I want a vacuum that totally sucks.

[choie]

Cheap joke, I know. Anyway, I need to buy a new vacuum, but have been vacillating for ages on what brand and type to get. There are just too many options! Upright, stick or cannister?
Bagless or bagful? Hoover, Dirt Devil, Eureka, Shark, Euro-Pro, or other? HELP!

My history with vacuums is checkered. On the plus side, I had a good experience with my first vacuum purchase back in my college days: a Eureka Mini-Mite cannister that did a great job and was kinda fun to pull around. On the downside, a couple of years ago I bought a $50 Hoover Stick designed for hardwood floors that sucked -- and not in a good way. (Seriously, what genius puts an nonretractable brush around a vacuum head? It only serves to push the dirt away from the sucking action!)

So anyway, what types do you guys prefer? And can you recommend the ideal, most affordable vacuum for my circumstances?

Things that may make a difference in a recommendation:

- It's for a fairly small studio apartment with hardwood floors -- parquet, which is annoying 'cause there are so many damn crevices).
- I'm financially strapped, with a budget is $125 or less (with the emphasis on less).
- The vacuum will be living with three cats who aren't shy about shedding.
- No allergies but would like to avoid too much dust.
- I did mention I'm poor, right?
- I have almost no storage space, so I guess I should lean towards a stick/upright, but I like the maneuverability of a cannister/hose combo.

Well, Dopers, my floor is in your hands. Any thoughts?

[fishbicycle]

Oh, can I please get in on this, too? We are buying ourselves a vacuum for Xmas, and any suggestions would be welcome. Our budget is up to and including $300, but not more than $400. Our house carpeted everywhere but in the bathrooms and the kitchen area. We have three cats. Bagless, with a HEPA filter would be nice. Attachments for everything. We'll be able to get it in about three weeks. Any suggestions will be most welcome!

[fishbicycle]

Preview is really my friend. I need to remember that! :o

[UrbanChic]

Thank you so much for starting this thread. I'm very interested in answers.

I started a thread a while ago asking about experiences with the Hoover Floormate. I didn't get many responses and one poster suggested I read the reviews on Amazon. Those reviews aren't interactive and weren't much help. Hopefully your thread will fare better than mine did.

I don't want to spend a lot of money on a vacuum cleaner as we're entering super-saver-budget mode because my husband's going to attend law school soon. Hopefully, not many people will suggest a Dyson <drool>.

[Moirai]

Miele is best on wood floors, but it ain't cheap. I scored mine as a hand-me-down and I worship it. Good with dirt, sand, dust, dog hair- you name it. But they can run upwards of $200-600.

For my carpets upstairs I use a Royal- heavy metal and killer performance. Plastic vacuums just don't cut it around here, with 2 kids and a ton of dog hair! HEPA bags work great. I think it was about $200, but I can't recall.

Links here http://www.royalvacuums.com/Household/Uprights/classic.asp and here http://www.mielevacuums.com/S314intro.html

Good luck!

[Green Cymbeline]

DYSON. (http://www.dyson.com/)

BEST. VACUUM. EVER.

[ladybug]

DYSON. (http://www.dyson.com/)

BEST. VACUUM. EVER.

I'll second that. My parents recently bought one of these (I'm not sure which model, but it's purple). I tried it out when I helped them with pre-Thanksgiving cleaning. This thing is incredible! My parents just moved into a brand new house, and the Dyson sucked two full canisters of dust out of their new carpet. When we tried it at the old house, I got six canisters of dirt in my brother's room alone.

It's a lot more expensive than the other vacuums on the market, but IMHO, it's worth the money.

[pravnik]

Nothing sucks like an Electrolux!

[Chefguy]

Nothing sucks like an Electrolux!

You spelled 'sux' wrong.

HEPA filters are largely a waste of time, since the rest of the machine is not normally designed for HEPA-type cleaning. HEPA has become a selling buzz-word. In other words, vacuums are not normally hermetically sealed, so much of the dust blows right back into the air. The filter is HEPA-rated, but the vacuum is not.

[LVgeogeek]

This (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=APPL&pid=02023513000&subcat=Canister+Vacuums) is the cannister vacuum cleaner that I have. I love it. I have four cats that are Olympic shedders and deep pile carpet . It works so well. IT is @220.00, but Sears does have a lower end model cannister vac (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=APPL&pid=02024212000&subcat=Canister+Vacuums) . They do store upright and take up the same amount of room as an standard upright vac.


I had a HEPA filter/bagless vac before ( a Hoover) and it had crappy suction. and it was worse for my allergies- not better. Dust went everywhere when emptying it out.

[beltbuckle]

I asked a similar question a month or two ago... Let me see if I can dig up the thread.



