Vacuum cleaner advice

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Topic Author
atlanta_dad
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Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:04 pm

Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by atlanta_dad »

I am looking for a vacuum cleaner for my single family house. I would like to clean the carpet floors, hard wood floors, under the furniture, on the stairs, bath room tiles and even in my automobile. Do people use one vacuum for everything or have more than one for different purposes. Is canister vacuum good for all these purposes?
What brand /model are you using and suggest?
** we don't have pets.

Thanks for the advice.
Last edited by atlanta_dad on Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Randomize
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by Randomize »

Consumer Reports is a great resource for this. If you have hairy pets, I recently bought a Hoover Rewind at Costco after seeing it was highly rated for pet hair (and inexpensive) in Consumer Reports and am thus far very happy with it. My mother uses a Dyson Animal and it's pretty darned awesome. Sure, it costs 4x what the Hoover did but it will almost doubtlessly last 4x as long.
barnaclebob
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by barnaclebob »

I like my oreck, dysons feel really flimsy.
YttriumNitrate
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by YttriumNitrate »

I bought a Dyson DC07 for $5 at a yard sale back in '09 and have had no complaints about its cleaning performance (as long as all the filters get cleaned out from time to time). The plastic latches on the dirt canister are a bit flimsy, but it's easy to rig up a fix when they break.
SDBoggled
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by SDBoggled »

I like my 7? year old Dyson.
OatmealAddict
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by OatmealAddict »

Dysons were a little funky for my taste as well (and expensive) so we went with the Shark Professional Navigator based on all the glowing reviews on Amazon. Picked it up 2 weeks ago at Bed Bath and Beyond and after using one of the 20% off coupons, we ended up beating Amazon's price.

And let me just tell you, the thing is RIDICULOUSLY awesome. It blows my mind as to the amount of dirt and pet hair that it gets up even when our carpet and floors look spotless to the naked eye. I highly recommend it.
tinkerman79
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by tinkerman79 »

I use a Dyson DC25 for all those things (no pets though). Its not perfect for use in cars, but it does a good enough job for me. Dysons are more expensive than other brands, but they last a long time. I've had mine for 8 years now and its still going strong.
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ClevrChico
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by ClevrChico »

We love our Miele!
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hoppy08520
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by hoppy08520 »

ClevrChico wrote:We love our Miele!
It wasn't cheap, but I love our Miele canister as well.
Yukon Jim
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by Yukon Jim »

If you own your home and are thinking of staying there for a while, consider a central vac. It's the healthiest option, since all of the exhaust is sent outside. All of the portable vacs filter out the big stuff but the fine dust (which is most dangerous to your health) is expelled through the bag and left floating inside your home. If you are handy and have access into wall cavities through the basement, etc. it's a relatively easy project to glue the pipes together. I only need to empty my vac once a year, if that. And it is quiet, too if the unit is mounted in the garage or in an outside closet.
tomd37
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by tomd37 »

I love our Miele "Jazz" upright and am about to buy the Miele "Titan" canister. We have personal preferences for both an upright and canister type vacuum. Excellent quality and great performance. Bought through local dealer and vacuum service company and they matched the online prices. Like to deal locally where they provide all services. :D
Tom D.
Topic Author
atlanta_dad
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by atlanta_dad »

If you own your home and are thinking of staying there for a while, consider a central vac. It's the healthiest option, since all of the exhaust is sent outside. All of the portable vacs filter out the big stuff but the fine dust (which is most dangerous to your health) is expelled through the bag and left floating inside your home. If you are handy and have access into wall cavities through the basement, etc. it's a relatively easy project to glue the pipes together. I only need to empty my vac once a year, if that. And it is quiet, too if the unit is mounted in the garage or in an outside closet.
How much would it cost approximately if I have to get it done hiring contractors?

Thanks
hale2
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by hale2 »

We had and Oreck for 12 years and thought it worked well. However, we have had a Miele for about a month and it's even better. We also purchased at a local vacuum store since they match online prices and it will be easy to have it serviced if/when necessary.
insein
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by insein »

Our son bought us two Neatos, one for each floor. They clean 3 times a week as programmed.

They vacuum the floors while we are out. They do kitchen and bathrooms and get under furniture and beds.

Cannot climb stairs. We mop up with a regular vacuum.
rotorhead
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by rotorhead »

Topic Author
atlanta_dad
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by atlanta_dad »

ClevrChico wrote:
We love our Miele!

It wasn't cheap, but I love our Miele canister as well.
I tried for couple of months with Miele S2121 vaccum. It was too hard vacuuming on hard wood floor as it was very sticky while using, not sure if I did not know how to use.
Yukon Jim
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by Yukon Jim »

atlanta_dad wrote:
If you own your home and are thinking of staying there for a while, consider a central vac. .....
How much would it cost approximately if I have to get it done hiring contractors?

