A Good Vacuum

I have a 4 year old Oreck that I love - came with a cannister vac, a car vac, and I opted for more bags rather than an iron. My deal gets me 8 free yearly cleaning/tune-ups of the vac. Worked great on dog hair which was why we bought it.

I have a Kirby that has been the BEST vacuum I have ever owned. Although the price might not be too satisfying ($1500). My husband's a carpet cleaner and also says that Dyson's are extremely good too, and a little more affordable.

I love the Dyson I bought 3 years ago. It's expensive but really worth the money. My cat sheds a lot of hair and Dyson does the work. HEPA filters do make a big difference.

hi--I have a Dyson and really like it--very good suction--bagless--have had it for 2 years--mine is the yellow--I don't have pets--so I didn't get the animal--tried to save a few bucks--did find out I need to clean out the filters more often--look in the book as to their locations--take them out and clean them--then the suctions is really good--
I got mine at a Best Buy, it was on sale,but they are sold at Kohl's now, too--and other stores I see--
Good Luck--there's alot of differnt ones out there--S.

The kid who's obession/hobby is vacuums says...
* * RICCAR BRILLIANCE. * *

(Kyle, a kid who loves vacuums like my husband loves videogames...maybe more...was on a morning talk show. What vacuum did he most love? Riccar's Brilliance)

Check it out: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=46...

Priced about the same as the Dysons, this beauty really is brilliant. Dysons have a lot of filters to replace to keep them going.

Dysons and nearly all others are also made almost entirely of plastic. The all-metal motors in Riccars can be easily serviced, so the vacuum will last you FOREVER (instead of the 3-5 years we seem to get out of them otherwise). Yup! It's even got a HEPA filter.

We've had ours just 6 months, and my husband LOVES to do the vacuuming b/c he thinks he's driving the "sportscar" of vacuums. Who knew!

Hope this is helpful! :)

A.

L.,
We have a Dyson and it's awesome. It's expensive but you get what you pay for. We have a medium hair cat who is shedding and it sucks up all the cat hair. You don't have to buy filters for this vacuum either. Just empty out the storage container.

We use ours on carpet and hardwood floors. It's amazing. I believe Target sells them now.

Hi L.,

I have purchased many vacuums over the years as I have five floors to my house, I vacuum every day, and I own several vacuums. The vacuum I have been most happy with is the Dyson. Although I have two dogs and a cat, I didn't purchase the vacuum made for homes with animals and have been quite pleased with it. They are expensive, but given the ease of this vacuum, I would buy it again. In fact, I am trying to justify buying another one so that I don't have to haul it up and down the stairs every day as it is the only one I use (even though I have two others.) I read another comment that you have to buy filters for it...I have only had to purchase one filter. I believe this is supposed to be done yearly. Otherwise, you just rinse the filter out and wait until it dries and put it back in the machine.

My vote is for the Dyson.

C.

We had very good luck with the Oreck eight pound vacuum - I loved it because it picked up well and really was light. When it gave up, my husband purchased an IRomba, the little robot vacuum. At the time, we had carpeting throughout the house except bathroom and it did a marvelous job all itself - even in the bathroom. We have just had laminate flooring installed and it does a great job on it too. The dog, an old, super afraid of vacuums type, isn't as afraid of the robot as she was of the upright. Don't know about HEPA filters. Hope this helped. J. S.

L., This might sound crazy but , call your local repair person, they can tell you which vacuums require the least amount of repair. I hope I can't get into trouble for this but My husband gave me a Kirby for a gift years ago I don't like it, It is heavy, attachments are a pain, I have to stop at a kirgy store to get bags, and they are expensive! I don't use the carpet cleaner, (too hard to use), not enough water... Also as a child care provider, I went and Got a Eureka, I like the hepafilter, and the attachments are used easily, with a clear bagless I can see what has been picked up. It is easy to empty, works just as well as the kirby and cost much less! I hope this helps. K.

I just got an Electrolux vacuum and love it. I grew up with various models of them my parents still use the first one they got. They are stout and powerful vacuums. When we got married I got a Windtunnel Hoover, it probably has HEPA filtering but I couldn't tell you. It's a piece of garbage I think. I would love to replace the big upright with another Electrolux...

