Vacuum Help

I've got one like yours, and though it definitely picks up the dog hair, you're right--it's disgusting!

Before I bought that one, I had a Rainbow. I bought it after one of those home demonstrations, on credit, even though my family was on food stamps at the time. That was back in 1993, and it worked beautifully up until last year, when my family finally burned out the motor. We did NOT do much to keep it clean or properly maintained, and I think it would have lasted much longer if we had. I still have it--it would cost about $500 to fix, and I think it would be worth it if I had the money. Picked up everything. Never clogged, because it doesn't use filters--it uses water, spinning at such a high rate it gets close to a molecular mist spinning around and capturing dirt. Then you dump the water--which I will admit is also pretty gross, but you can dump it down your toilet or in a garden compost and it's much easier to deal with than a dry mess. I always rather perversely liked seeing how much dirt and gunk I was getting. The best thing about it for me was that it NEVER kicked dust up into the air--and you could also run it for a few minutes with clean water and a few drops of a good smelling essential oil (some also disinfect, like lavendar or cedar), and the room would feel better afterwards.

No, I don't sell them! But if I could afford it, I'd fix mine in a second.

Fiora

Hi K.,

At the end of 2006 I went and bought another Hoover, because I'm alot like you, thought that I was somehow bad luck to vaccums. This one seems to be a good vacuum suction wise, but you're right, I get so much junk eveywhere trying to empty it, which has to be done frequently with 2 dogs and 3 cats, plus 3 kids and the hubs. And, I have severe allergies to animal dander(odd we have pets, eh?) and if I don't remember to take some allergy med before I empty, the dust gets on me and everywhere else, and I sneeze and nose runs, eyes itch for hours! It's miserable.

I have no really good recommendations for vacuums, but before I got this Hoover, my son mentioned to his friend's mom I wanted to buy a Dyson. She told him to tell me not to bother. She spent almost $700 on hers, and she said it would have been just as well to buy one of the others they had at Target, Kmart, Walmart etc.

I had looked at the Healthy Home vacuum and it seemed like an excellent vacuum, but basically, with all those bagless dump vacuums, you will probably get alot of dust no matter what. I didn't have enough to get the Healthy Home at the time(or the Dyson), so I went with my Hoover Mach 5. It's multi-cyclonic, supposed to filter out 99.9% of allergens etc. Just all around messy to empty still, and I had two Dirt Devil bagless before(Hoover's a litle less messy than those ones). THOSE are the ones I recommend against. Two different Wind Tunnels, and they didn't last long at all. Broken belts, suction gets weak soon after buying, etc. I had a Hoover before those two, so I decided to try another one.

Good luck finding your perfect vac match. I haven't owned a good vacuum since my Panasonic way back on 1990, and unfortunately, I blew that one up plugging it into a 220v wall socket--it was a 110v, and we lived in Germany at the time. I forgot to use the converter. :o(

I'll be reading your replies to see what others say.

K. W

Buy a Dyson. I have two sisters with them and they LOVE them. I don't have much carpet in my home, so I have a cheepy (and no pets). They are truly incredible machines. The one sister has cats and she got gobs more hair up from the carpet once she started using the Dyson.

Buy it, try it, and if you hate it -- return it by the necessary date.

Kirby, all the way. I grew up with one, my in-laws have one. My brother-in-law found one on ebay for 1/4 of the price. WE are buying ours this week, after borrowing my mom in law's for a month. It does everything, and lasts a life time!

K.,
I have also had the same issues with vacuums, and when my husband and I first moved in together, he had a Kirby. It is god's gift to house cleaners! It's probably 10 years old already, and it's still working like he got it yesterday! Yes, it's a little pricy, but it's got not only the vacuum, but comes with a carpet cleaner kit, and ALL the attachments! It's not bagless, but VERY easy to change. Hope this helps!

We too have a retreiver, and a Dyson Animal (purple). Overall, I think it's an excellent vacuum - it does a good job of picking up the pet hair and has a long extension hose and good tools for getting into corners and other nooks and crannies. It's much cleaner to empty than my previous bagless vac (a Eureka, I think) -- you pull a trigger and the canister opens from the bottom. So, you can empty it into the trash, use the trashcan edge or floor to close the door, and keep a safe distance from all the dust.

My only complaint is that the beater bar seems to get gummed-up with hair fairly easily, and it doesn't clean nearly as well when that's the case. So if you see a decline in performance, be sure to clean that out.

I usually check out Consumer Reports on these kinds of items...their top 2 uprights are both Kenmore models from Sears. They are both less expensive than the Dyson and rate better for pet hair pick-up:

Kenmore (Sears) Progressive with Direct Drive 35922
CR Best Buy
$300

Kenmore (Sears) Progressive with Direct Drive 36932
$350

I absolutely LOVE my Dyson! I bought it at Costco (DC 14 Full Kit) for around $470. I figured that, since Costco has such a good return policy, we could return it if it didn't work out.

I've had it for about 1 1/2 yrs now and I've never once regretted that purchase. It cleans very well; I have a dog who sheds a lot, too. It picks up her hair and doesn't "clog" the beater bar. (Even my hair doesn't!)

We have to dogs, a cat, and my husband does hardwood floors. He brings tons of dust and dirt into our house. I had several vacuums that just pumped the animal smell right back into the air each time I vacuumed. This last year we bought a Tri Star air purification system/vacuum. It works better than any I've seen or had. If you have the money for a Kirby or a Rainbow it's worth it to have a demo on each, including the Tri Star. It will really impress you. It has a charcoal air filtration system on board and great suction. After a year we have yet to have a problem. Money well spent for our family.

If you are willing to sink some CHANGE into a vacume, I have never met anyone who was dissapointed with a Kirby. I personally have a kennmore canister vacume and I just LOVE IT. It has a corner attachment so you can get into all those touch corners and since it is not an upright, it's easy to get underneath things like furniture or even the table with out all the muss and fuss of moving things around. It also has hypoallergenic filters and bags so all that nasty dog hair stays inside the vaccume and all the allergenic particles stay in the vaccume instead of getting pushed back into the air. My mother-in-law is a house cleaner and has never used anything else (kennmore canister only) and she always has dogs too (she used to be a dog groomer). There is never much stray dog hair in her house. I know the thought of a canister vac may not be appealing, but I will never use anything else. I just can't get my house clean with an upright.