Here (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=278124) you (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=270541) go (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=265652) .

In short, I bought a Dyson from costco and have been very pleased with its performance.

[fishbicycle]

Thanks for the recommendation of a Dyson. It looks like we're getting the 07 Full Kit, which is about $100 less at Sam's Club than it is from Dyson. The Full Kit model is the vacuum made for animal hair, which is exactly what we need, and it comes with extra tools that you don't get with the other models. A clean house! Yay!

[beltbuckle]

That's what I have, the Full Kit. The difference between it and the base model is that it is a different color, it comes with the turbo brush attachement, and a floor attachment. We don't use the floor attachment, but I do like the turbo attachment for cleaning the sofa, car seats, carpets, etc.

[Carnac the Magnificent!]

You spelled 'sux' wrong.

HEPA filters are largely a waste of time, since the rest of the machine is not normally designed for HEPA-type cleaning. HEPA has become a selling buzz-word. In other words, vacuums are not normally hermetically sealed, so much of the dust blows right back into the air. The filter is HEPA-rated, but the vacuum is not.


In addition, how much suction does the average home need? I can't believe that industrial suction, repeated month after year, is good for carpeting. When people pick up lots of "dust," might not a lot of that dust be carpet fibers? Once the inbedded debris is removed, the upkeep involves surface dust--unless you have a diseased yak. ;)

[Unintentionally Blank]

We begrudingly bought a Dyson. I'm rather glad we did. It fairly well rocks.

The claims that the cones generate '150,000 g's' seemed a little far fetched, but when I vacuumed up some grain bugs, I didn't have to worry about emptying the cannister where they'd get back inside. The cannister had bunches of bug _parts_ innit.

We had a phantom Thunder before and it performed rather well. We'd still be using it if they still made beater bars and rubber bands for it.

[choie]

Heh. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! And I'm glad all y'all who piggybacked on my humble thread are getting what you need, but I'm still stuck here with grungy floors! :D

'Cause alas, when I speak of a budget of $125, I ain't kidding. That's the ceilling, and even that is more than I should really spend. Geeze louise, aren't there any other low income Dopers 'round these here parts? Or anyone who's just not able/willing to spend $200+ (!!!) on a vacuum? Surely some of you without Mieles and Dysons and Electroluxes and Orecks are still kinda happy with what you have?

Have some pity on me! Hath not a poor person floors? If we spill something, do we not require decent suction?

[Unintentionally Blank]

Have some pity on me! Hath not a poor person floors? If we spill something, do we not require decent suction?

When I was poor, all of my vacuums were second hand. Our perception was that we wanted to spend _enough_ money to get a good product that lasted a long time.

We purchased a Bissel handheld rug shampooer for a song and the B@stard broke in four months. a $.12 piece sheared off, making the thing useless. We bought a Bissell upright shampooer and it lasted, maybe 16 months with regular (but not overly so) use.

We then bought a Hoover - got the cheapest version of their shampooer at, like $170 at Walmart. The only differences between it and their Gold Star bestest model was about 6 feet of cord and three add on pieces we'd never use. That sucker has run so well, for so long, under heavy use (senile, puking cats and twin two year old boys) that we've been exteremely happy with it.

So use this as a guideline: Find a neato cool vacuum cleaner, then look at the cheapest member of the line. I'll bet good money that the part you're interested (the vacuum), has the exact same pieces as the top of the line model.

[Green Cymbeline]

That's what I have, the Full Kit. The difference between it and the base model is that it is a different color, it comes with the turbo brush attachement, and a floor attachment. We don't use the floor attachment, but I do like the turbo attachment for cleaning the sofa, car seats, carpets, etc.
Yes! This is what I have too. The turbo brush ROCKS!! It is awesome on cat hair. I use the floor attachment to vacuum my kitchen floor. It is much better than sweeping.

[The Mermaid]

I have a Kirby Generation 3 (http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Large_Appliances-All-Vacuum_Cleaners-Kirby_G3_Vacuum) and it is the best vacuum I've ever used. I have three dogs that shed like crazy and it keeps everything looking top notch. The accessories are easy to use and the shampoo attachment rocks.

I know they are pricey but you can probably find one used or refurbished. I bought mine from my neice who gave me the rock bottom price because she was getting ready to quit that job. Word to the wise though, if you do buy one new, don't use their financing (Union Financial Services) because they have a reputation for being overbearing and at times unethical. I paid mine off a couple of months later and still got monthly calls asking where the payment was for several months. After doing some research later I found that I was not the only person to have trouble with them.

But the vacuum is great.

[Moirai]

Surely some of you without Mieles and Dysons and Electroluxes and Orecks are still kinda happy with what you have?

