# I need a new vacuum - any doper suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513 "2004-09-28T17:06:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/1 "2004-09-28T17:06:37Z")
I will be entering the market for a new vacuum cleaner shortly. Having never purchased a new vacuum before, I thought I might chime in here to see if anyone has any suggestions. A little background: The vacuum will mainly be used for carpet, so the vacuum must be good at cleaning carpet, as well as have a removeable hose with attachable tools. I don’t mind spending some cash to get a quality vacuum. I do not want to buy another one in a year or two. I have read reviews on Consumer Reports - they rated the Hoover self-propelled model the best. However, they did not rate non-mainstream brands like Dyson or Kerby. People seem to like their Dysons, that’s for sure. Anyway - tell me about your vacuum, and whether you like it or not, or what you would buy. Thanks! Beltbuckle ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/2 "2004-09-28T17:08:58Z")
Forgot to add - I do have a yellow lab puppy, so the new vac must be good at picking up pet hair. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/3 "2004-09-28T17:25:19Z")
I just bought a Hoover like [this](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004U9TI/qid=1096392299/br=1-6/ref=br_lf_etk_hg_vf__6//103-0136868-9163054?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=510108) and I think it’s fab. I have a little puppy who I shave periodically, and it picks up his fur with no problem. It has a variety of nifty attachments as well as a power wand to really stir up the carpet fibers. I give it two thumbs up. 🙂 FWIW, I got mine at Walmart for about $300 CDN which is quite a bit less than amazon is suggesting the regular price is. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![SnakeSpirit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snakespirit/32/7271_2.png) [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/4 "2004-09-28T20:06:59Z")
I will never buy any other vacuum then the [Rexair Rainbow](http://www.rainbowsystem.com/html/products2a.html)[superscript]®[/superscript]. Instead of a cloth or paper filter, it uses _water_ as a filter, so it never clogs, it catches _ **all** _ the dust, dirt and hair, vacums up even liquids! (like that soda spilled in the rug?) and doesn’t lose power as it gets full. Since there’s less load on the motor, the motor lasts almost forever. The one I’m currently using is over 30 years old and still works like new. I have had to replace some attachments, though (like the hose). It’s an expensive machine, but since you won’t have to buy a new one every five years, you will get your money’s worth! The down side: You can’t just grab it to do a quick sweep in 5 minutes. It takes about 5 minutes to set it up and another five on the back end to empty the collector, which must be done each time you use it. You may want a small dust buster as a suppliment when you just want to pick up something small and quick. This machine is so powerful, it will out-perform any other vacuum on any surface. You won’t be disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/5 "2004-09-28T20:19:25Z")
[I bought this upright Hoover windtunnel similiar to this a few weeks ago from Wal\*Mart.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006IIV4/qid=1096402732/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl60/002-1025379-8305653?v=glance&s=hi&n=507846) I’ve been happy with it–much better then my previous vacuum. One thing to consider, because you have a dog: look into bagless models. I too have a dog, and her fur tends to fill bags quick and if I didn’t frequently change bags on my previous model they started to reek from all her dander… ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/6 "2004-09-28T20:22:46Z")
I’ve been quite happy with my purple Kenmore from Sears. Not too pricey, works great. It’s a perfectly nice ordinary vacuum, nothing fancy. And, it’s purple. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/7 "2004-09-28T20:41:00Z")
My mother has flipped over the Dyson models, of which she has the pet hair. Personally I think that $500 is a bit much for a vacuum, but hey, to each their own. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/8 "2004-09-29T01:44:16Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > My mother has flipped over the Dyson models, of which she has the pet hair. Personally I think that $500 is a bit much for a vacuum, but hey, to each their own. I have one, and I believe they’re worth every penny. I had a Fantom Thunder before, and if you’d asked me, I’d have told you that I had a damn good vaccuum and that my floors were very clean. My mom brought her Dyson over one day because she was going to steam clean my rugs for me, and said the carpets had to be really clean or it would hurt her carpet cleaning machine. I had vaccuumed carefully with my Fantom three times before she arrived. She ran her Dyson over the carpets, and I was amazed and disgusted by what came up out of them. If she’d been a salesman for Dyson demonstrating the vaccuum, I wouldn’t have believed it-- I would have thought it was faked somehow. I’m talking _copious_ quantities of dirt. _Sickening_ amounts of dirt. I decided to get one immediately, and she gave me one for my birthday. It’s amazing with pet hair, but even gets up skin cells and tiny dust particles that my other vaccuum left behind. The attatchment wand hose is 15 feet long, so you can leave it at the bottom of the stairs and vaccuum all the way to the top without having to lug it up with you. The hose is very powerful, too. It’s also pretty quiet for a vaccuum cleaner. My only complaint about it is that it’s somewhat heavy to pull back and forth accross the carpet, and, well, it’s kinda ugly. My family are vaccuum afficianados. Every woman in my family owns at least four vaccuum cleaners-- I kid you not. (One for each floor, including basement, and for different types of jobs.) My grandmother was always a Kirby fan, while my mother tried various brands, trying to find one that was truly great. We’d decided the Fantom’s perfromance was the best, until the Dysons came along. If you decide to invest in one of these, I don’t think you’ll be dissapointed. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/9 "2004-09-29T02:08:27Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > My mother has flipped over the Dyson models, of which she has the pet hair. Personally I think that $500 is a bit much for a vacuum, but hey, to each their own. You can get them for one hundred to two hundred less on ebay. I’ve been looking at them, because I, personally, am jonesin’ for one. ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/10 "2004-09-29T02:13:32Z")