Hi there!
We have a black lab that should be bald by now because she sheds so much! :) We bought a Dyson, the purple one, about 4 years ago and have had no problems with it at all and it really hasn't lost suction just like the ads claim!
We were tired of buying a new $100 one every year or so and just decided to go for it and spend the extra money - so far has been a great purchase!
Good luck!
L.

K., I am on my second Kirby and would have nothing else but a Kirby. I have a miniature pomeranian..has fur not hair and sheds alot...plus a long-haired siamese cat and a golden lab. They are all house pets...talk abouthair when I vacuum. But my kirby is great! I use the bags that nothing can get back through them and they are very easy to change.Kirby's are expensive but they last faorever. The only reason I am on my second is that I traded up for the new model...nothing was wrong with the first one but the newer oneis a little lighter. I love all the attachments...I do my couches, beds,curtains...etc.
You might look into getting a demonstration of one.My daughter just bought her first one and she loves it. whenthey come out really dicker with them because...they wanted $2500.00 for hers when they first came and she got the vacuum and all the attachments and the shampooer for $1500.00.They are great for the cars and have the attachments that get into all the nooks and crannies. Just my opinion. I love the shampoo attachments and usethem alot as i also have a daycare and two teenagers 15 & 17. So talk about rug traffic. Hope this helps..L.

K. we had this same problem. Our Golden passed away last fall but he will always be with us. We also have 3 cats, one with long hair. We went through a LOT of vacuums, every year or more often. Our Oreck was no help. Our Dyson Animal vacuum that we got a couple of years ago on the other hand has been a dream. It's easy to dump out, not messy, and we rarely had to clean out the roller bar. It's expensive but it is SO worth it.

Here is what looks like the 5th vote for the Kenmore Progressive Intelliclean with Direct Drive. My husband does massive research before ANY purchase. The research for a vacuum included online research as well as traveling to various stores to actually try out the vacuums. He settled on this Sears vacuum and I LOVE it. We have a flat-coat retriever (basically a black version of the golden) and this takes care of the copious amounts of fur he leaves all over the house. It also takes care of the ground crackers, etc. that my 2 and 4 year olds leave all over the carpets. It's a bit heavy but has a good wand and it's so worth the extra weight. Hope this helps. Looks like you've got many many opinions to wade through.

I have both an oreck and dyson vacuum cleaners and I would buy another dyson vacuum cleaner before I would an oreck. The oreck is definitely lighter but it doesn't have a wand on it and I think the dyson does a better cleaning job.

Hey K.,
I am a vacuum freak!!! I love my Dyson Pet Vacuum it is the purple one. I use it almost every other day as I have a 13 year old, an almost 2 year old and another one on the way. We also have a sort haired chihuahua that is shedding all the time. It is super easy to use and really easy to clean. I take it apart and wash the enitre unit about once a year, it does have to air dry, so cleaning it in the summer is better.
I bought my on ebay so it took the sting (a little) out of the price tag, but not much.
I would not have anything else.
Hope that helps.
H.

Go with the Dyson, it’s definitely worth the money. We have had ours (the one for animals) for about four years, and I still love it! We have a lab border collie mix and two cats (you can imagine the hair!) I use it all the time, and have never had any problems.

-M.

Hi K.~
This is so weird! I was just telling my childrens' grandma (adopted them as her own grandchildren nearly 20 years ago because my husband's and my moms are both dead) that I really need to find a different vacuum. I use a bagless stick vacuum which I do like because of the ease of it, but like you, I think they are messy and a hassle because every time I empty it I then have to use either my upright or the shop vac to clean the filter. And since my whole house is laminate wood floors, (which I do like)I have to empty it every time I vacuum, which I try to do every two or three days.
You didn't say what kind of floors you have, but can you use just a regular upright with a bag? I have a Hoover Runabout. It has on board attachments and I really like it, but it does not work well on the laminate floors because it takes too long to do all the floors with just the hose. I've had it for years and it just won't wear out! I'm going to keep an eye on your request because I, too, am interested in checking out a Dyson.

Good luck to you.

I have both Oreck and Dyson and I like them both for different reasons. Oreck is small, light and easy to maneuver, the suction is not to good. The Dyson sucks everything even the light carpet!!!! but is very heavy and you have to lift it every time you go over the edge of a rug Has a very good suction and even after vacuuming daily with the Oreck at the end of the week when I use the Dyson the container is full. There is some dust when I'm emptying it but i'm happy that is not on the floor anymore. So my advise would be to get a Dyson if your home gets messy.
Good luck.

I am really happy with my new Sears progressive direct drive vacuum I purchased three months back. It was the highest rating for its price 259.99 I think is what I paid for it but it might have been cheaper. I had pugs and they shed a lot and since they are both gone now I needed to get all the hair out of the home because of the allergies I have gotten since moving here.
Burber carpeting picks hair up like a magnet, and this vacuum has a senser on it that goes from red to green when it is clean. I am not finding anymore hair and the carpet looks great!
I have had a rainbow water unit in the past, and although they are great they were too hard to clean the filter each time.

I haven't heard anything good at all about Dyson vacuums, and consumer report doesn't give a very good report either.

Good luck!

Hello.

With 4 cats, 2 kids & a back yard in the remodel rocess i HATED my bagless too. YUCK. I went to Starks vacuum (gresham store, but there are others around town.

Told them what my needs were, Easy to push, could handle the profuse amount a dirt on carpet, & contain the whole mess. They showed me the insides & what lifts the dirt, how much power, & how the bags also act as an air filter, in addition to the container. I settled on a SANITARE HEAVY DUTY 840 watts with a commercial motor. My housekeeper is 60, and she can handle it OK. It's important that the debris falls into the bag from the top, so the machine isn't pulling the silt back through the bag.

You can spend up near $1000.00 if you want but that was out of budget. Mine was less than $600.00. I find that the bags are much cheaper than the filters I had to buy for the bagless, & the ease of use was worth every penny. They can help you decide how much machine you can get for the money you have to spend. Good luck & happy vacuum trails!

Ang

I love my Oreck, especially the little canister that you can get witht he upright as a package. It is like a little shopvac, almost, and can get anywhere. The upright has a hepa filter and is super powerful, but you really need both. ps I have poodles that I love, and I do avoid the hair issue!!!

I have had my Dyson for 3 years now and LOVE it! I have dust allergies and this one is the only vaccum that doesn't make me sneeze when I use it. It's true when they say it never loses suction! It was the best $$$ I ever spent!

