Anybody bought a vacuum cleaner lately?

[eytonxav]

We now have a Miele. By far the best vacuum cleaner we have ever had.

+1 our Miele is almost 20 years old and still performs flawlessly.

 

[Walt34]

I'll second the reviews on the Oreck. DW likes it because it's lightweight but I am not impressed with the performance.

 

[rbmrtn]

My mother/grandmother both swore by kirby. I remember seeing one that was at least from the 50's running.

It's been about 5 years or more since I bought one, but ended up with a Eureka Boss. It had good reviews for price/performance. something like this...

Eureka Boss SmartVac 4870MZ Review

 

[audreyh1]

The last thread I found was from 2011.

So many choices, I have no preference, just for it to work well, not too heavy. Reading the reviews seem to confuse me more. Looking at Oreck vs Dyson. Costco has Dyson DC40 Animal for $399.

We currently use Hoover Wind Tunnel but having difficult time finding bags? What are you using?

W

I got one of those smaller Miele canister types, because I really can't stand the larger upright vacuums. I think the uprights are just too big for me.

I got a Miele smaller canister one and it's great. It's not heavy. It's also rather quiet for a vacuum cleaner.

 

[ikonomore]

I have a miele also. Phenomenal vacuum. Replaces an Oreck which was burning through belts even after being brought to the repair center.

The miele is super quiet also.

 

[ls99]

We always had electrolux. Have one that is around 40 years old for the downstairs. And one about 5 years old for upstairs.

Is that decadent or what?

 

[WhoDaresWins]

I like my Oreck...lightweight, cleans well. I prefer a vacuum with disposable paper bags, too. I only have one vacuum so lightweight is great as I must carry it upstairs to use in the bedrooms.

 

[Nodak]

I had an Interstate compact vacuum (teardrop shaped thing) that I bought used about 35 years ago. I gave up on it when the motor seized up and started smoking about 3 years ago. Now have a Dyson ball animal model purchased refurbished from Woot.com for about half the retail price. It does an excellent job.

 

[M Paquette]

We went over to Costco on Monday and bought that Oreck Magnesium + Ultimate vacuum package.

It completely met my expectations... but I didn't set the bar very high.

The Oreck Magnesium (S/N 020871; Date 12003) managed to vacuum two small area rugs and most of a bedroom before dying. It now shuts down immediately after starting, flashing its dim little LED headlight and not spinning the beater bar. The vacuum has a "Endurolife" (TM) belt "which is designed for long life and doesn't need changing". Now, the way that Oreck makes the belt last is by sensing when the beater bar isn't spinning, and in that case, the machine shuts off the motor and blinks the headlight. In my case, I suspect the belt has broken or come off the shaft at one end. It starts, never moving the beater bar which turns very freely, but drawing a good vacuum for a second before shutting down.

A call to the Oreck Customer Service Hotline reveals that I have a problem which will require investigation by a factory authorized suck broom technician. It'll be in the shop 3-4 days. Extrapolating, if the device is in the shop 3-4 days between each room that I vacuum, I can determine that... well, holding onto the old vacuum was a Good Idea.

Good thing I saved the box. Back to Costco...

 

[Bluetrekrider]

The Dyson DC40 is excellent. I have one and highly recommend.

 

[Janet H]

Dogs at my house w/ off white carpet (sigh....)

A few years ago we got a Riccar. I think it's a commercial model and it's a workhorse. My main complaint about most vacuums is that the plastic bits begin to break off after a time - this one is mostly metal. You know, the way they used to be...

Riccar : Radiance

 

[scooterdog]

+1 our Miele is almost 20 years old and still performs flawlessly.

+1 our Miele is four years old and still cranking along. (Bought with AMEX points.)

Yes they are expensive but now I can't imagine needing to replace it for a long time.

A year ago we got a Dyson DC35, which has been a very nice complement to the Miele. Great for quick pick-ups in the kitchen, although the battery power only lasts about 12-15 minutes, so keep that limitation in mind.

 

[HFWR]

We're looking at an Oreck Magnesium, a 7-8 lb light vacuum. This would replace the 30-odd lb Hoover that DW doesn't want me lugging up and down the stairs any more when I vacuum. Costco has a pretty reasonable price on it right now compared to what Oreck usually wants.

I've found the problem...

I've had a Dirt Devil (bag-type, heavy as hell...) for 20 years, and it's still ticking. Of course, it doesn't get used much...

 

[rodi]

My first dyson lasted almost 10 years. It didn't fail in any of the vacuumy ways... I just dropped the bagless cannister part one to many times and it was such that the duct tape repairs weren't going to work on it anymore.

I'm very hard on vacuums.

I bought a new dyson at costco. Loving it - much lighter than the old one, lower profile, and has the swivel ball. What I don't like is that my old attachments don't fit the new wand.

i hate cleaning, but I love using my dyson.

 

[Coolius]

We have a Dyson DC25 Animal Ball. Bought from eBay, refurbished. It was just under $300, free shipping.

It's been about 6 months now, and we are very satisfied with it.

Easy to use, reasonable weight, and easy to clean the canister. It is also quieter than our former vacuum, a Hoover Savvy.