The kind I just got though is a GREAT addition. It is an Electrolux PRONTO 2-in-1 battery vacuum that is really powerful that has a little dustbuster that comes out for stairs nooks and crannies etc. I love it. Our dining room is carpeted and this vacuum is perfect for it, and most everything else. It is lightweight, has a charging dock and is a cute color to boot. My 3.5 year old can use it, she used to be HORRIFIED of vacuums and would cry every time I used the Hoover but she likes this one and asks to help clean up. It's not too heavy for her and easy to push. I even used the dust buster to vacuum out our cars. It was awesome. No cords or anything to worry about. It is bag-less and easy to clean the filter etc. It is great for quick jobs. You can get it at Costco and also at Lowes.

Dyson all the way! I love mine. Bed Bath and Beyond carries them and they send out 20% off fliers every month or two. If you are not on their mailing list, you can sign up online. Also, if you wait till a new model comes out, the older model will be on sale. I'm not positive that the 20% off will apply to sale items though.

I previously had a Kirby G5 and once we got a dog I was going broke buying bags for it. A lot of the plastic pieces on the attachments were breaking so I ditched it and got a Dyson. I love it. It is so great to not spend money on bags. I did catch a headline on Consumer reports that the Dyson is not necessarily the best for picking up animal hair. So when this one bites the dust, I'll pick up a copy of CR and see what in that price range (without bags) is doing a good job.

Good luck on your quest...let us know what you decide on!

M.

Miele is the best. Ours has more suction than any other vacuum I have seen advertised, and the filters make sure that nothing that nothing goes back into the air. Don't buy a cheap vacuum. They are not worth the trouble.

I bought an Oreck vacuum over 10 years ago. It is the best purchase that I have ever made in regards to a vacuum. Still have it and still use it. We moved several years ago to a two story house with a finished basement and my mother thought I needed two vacuums so she bought me one from sears. I hate it. I still use my oreck and have just purchased a second one so I have one for the main floor and upstairs and one oreck for the basement. They are soooo light weight and easy to carry up and down stairs. Will never own another vacuum ever.

SAHM of 3, two girls and one boy.

S.

We needed a "suction-only" vacuum because the brush head was fraying our carpet. After searching and seeing bad reviews for all the suction-only vacuums, I decided a Dyson was the only option since you can turn the brush head off, and because my friend raved about hers. Well, I love it! I'm surprised by the amount it picks up without losing suction like my other vacuum and it has tons of tools and features like a super long cord and handle for cleaning stairs. And it made my rugs (where I can use the brush head) look practically new. I've only had it since Christmas, but so far, I'm impressed and I think it was worth the money.

My sister has a Kirby and she loves it (she paid about $2000 for it and I just didn't want to spend that much).

I am pretty sold on Kirbys. They are expensive, especially brand new, but you can get very good used models at a vacuum shop. Ususally they have gone through the motors, etc. and they are in great condition. My vacuum is a 1994 model, which I got in 1998; I have replaced only a couple of small parts at minimal cost and it still works great! I have started using the HEPA filters, as I do have a child with sensitivity to dust, and it seems to be effective.

I have the purple Dyson vacuum and absolutely love it!

Dyson animal. I own a cleaning company, and that vacuum does the best job every time. You'll be amazed at what you get out of your carpet, even when you think it's clean! It's easy to use, and has some great attachments.
There's my 2 cents ;)

My sister-in-law has a Dyson and loves it...she has the yellow model. I have also heard good things about the Eureka Sanitaire....Good Luck!

I just recently had to purchase a new vacuum and did a ton of online research. We really wanted to get a dyson, but who really wants to spend that kind of money on a vacuum?? :) So, after much debate and reading, we settled on the Bissell Healthy Home vacuum. I have been very impressed with it. It has tremendous suction power and is rated for allergies (a major consideration for me since I have a child with severe allergies). It traps 99% of dust mites, pet dander, molds, etc. and has a microban container where the dirt goes. It also has an airtight hepa filter that makes sure that none of the allergens in the air that you suck into the vacuum come back out again. I should also add that I have two dogs that both shed and this vacuum does an amazing job of cleaning up the dog hair. I would highly recommend this vacuum. It is moderately priced at about $250 and right now, Bissell is running a $50 rebate on that particular model (you can find the rebate from online - there are several items you need to have to get the rebate so make sure to check what to keep before throwing away the box, etc). We found ours on sale when we got it for under $200 and then add in the rebate and there you go! A great vacuum for the deal we got! I really couldn't tell you if they will go on sale further or not. Happy hunting!

About me: SAHM to 4 kids (3 girls and 1 boy)

After going thru 2 cheaper ones, I took the plunge and bought a Dyson. I have to say I LOVE IT. The biggest test it has had so far was cleaning up after the Christmas tree. Normally I spend hours trying to vaccuum or sweep pine needles up. I have even gotten out hubby's shop vac and still have trouble. This year, I took the Dyson over and in just a few minutes all the pine needles were gone!