I LOVE my dyson. Bought it severel years ago and it is still going strong and I can't imagine what I would do without it. It is heavy but it picks up EVERYTHING! Got the costco package and will probably never own anything else.

Hi K.,

Kirby's are spendy but absolutely wonderful. It's worth the money! :)

Dear K.,

There was an article in our paper this morning about vacuums and I found it interesting that they said the bagless were messy and also can harbor more bacteria.
mold and odor in the filter. Consumer reports review of more than 60 upright and canister vacuums rated a $300 Kenmore Progressive as the best buy beating Dyson and Kirby. Electrolux Oxygen was rated the best cannister vac in 2008 because it cleans best and has a very good airflow. See consumer reports March issue
Hope this will be helpful. Sincerely, D. R.

I currently own a dyson, I have some things I love about it a few I don't. I love the fact that now matter how full the vaccuum is, it still has the same amount of suction. The bagless can be messy, but I like it better, you can see how full it is and when it needs dumped. I have a canister cause I like them better than the upright. The only things I don't like about it is the length of the cord and the hose seems thin to me. The kids haven't done anything to it yet! I have a 12,10,&6 year old.
S. W

I would check out what Consumer Reports latest vacuum report says. You can get it online for a small fee or probably at the library. I DO remember them saying bagless is over-rated. I splurge on the heavy-HEPA bags, as I have 3 pets!

I bought a dyson last year and I love it! If you look around sometimes you can find them in the 300 dollar range at a big lots. But if you have animals then I would pay the money and get the dyson animal.
I vacuumed before I bought mine, came home and vacuumed again and I was amazed at what the dyson sucked up. So no. I don't think it is a waste of money. I think buying crappy vacuums over and over again is.

Good luck.
D.

When you use the vacuum, Make sure to throw away the dirt stuffs(dog's hair). Then you can clean the cleaner wipes or damp rag with soap to clean. If you dont clean the plastic crannies/nook. It will build more dirty and dust. best way to clean at each time when you clean to vacuum and dirty throw away and clean it before put back on vacuum.

K.

We also have a Dyson and love it. Target seems to have good deals on them a lot, which is where we bought ours about 6 months ago. Also, you don't really need to spend the extra money for the "pet" Dyson. We have two cats that shed a LOT year round (not to mention all the gunk they track in from outside) and our "bottom of the line" Dyson works wonderfully. Also, it's very easy to empty and clean.
A.

We have a Dyson and we love it--we have 3 furry cats and all the hair gets picked up. It is a well made elegant machine with no parts to lose. Emptying the container is easy. It removes with the push of a button and then the bottom opens with the push of another button. All we do is hold it over our trash can. Everything snaps back into place easily.

We had a Kirby prior to the Dyson. I found it to be very heavy, ungainly, and not worth the $2,000 even with the addition of the carpet cleaner.

Oreck...all the way!!

K.,

I understand your frustrations with the bagless systems. We had one, and I hated it!!

About Christmas time, we purchased a Hoover Windtunnel 2. It is a bagged vacuum, and I love it. It is heavier than I am used to, but I figure my arms could use the workout!!! :)

Good luck finding a good match.
T.

Another vote for Dyson! I got the Dyson Animal with the Ball feature & it's amazing. I shopped the hell out of all the stores & ended up at Linens & Things & used their 20% off one item coupon & this made it cheaper than Costco's price!

My husband thought I was being silly, but when he used it the first time, he looked at me & said "OMG, now I get it!" It's the best money we've spent in a while.

We had a Roomba which I love & miss, but with our new friese carpeting, it was too think of a pile for the Roomba to do a good job. But....my Dyson kicks butt & I love it!!!

Buy it from Costco. That way, if you don't like it, you can return it. Cotsco sells Dyson. A few years ago I bought a Eureka vacuum and at was so heavy, it was ridiculous. I brought it back and they took it back.

I had the same problem for the first 5 years of marriage. The last 3 years we've had the Dyson Animal and I absolutely loooooooove it! It was sooooo worth the money! It has been 3 years and I'll be darned if it doesn't still perform up to it's name. We had yearly spent from $70-$100 for that first five years trying to find a model that we liked. So, yes this was way worth it. Keep it cleaned on schedule and it stays wonderful! Good Luck!

Hi,
I also have a golden retriever. I have found the Eureka Boss works best. Consumer Reports rates it as the best with pet hair.
Hopes this helps

We have a Dyson and it works great. We have a chow/sheapard mix and two short haired dogs and our vacuum has no problems cleaning up the hair. The vacuum is easy to dump into the garbage. I never have any mess. Good luck

Dyson is great. They make one for animals. Don't know about others.

Bissell makes a vacuum cleaner just for people with pets called the Pet Vac. If you go on line and check it out you'll see that people who owned Dyson's they paid big bucks for ended up liking the Bissell better. We purchased one as we have two large dogs and a cat plus my grandson who lives with us is crawling now so we have even more reason to care if the carpet is clean or not. The Bissell has been GREAT. It's amazing what it picks up. It's easy to use and if you get the higher priced model the vacuum part of if easily disconnects from the rest of the vacuum and it's a handy little vacuum we like to use to vacuum the stairs. We paid $169 at Target for ours. The lower priced model is $149.

I'm 53 years old and have owned MANY vacuums over the years. This is absolutely positively one of the best vacuums I've ever owned.
Regards,
C.

WAY expensive but LOVE our Kirby G six. Out of most budgets but we have had it 6+ years without a problem. Massive suction, lots of attachment options. It does have bags but has a rubber? thing that helps keep dirt/dust in the bag. I have dust allergies and I haven't noticed them getting worse when vaccuuming..... If money isn't a major issue. It is well worth it!

We have the Dyson Animal and love the job it does, but it's very heavy. We have a golden retriever and border collie and my son loves to cut paper into very small pieces that often end up on the floor. The tools on the Dyson don't always stay in place very well.

I also have an Oreck. We had the Oreck first but when we got new carpet the carpet salesman (not a vacuum salesman) suggested the Dyson because you could turn off the beater?? brush. Well, when we did this it didn't pick up the pieces!!!!!!!!!!! ........so the beater brushes are back on.

Now we have two vacs. I did like the oreck--plain, 2 speed settings for carpet and bare floors and worked well. A separate canister vac for edges. The vac is very light!!!!

Hello, I have the DC17 Animal Absolute and I love it! I wouldn't trade it for anything. I searched and searched and I found it on sale at Kohl's for a really good price. They are totally worth every penny.
S.

