him. He made all kinds of special offers which she dutifully locked in. It included free accessories, etc. She still told him she would call him after talking it over with here husband. It took some work, but he finally left. 

That afternoon, just by chance, a Rainbow salesman stopped by. My sister, smart girl that she is, had him demo a Rainbow. She didn't tell him about the Kirby guy. He went over the same carpet that the Kirby guy had done not more than 3 hours before, and picked up almost as much stuff as the Kirby guy had!!

Now her house wasn't, and isn't, particularly dirty, but we do live in the desert, and there is a fair amount of blowing dust here regularly, and we had always wondered how much was actually in our carpets after we had vacuumed. Now we know! 

She ended up with the Kirby, paying less than a $1000. She liked the attachments better than the Rainbows if I remember correctly, and she's had it for 13 or 14 years and it still runs perfectly. 

I just have a hard time dropping a grand on a vacuum, when there is this really cool lathe that I want!!

Bill


----------



## buba (May 17, 2006)

bwaites said:


> I don't know, a Kirby that is still running 50 years later, even at $500 seems like a good investment to me!



Even better.... 50 year old Kirby's can be had for $10 in working condition at garage sales. Your mileage may very but they are polished aluminum beauties


----------



## springnr (May 17, 2006)

Airway since 1920s, the bag makes a difference.


----------



## Sigman (May 20, 2006)

Costco has a coupon book coming out with a coupon for $75 off the "Dyson DC14 Full Kit" (includes mini turbine head, bare floor tool and extra lifetime filter - hmmmm, that's kind of funny, if it's a "lifetime filter" - why would you need an extra one? Oh, to put the clean one in while you're cleaning the dirty one I guess. That way no job procrastination! I had to bring that up because I just knew someone would! Now it's answered!   )

The coupon date is for July 3 through July 9.


----------



## greenlight (Aug 18, 2006)

I'm in the market for a new vacuum, too, and I'll probably buy from costco. The 4870 is only $140 now, not a bad deal. Any more user reviews?


----------



## bwaites (Aug 18, 2006)

So it's 3 months later, almost to the day!

The 4870 is still working as well as it did when new and is still just as quiet.

The only problem we've had is getting bags locally, Wal-Mart does not stock them here, although they do sell the vacuum!! Ahhh.....wonderful WallyWorld!!!

Target does stock the bags, although our closest is 70 miles away we picked some up on an out of town trip.

Still highly recommended!

Bill


----------



## Lightmeup (Aug 19, 2006)

I have a Panasonic upright that has been doing a great job for about 10 years now. For some reason, those Roombas seem like a scam to me. I can't envision them doing much besides sucking up loose dust in out-of-the-way places like under your bed, etc. Serious vacuum cleaners have powerful motors to develop suction and turn the brushes that kick up the dirt into the air stream. I don't see how a Roomba could compare with those kinds of designs.


----------



## greenlight (Aug 20, 2006)

bwaites said:


> So it's 3 months later, almost to the day!
> 
> The 4870 is still working as well as it did when new and is still just as quiet.
> 
> ...



How many bags did you use in 3 months?


----------



## leduk (Aug 20, 2006)

+1 miele

Not managed to kill it yet despite the diy plaster/brick dust etc etc
Must be getting on for 10 years old.
When I go to the dump, I mostly see Dysons.

Cheers


----------



## dandruff (Aug 21, 2006)

MScottz said:


> 3 cats and a dog. The Dyson works better than anything else we've ever used. Ever vacuumed brand new carpet? Our old vacuum couldn't finish one room without clogging from all the new carpet lint. It doesn't even slow down the dyson.



same story with me. 2 cats, 2 (big) dogs. My pets shed nonstop and it is a real mess. The dyson works VERY well. you'll be shocked at rate the bin fills up the first time you use it. youd never believe your home was that dirty.

the only bad thing about dysons is you cant use them on liquids.

i have the dyson dc08 animal.


----------



## greenlight (Aug 21, 2006)

leduk said:


> +1 miele
> When I go to the dump, I mostly see Dysons.


OUCH!! Fortunately, Costco takes them back if they break.


----------



## GadgetTravel (Aug 21, 2006)

We have had an Oreck for years. Been very happy with it. Took it in for a complete overhaul and cleaning (motor and everything) and new electrical cord (one of the cats ate the cord) for about $150 total and it is as good as new. What I really like about it is that it does a good job and is incredibly light so it is a lot more likely to get used.


