Vacuum Cleaners

[TheGardener]

Want to buy a vacuum cleaner during the Black Friday sales. What vacuum cleaner make/model do you recommend? Avoid.

I have both carpets and hard floors. Looking for a HEPA product.

I see a lot of ads for Shark. They make a lot claims of being better than Dyson. Opinion please if you've owned one.

 

[Blain]

Buy a Sebo X4.
I'm very happy with the performance and build quality of mine.

 

[paperfist]

Proteam Backpacks

I run a cleaning company and if the 4 electric sweepers Shark makes that I purchased and broke on me in 2 months then they have the kind of quality I'd avoid.

 

[ControlD]

Our Kirby has been doing a pretty good job for the past 20 years.

 

[soulcougher73]

One of the few times in as long as i could remember that i went out on a black friday was for the Dyson DC65 Animal at Kohls maybe 4 or 5 years back now. Ended up getting it for like $250 when all said and done with the Kohl's cash etc. Still working strong today.

 

[boomerang]

Proteam Backpacks

I had the Super QuarterVac model when I owned my business. It suited our needs perfectly. The only thing that would have made it better is if it was cordless.

 

[herm0016]

go cheap. replace more often. We are very happy with the hoover wind tunnel pet vac. 100 bucks or less depending on sales, has been with us about 3 years and still works good. we have 2 large dogs and a cat. vacuum a couple times a week. we would go through a few bags a week if we used a bagged vacuum.

 

[paperfist]

I had the Super QuarterVac model when I owned my business. It suited our needs perfectly. The only thing that would have made it better is if it was cordless.

We have a lot of them in use as well as their uprights. The backpacks are nearly bulletproof machines. They do make them battery powered now, but it'll set you back $1k. Ouch!

 

[NutBucket]

I recommend bags. I've had a few bagless (including Dyson) and would much rather replace bags then clean dust containers.

 

[Meghan54]

I recommend bags. I've had a few bagless (including Dyson) and would much rather replace bags then clean dust containers.

Very true. This is one reason why we got rid of a Dyson and kept our Miele. No dust at all when removing the bag. Of course, it helps that the Miele's bags have a flap that closes the bag off when you remove it from the vacuum.

 

[slag]

We recently sold our well used dyson and bought a riccar. It does a great job and has a hepa filter and bag and like the miele, has a flap that closes when you take the bag off to discard.

Check out the reviews of riccar vs the others. The suction is great as is the wand and attachments and it won't break the bank.

 

[CraKaJaX]

I received a Shark last year for Christmas. Personally I think it's great. I use it on carpet and tile. Mine has the head that turns on a ball joint to give a lot of flexibility around objects which is nice. I can see the bagless filter not sitting well with the posters above, but I don't mind it. I take it outside when I need to dump the dust into the trash. Once in a while I'll blow out all the leftover dust that's inside with a compressor. Not really too much maintenance other than that..

 

[TheGardener]

go cheap. replace more often. We are very happy with the hoover wind tunnel pet vac. 100 bucks or less depending on sales, has been with us about 3 years and still works good. we have 2 large dogs and a cat. vacuum a couple times a week. we would go through a few bags a week if we used a bagged vacuum.

I saw the Hoover Wind Tunnel [no pet] at Home Depot for $88. 5 year warranty. If it breaks after that, I have no problem tossing it. I'm concerned about spending $500 for something I won't find is that great. At $88 I don't have that concern.

Picked it up. Tried it out today. Not sure if it is better than my 32 yo Kenmore canister at suction. But it is HEPA, and I like that. Noticed that it is not so hot at vacuuming the wall edges. Also won't fit under the bed. Will evaluate as HD has a good return policy [90 days for this product].

 

[mizzou]

Want to buy a vacuum cleaner during the Black Friday sales. What vacuum cleaner make/model do you recommend? Avoid.

I have both carpets and hard floors. Looking for a HEPA product.

I see a lot of ads for Shark. They make a lot claims of being better than Dyson. Opinion please if you've owned one.

Don't bother.

Hardly any of those vacuums are fully hepa compliant, they just run a "Hepa filter". Worry about getting a good vacuum, and in my opinion, ignore the "Hepa" tags.

Though I am in for seeing what a good vacuum is, i need to upgrade!

 

[slag]

Don't bother.

Hardly any of those vacuums are fully hepa compliant, they just run a "Hepa filter". Worry about getting a good vacuum, and in my opinion, ignore the "Hepa" tags.

Though I am in for seeing what a good vacuum is, i need to upgrade!

Vacuums have come a long way since I was a kid. I can remember my mom vacuuming and seeing dust billow out of the bag even when it wasn't full or torn. I don't know what it takes to be fully hepa compliant, but with a hepa filter and hepa rated bag, I can see no dust come out of our vacuum. I have no doubt its not hepa compliant, but I tend to think most modern vacuums do a much much better job of containing the dust than even those of 10 to 15 years ago.

I just checked it out and the Riccar Brilliance vacuum which I own is gold rated on the carpet and rug institute website.
Shark Rotator and Navigator are silver rated.
I'm surprised to see Dyson won't submit their product to be tested at the carpet and rug institute. I am a long time dyson supporter, having owned one for many many years prior to the riccar, but wonder why they won't undergo testing and get a rating?
Miele isn't there either and I know they make a good vaccum as well. I think in this day and age its hard to find a "bad" vacuum unless you get a red devil or some sub $50 walmart special.