Hi K.,

A few years ago, we bought a used Miele. I thought it was expensive, but I had never heard of the brand and had no idea how much they cost. Now looking back, we got a great deal.

Our Miele was the Dog and Cat canister with a couple different attachments. I definitely recommend it. Plus, I recently stopped at a Miele vacuum store just to look, and they had a couple "used" top of the line canisters with a year warranty for the same price as a "new" bottom of the line unit. If you are willing to spend the money on a Dyson, the Miele might be worth a look.

Hope this helps,
L.

I too have had terrible luck with vacuums. I have a Bissell vacuum that is made specifically for pets and it only runs for about two minutes before overheating and it shocks me the entire time I use it.

My office has a Dyson and it works great! I really like it. It's easy to clean, easy to maintenance and never loses suction. It comes with great attachments as well.

I think it's worth the cost. If you have a Costco nearby you they have it for a little less than other stores.

Good Luck!

K.,
I have used both vacuums, Dyson and Oreck, and can tell you that you won't waste money on the Dyson. It really gets the dog hair and if you are careful emptying the canister inside a garbage bag you shoudn't have any problems. At home I prefer the Oreck for being so light and still have a good suction. I also like bagged vacuums better and the Oreck has been great for me. I own a housecleaner business and have been throught a lot of different brands, but I'm mostly happy with the Oreck.
But in houses with pets the Dyson would be the best option, even if it's a pretty heavy one. Plus you won't be using a bag/weekly.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
H.

Tyr a Consumer Reports online subscription...I did that when I was shopping for a vacuum. Your needs are different frommine so I cannot really recommend one for you, however, when I was ready to upgrade my current vacuum, consumer reports STILL recommended my current version!

K. ~

A few months ago I needed a new vacuum, I went to a vacuum store in downtown Bellevue (just on Main, I believe) and asked for recommendations. They didn't really like the bagless versions, but recommended others instead. I would actually notify a vacuum repair business and get there ideas (and you can try them out there as well). Oh, and don't get a Hoover!

Good luck ~ M.

I have a canister vac that is called a Vortec Force. They are expensive (about $1700 new, I got a used one for $800), but fully worth the money. They are not bagless, but are very easy to empty. I will never go to anything else ever again. The power is amazing!!!! Unlike an upright you can get underneath the furniture, where the hair likes to hide! I have a rat terrier and a border collie and does a great job of cleaning up the hair. We also heat with a wood stove and the fine ash/dirt is cleaned up with a single swipe. Mine came with a head for the carpet and a separate head for wood floors/linoleum (which is most of my house) as well as attachments for small spaces, narrow spaces and fragile things. I got it at Vacuum World in Salem.
Hope this helps!
K.

I have had a Dyson for about 3 years and I love it! I have had no problems and it sucks everything up!! My kids suffer from allergies so I vacuum everyday and it has never broke down like the 5 others I had before. It is a little messy when emptying so I do it outside or in the garage.
Good Luck
S.

Do you have lots of carpet? If so, I'd recommend what we have, a Kenmore Progressive from Sears. It's the best one for pet hair (we have a labrador) and carpet.

We have a Dyson, and I LOVE it!! I got the one at Costco about 3 or 4 years ago, it's very similar to the "Animal" model, only it's white. It's great and didn't cost a mint with all the extra goodies you'd expect to get through Costco. I usually use a plastic grocery bad to empty it into and I don't get dirt all over the place, even when placing the canister back onto the vacuum. I really have no complaints about it at all. That my 2 cents. :)

Hello, we have long haired dogs and live in Alaska and deal with dirt and mud. We've owned Hoover and Kenmore but Eureka The Boss is the best!!! My friend worked at a hotel where they used them. You can get bags that are by Arm & Hammer for premium allergen. Never deal w/ a bagless again. I even got mine on sale at Walmart for $53. My son will be 18 mos. in 10 days. He loves to help me. Good luck.

I have a Dyson and it is a DREAM!!!!!! It has the best suction power and gets dirt that you can't even see! I found mine at Big Lots last year and got quite a deal on it! It has been worth every penny I spent! You won't ever want to use another vacuum!

Hello!
We have a Dyson and love it. We had the same concern about spending so much - but haven't looked back since. It took a litle getting used to but really wasn't a big deal. Dyson even has a "pet" model, so you may want to look into that one. I don't know the name of the model we have but it's purple/lavender. And if you end up hating it, sell it on Craig's list or something. In fact, you could even look for one there if you want.
Good luck!

I highly recommend a Dyson vacuum cleaner - it is well worth the $500. We are in the process of selling our house and every person who has come through has asked if we have new carpeting! The carpeting is at least 8 years old. Also, we have two black labs and it's amazing the amount of hair the Dyson picks up.

I love my Dyson Slim. It really has changed our lives. Finally, a vacuum that doesn't smell like dog in its exhaust fumes! FYI, you can print out a coupon online from Bed, Bath & Beyond for 20% off any one purchase, and it applies to Dyson.

We bought the Bissell Heathly Home and love it! It's fantastic at sucking and it's very easy to empty. That was so important since I have severe allergies. We have 2 dogs, 1 cat and 8 children in the house regularly! I can't say enough good things about it. Beware, It's HEAVY~ But hey, vacuum the floor, get an arm workout- it's not THAT bad!
Got it at Costco for a little over $200. Lots of extras included.
D.

I love my Sanitaire. They are made by Eureka. It has that old school design. I did a lot of shopping around and discovered that that design is the best, and the parts that cause the vacuum are made of aluminum, not plastic that breaks when you run over something. I am super hard on it and it has kept up with me. Sanitaires are also used a lot in hotels and other commercial places, they are heavy duty. They are not cool looking like the new Dysons, but they really work. You can also find them cheaper that Dysons.

K.
I absolutely LOVE my Dyson, I have the pet one, and it is everything they say it is! For the best price, do a google search for dyson and "coupon" or "discount". I ordered mine on line and it was only 450.
T.

Hi, I used to hate vacuuming, we had a variety of upright bag and bag-less models over the years and none really seemed to do the job well enough (they were all budget models). Last spring we bought a great vacuum it is a Miele Anteres. It has a HEPA filter and it is great. We have kid, dog, and cats and it works wonders. I have also heard that Dyson is great, but we went for Miele for the long reputation of quality. I feel like a commercial for them, but they are great. If you are in Olympia South Sound Sew and Vacuum has great prices (we looked online and couldn't find a better deal). Good luck on your search!