----------



## Bright Scouter (Aug 22, 2006)

We have had a Dyson for a few years and love it. Have a yellow lab that sheds a lot and a cat. Sucks up the hair and never slows down. We also have a roomba that we let run automatically when we are at work a couple times a week. Our first floor is all wood floors and that is where we use it. It does ok. Keeps us from having to use the real vac as often. Our church used to have an Oreck and it never picked up stuff like our Dyson does. If we had a dinner there, I always brought the Dyson to pick up what the Oreck left behind.


----------



## ABTOMAT (Aug 22, 2006)

If anyone needs Oreck parts right now, let me know. I'm cannibalizing a newer XL to repair my old Commercial.


----------



## MrThompson (Aug 22, 2006)

Miele, there is nothing better. We even have one at my office.

Regarding the Roomba, we have one and like it. It's Achilles heal is long hair. The slick product from USR is the Scooba. Best $300 we have spent in a long, long time.


----------



## greenlight (Aug 22, 2006)

Keep the vacuum recommendations coming. I'm still looking for the right unit...


----------



## Unforgiven (Aug 22, 2006)

Riccar for a canister.

Royal for an upright.


I have 4 cats, 3 birds, and a rabbit. The above mentioned brands do a fantastic job. With a variable speed motor I have not found a better canister vac. than Riccar.


----------



## TorchEnvy (Aug 22, 2006)

We have a Dyson, and like it pretty well.

A couple of things annoy me about it, though:

The main handle that you would carry it with if you were, for example, taking it to a different level of the house, is the handle on the removable cannister thing. It seems strange that the little catch that keeps that in place is called upon to bear the weight of the whole unit when you carry it somewhere. I suppose you could try to use the other handle, but it too is not securely fastened to the machine because it is part of the telescoping tube/wand assembly.

It's a ***** to clean the fluffy little rugs we have on our bathroom floors in front of the tub & sink. It often makes this horrible racheting sound. So, you're left to wrestle it around in these awkward one-way strokes while you step on the other end of the rug with your foot. And you kind of have to perform this using the handle I mentioned above instead of the normal handle unless your arms are eight feet long. Or go over them with the beater bar turned off. Or use the hose.

And one more thing, which I cannot decide if it is coincidence or caused by the Dyson: there are a few places in the house where a pronounced "wrinkle" has developed in the carpet. You can feel the little hump with your foot. Could the suction be stretching the carpet just a bit, leaving the wrinkle behind?


----------



## CLHC (Aug 23, 2006)

Dyson—

What about those iRobot Roombas?


----------



## greenlight (Aug 23, 2006)

TorchEnvy said:


> there are a few places in the house where a pronounced "wrinkle" has developed in the carpet. You can feel the little hump with your foot.



Your carpet might not have been installed well. Or maybe it's old and stretched out. Any carpet guy could re-stretch it. He'll probably try to sell you new carpet, though.


----------



## alex in germany (Aug 24, 2006)

Hello,

there is only ONE vacuumcleaner out there

The Vorwerk KOBOLD

http://www.vorwerk.com/html/kobold_systems.html

We have one, and its the best you can get. I still use the old one from my parents for cleaning the Car,the Cellar, etc.. and this thing is over 40 years old.


greetings, Alex


----------



## AW (Aug 24, 2006)

If it doesn't suck, it sucks.


----------



## greenlight (Aug 24, 2006)

I'm glad my user name isn't BS!


----------



## pedalinbob (Aug 24, 2006)

We wanted an inexpensive and light vac.

We ended up with this Eureka Maxima bagless (model 4700A). 
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=67885-73823-4700A&lpage=none

I think it was about $60, and we are very pleased with it.
It replaced a Sears Kenmore canister model which does a pretty nice job, but I hate canisters, and it was hurting my wife's back pulling it around.

Man, you wouldn't believe the crap this thing picks up.
It picks up huge amounts of fine dirt/dust. There is something entertaining in seeing the junk in the clear dust container.
The only bummer is that you need to clean the filter frequently (it isn't a HEPA either), which can be a bit messy. But, it is washable, which is cool.
Oh...the cord is short-ish, but that can be fixed with a decent extension cord.

The vac even has a window on the side so you can see if the belt is slipping--and it is easy to replace.
The vac is also reasonably quiet, and pushes/maneuvers easily.