We own the big purple Dyson that picks up pet hair and it is awesome. We've owned it for 2-3 years and have never had trouble with it or had to replace parts. I am able to turn off the beaters and vacuum my hardwood floors (gets up more dirt than sweeping!) and it makes all of my rugs and carpets look fabulous. We paid about $500 for it and have not regretted it. I do wish it weren't quite so heavy. And the learning curve to use all of the gadgets can be tricky the first few times! Good luck with your decision! C. M

L., I have a Bissel Healthy home. I LOVE it. It works like a dyson. I have had it a year and it has not lost suction. They are about 200. It also has a option where you can trun the brush on or off. It has an amazing brush that can get off anything (we have cats). I got mine on sale at Lowes for 189. Happy hunting! M.

I have a rainbow sweeper and I wouldn't have any other. You can do so many things with it.

We have a Hoover Windtunnel II Extra Reach bagless upright. I love it. The filter is self cleaning, you get lots of extra hose length, it has a stair cleaning attachment. The ONLY thing I don't like about it is that all of the attachments are stored on it and one of them is always falling off so I finally just took it off and threw it in the closet. If I had the money- I probably would have gotton a Dyson- but that was not in my budget. The Windtunnel cleans just as well I think (I've used my friend's Dyson)- but is a little heavier.

We just bought a Rainbow. They are quite expensive, but I was sold on how much dirt and sand came out of my carpet. And it all goes into a container of water so nothing gets blown out of the exhaust. It can acutally run at low speed 24/7 as an air purifier. Let me know if you need more info. You might be able to get a refurbished one at Vac World on Westnedge.

Hi, I have raised four huskies and two boys and know how hard it is to find a good one. I now have a Dyson, and the only thing I can say is at frist it was hard to get used to after having canistors all my life. I bought the cheapest one and so far have had no problems. It has been three or four years, and I have not had to take back my spare one from the gbasement.

I do not know when they go on sale but do look around the internet. i DO NOT NOTICE IF THE HEPA FILTER MAKES A DIFFERANCE WE HAVE RADITOR HEAT.

L., HEPA filter DOES make a difference!
I am very sensitive to the air I breathe in,
as I have a lifelong problem with lungs:
chronic pneumonia = every day starts with me coughing.
So yes, it does make a difference.

I can tell you the best vacuum, but I do not know what your idea of good is:
cheaper, or better quality.
I guess, both :).
Now I got one that will work for as long as I live, and it is from this family of vacuums:
http://www.simplicityvac.com/
These vacuums are not sold in regular stores, only a specialized store sells them. Online on this site, you can find the nearest store where they sell them retail. Even if you will find a different 'brand' there, these stores know what they ask money for, and you know it is worth spending it: they have the best.
If you get one, you won't need to get another one even when you will be a happy greatgrandma. They had a different name for this brand, and they looked different in 1950s, but my father-in-law, 85 years old, still used the one in 2005, although he bought it in 1950s. The same factory makes "Simplicity" vacuums now.

There are many cheaper vacuums that break often. I worked in the place where they sell vacuums, so I know how many are brought back = the money saved on the price makes you spend more money on buying vacuums more often.

I just waited, put money 'in the stocking", got enough to buy a good one and now I am extremely happy!!!

THE CHOICE IS DEFINITELY YOURS. GOOD LUCK!

Definitely the Dyson. I have the one with the ball and it glides around corners so easy. There is no better vacuum! They have them at Costco sometimes for less.
M.

I can not give you all the answers you're looking for, but I can tell you we have a Kirby and we love it. Our Kirby is about 15 years old and works as good as the first day we bout it.

They are expensive, but you do get what you pay for. The Kirby has a lifetime garauntee. I think it is worth every dollar!

Happy shopping!

We bought a Dyson last year and it has been really great. I couldn't believe how much dirt I suck up every time. Especially the first day we had it, I went through the whole house and had to unload it twice. It's a bagless and it's really nice not to buy bags. I take it right outside to empty it because otherwise the dust gets everywhere if you try to empty it in the house. I've really liked it. It does have a beater bar also, so you don't want to use it on really long shag.

I LOVE my Dyson. I got mine from Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% coupon from Linens & Things, which they honored. As far as I know, Dysons don't go on sale very often, but when I got the 20% off, I saved LOTS of money...

If you want the best vaccuum in the industry get a Lindhaus: my favorite place to order all my cleaning supply's is www.clean-supply.com

A Hepa filter is a commonly used word- there are tons of different levels of hepa filters, you have to check the levels to see how much filtration there really is. Lindhaus has a five stage filtration process and picks up at a much higher level.