Can anybody offer any input as to how well the Dyson’s are built? Are they built well enough to stick around a while? I just checked out their web page, looks like they are just about to release a new model. They look very interesting… no bags or filters to replace is a definate plus, as those get kind of spendy for some vacs. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/11 "2004-09-29T02:15:54Z")
Another vote for the Dysons here. I’ve never seen anything to touch them for sheer design and engineering brilliance. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/12 "2004-09-29T02:48:28Z")
> [@beltbuckle](#): > > Can anybody offer any input as to how well the Dyson’s are built? Are they built well enough to stick around a while? I just checked out their web page, looks like they are just about to release a new model. They look very interesting… no bags or filters to replace is a definate plus, as those get kind of spendy for some vacs. My mom’s had hers for quite a while now, and she runs the hell out of it. (She vaccuums her house twice a day.) She hasn’t had a single maintenance problem with it yet, except for a split hose which was quickly replaced. Mine seems to be quite well built. The plastic is thick and solid (they give you a sample to play with when you buy one. It seems very strong.) The fittings seem snug, and don’t loosen after multiple uses. All in all, it seems to be a pretty solid machine. ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/13 "2004-09-29T03:18:14Z")
Thanks for the replies everyone… I ran the Dyson by Mrs. Beltbuckle tonight and she said it looks like a good thing. Now we just have to figure out if the “Animal” version is worth the extra cash. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/14 "2004-09-29T14:47:03Z")
> [@beltbuckle](#): > > Thanks for the replies everyone… I ran the Dyson by Mrs. Beltbuckle tonight and she said it looks like a good thing. Now we just have to figure out if the “Animal” version is worth the extra cash. I didn’t think so when mom and I shopped for mine. The main difference is that The Animal comes with a powered attatchment-- it’s a small, flat hose attatchment which has a rotating beater bar for sweeping carpet under furniture. It also comes with a bag of carpet powder, and, well, that red and purple looks cooler. Other than that, there isn’t a substantial difference. It’s not more powerful, and when I looked underneath both, they looked the same. I didn’t think it was worth an extra $100. The hose on my Dyson is quite powerful, and gets up pet hair under furniture very well without a beater bar. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/15 "2004-09-29T19:37:30Z")
I have had such bad luck with those silly plastic models from various companies that I gave up on them altogether. I would rather pay a lot for something that will last. So I have a Royal. Heavy, made of steel or some similar metal, great at picking up huge amounts of dog hair. Comes with a nice warranty, motor is rebuildable and you don’t have to change the belts very often. Sturdy, reliable, simple- that’s the ticket. Although I am intrigued by ANYTHING that Dyson puts his hand to! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/16 "2004-09-29T20:23:26Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > So I have a Royal. Heavy, made of steel or some similar metal, See, this would be a problem for me. I live in a two-story house, and if my vacuum was that heavy, my upstairs would _never_ get vacuumed, because I’d never have the heart to cart it upstairs! I have to stick with plastic, and for me, bagless is better. I also understand that the Dyson’s cannister is easier to empty than the Dirt Devil bagless I currently use. > [@](#): > > Although I am intrigued by ANYTHING that Dyson puts his hand to! At the risk of sounding stupid, what else has he done? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/17 "2004-09-29T20:25:24Z")
OMG I love the DYSON! My mom got one and I have borrowed it a few times. This think is FRICKIN’ amazing. I almost had an orgasm the first time I used it! I echo other people’s tales… I vacuumed my carpets with my vacuum, then with the Dyson, and it got up so much more dust I couldn’t even believe my eyes. The hose attachment is awesome, especially the pet hair attachment, with the rotating brush. I had so much fun cleaning my couches and mattress, etc. With other attachments, I easily sucked up every last particle of dirt and cobwebs from corners and windowsils. And I LOVE how easy it is to empty! Maybe I’ll ask Santa for one for Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/18 "2004-09-29T21:45:02Z")
Well… I ordered it. I got the Dyson Full Kit for $429 at [Costco.com](http://Costco.com). Comes with all the doodads and a 3 year warranty. I could have gotten it a bit cheaper on eBay, but my local Costco is very good with returns should I not like it, or if something is wrong. I should get her in a week or so. I can’t wait to use the animal attachment to see how it does on my couch. My wife said it looks like something a Martian accidentally left on Earth, but she is excited to get it and toss our old Hoover, or downgrade it to garage duty. Thanks for the opinions everyone. Beltbuckle ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/19 "2004-09-29T22:17:10Z")
I’m kinda sorta looking for a new vacuum myself. The reason I’m in limbo is because I have an Oreck that works, but let’s just say it’s good it was free. It picks up dirt eventually, always gets clogged with hair (mine and the cats), and I’m forever dragging out the canister vac it came with because there are no attachments. Mine is in the shop every few months for something or other, to boot. It _is_ light, but if that’s not an issue, I don’t think I can say it’s worth what you’d have to pay. Off to check out these Dyson vacuums! ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513/20 "2004-09-30T00:43:07Z")
Rainbow owner here. It’s about 20 years old but still sucks the chrome off a bumper hitch. Hey **nyctea** , c’mon over and check out my vacuum cleaner. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-new-vacuum-any-doper-suggestions/266513.md?page=2)