Need vacuum cleaner recommendation

[eezlock]

vacuum cleaner recommendation

Rainbow...enough said there!

[crokett]

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

Isn't that what a vacuum cleaner is supposed to do?

[stocktr8er]

I know this may sound silly but our vacuum died and we just broke out the shop vac and my wife loves it. I did go out and buy the attachment for floors that has wheels and carpet brushes ($15 at BORG) to protec the floor.

We have hardwood floors, 3, kids, 3 dogs and multiple cats.

As with any vacuum, have to keep it empty regularly.

Well worth the price vs a real vacuum.

Curtis

[Mrs. 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.

Mark is correct as to what model and brand we have. I really like it a lot so far. I was just tired of changing the bags and digging the dog hair out of the hose and the bottom of the unit and it wasn't picking up hardly anything. I wasn't too keen on a bagless at first because I was using an old one at work and it was a PITA to empty and made a little bit of a mess. But the boss bought a new one for the store and it was a bagless with a "bottom" empty, which IMO was good. You just take and stick that down into the garbage and open it up and it was done less of a mess.

http://www.hoover.com/product.aspx?m...6900&ds=false#

This is the one that I got. I am pleased with it. And the upholstery attachment works great. I also like the "crank" to clean the filter off, no taking it out and banging it and stirring up dust and I think that it might save the filter in the long run.

[rcp612]

No question about it,,,, Dyson.
Why ??? Because LOML says so.
But really, she is the housekeeping supervisor at a large nursing home and has a lot of experience with a lot of name brands but, can't convince her boss to let go of the money for a Dyson. They just buy whatever is on sale at W-M.

[sscherin]

We got an Oreck XL Ultra 7 years ago.. It still runs like new..
That's with my wife running a daycare and vacuuming the house every day.
It came with the "Free" (better be free for $500) can vac and a 12v car vac..
Both also still work just fine..

We did break the tip off the hose on the can vac in year 6.. $20 at the Oreck store got me a new one. I guess that's one nice thing.. they are dead simple and the few parts it's needed (belts, bags and a hose) were cheep and in stock.
A new roller brush bar should it need one is $40.. Mine might need one in a year of two..

[HarmsWay]

Dyson. I bought a purple upright one a couple of months ago. I do the vacuuming in our household and my Kenmore was making me wheeze even with a Hepa filter. The Dyson does a much better job of cleaning than the Kenmore did. My first test was to vacuum with the Kenmore then repeat with the Dyson. This particular model also has the long detachable hose that converts to do anything a cannister model would do - except no beater bar. The hose is long enough that I can leave the vacuum at the bottom of the stairs and easily reach all but the top step. It's approved by the asthma association due to the good filtering but also because of the way the cannister is emptied.

I think others have mentioned some of the negatives - price, auto height adjuster, no cord winder. I'll add that it is generally more difficult to use than my cannister Kenmore, in terms of switching between carpet, bare floors, area rugs, dusting, etc.

Bob

[Tom Slick]

I'm seeing an interesting trend so I have to ask two questions to foster the debate:

How may Dyson owners had a "cheap" vaccuum before the Dyson?
Was the Dyson the first "premium" vac you've owned?

[HarmsWay]

Define cheap.

[Bill in Buena Park]

Define cheap.

Cheap <> Kirby.

I'm a Kirby Sentria owner. Great vac. I previously owned the cheapest Hoover upright offered (in 2002), and it worked OK. But two years ago, I saw how the Kirby totally put my Hoover to shame, bought the vac & shampoo kit. All metal, weighs a bunch, but has the power-assisted drive so easy to use. I use the HEPA bags for it. I would use a hose attachment for stairs before I attempted to lift it onto stairs.

We have 4 rooms of W2W carpet, and the carpet's about 8 yeas old; carpet never looks all that bad to me, but its AMAZING how much debris gets pulled up by the Kirby that wasn't picked up by the Hoover.

I have no experience with Dyson, so can't offer a comparison.

[jking]

I'm seeing an interesting trend so I have to ask two questions to foster the debate:

How may Dyson owners had a "cheap" vaccuum before the Dyson?
Was the Dyson the first "premium" vac you've owned?

Currently own a Dyson. Had a older Hoover Windtunnel bag prior. Bought the Hoover as a reconditioned vac from a repair shop for <$50. Does that qualify for "cheap"? We bought the Dyson because
a) wife had a sizeable gift return to Bed, Bath, & Beyond plus a 20% off coupon.
b) she absolutely wanted a bagless vac.
c) we liked the way the dust canister emptied on the Dyson.
d) she decided that's what she wanted.

The cheap Hoover was the first vac I owned. However, I grew up in a family that has typically owned Kirby's. Every vacuum my mother has owned has been a Kirby. Kirby's last a long time & do a good job, but, unless you can pick them up used in good condition like my Mom & Grandmother always did, it's hard to justify the expense.

Oreck's are decent vacuums, but, way overpriced. I have heard mixed thoughts on them. Had a friend who looked at them one time when vacuum shopping & classified them as "cheaply made, lightweight, pieces of trash". He wasn't impressed; said they felt like they wouldn't last. Other's swear by them. I think they're probably fine for low-pile carpet (that's mainly what they're designed for), but, for thicker carpet you'd be better off with a heavier vacuum. Hoover & Kenmore make vacs that are great values & great performers, but, as pointed out before the Hoovers have higher repair rates.

A final point, I think on of the feature of the Dyson that makes people like it is the fact that you can see the dirt when you finish. Dyson has done a very effective job of designing & marketing the visual aspect of their vacuums. It's more difficult for people to realize how much dirt they pick up with a bag.

[Tom Slick]

Define cheap.

I don't have any specific criteria but since a Dyson is $300-500 I'll call anything under $150 "cheap" just for comparison's sake. Maybe "lower product line" (as opposed to premium line) would have been a better definition.