Bob


----------



## greenlight (Oct 19, 2006)

Just received Eureka Optima 54$ mini vacuum from Costco.com. Had to try it out. It's pretty small. If you have to vacuum a large area you are going to wish the vacuum head was wider. Otherwise it is pretty good for what is offered. It's light and easy to use on the stairs and in small corners. The motor does blow out the front, as reviewed, but this does not bother me too much. 

It's not the suckiest of vacuums. I'll have to compare it to the old ones it replaced. I noticed that the wand attachment sucks constantly, and if it is plugged, the vacuum sucks more but overheats. **I switched the knob from wand to floor, and now the wand is not sucking**


----------



## bfg9000 (Oct 20, 2006)

The 11lb Eureka Optimas are actually probably more powerful than any full-size vacuum. They are among the most highly rated of the el cheapo vacuums at both Epinions and Amazon: the $60 431A and $80 437AZ (adds HEPA and rotating brush tool attachment). The problem is the filter area in the bagless canister is a little small so needs frequent cleaning to maintain flow.

All vacuums are limited to a maximum of 12A draw to avoid tripping a standard 15A circuit breaker, and these two are no different, but concentrate the airflow into an 11" cleaning path rather than the usual 15" hence more power. The airflow path isn't bad and looks resistant to clogging, particularly since it does not normally go through the tool hose. I could not resist porting the sharp edges inside and cutting off the restrictive grille over the motor to further improve flow. Yes, I modded my vacuum cleaner






Their closest competitors are probably the 9lb $330 Riccar Supralite, or the 10lb $400 Oreck XL. Unlike the Eurekas, neither of those have any onboard tools and both have their plastic fan blades placed _before_ the filter, a design that is prone to breakage if coins are vacuumed up (ask a $1300 Kirby owner). The Riccar is 5.5A and the Oreck is just 4A. Surprisingly the Eureka is quieter than the Riccar and slightly louder than the Oreck.


----------



## Al (Oct 20, 2006)

Have two Mieles ... good cleaning ability - excellent filtering for those who have allergies. POOR bag size. Fills up really fast causing a REDUCTION in cleaning suction early on after bag change. OEM bags are expensive.


----------



## adirondackdestroyer (Oct 20, 2006)

How weird is this. :laughing: I'm looking at vacuums right now because I have an Electrolux canister vacuum that is around 10 years old, and I can't stand it. The damn things hose is too big and goofy and I just want a nice upright vacuum.

I want to spend under $100 and get myself a nice small decently powerful vacuum that has nice features and gets good reviews. 
Is the Eureka Optima the best option for me? What is HEPA? I know very little about vacuums so if someone wants to drop some knowledge that would be nice.


----------



## bfg9000 (Oct 20, 2006)

HEPA is defined as removing 99.97% of particles 0.3 micron in size. Generally such filters require more frequent servicing or replacement. 

The Optima is the smallest of the full-power 12A vacuums, but it isn't without some compromises for its low price and light weight. It has no headlight, the cord and hose are really short, and the dirt receptacle is really small (I'd much prefer if it used bags). In addition, due to its strong suction power that sticks it to carpet, it really isn't any easier to push around than a full-sized vacuum. But it is a lot easier to carry up stairs and has a neat telescoping/retractable handle. And if you buy it from Costco it is covered by their famous lifetime unconditional warranty.

That last part is important because many people will spend $700 on an Oreck XL-21 over the $400 XL just to get the 21-year warranty, which is really a subscription "tune-up" service agreement that you pay for upfront, that provides them 21 annual opportunities to try to sell you an upgraded model. The 24lb, $1300 Kirby comes with a 3-year warranty plus a lifetime "opportunity" to factory rebuild the vacuum at any time for 1/10th of the retail price. Those warranties do not cover damage not arising from a manufacturer's defect, so eg. you are out $50 to $100 each time you vacuum up a penny and break the fan. The Costco warranty covers anything for life whether you buy a $55 Optima or $500 20lb Dyson (though neither of those will break if you vacuum up a penny).

I mention weight because it's pretty important if you live in a multi-level home. If you live in a ranch-style house with lots of carpet then a heavy progressive self-propelled model may be more suitable.


----------



## greenlight (Oct 20, 2006)

how about some pics or an explanation of the vacuum mod?


