Well, my mother actually. She wants to get a new house vac and she has about $400 to spend. She bought what I think is the Hoover WindTunnel™ V2™ Upright - U8120900 last night but is now returning it because someone told here that bagless vacs are not as good as bagged ones. Is this true? She is not sure what to get or even what to look for.
A vacuum is an expensive purchase, and after being burned on several appliances going bad on her, she is very wary about buying either a poor quality vacuum, or one that will die on her in a year.
Top rated vaccuums by Consumer Reports (updated Feb. 03):
upright (this type reported better for carpeting):
Sears Kenmore Progressive with Direct Drive 31912, $330
canister (this type reported as better for attachments for cleaning furniture, drapes, etc.):
Sear Kenmore Progressive 22612, $380.
Thank you very much. What is the second and third best rated one?
I hear that interstellar vacuum is just about the best you can get.
Sorry.
uprights:
#2. Hoover WindTunnel Self-Propelled Ultra U6430-900, $300
#3. Hoover WindTunnel Self-Propelled Ultra U6432-900, $320
canisters
#2. Miele Plus S251, $425
#3. Eureka 6984, $240
Was the Hoover WindTunnel Self-Propelled U6471-900 on the list?
A while back, one of the LA TV stations had a report on vacuum cleaners. Their expert said bagless machines performed well enough, but they had a tendency to break down because dirt inevitably found it’s way into the motor’s delicate bits.
I was given an ORECK and am far from impressed. Not the best performance and no attachments on the machine mean I have to get out the canister vac that came with it if I want to vacuum furniture, etc.
We don’t vacuum very often. We went through several vacuum cleaners that broke down after choking on a kid’s toy, dog’s chewie, rubber band, or other item of a like nature – and there are a LOT of them on our floors – before we found the perfect vacuum cleaner – a $30 Shop Vac. Doesn’t break down at all, sucks real good, will swallow anything.
Of course, if you’re NOT trying to keep order in a zoo, the regular vacs might work.
no.
Also, there is a disclaimer about bagless vacs. Not about wearing out, or even poor performance, but that a number of them tend to release clouds of dust when you empty them, even ones with HEPA filter.
I was DEEPLY in (unrequited) love with a vacuum sales girl about 9 years ago, and bought a sixteen hundred dollar Kirby. Didn’t get me laid, but it’s the best goddamn vacuum on the planet. It’s a lifer, for sure, worth the money in the long run, maybe not in the short run.
hrh
Bissell CleanView Bagless Vacuum
THis vacuum really works great, its only $89 US. The key with the bagless machines is to clean the filters religiously. The bissell has 3 filters, which can be rinsed and air dried after use. THe amount of dirt and dust that it picks up is amazing!
GO for the Bissell!
Consumer reports notes that Eurekas have a lot of repair problems.
The bagless ones can be messy. It’s time for us to get a new vacuum and I’m feeling crabby about how few uprights with bags are out there.
I purchased a Rainbow vacuum from my downstairs landlord, who had just become a rep and asked me if I’d listen to his sales pitch. It has been one of the most dependable appliances I’ve ever owned, given that I bought it 20 years ago. My parents also bought a Rainbow from the same guy (his second sale) and they are quite happy with their machine. I’ve yet to hear of an unsatisfied Rainbow owner. They are pricey, but given the cost of throwaway vacs proliferating the market nowadays, it’s still a good deal.
I’ll second the Kirby.
Just make sure you get one that sucks…oh, wait,
that DOESN’T suck… oh, hmm,
We have a Hoover 6530-900 with a bag. Works fine. Paid about $300 for it at Best Buy.
The last vacuum we had was a Hoover upright, and it lasted over 25 years. There’s no sense in giving an arm and a leg for a vacuum.
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Depends on your floor, are they wood or carpet?
I decided to clean the carpet floors we have at work. But dragging the electrical cord around all the merchandise was dumb. So I got one of those roller type cleaners that don’t plug into wall. I just roll them around & they pick up everything just fine. I got the biggest one I could find, A Bissell, it’s base is the size of a regular machine.
I’ve got this one too, but I spent $100 on mine. I LOVE It!
A couple years ago I purchased a Dyson upright vacuum cleaner. It’s a bagless one.
Best durn thing I ever bought. It gets all the dog hair and dust a regular vacuum cleaner won’t even touch.
Emptying it is a bitch though. Because I have SO MUCH frickin’ dog hair and dust in this house, it needs to be emptied a few times if I’m doing the whole house (sum total of two carpeted rooms). The emptying process involves dumping the contents of the cannister into a garbage bag (or whatever) and usually I get a faceful of dust if I dump it a little too enthusiastically.
All that having been said, it’s very good at vacuuming. It removes all the dog hair! Yay!
Max 
My folks have a centralized system – big powerful motor in the utility room, network of PCV style pipes to channel the vacuum, and the part you hold is just a conduit on wheels with an electrical rug-beater apparatus on the bottom. Much more lightweight than your typical Hoover or Electrolux, and very powerful. You sort of have to plan the home to have it from the beginning, though, I guess.
The girlfriend and I, in our little city apartment, use a hand-held called the Shark, which can be used for lifting small anvils… Man alive does this this thing produce suction! (It plugs into the wall with a standard electrical cord, it’s not one of those rechargeable-battery things we’ve all seen and used to our dissatisfaction).
By and large, don’t buy anything you haven’t tried, and ideally visit someone who has one and see what it’s like in use.
I mean, you wouldn’t want to make your decision in a…
OK, I’m leaving, I’m leaving. Put that down.