Can I get some help with vacuums?

[missy]

We also have lots of pets and I am somewhat of a vacuum hoarder.

I've owned every vacuum under the sun, including several Dysons. For sheer power, Dyson is my favorite BUT it's complete $hit on area rugs, of which we have many. So back they all went. If you have area rugs AND love the sound of rocks in a blender, then the Dyson will be perfect.

My current favorite is a $149 Hoover Windtunnel (the pet one from Costco) and I swear I love it even more than the Dysons. It's heavy, kind of a beast on the stairs, but that's the only negative thing I can say about it. And at $149, if/when it poops out on me, I'll just get a new one!

But for those who mostly have hard floors and plush carpet, Dyson is fab. It'll suck a hairball from across the room. Just keep it off the area rugs! Out of all the Dyson models, the Ball was actually my least favorite. I liked the regular Dyson Animal best, but I think they may have a Ball Animal now? I may have dreamed that...

Erica, thanks for this reminder. LOL I guess we are sort of vacuum hoarders too because I just remembered while reading your post we have the Hoover Windtunnel also and it is up in our attic not being used. Going to get it out and keep it on the second floor and see what I think of it. I think I put it away because it was too heavy but it might be a good extra vacuum to keep on our second floor at the beach house. Thanks!

I have to say I do love my Dyson cordless so much though. So light and easy to use and yes powerful IMO. The charge only lasts 20 minutes but for me that is sufficient for one floor and it charges up pretty fast anyway.

 

[AdaBeta27]

For really gritty jobs, like sweeping up cat litter and cleaning out the dryer lint trap system, I use a 6 gallon Shop-Vac with a drywall bag in it to catch dust. The problem with many vacuums is that the debris go through the fan, which chips and abrades it and ruins the bearings, making for a real noisy vacuum after that. I had the Hoover PowerMax repaired for that once. One selling point for the Riccar commercial vac, aside from the metal construction, was that the dirt doesn't go through the fan.

In addition to the Riccar, I have a Hoover green PowerMax self-propelled vacuum from 1997 or so, and it's a great machine but I can't get brushrolls for it anymore. Whatever company that bought Hoover destroyed a warehouse full of parts for all the old vintage Hoovers. I love this vac, and it's a super performer, with a good brushroll on it. I keep hoping that the Chinese will make a copy of it so I can get a brush roll someday.

 

[teklit]

I have a rainbow vacuum, about 3 years old now.
My mother has a rainbow vacuum about 20 year old.

I'm not sure it is what you are interested in, but I can tell you a little bit about mine and my mother's experience.

It is a canister style with water filtration system, it's large and heavy, you have to assemble and disassemble it. But it is a wonderful machine. It's a haus and you can run it for hours. After I dump the vacuum water, I fill it with fresh water and let it run for a few hours in front of my air conditioner register to filter the air.

My mother bought hers from a salesman after inviting him over because the hospital she worked at used them.
Her dealer closed shop so I don't think her lifetime warranty is good anymore, I believe that guarantee is provided by the retailer. She has never had to use it though.

I bought mine in new condition from ebay, the most recent blue model. I payed less than my mother did about 20 years ago.
The closest rainbow dealer is a 4 hour drive from me, but I would have bought from ebay anyway- who wants to invite a door-to-door salesman over? They seriously need to update their sales model, it's cheesy and annoying.

I live out in the country, so using water instead of buying bags or filters is awesome. I can't tell you how many times I ran out of bags and had to cut them open, empty, and duct tape them back because I didn't want to drive an hour to the city for more, or had company coming over and needed to vacuum now!!

Another bonus, I don't have to dust as often! I hate dusting and wiping baseboards with a passion!!

I also have a little bagless handheld dust buster for between vacuuming and small messes. I have to empty it outside because of the static cling generated, the dust goes everywhere when you empty it. The rainbow does not do that, but I do dump the dirty water outside too.

I have 2 cats and my mother has always had a dog.

 

[ming]

Another for Miele. We have three cats including a Turkish Angora and I have never loved a household appliance as much as this baby. When we move back to the states I've already told my husband we are buying another.

http://www.miele.co.uk/domestic/vacuum-cleaners-1784.htm?mat=10155280&name=Complete_C3_Cat%26Dog_PowerLine_-_SGEE1

 

[amc80]

We have a Shark Rotator Liftaway Pro and love it. It picks up everything a dos really easy to maneuver.

 

[kenny]

Sorry, I have to repeat my obligatory stump speech since we have yet another vacuum thread.

Central vacuums are way better than portables.
Since the motor is permanently mounted on a wall it does not suffer from design compromises like having to be light and more quiet.
It can be large enough to have a 5-gallon bag for annual bag changes.
No heavy motor unit to lug/push around the house, just the long hose.
Their huge and heavy motors have way more suction power than portables.

Only one wall outlet was all we needed since the 50-foot hose reaches everywhere.
I installed it myself, avoiding the biggest expense, the labor for running pipes through many walls.
If your house is large or 2-storey it would be cheaper to minimize or avoid wall pipes by installing two units, each in a closet on or near an exterior wall and just plug the hose directly into the unit.

All vacuum bags leak.
If they didn't they'd explode, like a balloon.
Even a HEPA filter lets the smallest particles through, along with the air.

The biggest advantage of central vacs is this contaminated exhaust air is pipped outside your house instead of back into the room you're trying to clean.
Therefore the fine dust does not settle back down onto every horizontal surface an hour after vacuuming.
That fine dust contains allergens like mold and mildew spores and yuckies from dust mite poo etc., not good for asthma sufferers or anyone who breathes.

The cost of our Nutone was the same as the better portable vacs.
Ours has bee trouble-free since 1999, though I'm on my second hose.

And look:
With a central vac your lazy husband will finally do the vacuuming while you sip Chardonnay and surf Pricescope.
Here's wifey smiling after telling him he missed a spot.

 

[freezing_in_MO]

I bought a Shark DuoClean a few months ago and love it. If yuh tell me more about your requirements, I could do a better job of guessing whether it would be right for you.

It was ranked very highly by Consumer Reports (IIRC their Best Buy and second only to a much more expensive Dyson).

I needed something light to avoid straining my shoulder, yet strong enough to handle a house with a Persian cat. We have several Persian carpets, and it does a fantastic job of gently cleaning them.

 

[Austina]

My DS has a Dyson stick, which picks up better than the big Dyson. However, as someone who's had over 20 vacuums over the years, the guy who's fixed some of them told me he thanks Dyson every day for keeping him in business! He said they're always going wrong and repairs are expensive.

The best Vacuum I've ever had, that's dealt with big, hairy dogs, that hasn't died within 2 years because the motor burnt out, is Henry. He's still going strong after at least 10 years of continuous use.

 

[Gussie]

I have two Miele uprights, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. I love them way more than my previous dyson. That's why I bought two!

 

[GliderPoss]

Dyson all the way baby! They last forever, best quality.My inlaws have had the same one for over 20years no problems.

 

[Akalahab]

We love our Dyson! It's just convenient and cheaper than a cleaning lady... We have one vacuum (only 1 Dyson though) for each floor of the house (3)...my hubby thought it was a good idea. Our cats live only on the bottom floor (not carpeted).