----------



## flashlight (Oct 20, 2006)

Al said:


> Have two Mieles ... good cleaning ability - excellent filtering for those who have allergies. POOR bag size. Fills up really fast causing a REDUCTION in cleaning suction early on after bag change. OEM bags are expensive.



We've had a Miele S310i for nearly 10 years now & love it. The HEPA filters (about US$50) and dust bags (US$16 for 5) cost a lot but we're now using a universal cloth bag called the 'WonderBag' made by Rowenta that sells for US$15 for 8pcs). I also just found an OEM HEPA filter for it off eBay for US$26 shipped (Haven't received it yet though). They also have a HEPA filter & 10 dust bags combo for about US$42.


----------



## JohnnyDeep (Oct 20, 2006)

Have some connections to the vacuum cleaner industry.
For me the brand of choice is NILFISK. No doubt about it. 
Way ahead of Miele and the rest.


----------



## bfg9000 (Oct 20, 2006)

greenlight said:


> how about some pics or an explanation of the vacuum mod?


 There were some sharp corners and flash inside the base and I just knocked off the edges with a small needle file. I figured this would improve airflow, reduce noise, and decrease the likelihood of something catching and clogging there. And a 2 1/2" holesaw made quick work of the grille under the filter canister, but don't drop anything in there whenever the canister is removed. And it sounds like your hose/floor valve is leaking a bit.



The Roomba is best considered an automated carpet sweeper like the prototypical Bissell, with a little cordless Dustbuster attached to help suck in dirt. It does work great on bare floors or low-pile commercial carpets, but is no replacement for a regular vacuum. Yes, it does reduce the frequency you need to use the regular vacuum and is a really cool gadget.

The Dyson, like any other bagless vacuum, has filters that must be maintained regularly or *it will lose suction*. The filters must be serviced just as frequently as a bag would need to be changed to maintain airflow, so I'd much rather change a bag because it is just less time-consuming and messy. Not having to buy bags would appear more economical at first, but the expensive filters do need to be replaced regularly because you will eventually scrub holes in them if you're washing them thoroughly enough to maintain the airflow.


----------



## greenlight (Oct 21, 2006)

I didn't have the knob set to floor mode! Doh! It's a good vacuum (Eureka Optima), but cleaning the Hepa filter is boring and you do it every time you empty the can which is often. I can see why people like the bags, you just throw them out when they're full.


----------



## flashlight (Oct 21, 2006)

JohnnyDeep said:


> Have some connections to the vacuum cleaner industry.
> For me the brand of choice is NILFISK. No doubt about it.
> Way ahead of Miele and the rest.




Oh yeah, heard of them too. Are they pretty high end & expensive? Are they the ones used in hospitals?


----------



## jar3ds (Oct 21, 2006)

huumm..

my wife and I are in the market for a vacuum and we're stuck.... i really wish there was a magazine or something that acually rated vacuums...

I want the best VALUE vac... back to my research...


----------



## BigTwin (Oct 21, 2006)

We had to replace an fairly expenseive Hoover windtunnel due to a 75 cent part...we bought the Dyson DC 15 Animal...we are very pleased with it. We were amazed at the amount of dirt and pet hair it found..I guess the Hoover wasn't working as well as we thought...The Dyson isn't as loud as most cleaners and I love that "ball" feature.


----------



## JohnnyDeep (Oct 21, 2006)

Flashlight:
Yes, you are right, Nilfisk are very often used at hospitals, hotels and other professional environments. They are not that expensive, and definitely inexpensive in the long run, due to extremely long life span and reliability.
I have two, the powerful and very quiet GDP 2000. Can be equipped with all kinds of filters (HEPA and others) depending on type of cleaning. For household use no need to bother. Standard filters are perfect. Even the motor is user replacable (cassett mounted) for quick service, but if you don't clean a hotel 8 hours a day, it's unlikely you will ever need to pay the motor much attention.
My other favorite is the little GD 110. Incredibly efficient, light and compact, but big enough for a quite large house. These machines should last a lifetime when used at home and will be very economical.
Regards,
Jan


----------



## London Lad (Oct 21, 2006)

What is a vacuum cleaner ? :huh2:


----------



## JohnnyDeep (Oct 21, 2006)

Hi Graham!
Good question. The direct translation from swedish would be "dust sucker".
Sounds more fun to me and less scientific.
Regards,
Jan


----------



## London Lad (Oct 21, 2006)

:lolsign: 

There is a German product sold by commercial cleaning shops in the UK called SEBO. They seem to be well built and last forever. 2 motors, one for the head and one for suction.


