Need vacuum cleaner recommendation

[JeffG78]

Today, my wife called me and told me that our trusty 10 year old Panasonic upright vacuum cleaner is in the shop as she doen't think it is cleaning well anymore. She went on to say that she was going to buy a new vac and that she had stopped into the Oreck store and was very happy with their cleaners. Of course, I told her to hold off until I did some research. So far, I have found very mixed reviews on the one she likes. The Oreck is on sale for $600 and comes with a 10 year warranty as well as once a year free tune-ups (apparently they are required to keep the warranty active from customer reviews I read). Upon searching I have found people that love them and people that hate them with little middle ground. The main selling point is that it is very lightweight which LOML was immediately drawn to. Our Panasonic is also much lighter than most of today's vacuums, so she does not want a heavy machine.

Our house is mostly hardwood with several area rugs and LOTS of hair. We have three big dogs and two cats, so hair is the number one priority.

What do you recommend? Anybody have a favorite or one to watch out for? Anybody own an Oreck?

LOML gave me until Saturday morning to give my recommendation. I really don't want to spend $600, but I don't want a throw away $200 machine either. The other factor is that she dislikes bagless vacs due to constant emptying and the mess they make when dumping. If there is a bagless that beats all others, she may still consider it, but only if the capacity is very large.

TIA

[crokett]

I don't own one but know people who do and they love their Dysons. If my in-laws move here we may end up with one since my MIL has allergies. I solved the problem with a messy bagless by emptying it outside. I hate dealing with the bags and prefer bagless.

[cgallery]

They have new Oreck vacs on ePay for $220 + shipping. Now, I don't know if they are the model your wife was looking at.

But at $600, it kinda sounds like they are hoping to vac your wallet more than anything else.

Seriously, they are pretty simply devices. What differentiates what your wife was seeing at $600 vs. their less expensive models on eBay?

[dbhost]

Grab another Panasonic. I bought a lightly used one (my housekeeper bought one to keep working while hers was in the shop, used it for a week, then sold it to me). You know they are a good vac...

[cabinetman]

My suggestion is a bit pricey, but its Kirby. It has attachments for both hard floor and carpet. I sold Kirby's door to door to help pay for college, and I've owned them ever since. No bags to buy. Even if you get a used one, they are hard to beat.
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[JeffG78]

Aren't Kirby vacs still all metal? I remember that a friend of mine's mom had one back in the early 80's and he would use it out in the garage with all sorts of goofy attachments. I remember something about a Dremel-like cutoff wheel on a flexible shaft. I also remember that it weighed a ton and looked like an antique.

[Richard in Smithville]

LOML swears by her Hoover. She's tried all sorts of different brands but always goes back to what she likes. We have a mixture of laminate and carpet with a dog and cat, both who shed as a pastime, and she has no complaints.

[cabinetman]

Aren't Kirby vacs still all metal? I remember that a friend of mine's mom had one back in the early 80's and he would use it out in the garage with all sorts of goofy attachments. I remember something about a Dremel-like cutoff wheel on a flexible shaft. I also remember that it weighed a ton and looked like an antique.

All of the above plus a carpet shampooer. Now if you like what you see, I can give you a trade in on that nasty Oreck, and if you tell your friends about the Kirby changing your life, I'll show my gratitude with a cash gift for every one they order.

BTW, it's a lot lighter than a ton.
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[jking]

All of the above plus a carpet shampooer. Now if you like what you see, I can give you a trade in on that nasty Oreck, and if you tell your friends about the Kirby changing your life, I'll show my gratitude with a cash gift for every one they order.

BTW, it's a lot lighter than a ton.
.

My folks have a self-propelled Kirby, you don't notice the weight unless you have to go up stairs. They bought it used & saved a lot of money.

To the OP, I own a Dyson - they are a good vac, probably the best bagless on the market just because of the way it empties. For the money, Hoover & Kenmore both have some excellent vacuums in the $250 range. If you can get ahold of Consumer Reports buying guide they do a very good job of reviewing & rating vacuums. They rate Kirby & Dyson lower primarily due to cost. The Orecks they have found do only an average job of cleaning. For plush carpet you actually want some weight to vac to keep the brush in good contact with the carpet. For area rugs, it is not as big of a deal.

[Sawatzky]

Dyson for me too. Awesome vac. Plus the wife lets me use it! But that is okay since technically it is a power tool I can use in the house!

[Black wallnut]

Hey we just crossed this bridge last weekend. We had a Hoover Tempo upright bag model that was a PITA. LOML says she wanted a new one so off to the store I sent her. She found a Hoover bagless (possibly Windtunnel) for $159.00 at a membership discount store. I have to tell ya having two labs one black and one choc that shed that I've not ever noticed our carpet so clean since we moved in. She said that it picked up so much hair and other stuff that she had to empty the hopper after just a short time. For what it is worth that is really not a bad thing as the faster you fill your dust hopper the more junk you are removing from your floor coverings so the longer they should last.

Hey that said and if I had my druthers and I was willing to spend Oreck money I'd go for a Kirby.

[LCHIEN]

Consumer reports always has interesting reviews and at least some semblance of scientific testing.

They have a reliability survey of subscribers.
Kirby Dyson Eureka Bissel Dirt Devil Kenmore were the tops in that order with 4% to 8% needing major repairs (more than just new belt)
Riccar Oreck Electrolux Panasonic Simplicity Hoover in that order rated from 10 to 13% repair rate.

while a percent or two are probably significantly insignificant, Hoovers had more than 3 times the failure rate of Kirby, which is significant.

If you want the CR recommendations let me know.

[JeffG78]

Consumer reports always has interesting reviews and at least some semblance of scientific testing.

They have a reliability survey of subscribers.
Kirby Dyson Eureka Bissel Dirt Devil Kenmore were the tops in that order with 4% to 8% needing major repairs (more than just new belt)
Riccar Oreck Electrolux Panasonic Simplicity Hoover in that order rated from 10 to 13% repair rate.

while a percent or two are probably significantly insignificant, Hoovers had more than 3 times the failure rate of Kirby, which is significant.

If you want the CR recommendations let me know.

Thanks Loring. I'd appreciate that. That would help the decision making. My email is jeffgrauerATyahoo.com

[cgallery]

She found a Hoover bagless (possibly Windtunnel) for $159.00 at a membership discount store.

We had a bagless but found that the dog hair quickly overwhelmed the capacity. It had to be emptied sometimes twice during one use. And if you were ever slow to empty it, it had a tendancy to clog.

So we switched back to the bag type.

OTOH, it was ten years ago and I'm certain they've made improvements in the bagless variety by now.

[Uncle Cracker]

I have a Hoover Wind Tunnel. It sucks...