Hi there, I have not owned a Dyson, but it got bad reviews from Consumer Reports, specifically the brand for pet hair! I have 2 vacuums right now, a Eureka bagless that sounds like your bagless (messy)and I can smell the dust in the air when I vacuum, not to mention it clogs up easily. We bought it for quick clean-ups. My other vacuum that I've had for YEARS is a Rainbow and I LOVE it! No dust in the air when you vacuum, and has attachments to dust furniture with so you don't have to stir up any dust while cleaning. Some people don't like to deal with the hastle of filling it with water and dumping after each use. I dump the dirty water outside, you can dump the dirty water in the toilet, but you'll want to remove the hair first. My son has asthma and allergies so it's important for us to keep dust and pollen out of the air! I hope you find one you like!
Kari

I am a 39 year old mom of 3 - 11, 15 and 18. Had a LOT of vacuums! I have a dyson - I LOVE it!! Would never have anything else - I have even had a central vac (built in). Did I mention I live in the country and have 2 dogs, 3 long haired rabbits and 4 cats + the 3 kids and a husband in the house??????? WELL worth the investment! And yes, it is clean and very easy to empty!

K.!
They are expensive, but sooooo worth it. I got an Rainbow last summer and I honestly will never ever buy another vacuum again, unless it is a Rainbow. My MIL has had hers since the 70's and it works like a dream still to this day. This thing picks up so much stuff that a bag/bagless leaves behind, traps it is the water bowl and then you flush it away. The pet hair/carpet creepers are stuck in the water and they cant make a mess...unless you spill on accident. :)
Hope you find what you are looking for!
T. S.~

My friend has a Kenmore progressive intelliclean and swears by it? I hope this helps.

I have a miele and I love it - also I would think the Oreck would be better than the Dyson- I DO NOT LIKE the bagless - I want it all contained and I can throw it away with no mess.

Hope this helps

i highly recommend the eureka smart boss vac. it's highly rated on consumer reports and even a kirby vac guy said you can't hardly beat the quality.

dyson all the way. we have the top of the line dyson from sears and love it i have two dogs and 3 kids. we have two dysons,my brother in law and inlaws all have one also. dyson also just upgraded there warrenty to five years so you don't have to buy any extra stuff. if you get it from sear you can take it to there warehouse for service if needed.

I wish I would have bought the dyson! We bought a hoover wind tunnel that is similar in that you can go bagless, but it is a pain in the butt. My brother bought the dyson and when my sister in law was showing me how it works, I wanted one so bad. You never have to buy any bags for it and that helps to have no more cost on that end.. Good luck.

I have a friend that owns a dyson and she says she would never buy anything else...She has two dogs that shed a ton! I know if I had the money I would purchase one!
good day!

Buy a Miele! I have one and it's fantastic! It's a canister which is great on stairs, if you have them and it's great with pet hair. I recommend it over the Dyson. Also, it has bags and a HEPA filter. I find the bags much easier to deal with than emptying a bagless.

Try the Dyson Animal, I have 4 friends that own this vacuum because they too have large dogs and 3 of the 4 have husbands that work in excavation ( dirt) so they have dirt clods everytime there husbands walk through the door. They love this machine.

Hi,
I love my Thermax, it would work so well for you. It is a canister type vacumn, all the dirt goes into a container of water and down the toilet. It helps keep the air much cleaner and cuts down on all the dust and gunk that we vacumn up every day since its trapped in water. It comes with a shampoo attachment also. It is a little expensive, not cheap but has a good strong motor and should last you for years. Hope you check it out. Good luck.

I just went through a vacuum purchase, so here's the skinny based on Consumer Reports. Sears Kenmore progressive models all rocked on the ratings. I opted for the canister vacuum this time because I've totally broken through a number of hoses on my old vac's, and this Kenmore Progressive Canister vac has a really beefy hose. It's the best vacuum I've ever had. It was $279. There are several canister and upright models that get more expensive as you go up. The most recent issue of Consumer Reports mag. just had vacuum ratings - so see if you can find it. Kenmore rocked, and the electrolux canister too (but only a very particular model). Hoover, Bissel and Dirt Devil not so good. Dyson didn't do well at all, and in general bagless vacuums do poorly.

Hope this helps. I can't tell you how much I rely on my vacuum, and use it every single day (don't ever get cranberry colored carpet - it shows EVERYTHING). My new Kenmore is awesome and all the controls are well thought out and useable without struggle - I bought the navy blue model.

Hope this helps.

Thank you K. for asking this question! My husband and I currently have an Oreck and I swear we have that thing in the shop more than we've had cheaper models. It's got a great, long cord and is lightweight, but we have found ours to be overrated. I just haven't found it worth the money that was spent to buy it. Lucky for us the staff at the Oreck store is extremely helpful since we've had to bring it in repeatedly. Thank you again for asking this question. We've held off on buying another vacuum, but I think it would be worth it not to listen to my husband complain about the vacuum every time he uses it!

HI -

I just wanted to respond and say I LOVE my Dyson. It was one of the best purchases we made. It is heavy but it does a great job. Yes, its a cansiter with no bag, but I just take it out to the garbage in our garage and empty it there. Its got an easy empty button. We have two cats, one of which is long hair mess of a fluff ball. The vacuum is fantastic at sucking up all that hair. Its expensive but I think worth it. My husband is less thrilled with it mainly, I think, because it is quite heavy. If you have a Golden, I would recommend going for the pet hair model. I know there is one with they advertise as dealing better with pet hair.

My in-laws have an Oreck and love it. They've had one for years and just recently replaced it. I can't say much about them, but they are in love with it. Another great feature for them is that its lightweight.

Good Luck

Costco was selling one of the Dyson models for awhile!

I have a Dyson and I love it.

I love my Dyson! I have a very hairy German Shepherd, and it pickes up the hair like a dream. Dumping it can be a little tricky, but it's really not too bad. Good luck!

dysons are good my old roommate had one but its very dusty when you go and clean it. but other than that it sucks really well... it started to pull my carpet up in my apartment... lol good luck with the vaccum hunting

I *LOVE* my Dyson vacuum. I have the purple one. I empty the cannister straight into a plastic trash bag so have never had trouble with mess. It was originally around $500, but I got it from bestbuy.com for $386. I hope that helps.