----------



## waynejitsu (Oct 21, 2006)

I am currently using a Hoover Windtunnel.
I never liked Hoover, just 'cuz of the name (long story).

I have had Bissel, Eureka, Dirt Devil (garbage) and a bunch of others.

Using a lift gauge, the Hoover out lifts all of those tested, although I do not have the exact numbers now, what I do remember was- the amount of lift was about the same as my large Shop Vac while others had about 1/2 the lift (or power or suction or whatever you want to translate it to)

Hoover is easy to get parts, reasonable priced, and accessories, belts, bags, etc are available everywhere and cheap...

Just a suggestion if you have not picked up one yet (I did not read every post in the thread).


----------



## Martin (Oct 21, 2006)

The Miele ones have been atop the German reviews for years. Dyson not. Anything bagless not.
A new Miele could be had for EUR 80. It has been optimized for household use and will last quite a while (often longer than people want to keep them).

One key component of a vac is its bag. Using a good vac with cheap 3rd party paperbags instead of the original fleece ones will reduce suction noticably. In Germany, popular high quality 3rd party bags are sold under the SWIRL brand name (Melitta is behind this).
I've recently bought fleece bags for my Kaercher shop vac (original bags are paper). The fleece ones cost almost twice as much but they don't tear (great when cleaning the chimney / boiler), fine dust doesn't block them quickly, they yield higher suction.

Hey, there's indeed a website called vacreview.com !


----------



## Bullzaye (Oct 21, 2006)

Hi. I have been using a Dyson for about 1.5 years now. I'm a little confused on the talk of cleaning the filter every time you empty it. I've only cleaned the HEPA filter on my Dyson 3 times, as it calls for it to be cleaned once every 6 months. It was never any big deal, they provide you with a spare filter to use while the other one is being cleaned/drying. I have a dog that sheds his body weight in hair every month, and the Dyson has never clogged or given me the slightest problem. Seeing as how the HEPA filter only filters the exhausted air, and is placed after the dirt reservoir, I fail to see what should be clogging the HEPA filters, unless you have a coal fired furnace. Maybe I'm misunderstanding something?
IMO, the Dyson is awesome, definitely worth the money. After my friends/family saw how mine worked, 3 of them ran out and bought one too, and they all seem to be very happy with theirs as well. In fact, while visiting my parents I was telling my mom about the Dyson, and she mentioned that she'd like to get a decent vacuum. She wasn't happy with the "professional grade" (Eureka? I forget.) vacuum she was using, and wanted to get her carpets cleaned, and then hoped to maintain them better with a new vacuum. So I took her to Sam's Club and bought her a new Dyson. Once home, I vacuumed her living room, slowly and thoroughly, with her old vacuum. Then I re-vacuumed it with the Dyson. I pulled 2 full canisters of dust and hair out of that carpet, and she was astounded how good the carpet looked, and a little embarrassed and confounded to see how dirty her carpet was. She decided it didn't need cleaning after all. (No, it didn't work a miracle. I didn't really think the carpet needed cleaning to begin with, it was just a little trampled, and the Dyson fluffed it back up, as well as sucking all the dirt out of it.)
Tim


----------



## flashlight (Oct 22, 2006)

JohnnyDeep said:


> Flashlight:
> Yes, you are right, Nilfisk are very often used at hospitals, hotels and other professional environments. They are not that expensive, and definitely inexpensive in the long run, due to extremely long life span and reliability.
> I have two, the powerful and very quiet GDP 2000. Can be equipped with all kinds of filters (HEPA and others) depending on type of cleaning. For household use no need to bother. Standard filters are perfect. Even the motor is user replacable (cassett mounted) for quick service, but if you don't clean a hotel 8 hours a day, it's unlikely you will ever need to pay the motor much attention.
> My other favorite is the little GD 110. Incredibly efficient, light and compact, but big enough for a quite large house. These machines should last a lifetime when used at home and will be very economical.
> ...



Hi Jan,

'User replaceable' are magic words for me! :thumbsup: Well if my Miele ever goes *touchwood!*, I'll probably replace it with another Miele or check out local availabilty of the Nilfisks. 

Martin,

Thanks for that info too. The WonderBags I use now are cloth bags (microfibre?). Could you tell me how much the Swirl ones for my Miele cost?


----------