 

[Meadbh]

I had my carpets shampooed this week. The cleaner brought a Kirby with all the attachments. Apparently the Kirby is highly regarded by professionals. Carpets look great.

 

[Tyro]

Dogs at my house w/ off white carpet (sigh....)

BWAHAHAHAHA!!! Ever notice that whatever color your rug is, and whatever color your dog is, they always seem to be able to shed the color that shows up most?

Fortunately our dog only sheds twice a year. Unfortunately, each time lasts six months.

Our reconditioned Kirbys are still mostly metal, never had any plastic break off of them, and the rotating brushes do a pretty good job of getting dog hair out of carpet.

Tyro

 

[obgyn65]

I use nothing. Cleaners and maids come every few weeks. I live on my own, no pet, and rarely at home.

We currently use Hoover Wind Tunnel but having difficult time finding bags? What are you using?

W

 

[Redbugdave]

I use nothing. Cleaners and maids come every few weeks.

Ha! I figure that's the best answer about the vacuuming problem there is...

 

[kyounge1956]

Does anyone use a robot vacuum (e.g. Roomba)? I have contemplated getting one of these for a small house with hard floors throughout except possibly an area rug or two. I have one longhaired cat and may add another cat or two in the future. I am thinking a robot might keep the loose hair and scattered litter picked up better, or at least more frequently, than I am likely to!

I have an old upright vacuum that I was given as a gift some years ago. I think it's either a Kirby or a Royal, perhaps from the mid-1950's sometime (like me). It still works and bags are available, but it's all-metal construction and weighs a ton! I'm thinking of making one of those soft sculptures that fits on the handle and makes the vacuum look like a parlormaid (or a rabbit or duck in parlormaid's uniform).

I also have a 30+ y.o. Kenmore that doesn't run any more, but maybe it's worth fixing. Hmmmm.

 

[Dimsumkid]

Does anyone use a robot vacuum (e.g. Roomba)? I have contemplated getting one of these for a small house with hard floors throughout except possibly an area rug or two. I have one longhaired cat and may add another cat or two in the future. I am thinking a robot might keep the loose hair and scattered litter picked up better, or at least more frequently, than I am likely to!

I have an old upright vacuum that I was given as a gift some years ago. I think it's either a Kirby or a Royal, perhaps from the mid-1950's sometime (like me). It still works and bags are available, but it's all-metal construction and weighs a ton! I'm thinking of making one of those soft sculptures that fits on the handle and makes the vacuum look like a parlormaid (or a rabbit or duck in parlormaid's uniform).

I also have a 30+ y.o. Kenmore that doesn't run any more, but maybe it's worth fixing. Hmmmm.

DW's friend has a Roomba and they have 2 cats. I'm allergic to pet hair/dander and I need an outdoor air break every hour to survive. Several years ago they got a Roomba. Now I can tolerate 3+ hours w/o needing to get fresh air. For the older units, if parts are still available and they work well and repair parts are readily available, then it makes sense to maintain them.

My father worked for Sunbeam and Electrolux, so I've never needed to buy a vacuum. He gave me a rebuilt Electrolux after he replaced the motor and gave it an overhaul back in the 80's. Still runs like new. I was cleaning/organizing the basement and found a bunch of Sunbeam bags new in package dated 1973! The Electrolux is a canister 4 wheeler and suction is really good on it. Only reason to get rid of it is if I get tried of looking at it because I also have 2 spare units.

 

[Tyro]

I am thinking a robot might keep the loose hair and scattered litter picked up better, or at least more frequently, than I am likely to!

I'm not sure it would work out that way, however they do make a great (albeit expensive @ $350-$400) cat toy.

If the problem is the weight of "the beast" (your Kirby/Royal), something smaller/lighter (backpack, shoulder bag style, lightweight cannister) might suffice for keeping up with the pet hair & litter.

 

[HFWR]

I had my carpets shampooed this week. The cleaner brought a Kirby with all the attachments. Apparently the Kirby is highly regarded by professionals. Carpets look great.

Back in the bad old days, I spent a few months [-]selling[/-] demonstrating Kirbys (Kirbies?). Built like a tank, and user rebuildable, but expensive, especially for folks in shotgun shacks with no carpet...

 

[M Paquette]

Back in the bad old days, I spent a few months [-]selling[/-] demonstrating Kirbys (Kirbies?). Built like a tank, and user rebuildable, but expensive, especially for folks in shotgun shacks with no carpet...

Oh, they might not be able to vacuum a carpet with it, but there were all those great attachments. Pop off the end bell, and you could connect a flexible cable to drive a buffing wheel, drill, knife sharpener, or a meat grinder! (My grandma met an exceptionally good Kirby salesman... She had every accessory they sold. :faceplant: )

 

[Tyro]

Oh, they might not be able to vacuum a carpet with it, but there were all those great attachments. Pop off the end bell, and you could connect a flexible cable to drive a buffing wheel, drill, knife sharpener, or a meat grinder! (My grandma met an exceptionally good Kirby salesman... She had every accessory they sold. :faceplant: )

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