 

[herm0016]

I saw the Hoover Wind Tunnel [no pet] at Home Depot for $88. 5 year warranty. If it breaks after that, I have no problem tossing it. I'm concerned about spending $500 for something I won't find is that great. At $88 I don't have that concern.

Picked it up. Tried it out today. Not sure if it is better than my 32 yo Kenmore canister at suction. But it is HEPA, and I like that. Noticed that it is not so hot at vacuuming the wall edges. Also won't fit under the bed. Will evaluate as HD has a good return policy [90 days for this product].

Wood floors here...so can't comment on carpet edges. Fits under the toe kick for the cabinets. Good enough for most of our furniture. The beater lever does get stuck under stuff sometimes.

 

[NutBucket]

For hard floors I sweep and then vacuum the pile. I have small Sanitare canister for that.

 

[Binky]

Bags > bagless. Almost anything is better than Shark or Dyson. For mostly hardwood, you should strongly consider a canister vac. Miele is good on the higher end of $300+, and Panasonic on the lower end of $200-$400. I use a Panasonic canister I got from an Amazon warehouse deal for less than $150 and it works great on hardwood, and pretty good on carpet.

If you want to read many, many pages of talk about vacuums, search for "vacuum ama."

 

[Homerboy]

Bags > bagless. Almost anything is better than Shark or Dyson. For mostly hardwood, you should strongly consider a canister vac. Miele is good on the higher end of $300+, and Panasonic on the lower end of $200-$400. I use a Panasonic canister I got from an Amazon warehouse deal for less than $150 and it works great on hardwood, and pretty good on carpet.

If you want to read many, many pages of talk about vacuums, search for "vacuum ama."

Why is canister better for HW?
Our house is mainly hardwood/tile so that's why I ask

 

[paperfist]

Vacuums have come a long way since I was a kid. I can remember my mom vacuuming and seeing dust billow out of the bag even when it wasn't full or torn. I don't know what it takes to be fully hepa compliant, but with a hepa filter and hepa rated bag, I can see no dust come out of our vacuum. I have no doubt its not hepa compliant, but I tend to think most modern vacuums do a much much better job of containing the dust than even those of 10 to 15 years ago.

I just checked it out and the Riccar Brilliance vacuum which I own is gold rated on the carpet and rug institute website.
Shark Rotator and Navigator are silver rated.
I'm surprised to see Dyson won't submit their product to be tested at the carpet and rug institute. I am a long time dyson supporter, having owned one for many many years prior to the riccar, but wonder why they won't undergo testing and get a rating?
Miele isn't there either and I know they make a good vaccum as well. I think in this day and age its hard to find a "bad" vacuum unless you get a red devil or some sub $50 walmart special.

No offense, but the CRI site is a bit of a joke. They rate the rug doctor @ platinum levels compared to $25,000 truck mount carpet machines.

 

[Binky]

Why is canister better for HW?
Our house is mainly hardwood/tile so that's why I ask

I live in a two story house with 75% hardwood/stone/marble floors. Most uprights are great for carpet, but heavy, impossible to use on stairs, and only marginal for non-carpeted areas. The biggest problem on non-carpeted areas is that you can't change the head like you can on a canister. With the upright, you are stuck with the big bulky brush head (which you turn off for wood, of course), and the actual head usually isn't ideally suited for smooth floors. On the canister, you can change out the head to something MUCH more appropriate. If your canister doesn't come with a nice hardwood head, you can buy one on amazon for $10-$50. Mine came with a 6 or 8 inch head which I swapped out for a 12 inch head for about $15.

There are a few bonuses of a canister too. Once you remove the motorized brush head on the canister, the actual weight you are pushing around is significantly lower than any upright. Even with powered back-forth motion on an upright, the uprights are more heavy and tiring to use.

The negative of the canister is of course that damned canister following you around. It sometimes seems to have a mind of its own, zigging when you are zagging. I think its well worth the trade-off's if you don't have a lot of carpet, and if you have a two story home.

If you have a single story home with all carpets, get a bagged upright! They are cheaper and work great on carpet.

 

[slag]

No offense, but the CRI site is a bit of a joke. They rate the rug doctor @ platinum levels compared to $25,000 truck mount carpet machines.

I think they are broken down between residential and commercial.. they aren't rated the same, but both have high ratings because of the limited testing thresholds they have.

Unless I've read it incorrectly which is possible...

 

[paperfist]

I think they are broken down between residential and commercial.. they aren't rated the same, but both have high ratings because of the limited testing thresholds they have.

Unless I've read it incorrectly which is possible...

No, they bunch them together. Most people in the industry suspect money changing hands to get those ratings because the do the same with other equipment.

Riccar makes a fine vacuum or at least they did. Haven't used on in a while.

There's was some talk Dyson kind of boycotts the testing because for a while carpet manufacturers were going to void their warranty if a Dyson was used. They seem to have very aggressive brush rollers. On the other hand though carpet manufacturers will void their warranty over anything.

 

[garndawg]

I'll play, having gone through this very issue recently...

We've had an Oreck XL21 for ten years. Prior to that, a Kirby Platinum.

Wife was getting tired of the Oreck, used a Dyson when visiting friends, started the campaign. Me, being an over-analytical type, began research on cost vs benefit.

We bought a Shark Rotator Professional (here

http://www.costco.com/.product.1001...categorypageHorizontalTop|CategoryTopProducts

I figured for $150, we'd give it a try and also be backed by Costco's fantastic return policy.

That was a year ago and my wife has commented numerous times about how happy she is with the new machine.

Also, Amazon had thousands of 4+ reviews prior to purchase...