You guys know anything 'bout vacuums?

[z1ggy]

My Shark is borked. Something wrong with the motor I think? Either way, barely getting suction and there's no blockages. No warranty.

Looking for something <$200 and is a top performer for that price point. Would highly prefer bag-less but I'm not hell bent on that.

I've come up with 3 choices based on Amazon reviews. I'm looking to purchase ASAP because I have a house showing Friday and I need my joint cleaned up nicely.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PB8EJ2...UTF8&colid=2IVZAHDGR3L5Y&coliid=ILDEAN99EBUNB

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZBIZTW...lid=2IVZAHDGR3L5Y&coliid=I2PXS5ARASGVC6&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HH08TUO...olid=2IVZAHDGR3L5Y&coliid=IKDWEQS9VUQL1&psc=1

Each of these is fairly different from the other, but they got good reviews. I'd suspect the $90 one isn't going to do as well as the others, but I keep breaking vacuums every 2 years or so.

 

[deadlyapp]

You should probably check with Trident, I hear he is an expert on vacuums.

 

[BoomerD]

Find a refurbished Dyson.

We bought a DC14 Animal in 2006...still going strong.

(IMO, stay away from their cordless models. We have one...it's not nearly as good as the DC14.)

 

[sm625]

I would go with this.

http://www.amazon.com/Oreck-Commercial-XL2100RHS-Upright-Vacuum/dp/B001NDNV18/

Dont mess with what works.

Of the ones you picked I would have to go with the Shark Navigator.

 

[sandorski]

They suck!

 

[brianmanahan]

You should probably check with Trident, I hear he is an expert on vacuums.

OP is only looking to pay 1/5 of what trident paid though

 

[nakedfrog]

Nature's a whore for one?

 

[EliteRetard]

Whats wrong with a shop vac? Much cheaper, better built, way more power, much larger capacity.

My mother has one of those $600 Dyson units, it's total garbage (as typical, she overpaid).
http://www.amazon.com/Dyson-DC25-All-Floors-Upright-Cleaner/dp/B0014E3GM0

Couldn't even pick up the pine needles from the Christmas tree. I even attempted to improve suction by removing all the filters (PITA). I got a 6hp shop vac/blower convertible unit on sale for like $50, and got a floor head attachment for it. It not only removed all the needles quickly, but pulled up all kinds of dirt and lint and crap that never got picked up by the Dyson.

Edit:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-16-gal-Wet-Dry-Vacuum-with-Detachable-Blower-WD1680/202554974

I think it was this same vacuum on sale without as many accessories (just the hose, some hard sections, and one slim nozzle), but the floor head was like $15 with tax if I recall (so less than $75 total). And it's not the greatest blower ever, but equal to any other standalone unit I have used in the same price range.

 

[z1ggy]

I would go with this.

http://www.amazon.com/Oreck-Commercial-XL2100RHS-Upright-Vacuum/dp/B001NDNV18/

Dont mess with what works.

Of the ones you picked I would have to go with the Shark Navigator.

I should mention that I need something that can clean furniture, too. I have pets and their shitty hair gets all over. Having an attachment or something to vvaccum couches, chairs, beds, etc is a must.

Whats wrong with a shop vac? Much cheaper, better built, way more power, much larger capacity.

My mother has one of those $600 Dyson units, it's total garbage (as typical, she overpaid).
http://www.amazon.com/Dyson-DC25-All-Floors-Upright-Cleaner/dp/B0014E3GM0

Couldn't even pick up the pine needles from the Christmas tree. I even attempted to improve suction by removing all the filters (PITA). I got a 6hp shop vac/blower convertible unit on sale for like $50, and got a floor head attachment for it. It not only removed all the needles quickly, but pulled up all kinds of dirt and lint and crap that never got picked up by the Dyson.

Edit:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-16-gal-Wet-Dry-Vacuum-with-Detachable-Blower-WD1680/202554974

I think it was this same vacuum on sale without as many accessories (just the hose, some hard sections, and one slim nozzle), but the floor head was like $15 with tax if I recall (so less than $75 total). And it's not the greatest blower ever, but equal to any other standalone unit I have used in the same price range.

I have a shop vac for my basement. It works well but I'm not sure I see it working well on carpet? Definately on the wood floors I have. Have to check to see if I have any bristled attachments for a couch. Will be a PITA to lug up and down the stairs though.

 

[Kaido]

I have this & love it:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007TG7E8E/

1. Power cord is on a self-winder inside the vacuum
2. Bagless (a bit messy to empty, but you never have to buy bags!)
3. Had it for over a year, still working great; rated as better than the Dyson DC25 & DC41

Hitting the button to wind up the cord is the beeeesssssst :thumbsup:

 

[MadScientist]

Consumer Reports ratings for bagless uprights:
1. Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Bagless UH70120 $130.
2. Dyson Ball Multi Floor $500.
3. Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal $600.
4. Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away NV501 $260.
5. Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 $200.

Prices will vary and may have been replaced with newer models. We got the Hoover UH70120 on a BF sale last year from Walmart for <$100. My wife likes it. Only complaint is that it likes to eat belts.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I've never understood why anyone would spend $600 on a vacuum cleaner. Just go to Sears and buy a Hoover or whatever they have on sale.

 

[disappoint]

You should probably check with Trident, I hear he is an expert on vacuums.

Came in here to post this.

*shakes a box of Froot Loops to beckon the vacuum cat over*

 

[EliteRetard]

I should mention that I need something that can clean furniture, too. I have pets and their shitty hair gets all over. Having an attachment or something to vvaccum couches, chairs, beds, etc is a must.

