I’m not sure what happened to the OP I just submitted, I got some kind of weird error message so I’m redoing it and hoping they both don’t show up.
I have eight cats and a large dog, all of whom shed large amounts of hair. They are all just naturally big time shedders, sadly for me. I hate my current vacuum. It’s garbage and I can’t stand it. Every two-three days I have to dismantle the entire thing (as in I have to get a screwdriver and end up with 40 screws and something close to a million pieces of vacuum), thouroughly clean it and put it back together.
Today I took it apart and decided, screw this. I need a new vacuum, which annoys me since I bought this one in mid-March. It ticks me off so much because it’s billed as a “pet vac” and yet it’s much, much worse than my old vacuum, which was something like $70-$80 and billed as a 'light cleaning" vacuum (and it lasted almost 5 years…it was not great but at least it didn’t need to be dismantled every few days).
So, for all of you multiple pet households out there…
What brand/model of vacuum do you use?
Do you like it? Would you recommend it?
How many pets do you have? Are they shedders?
Are there any that you would NOT recommend?
My internet is very unreliable at the moment and I may or may not be able to respond to replies. If not, I would still appreciate any input as I seriously need a good, reliable vacuum!
I’m new here, but I would highly recommend the Dyson Animal. The new one with the ball.
The only drawback is that it’s got a kind of small canister, so you’ll find yourself emptying it often if you have a lot of pet hair around. But the canister comes apart with a button-click, so you can completely clean it once in a while, very easily.
The Animal version also comes with a nice upholstery attachment with a spinning brush on it. We have a microfiber couch, and it’s amazing how nicely it cleans it. It’s also lightweight and has a nice, easy-to-use extension handle.
We don’t have nearly as many animals as you, however. Just 2 cats and a rabbit - but they’re all very heavy shedders.
The Animals are expensive, but having owned several vacuums billed as “good for pets” and being as disappointed as you are, I would very much say they’re worth every penny.
I second the Dyson recommendation. I have a cat and a very large, very hairy dog, and it’s great. I like that it’s bagless - I empty the canister after each use, and since it’s a one button operation, you don’t even get your hands dirty. I use it on my wood floors and on my carpet.
I vacuumed my carpet with a Kenmore, and immediately afterwards with the Dyson. It was pretty disgusting what the Kenmore left behind.
I have worked in hotels most of my life and Kirby makes excellent vaccums that hold up well to a lot of use on a daily bases. They tend to be pricey though
Thanks for the input everyone. I looked at the Dyson originally and thought it was so expensive. Now it looks like I’ll have invested in the one I bought in mid-March, that I hate, along with the new one.
Was Kirby a Sears brand at one time (or maybe still is)? I seem to remember my in-laws having a Kirby (I think).
I have three cats (down from four and a dog - sadly, we’ve had a couple pets pass away recently) all shedders, and also have a Dyson Animal. I do have to take the brush apart fairly often, but that is because of my own long hair getting tangled in the brush. I swear I shed more than my pets.
But, my suggestion, and a decision we’ve made since our dog passed, is get rid of the carpet. It holds odors and stains, and IMO pets and carpet don’t mix well.
For years, I would buy a cheap vacuum that would last for about a year or two before it would die. I also thought that spending the money for a Dyson would be a waste.
We have had the Dyson for at least 5 years now. I have never had any real problems with the vacuum. The whole thing comes apart with little clicky/poppy buttons, so even if it clogs (only happened once) you can easily clear the blockage.
My friend just recently traded her Oreck for a Dyson and she loves the Dyson.
Did you buy the Bissel pet hair eraser? I made the mistake of purchasing that one - it lasted two days in our house (we have one shedding shepherd mix) and promptly died. Luckily Target took it back. That thing was a piece of crap even when it was working.
I know Dysons are supposed to be great but I didn’t want to spend that much on one either. After talking to a friendly employee at a local vacuum center (they still have those?) I went with a traditional bagged vacuum even though I had really thought I wanted a bagless. I think the mid price bagless vacuums are pretty much junk, so if you decide to not spend the amount on a Dyson, it might be better to stick with a bag. There are fewer things to break. I got this one: http://www.eureka.com/index.php?option=com_productdisplay&view=productdisplay&task=getproducts&productid=77
and I am pretty happy with it - the Pet Power Paw does a good job on the furniture and the overall suction is good. Plus it has the sealed Hepa filtration which keeps the dust and dander down.
YES! Bissel pet hair eraser is the one I bought! It’s junk. Utter junk. It’s not terribly expensive but it wasn’t cheap either (I think it was around $250) and sadly the return/exchange period is over so now I get to keep it and still buy a new one. I could have put that money into a better vacuum if I’d known.
I’ve never had an appliance that I despised before now. Once I get a new one I’m going to slather it with peanut butter and cracker crumbs and let the crows at the dump peck it to death. Or donate it to someone I don’t like.
I’ve only looked at bagless so far only because we live in the middle of nowhere and everything has to be ordered online so if I run out of bags it could be a problem. However, with the number of pets and hair we have in the house, bagged might be something to think about if it would mean less clogging. Although Mr Hermit seems sold on the Dyson Animal now so we’ll see.
