Looking for a Canister Vacuum

Hi K.! First, pleaase note I am NOT a vacuum salesman! However, if you truly want one that will literally last you for generations and is the very best on the market in terms of canisters, I would highly recommend Electrolux. Be blessed!

DYSON! Go to amazon and read the reviews for Dyson...I found it really helpful. Yes it was a little pricey but I will never have anything but a Dyson from now on. We have 2 big hairy golden retreivers, a cat, 3 little kids and 1 big one (my husband) who, unfortunately, are not great about taking their shoes off...and we live on a farm. I'd be lost without my Dyson!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Dyson! I think my carpet doesn't even look dirty, then I vacuum before putting my 7 month old down, and I am always amazed at what comes up!! It is worth every penny!

I love my Dyson canister. Yes, DYSON DOES MAKE A CANISTER!! I'm not sure if people realize that! It's a newer style that is not available everywhere. It makes the carpets look new and gets the floors so clean they look like they were mopped. We have two cats and the vacuum gets rid of all the cat hair on the carpets, which is essential with an 8 month old in the house. We got it at Bed Bath & Beyond. We used one of the 20% off coupons. I think they only carry it online. In order to get the discount you have to go into the store and order it through the store. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&...

Hi K.
In 38 years of marriage I have had alot of vacuums. I hated the Kirby--too heavy but did the job. I never got a Rainbow after seeing the work my friend had to do to keep it clean. Finally got a good Electrolux and love it. Mom had one and I don't know why I didn't start there. I also have an Orek upright, and use it most of the time now.
That's my story, don't have a need for a new one.
K. SAHM with 4 grown children. Everything is heavy these days.
Grandma of one, and empty nester as my twins headed to college this fall after years of homeschooling.

I have to agree with the Kenmore (Sears) response. I have had 3 only because we keep upgrading - but we could still be using our first. We initially got a hand me down when my dad broke a little piece off of his and the stick wouldn't stand up on the canister anymore (trivial, really) and my parents bought a new one. After a few years we moved that one to our vacation home and bought a new one for home. Four years later we bought a rental house and needed to provide a vacuum as it is fully furnished. So once again we moved our vac and bought the latest version. Extra accessories are stored inside and the attachemtns for the stairs and the car are fabulous. I wouldn't go back to an upright for anything. :)

I am another vote for Kenmore! We have had 3 over the years and they have all lasted a LONG time.... The last one we got has the Hepa filter and we couldn't be happier! Sometimes I wish it would break just so that I could get a newer model. But it keeps on ticking ;^)

Good luck!!

I know you said you wanted a canister type vacuum...
BUT....
I have a dyson. Its an upright, but I LOVE it. We have a son with allergies, and the hepa filter in the dyson is awesome.

The dyson has this crazy wand that use can use to reach ceilings, or you can "park" the dyson at the bottom of your stairs, and use the wand to clean the stairs.

I used to live in a 3rd floor apartment. I could park the dyson at the bottom of the stairs and clean the steps all the way to the second floor landing.

And then you just hold the canister over the garbage, press a button, and all the dirt falls into the trash.

I've had mine now since 2005. I love it, and I've never had a problem with it.

Goto Sears, they will gladly give you a demonstration. The thing is genius.

electrolux!!! expensive, but the best vacuum by far!!

i bought the dyson pet vacum and it seems to me to be a waste of money doesnt really suck that great i feel it just throwing the dirt around instead of sucking it up....but now we have an electrolux vacum and its great i mean its one of those vacums that will suck up anything and everything and its a lil pricey but its worth the money

Dear K.,

I have the Oreck XL and I love it. It is great for people with allergies. I have a golden retriever dog and you can imagine the dog hair. This vacumn works well and is so light weight that it is easy on your back. They usually have a special where you get a free lightweight canister for the steps which is really powerful. I have had my vacumn for about 3 years now and not one problem. My friend has the dyson and she borrowed mine to compare and she said she liked the Oreck better. I think cost wise it is comparable, dyson may be more. I purchased mine at QVC.

I got a Miele canister vacuum and love it. There are various models ranging from a few hundred $ to $1500. Mine has a lot of bels & whistles plus a hepa filter. You would need to pick the model that has the features and attachments you need. Highly recommended.

LOVE my old sears canister! I'm really rough on it and use it everyday and it works great!

DYSON!
I hate the canister - I don't understand why people like it and my mom LOVES the canister...
Upright dyson is so easy to maneuver....
Stairs are a pain, but I use another hand held vac for the stairs instead...