Take care,
Shaindel

I truly love my Dyson Animal. I, too, have always had problems with vacuums and went through one every couple of years. We have 3 dogs, a cat, and a family farm with stuff being tracked through the house constantly. I vacuum every other day, at least. So the thing has gotten a workout for the last (almost) 2 years that I've owned it. I know it was spendy, but I've beat it to heck and it's still going great. I vacuum hard floors and carpet, and use the tools all the time. I would definitely recommend it after having owned almost every other brand, it seems like. I don't know about the Oreck :)

We have a regular yellow Dyson, and couldn't be more happy with it. We tried the Animal first, as we had 2 dogs at the time, but found the extra attachments didn't really make much difference, so we returned it and bought the regular one instead. It's a dream! Based on our recommendation, both our moms bought them, and they love theirs too.

I'd recommend getting yours at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, because you can use the 20% off coupon.

We have a Dyson, and we love it. I think it's definately worth the money. Though I don't have pets (we will someday I hope :)), I have seen good reviews on the Dyson that is designed for pet hair (it's either the red or the purple one). The Dyson is easy to empty and it picks up everything. From my own experience I would avoid Oreck, they never worked very well.

Good luck

R. R. :)

Hello! I must respond to your request as I had just been having the same problems! I had a bagless and dark green carpet with a long haired German Shepard with lots of white and tan hair! I had gotten to the point of getting on my knees and combing the hair up because my vacuum wasn't doing it's job. My dad found a Kirby at an estate sale and I couldn't be happier! (It only cost me $25!) Just one stroke and 99% of the doghair was picked up! They are so sturdy, not very heavy and simply made. They have all the cool attachments plus one to shampoo with! All in one! I am in heaven, my carpets look brand new!! With 3 kids, 2 cats and a dog I couldn't be happier :)

I have the Infinity Pet Care System from Shark, and I am very happy with it. We have a golden retriever also and it does a very good job picking up her hair. The canister is very easy to empty and does not make a mess when you empty it. You do not have to open it until you have it inside the garbage can. It has many attatchments and has a nice long hose and telescoping arm. I got it at Costco for about $200, and I think it's pretty good for the price. It is also easy to clean, as you can take it all apart and wash it and use it 24 hours later. Hope this helps and good luck!

I think I have the same vacuum you do, and I agree! Crummy, and it gets clogged ALL the time. My sister, however, has the Dyson. I never thought I'd covet a vacuum...but...yeah. It's that good.

I hate my vaccuum, too. I took it into a repair shop and asked about the Dyson. The owner told me to forget about it, they are terrible. Check out your local repair shop and find out what they recommend, as well as consumer reports.

I've heard from a woman that cleaned houses that Oreck is the absolute best. The cheapest way to get a great vacuum is to check e-bay. If you can find an Oreck there, it will cheap and last forever in most cases. Good luck!

Hi K.,
I have a Filter Queen that I love. It was expensive and so are the filters and all, but it does an amazing job! It's easy to use has great attachments, is under a lifetime warranty if you keep up with their filter change schedule and it seems tough as nails! When it's time to empty mine, I take the cannister part out to the garbage can in the garage and tip it in gently. All the dust and hair slides right out and that's that. They come to your house to show you what's what and bring you your filters yearly and do a check up on your machine at that time too. Let me know if you would like more more info or how to contact them. I think I might get a credit from if I refer someone to them. It's really a great machine. K.

I have a Kirby. It's not bagless but I LOVE it and it works really well. They're pricey but they will litterally last for 20+ years

I am 45years old have owned many vacuum's in my lifetime, and my Dyson is the best, won't ever buy anything else,,,have owned it for 3 years, great suction, no bags, no mess...and if you tend to vacuum over the cord it won't suck it up..worth the money in my book. B.

Dear K., I loved your request! I can SO relate! My husband bought me a Dyson for Christmas over 2 years ago. It is the best vacuum I have ever owned. I am a 50 year old grandma now, and I'm a clean, floor freak(according to my kids). I bought an Oreck 5 1/2 years ago, and it fell apart so fast, I couldn't believe it. The only other brand that serviced my household well, was a Hoover. There is a reason that the Dyson is pricey. They are powerhouses! My best friend just bought a Dyson this past fall, and she too is delighted with it. I hope that you get one and that you enjoy using it as much as I do. Good Luck with your choice. Sincerely, S. Teague

Hey K.!

You didn't mention whether you have a lot of stairs in your home but we have had a regular Dyson for two years now and we really like it. We don't have pets (but we have 3 kids!) but they have the purple pet version and if it works like the regular one, you might like it. Their bagless collection cannister releases from the top (to get if off the vacuum) and the bottom drops out of it when you are over your garbage container/bag/whatever you use to get rid of the dirt. Nothing gets in the nooks and crannies because you take the cannister to the garbage. There is some dust however when you empty it into an open container (so I probably would recommend into a bag). You just shake it a bit and everything should fall out. I have seen the animal ones at Target for $429 plus they sometimes have promotions that add a Target gift card. They also sell a bunch of other attachments that fit the vacuum (anything you can think of for the vacuuming world). You never have to buy any filters or bags obviously. The hose feature (for doing stairs, little stuff, etc) takes a little bit getting used to but then its okay. The only thing that I think they could have done better is the handle in terms of carrying it up and down stairs. The handle feels good when vacuuming but not carrying it. I think they should have put some sort of handle on the side so you could use two hands. Anyway, I would check it out at least. Best Buy also sells them and may be able to demo them for you. We have another friend who rapturizes about her Dyson. We also got one for my mother who likes things really clean. She likes the way it vacuums but not having to carry it up and down stairs. Hope this helps a bit...

I LOVE my Kirby. I have had it for 10 years and it still works great (I also bought a newer one, one for upstairs and one for downstairs). They are more expensive than most but last for so long and work great. They have great attachments as well and can be used to shampoo the carpets. It is one of the best investments I've ever made in a product!! S.

I have really heard nothing good about Dysons. When I was pregnant with my son(who is now 6) my dh and I went to Stark's Vaccuum and bought a Riccar upright vaccuum for about $500 dollars. The suction was and still is great, even when using the hose and attachments to clean the hardwood floors. It is not bagless. However, this summer we took the Riccar in to be serviced and wound up looking at a Miele and I fell in love(or at least as much love as one can fall for a vacuum). It is a canister vacuum which is much easier to deal with on the hardwood floors, but still has the head that has the spinning brush for what few carpeted areas we have. It was REALLY pricey though, but we should not have to buy another vacuum for the rest of my life. I asked about the Dysons they carried and the saleman said that they stock them because people want them, but for the money there are better vacuums out there.
I would go to someplace like Stark's(a professional vaccuum store) and give them your price range and what you need the vacuum to do(allergies, pet hair, etc) and they should be able to guide you in the right direction.