When I bought cheap vacuums, I bought one just about every year. No savings at all.

[Liberal]

DYSON. (http://www.dyson.com/)

BEST. VACUUM. EVER.Whoever's second isn't even close. By coincidence, our Dyson came just after we finished vacuuming the living room carpet with a high-dollar Hoover. When we saw what the Dyson picked up, we gave the high-dollar Hoover to a neighbor.

[Liberal]

Forgot to mention... it also does great on wood floors. And I really like the thoughtfulness that was put in its design. Guys like it because it's like one of those robot toys where you can move the parts all around and make new things out of it.

[Cherry2000]

Right now I have a 12-AMP Bissel Powerforce (but yes, what I really want is a Dyson!). I also have a Himalayan cat. Who sheds copiously.

I got the thing at Walmart (the vacuum, not the kitty ;) ) for around $50. That was two years ago, and it still works great. Our thought was "for $50, if it dies, it dies". But so far, so good.

[RTFirefly]

Heh. Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! And I'm glad all y'all who piggybacked on my humble thread are getting what you need, but I'm still stuck here with grungy floors! :D

'Cause alas, when I speak of a budget of $125, I ain't kidding. That's the ceilling, and even that is more than I should really spend. Geeze louise, aren't there any other low income Dopers 'round these here parts? Or anyone who's just not able/willing to spend $200+ (!!!) on a vacuum? Surely some of you without Mieles and Dysons and Electroluxes and Orecks are still kinda happy with what you have?

Have some pity on me! Hath not a poor person floors? If we spill something, do we not require decent suction?I've never spent more than about $80 for a vacuum cleaner in my life, and the carpets still seem to get clean.

Anyhow, if you can get to a Sears early tomorrow morning, they've got their $80 Kenmore on sale for $35.99 from 7-10am. It's model #33079, an upright, the sales flyer says. I can't guarantee that they have the exact same vacuum on sale in NY as here in MD, but these things are usually pretty much the same nationwide. I dunno what sort of on-board tools it has, but pretty much all the vacs have the basic brush/crevice tool/curtain cleaner combo these days.

I've got nothing bad to say about inexpensive Kenmore vacs. They tend to suck like a cheap crackwhore. Of course, I've only had two of them, but I got the first one in the mid-1980s, and got the second when the first one died. So they last pretty well, is what I'm sayin'.

[The Great Sun Jester]

It's a pain in the ass, but I really like my Rainbow.

[choie]

I've never spent more than about $80 for a vacuum cleaner in my life, and the carpets still seem to get clean.

Anyhow, if you can get to a Sears early tomorrow morning, they've got their $80 Kenmore on sale for $35.99 from 7-10am. It's model #33079, an upright, the sales flyer says. I can't guarantee that they have the exact same vacuum on sale in NY as here in MD, but these things are usually pretty much the same nationwide. I dunno what sort of on-board tools it has, but pretty much all the vacs have the basic brush/crevice tool/curtain cleaner combo these days.

Awesome, thank you, RTFirefly. I'm not sure we have a Sears in NYC but there may be one in train distance!

[quoteThey tend to suck like a cheap crackwhore. Of course, I've only had two of them, but I got the first one in the mid-1980s, and got the second when the first one died.[/QUOTE]

Um. You are still talking about the vacs, right?

;)

[Unintentionally Blank]

They tend to suck like a cheap crackwhore.


Is that good? :D

[RTFirefly]

Is that good? :DI suppose I could clarify in terms of chrome and trailer hitches. ;)

choie - try the store locator (http://www.sears.com/sr/storelocator/framedMap.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2084387087.1102156001@@@@&BV_EngineID=cceiadddfdjmedkcehgcemgdffmdflh.0&vertical=SEARS&PagePath=http%3a%2f%2fwww.sears.com%2fsr%2fstorelocator%2f&Env=www.sears.com&targetPage=http%3a%2f%2fclients.mapquest.com%2fsears%2fmqlocator&vertical=SEARS&link=search_criteria) to find the nearest one. They've got stores in Brooklyn and Jersey City, it says there. Good luck!

[Chefguy]

In addition, how much suction does the average home need? I can't believe that industrial suction, repeated month after year, is good for carpeting. When people pick up lots of "dust," might not a lot of that dust be carpet fibers? Once the inbedded debris is removed, the upkeep involves surface dust--unless you have a diseased yak. ;)

Correct. Ask anyone who cleans carpets for a living. They'll tell you that the best maintenance is regular vacuuming for dust. Failure to do this routine maintenance will eventually cause the carpet to fail.