I have a shop vac for my basement. It works well but I'm not sure I see it working well on carpet? Definately on the wood floors I have. Have to check to see if I have any bristled attachments for a couch. Will be a PITA to lug up and down the stairs though.

We used the shop vac on carpet with just a hard plastic head kinda like this:

I will concede, it didn't really work at removing dog hair from a microfiber lazy-boy she had. I noticed that you can get various brush attachments though, there are even some with a spinning brush.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AJK0B96/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

This one is for smaller 1.25" hoses, the shop vac has a 2.5" hose. I didn't feel like searching for a larger version...but I suppose you could use an adapter as well. Reviews suggest this product works well for pet hair...I suspect any good brushy head attachment would work O.K. with a powerful vacuum.

 

[lxskllr]

Shop vacs are a pita to do real vacuuming. They tip over when you drag them, and require too much attention maintaining optimal head angle. They're great for the intended purpose, but I wouldn't use one for normal vacuuming.

 

[LevelSea]

I've never understood why anyone would spend $600 on a vacuum cleaner. Just go to Sears and buy a Hoover or whatever they have on sale.

#mino

 

[EliteRetard]

Shop vacs are a pita to do real vacuuming. They tip over when you drag them, and require too much attention maintaining optimal head angle. They're great for the intended purpose, but I wouldn't use one for normal vacuuming.

Not in my experience, at least not with the right attachment. And like I said, we had a side by side with a $500+ Dyson.

 

[brianmanahan]

#mino

shoot, he hasn't even logged on in a year

 

[BudAshes]

Get a Dyson, or buy a different brand and throw it away in 2 years and then buy a Dyson. Your choice.

 

[foghorn67]

I have a Shark Rocket. I love it. But three main cons. It doesn't stand up by itself, so you have to stand it against something if you are moving an object out the way. And the cord management forces you to bend all the way down and back up to loop it around the hooks. Lastly, the floor/carpet brush isn't that wide, so you need more passes.
Other than that, this thing is picking up stuff my last vacuum left behind in the carpet. And the it's so easy to get to the hard to reach stuff. I think my parents have the Shark Lift Away, they like it a lot. My dad is a neat freak and he vacuums a few times a week.

 

[bradly1101]

I highly recommend checking scientific, UNBIASED reviews for purchases like this. Only Consumer Reports provides that.

 

[BudAshes]

Shark Vacuums are sold on infomercials. Has anything good ever been sold through an infomercial?

 

[Rumpltzer]

I've owned two vacuum cleaners in the past 20 years. The first was a Hoover upright that I bought for like $30 used off the college classifieds newsgroup. It had a replaceable bag, and I used it for like 12 years after I bought it (used).

It traveled with me to out of state internships. When I moved across the country, it went wrapped in a blanket and duct taped to my bike rack because it wouldn't fit into the bed of my truck.

I'd clean it and empty the bag and replace the belt when it needed, and it sucked up dirt and stuff from my floors.

At some point, I was reading (on Slickdeals, I think) about bagless Hoover clones of Dyson models, and I became convinced that I needed this thing. It was like $160, and I bought it. I still have it. It cleans better than the previous Hoover, and it's been running for like 8 years with no issue. I clean it, and I've never needed to change the belt.

I sold the old Hoover on Craigslist for like $30.

Meanwhile, my younger sister has this thing where she SWEARS by Dyson and other expensive vacuum cleaners. The thing is, she seems to go through a lot of them! If I'm around, I'll take a look at them and it's generally a simple fix (belt, needs to be cleaned, etc.). I'm convinced (by just my experience with my younger sister) that people all over the country are throwing away perfectly good vacuum cleaners simply because they're too dumb to do simple maintenance on them. It makes me sad.

Literally, the last time I was at my sister's house, she was going to throw away one of her expensive vacuum cleaners (not a Dyson this time), and my mother stopped her because she knew I was coming for Thanksgiving. This thing had a sticker on the side of it that pointed to a button, and it was labeled as "reset" or something like that. It has a reset button. I pressed it. It worked. I pointed it out to my sister.


Anyway, my contribution to the OP is that a good (well rated) Hoover can be bought for less than $200, no problem. With care and maintenance, it'll last a decade or more. Or, buy a $400-600 Dyson. People seem to really love them.

 

[EliteRetard]

Come to find out my sister has this:

http://www.amazon.com/Miele-Microset-Flexible-Crevice-S7580/dp/B002HSC7TA

Why is my family so crazy about overpriced vacuum cleaners lol.

 

[Charmonium]

My Shark is borked. Something wrong with the motor I think? Either way, barely getting suction and there's no blockages. No warranty.

Looking for something <$200 and is a top performer for that price point. Would highly prefer bag-less but I'm not hell bent on that.

I've come up with 3 choices based on Amazon reviews. I'm looking to purchase ASAP because I have a house showing Friday and I need my joint cleaned up nicely.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PB8EJ2...UTF8&colid=2IVZAHDGR3L5Y&coliid=ILDEAN99EBUNB

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZBIZTW...lid=2IVZAHDGR3L5Y&coliid=I2PXS5ARASGVC6&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HH08TUO...olid=2IVZAHDGR3L5Y&coliid=IKDWEQS9VUQL1&psc=1

Each of these is fairly different from the other, but they got good reviews. I'd suspect the $90 one isn't going to do as well as the others, but I keep breaking vacuums every 2 years or so.

I have the Hoover Linx and it's pretty good. I've had some issue with the intake getting clogged but from the pix it looks like they may have redesigned that. It's very powerful for a battery operated vacuum. I also have the handvac which I also like. And the batteries are interchangeable.

edit: you do have to keep an eye on the filters though. They can get clogged pretty quickly depending on what you're vacuuming. But they're very easy to clean.