K. ~
Spend the money on the Dyson! I love it!!!!! We have had ours for almost 4 years now & it still does a great job. I would recommend it to anyone. Especially anyone w/ pets.

Hi K.,

I LOVE my Dyson! We just bought it a month or so ago. I too have never had luck with vacuum cleaners. It really is amazing to see how much dirt comes out. As for emptying it, I too was concerned it would be a huge mess. However, I was pleasantly suprised! With one button, the canister removes, I walk it to the outside garbage can, press one more button and the bottom flips down and dumps the contents. I snap it together again and click back in the vacuum. Hasn't spilled in the nooks and crannies at all. Removing the handle makes it into handheld options. It isn't very intuitive at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is very easy to use.

Hope this helps!
C.

I !LOVE! my Dyson!!!!!! I have the purple one (for pets) and it was the BEST money I ever spent. The first day I got it I used it and my husband's bookkeeper came over and thought we had gotten new carpet! You just pull the tank off ond hold it over the garbage push the button and the bottom falls out and everything falls out. Nooks and Crannies? Pish Posh! The Dyson has fully removable parts so if you vaccum anything you shouldn't all peices snap off for easy removal, NO more CLOGS! No filters to replace, you just rinse the one in there every 6 months. I have had a Dirt Devil, Eureka, and a Hoover NEVER AGAIN! All my family and friends have switched to Dyson and I have yet to hear a complaint. If you know somoene who has one see if you can borrow it, I think you will be pleased.
S.
I Also have a yellow Lab

I have a Dyson animal (and a cat & dog & velvet sofa!) and love it. The attachments are great for upholstery and the canister empties with a push button that opens a trap door. Couldn't be easier! I found a good deal online after a Google search.

K., I have to tell you how in love with my vacuum I am. It's a sears kennmore canister. It has a hepafilter. I can get it into places that an upright can't. Plus, it's floor to carpet in one easy click of a button. My mom always used this vacuum and now I will never buy anything else. By the way, I'm not always this passionate about appliances. Just this. :)
A.
About me, I have two dogs, one cat and three kids. My vacuum kicks butt!

The Kirby is a great vacuum. It isn't perfect as far as convenience goes, but it does an outstanding cleaning job. I have bought them second-hand, though, and not spent anywhere near retail price. We bought the one we currently have for $100. It had belonged to an elderly woman, and when she died, her daughter inherited it. The roller brush had never been cleaned, and there was lots of dirt, hair, and even a dime lodged in the power head, so the vacuum wasn't working well. I'm sure the person we bought it from thought it needed repairs. We took it home and spent 10 minutes cleaning it up, and it has been working fine since then. They are built to last, and can be repaired. My grandparents had the same Kirby for 35-40 years! You can check Craig's list and the Nickel Ads for used ones.

Hello K.!

I have a red vacuum called the "Hoover Deluxe Elite Rewind" and I love it. My hubby bought it for under $100.00 as I recall.

We were considering the dyson, but came to reality and said, "the dyson's just too expensive for a piece of equipment that's probably just as good as a vacuum cleaner that's in the $100 - $200 range." Spending $500 - $600 doesn't make any sense at all! I've heard good things and not so good things about the dyson. As far as I'm concerned, the hoover is a great buy. It really does the job for me. I do empty the hoover out each time I vacuum one room.

I just can't get over how much dust it picks up in one room. I have a lot of big rooms to vacuum too. The hoover is very quiet....I love it! It is easy to empty out the dust bunnies and it is bagless. You'll have to check it out online or see in the store. I don't recall where my hubby purchased the hoover. I'm thinking target, home depot or walmart....you may find it in those stores.

I just had to share with you that I am extremely happy with my hoover and that we didn't spend almost $700.00 just to vacuum, OH and the suction is great. You'll be so surprised at how much dust your vacuum will suck out of the rug. So disgusting, but you'll be so happy! I love it!!! \''/

Happy shopping to you!

K.,

I also recommend CONSUMER REPORTS, so you can pick the vacuum for your needs based on objective tests. I recently did the same thing -- I have a cat and dog, and am very pleased with my $150 EUREKA BOSS SMART VAC 4870, which was listed as a Consumer Reports Best Buy. While lots of people here have told you that they love their pricey Dysons, Orecks, Rainbows, etc., these vacuums did not justify their price in the Consumer Reports testing. Hope this helps!

Hey K.,
I know how you feel, so hopefully I can learn a little from this too. I do know that I have a bagless system that I HATE!! It is a Dirt Devil, (can't remember what style, it's green though) and it has seven filters. I don't even have a dog (or any animals for that matter) and I have less than 980 square feet of carpet (which is nothing!) and everytime I vacuumn I have to clean ALL of the filters and empty the canister. My husband has horrible allergies and they act up something fierce whenever I vacummn. So not sure of a good vaccummn but hopefully you will find this helpful. Good luck!!

I own a (very expensive) Miele Solaris. It was just the ticket with our husky and 3 cats. I've read and heard that the Kenmore Progressive Canister Vac is very similar to my Miele and costs about $200-$300 less.

My friend owned the Dyson and did not like it on hardwood floors.

Good luck!

I really love my Miele. It was very expensive ($1200)---- but has really lasted. We initially bought it when my son was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 2---12 years later, we are still using this same vacuum.

My mother-in-law turned me on to Filter Queen. She has owned one since she was married 38+ years. I got one a few years ago and absolutly love it!!! Yes they are expensive...but if you can find one that has been refurbished or a used one they are more reasonable. I have dogs as well and this is the only vacuum that gets it all and holds up!

I have purchased a mid range priced vacuum by Eureka. The model is the Altima and it a a bagless one. My husband and I have 6 children and it is excellent for getting hair and dirt out of corners and off of furniture and bare floors. It has an power claw attachment that is awesome! I would recommend this to anyone

Hi K.,

I feel your pain. I have a 2 year old, a Golden Retriever and a cat. We just bought a Dyson a few weeks ago and love it! It is amazing how much it picks up and it is so easy to clean! I think it is worth the money. Target has great deals on Dysons.

Happy Cleaning!
S.