[ralph124c]

When you buy a cheaper vacuum cleaner, be aware that for most machines under $300.00, many of the moving parts are plastic-and they will wear out under heavy use. For example, our Hoover canister vac does a good job-but the beater brush bearings are nylond plastic-and the wheels as well. When these wear out (and my wife vacuums twice a week), they most liely will be not replaceable. My Dad has a Regina (cheap crap)-he tried to fix it, but all of the plactis parts cracked and broke-he actually epoxied it back together!
That is why it is worth buying an expensive machine-the moving parst are made of metal, and will last-and if not, they at least aRe repairable!
Are the wheels on the DYSON plastic?

[Cheesesteak]

My theory on vacuuming is that the best vacuum you can buy is the one you use a lot. Since I found dragging my old cheapo canister vac out of the closet a royal pain, I chose a :shudder: cordless vacuum from Eureka. No cords to get in the way, it's small enough to leave hanging on the wall, charging, and you don't need super duper suction to get cat hair and dust off a hardwood floor. The charge will also last a lot longer than it will take to vacuum your entire studio.

The biggest pain I have now is emptying the small dirt bin, but it's a far sight less of a hassle than dealing with a cord.

[Enright3]

When I was poor, all of my vacuums were second hand. Our perception was that we wanted to spend _enough_ money to get a good product that lasted a long time.

We purchased a Bissel handheld rug shampooer for a song and the B@stard broke in four months. a $.12 piece sheared off, making the thing useless. We bought a Bissell upright shampooer and it lasted, maybe 16 months with regular (but not overly so) use.

We then bought a Hoover - got the cheapest version of their shampooer at, like $170 at Walmart. The only differences between it and their Gold Star bestest model was about 6 feet of cord and three add on pieces we'd never use. That sucker has run so well, for so long, under heavy use (senile, puking cats and twin two year old boys) that we've been exteremely happy with it.

So use this as a guideline: Find a neato cool vacuum cleaner, then look at the cheapest member of the line. I'll bet good money that the part you're interested (the vacuum), has the exact same pieces as the top of the line model.
Right on brother!
When I went shopping for a vacuum I went to a vacuum repair shop. To sum up the conversation in a few sentances... If you the best bang for your buck i.e. reliabilty w/ a very good cleaning job... go with a hoover upright. if you want the best suction and can spend money... Dyson.

[spingears]

Cheap joke, I know. Anyway, I need to buy a new vacuum, but have been vacillating for ages on what brand and type to get. Well, Dopers, my floor is in your hands. Any thoughts?
Try out the TOL DYSON. Get an in home demonstration if at all possible. I have a central vac that replaced a drag along Electrolux 'pig.' When the CV goes out a Dyson will be given serious consideration.
My daugher will be moving soon and will probably want a Dyson.

[glee]

Given the thread title, the only possible answer is a Dyson.
According to their advertising, they never lose suction.

[Magiver]

The concept used in a dyson has been around for a long time but I haven't seen it in a vacuum cleaner in 40 some years. Nothing wrong with it but it doesn't make it pick up dirt any more than a "regular" vacuum cleaner. Some things to consider when comparing models:

- The more expensive models will have a higher hp motor and therefore greater suction. You are limited to motor size by the amperage loads found in your house. Nobody is going to make a vacuum cleaner that exceeds a 15 amp circuit.
-uprights are, IMO easier to use on rugs. All high quality uprights come with hose attachments and accessories so things like turbo brushes should be considered highly desireable.
-bagless systems are more prone to leak, which makes a mess. The dyson style of cleaner being the possible acception. Even with the Dyson you are subject to a dust plume when emptying it out. Not a plus for allergy sufferers. You vacuumed for a reason and reintroducing the dust into the air defeats the purpose of vacuuming.
-serviceability is desireable. Uprights are belt driven and you WILL throw a belt when Johnny's toys jam up the works. The ease of access to the roller brush is a minor but somewhat important consideration.

My recommendation is to keep to the $300 and under price range and go for an upright with bags. It will store easier than a canister and make less of a mess with bags. The Dyson may be a nice vacuum but it is overpriced and the dirt canister looks small compared to a similar sized vacuum with bags. I have cats and my Panasonic does what it is supposed to do. My only complaint is that the high hp motor sucks the hose so hard that it's hard to extend it out. You don't need that much suction for dusting but its nice for doing chairs.

[Enright3]

How funny that I would have read this thread earlier today!

Did any of you see Saturday Night Live tonight?

One of their fake ads was about the Dyson Toilet. It was funny as hell.

E3

[Liberal]

How funny that I would have read this thread earlier today!

Did any of you see Saturday Night Live tonight?

One of their fake ads was about the Dyson Toilet. It was funny as hell.

E3:D That sounds hillarious! If his toilet is anything like his vacuum cleaner, I imagine it would be like opening a window in a plane at 30,000 feet.