Hope that helps...

I just bought an upright. It's a dyson ball and I LOVE IT! It's light and simple and turns easily. I vacuum the corners of my stairs with the attachment. Only drawback for me is the short cord, but worth the sacrifice of changing outlets often or using an extension. GOOD LUCK!

I have a dyson, I LOVE IT! We have a dog and it picks up all the hair! The best part, it doesn't smell. Most vacuums smell after several uses, just because of the nature of what your vacuuming up. All of my other vacuums (seemed like we were buying a new one every year) all smelled after 1 or 2 uses. The Dyson doesn't because of the high quality hepa filters. I've never had an issue with it clogging, even when the canister is full. I know Dyson's are expensive (more than I've ever spent on a vacuum), but it is well worth it!

I have always loved my Kenmore cannister vacuum from Sears. I had my own cleaning business for a year and a half and used it every day and tackled everything from construction debris, to soot, to vacuuming upholstry and drapes. I think that machine lasted almost 10 years! My parents have a rustic resort with 16 cottages and during spring cleaning, we put their Kenmores to the test as well. They are affordable, fairly light, easy to manouver, and come in some pretty colors. My sis-in-law has a red one.

I got an Electrolux Oxygen 3 because my mom always had an electrolux and they used to come to your house to sell you a new one when you wanted one or for repairs. They don't do that anymore. Also I hate my vacuum. The hard floor attachment is great and I can even use it on some thin carpets of rugs. The rug attachment is horrible. You can turn the handle all the way to the right so that you can go under couches or tables but that feature prevents you from going to the right when you're just vacuuming your carpet. There is no attachment for the stairs like the had on older models. There is also a handy dandy slot to stick the handle so that it stands upright. It has broken twice in two years.
I would go to the store and test drive one of those Dyson ball jointed vacuums and see if that's right for you.

My husband and I bought a Kenmore canister from Sears over 15 years ago and with two girls, a cat & a dog - it's still doing a great job! Recently I was looking at the new ones they have out and truthfully the prices are only slightly higher - was thinking about tossing mine down the stairs so I could get a new one!

Love this vacuum (and it happens to be on sale on amazon - you can buy it a bed, bath and beyond using their discount coupons they send in the mail)! http://www.amazon.com/Electrolux-EL6985B-Harmony-Canister...

HI K.,
I don't know what your budget is for a vacuum but Simplicity makes the best canister because the dirt does not pass through the motor as it does in all other brands. However it will cost about $500.00
If that is not in your budget I recommend a Sears Kenmore. A very good product and affordable.
Another good product is the hand held light weight Oreck. It usually comes free if you buy their light weight upright but that is expensive too.
M.

Hi K.,
I just bought a Dyson and I LOVE it!! The first week we bought it, I used it 3 days in a row! It's pricey, but I think it is worth it. My brother got his Dyson from www.woot.com Everyday they have a discounted item for sale and sometimes they sell dysons. I got mine from Target when they were having a sale and got a $100 target gift card with it.
Whatever you decide, do the research and you can save $$. Best of luck in your new home!

I would say once you find out what kind or kinds you are interested in, based on the responses below, try Craigslist and search for it and you'd be surprised how cheap you can get one from your local area (if you are from the same area as me - there is one for the Buffalo area).

I've had good luck with that in terms of buying baby items, books and stuff.

Good luck.

Hi K.,

I have tried many vacuum cleaners as I used to clean houses with my mother. We have both found that the Kenmore Canister Vacuums are the best and most durable. My mother just replaced hers that she used for 6 yrs(the reason being my sister backed over it with the car! lol). Here is a link to the one that I currently have. http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_9990000058445211P
I LOVE IT. It is a bit pricey, but definitely worth it. The power is amazing, and I don't have to deal with bags. It's very easy to empty.(and find things you accidently sucked up...I have 5 kids ages 8 and under so I'm constantly doing that, haha). Kenmore's regular canister vacuums are must as good though. They all have excellent filters for trapping dust and such.

S.

Get a Dyson. They are definitely more expensive but worth EVERY penny. They are light, so taking them up and down stairs is no issue. I have had mine for almost 3 years now and the suction is JUST as good as the day I got it. Every other vacuum I have ever had has lost suction within the first year.
When I first got the Dyson, I did a test and thoroughly vacuumed my bedroom carpet with my Kenmore, which was a good model at the time. Then, I did it with the Dyson. I was absolutely APPALLED at what came out of the rug. Spend the money, you will be glad you did.