I too love my Dyson, it is purple and specifically made for homes with animals. Which is great for us because my husband and kids are allergic to cats and dogs and while we don't have any indoor pets, it really sucks up the dust and hair when it gets tracked in. Also, we tried a Kirby and they are terribly heavy and not as convenient as a Dyson, and actually the Kirby salesman told me that a Dyson is the best vacuum you can buy in a store. We have had our Dyson for a couple years and it is still running strong! The Dyson bagless are different because you don't have to buy new filters, you just wash the filter by running it under the faucet, give it 24 hours to dry and you are ready to go. I just mark it on my calendar so that I remember to clean it every 6 months or so.

Good Luck!

I hated my Bissell, too, and it only lasted two years AND we had to replace the brush 3 times over those two years. Vacuums cost WAY too much money to be that... fragile? I don't know. I have two cats and rabbit who all shed a lot and allergies to their fur to go with it. The latest vacuum I bought was a Hoover PetVac. It has a bagless dirt chamber. If you aren't careful when emptying it it can get messy, but it is definitely easier to dump than the Bissell. It has an air flow meter so I can see when the hose is clogged with hair and it's totally easy to fix that problem. It's still not a dream machine, but it's the best vacuum I've ever used and it was a LOT cheaper than Oreck or Dyson. Oh, and it has lifetime warranties on the air filters!
I also read Amanda's response. My husband bought a used Eureka Boss Smart Vac in 1998 and we used it until it died in 2005, when we bought the crappy Bissell. It didn't have any fun attatchments, but it got the job done and the bags were cheap, easy to find, and easy to replace.
I hope that helps!

We had a Dirt Devil that we've been using for almost 8 years! We got it at Tartget and I loved it! It's probably still good if we replace the belt, but we live with my mom and she just bought a new vacuum. We went to Best Buy and got a Hoover Windtunnel. It was only about $200. I love bagless and my husband has nasty allergies. So far, this Hoover seems to be doing very well. The great thing about buying at Best Buy is that if you don't like it in 30 days, you can take it back for a full refund. Best Buy also had a Dyson that was really nice, but we didn't have that kind of money right now. Either way, you should check out Best Buy because they have quite a few to choose from! Good Luck!

My husband bought me a Roomba for Christmas and it's my FAVORITE THING ON THE PLANET! You can just schedule it to run at night or while you're gone or whenever. You'll probably need to empty the dust cartridge every time it runs(possibly more at first, because it picks up so much stuff from areas regular vaccuums can't get to), but it's so easy, it's about as hard as putting soap in the dishwasher every time you run it. I highly recommend it, and they are selling them now at Costco for really inexpensive. Worth looking into. good luck!

I love my Dyson. I have the one with the "ball". I don't know the number, I think it's a 17. It's one that is made for pet hair. It was worth the money.

I also have an Oreck and the only nice thing I can say about it is it only weights 8 pounds.

I have had both the Dyson and an Oreck. I love my Dyson! I have a Siberian Husky and understand the dirt/hair problem. We had our Oreck for about 10 years. It worked great but dog hair would clog the main tube that holds the bag up. It was a pain to unclog. The Dyson comes apart in much smaller pieces and is easier to clean. I have never had it clog like the Oreck. We've had the Dyson about 5 years and I still love it. Hope this helps in your decision making.

I absolutely Love my Rainbow vacuum it is a more expensive $1500.00 but it will pick up everything!! It is a water system so everything that goes in gets wet so it doesn't come back out~including dust,great for people with allergies.Mysister got a kirby just before I got my rainbow and my parents got a tri-star my sister still hes her kirby ~even though she hates it,since they spent so much $$on it her husband wont let her get rid of it.My parents tri star died after about 2 years,needless to say I "won" they are all about $1500.00 so get a demo on them all if your not sure.

I bought a Dirt Devil Vision II, with hepa Filter. I love it. My son is alergic to dust and I swear by it. Cheap....I bought it at Wal-Mart. Go figure:)It was $59.00 on sale that day. May normaly run around $70.00. Good luck.

Go with the Dyson, it is worth the money!! We have a cocker spaniel and two cats so you can imagine the hair we collect. I use the Dyson throughout my house on my hardwood floors and my carpet and it cleans like a dream.

We have a Dyson. WE LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. We are very hard on our vacuum. We have a Bernies (SP) mountian dog mixed with a husky. We also have to growing boys and all their friends.

The way you empty the Dyson is just hold the canister over the trash can (kinda down in) and press a button. The bottom comes open and the dirt, dust, hair, etc falls out. Now, because of the amount of hair I hit the sides of the canister on the side of the trash can or on my hand and the rest of the hair will fall out. It doesn't clog as a rule, but if or when it does (when I vacuum a toy or pen etc,) all the hoses and "trap doors" comes open and can be cleaned out really easy.

My Husband has allergies also and he has been doing great as long as I vacuum everyday.

I would think everyone would LOVE the Dyson. I think it's more than worth the money.

I hate my bissell as well so let me know what you discover.

C.

I couldn't stand bagless vacuums as well. However, I do love my Dyson. It is well worth the money you put into it. I have 3 children and a dog. I use it daily!

The great thing about it is that you can take it apart easily and clean it out. Very simple. I highly recommend it. I've had mine for 2 years now and it's still in primo shape. Good luck!

We have a Dyson and we LOVE it! We have 2 dogs that shed a lot, and a baby on the way. I strongly recommend it, I think you will be very happy with the investment - good luck!

Hi K.,
Looks like you got a great response to you question:o) I have never had a Dyson but, I just heard something about it recently that wasn't all that great so I have to tell you to check it out. Sorry, can't remember what it was. I do know that a Kirby weighs in at about a ton and so do most of the Hoovers. The Oreck is a great simple vacuum but, I'm not sure how it works with tons of dog hair. It is light however, and does a great job on carpets and hard floors. It doesn't come with attachments tho. My suggestion is to look into the Sears canister vacs like a few gals suggested. That way you can get into corners and up stairs. I do know they work great. Make sure it has powerful suction. My vacuum is installed into my house and I wouldn't give it up for anything. IT IS THE ONLY WAY in my opinion but, you have to own your own house. It can be installed in any house. Just plug the hose into the wall and go. No messes of any kind. Good luck with your search. Heavy doesn't make it better. A.

Hi K.,
I have problems with vacumes too. The Oreck does'nt pick up very well, and everyone I know who owns one has taken it in to be fixed a lot and it still does'nt work well. The Dyson worked well but when I took one of the cleaning attachments off it broke, they where thin plastic. I have a bagless and I blow everything out with the air compresser, which helps. They all have there pro's and con's.Good luck.