I'd have to recommend the Miele. They are very well made, lightweight and have a very long life expectancy. Is what I have and the thing SUCKS. haha. Don't know much about the Dyson, but they do seem to spend an awful lot of money on advertising (so how much is left for production?).

HEPA filters can make a difference, but it depends on how the machine is made and how the filter is maintained. e.g., a Miele HEPA vacuum is far superior to a Hoover, in fact I'm not sure the Hoover HEPAs do much of anything at all.

Before you buy, you should go to a sew&vac type of store, like Gall in Frandor. You can try out different models, they'll listen to what you need and advise from there.

I've always been a firm believer in buying things like vacuums, sewing machines, etc., from places where there's a guy/gal in the back who actually knows how the things work.

Hope this helps. I've wasted a lot of money on cheap vacuums at places like Kmart and Bed Bath Beyond, have finally learned my lesson. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

We use a Rainbow Vacuum. We bought a used one for $500 11 years ago and it's still useable. We did buy a new one 4 years ago because the use one was so old we couldn't get replacement parts for the carpet sweeper. I have asthma and because it is a water vacuum it doesn't put dust particles into the air. It's a wonderful vacuum for those will allergies. Our new one was expensive but it was worth it and they do last!
Best of luck,
S.
http://www.YesToSuccess.net/S.
creating wellness one family at a time.

I also have a Dyson vacuum and I LOVE it as well!! It's the best vacuum I've ever had, especially to clean up after my two year old. =)

I'm with all the other Dyson lovers... it's awesome. We have dogs that shed so we have the Dyson Animal.

If you decide on a Dyson, be sure to look online or in the entertainment book for a coupon for Sharper Image. Many stores like Sharper Image, Target, Sam's and department stores have it so you can price compare easily. I used Discover cash back vouchers and an entertainment book coupon to get mine a several years ago when Sharper Image was the only store carrying it. I believe that Bed, Bath & Beyond carries it also and maybe you would be able to get by with using a 20% off coupon there! I think it might be in the exclusions, but I recall a clerk one time telling me they don't care and let you use the 20% on anything.

My husband bought me a Dyson animal for my birthday last year and I LOVE IT!!! It is well worth the price. Most of my floors are hardwood and it works great for them and my carpet. The suction power is hands down the best I have ever seen! The hose is easy to use as well. I have gone through alot of vaccums and will never buy another brand again! I have a dog and a cat so we bought the animal, but I have heard great things about the other models too from many of my friends! Let me know what you buy and how well you like it no matter what you decide! Happy shopping!

I have a Dyson and love it! I have 2 boys plus we have 2 dogs and 3 cats. I had it before we got the cats. I used to hate vacuuming becuase I felt like I could not tell a difference but now can tell that I did do something. Yes, they are costly but worth it. Good luck!

The best vacuum that I have ever come across is the DYSON!! The thing that makes this vacuum different is that it never stops "sucking" while in use. Other vacuums do not operate this way, and there is no bag to have to purchase. I would definately buy another one! I have six kids and this vacuum does make the carpet look new every time! I love it!!
M.

I have a Kirby and I never use it. It is expensive to maintain and very heavy. I would spend forever getting the hose and the brush back and forth.

Regardless of the brand I would strongly recommend one that the hose is attached and either by a switch or just taking the hose out it is in use. It has saved me sooo much time... with a pull on the hose I can do baseboards, steps etc without the work of looking for, attaching or removing any other piece. When I am done with the hose I go right back to the regular vac until I get to the next room.

Good luck!

Hi,
I used to work at a retail store and am sure that you can find some good sales now on a vaccum. This is the slowest time of year for retail and so they want to get you in their stores with some sales on big items. Also, if you want to spend the money - get a Dyson. They have no filter to change. If you do look at a vaccum with a filter - look at the price of the filters that you are going to have to buy when you need to replace them in a year. Some are $30 or $40! If you cannot afford a Dyson: we retail workers knew to stay away from Dirt Devil. Biggest vaccum returns and problems out of any brand we sold! Just some advice!!! S.

Sears Kenmore Progressive Canister model 27514 is a great machine. It has the HEPA filter. We have pets, so I found this to be the best value with great suction and with the HEPA filter there is no dust. I paid about $250 in October '07 and really like it.

I love my purple dyson! I use it every other day because of pet hair and have had no problems with it EVER! I've had it for over 1 1/2 years and it still has the same suction as the day I purchased it. They are worth the extra money!!!