I saw a Riccar Vibrance R20SC at a thrift store for $19.99. Seemed in good shape, ran OK, but the hose suction seemed weak compared to a Shark NV350 I’ve been using. Is this apparently weak suction a characteristic of Riccars, or might it be improved with servicing/cleaning?
Riccars are highly regarded–would you buy it for $20?
I don’t know much about vacuum cleaners but $20 seems like a favorable wager to me, particularly after testing and making sure the main parts are included.
On the other hand, it sounds like you already have a decent vac so the choice isn’t so clear. I can certainly understand the ‘call of the bargain’ but two functioning vacuum cleaners is too many for most people.
Not being a vacuum cleaner expert, I could think of half a dozen ways you might be able to improve the suction if you’re willing to completely overhaul it, and several reasons that nothing would improve its performance.
It’s only $20 bucks if your time is worthless or you’re content with having a second (possibly redundant?) vacuum with inferior performance.
I’m getting older and I’ve always been pretty lazy, so I’ve often considered getting a second, lightweight vacuum I can keep in the upstairs linen closet. The bedrooms, upstairs hall, and stairs would get vacuumed a lot more often if I didn’t have to drag the heavy upright up the stairs.
–from a grammar site:
“Had been” is similar to “have been” and “has been,” except that “had been” identifies actions that both began and ended in the past. Where “have been” and “has been” suggest a past point in time that remains open and unfinished, “had been” indicates something that is closed and completed.
Anyway, the Riccar is a nicely designed machine, but I’ll probably buy my original choice–BISSELL Power Force Bagged Upright Vacuum, 1739–available at Walmart only.
Search for: “Bissell PowerForce Vacuum Destruction - YouTube”
[sorry, can’t include youtube link in post]
Riccar supposedly makes very good vacuum cleaners with decent, serviceable components like metal brush rolls and the like. I’d be surprised if the weak suction was characteristic of the product line as opposed to a problem with this particular unit. I think a good shop could fix it, or at least tell you if it’s past its usable life.
Then surely the one true vacuum, the one you tested and tugged, researched and priced, posted and dreamed about posting … will be sold to some undeserving mope minutes before you arrive to buy it.