Thanks
I'm not sure, but if there are places in your area that sell the parts, they would probably be your best initial contact for installation quotes. For my do-it-yourself job, I paid (going from dim memory here) about $350 for the vacuum unit, $400 for a longer (30') hose with power head, and $200 for the pipes. But that was 10 years ago. If a contractor can get easy access to the spots where outlets are needed and where the pipes are run, I think the job could be done in a day's time or less. Good luck!
angelescrest
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by angelescrest »

tomd37 wrote:I love our Miele "Jazz" upright and am about to buy the Miele "Titan" canister. We have personal preferences for both an upright and canister type vacuum. Excellent quality and great performance. Bought through local dealer and vacuum service company and they matched the online prices. Like to deal locally where they provide all services. :D
After I got married, I was stunned when my new wife chose a Miele upright "Swing" top of the line model as a gift from her parents. It cost nearly a grand. Who had I married?! I had never spent more than $100 on a vacuum. And you had to pay for bags--another monthly expense?!

Years later, I think it's one of the best things we have in our home. For a larger home, I think the upright is better, particularly where carpet is concerned. If we only had hard floors throughout, then the canister might be our choice. I should say also we spend little money on the bags as they aren't needing to be replaced often, and that's with a shedding dog too. Oh, I should say however that when we had our brother's golden retriever, who had really long fine hairs (never got haircut) that caught on the bottom and was a serious pain to rip out every so often. I might have changed vacuums for that alone but it was a temporary deal.

We have had to take it in once due to a major electrical failure, but it was covered under warranty. I would definitely buy from a local place, which typically I never do.

I will probably only buy a Miele from here on out, although folks do like their Dysons. Ours seem to be quieter and gentler on floors than my brother's Dyson, but he's happy with his.
margered
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by margered »

Many years ago, I bought my second Eureka, a commercial one from a repair-type place, not a retailer. Very heavy duty. I could use the hoses and brushes from the first one. You have to know you have to replace the bags and belts, but otherwise no problems. It is an upright and has a host of hoses and brushes. Bags are getting scarce from places like Target, but available online. I love it.
nervousnovice
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by nervousnovice »

+1 more who loves her Miele cannister, it is amazing, lightweight and quite versatile. i suggest getting a powerhead if you have carpet, which we used to have, but now we have all hardwood floors.
JLJL
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by JLJL »

Our Eureka really sucks
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JonnyDVM
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by JonnyDVM »

We have a dyson animal. Cleans awesome but the plastic hose attached to the wand broke already (3.5 years old). So it cleans great but maybe isn't built to last. When my wife called dyson about the lifetime warranty they said that the warranty only covers the actual vacuum part, not the hose or attachments :confused

I would still recommend it to homes with pets. It's not that great on hardwood though so I would get something else if I had hardwood throughout.
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Topic Author
atlanta_dad
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by atlanta_dad »

Any experiences with "Dyson DC50 Multi Floor Plus"? It has good reviews on Costco.com and has $70 off making it $300.
Hypersion
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by Hypersion »

http://www.consumersearch.com/vacuum-cleaners

I went with a Hoover for $60 delivered it works great. I couldn't justify spending $300+ on a refurb/used Dyson.
fsrph
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by fsrph »

jimday1982 wrote:Dysons were a little funky for my taste as well (and expensive) so we went with the Shark Professional Navigator based on all the glowing reviews on Amazon. Picked it up 2 weeks ago at Bed Bath and Beyond and after using one of the 20% off coupons, we ended up beating Amazon's price.

And let me just tell you, the thing is RIDICULOUSLY awesome. It blows my mind as to the amount of dirt and pet hair that it gets up even when our carpet and floors look spotless to the naked eye. I highly recommend it.
I like this model of the Shark also. Great suction and easy to use. Cost about $179. I guess it comes down to if you want to pay much more for a Dyson or Miele or will be satisfied with the Shark. Personally, I would take the Shark over the others.

Francis
"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." | Dale Carnegie
Stonebr
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by Stonebr »

hoppy08520 wrote:
ClevrChico wrote:We love our Miele!
It wasn't cheap, but I love our Miele canister as well.
Our Miele is 25 years old and still going strong.
"have more than thou showest, | speak less than thou knowest" -- The Fool in King Lear
gator15
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by gator15 »

Bought a Miele a few months ago based on feedback from this website. We love it. My wife really loves it. After years of wasting money on multiple vacuums which never got the job done, we opted to pay more for a Miele. No regrets. Works great on carpet, hardwood, furniture etc.
davebarnes
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Central vac

Post by davebarnes »

atlanta_dad wrote:How much would it cost approximately if I have to get it done hiring contractors?
Installation in a new build is a few hundred dollars.
We had http://www.aerusvacuums.com/centralvacuum/ in our old house for 24 years. Wonderful.
A nerd living in Denver
reisner
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by reisner »

Dysons are ridiculously overrated. Go to your local sewing and vacuum store and get good advice on which Miele to buy. Don't buy one over the internet; you won't save enough to make up for the advice you didn't get.
Last edited by reisner on Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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jeffyscott
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by jeffyscott »

We went to Costco in January thinking we would buy Shark Navigator lift away, figuring you get the best of both canister and upright. My wife did not like the way it handled and taking the canister off seemed clumsier than expected, it also seemed kind of flimsy. So instead we bought Electrolux "Precision Brush Roll Clean" that they had there as well. She is very happy with this vacuum.
Tamahome
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by Tamahome »

reisner wrote:Dysons are ridiculously overrated.
I disagree. They are pricey, but I have never had a vacuum cleaner so effective or so easy to use. They look funky, sure, but they are ridiculously good at both carpet cleaning and hardwood/tile cleaning. I would buy another in a heartbeat. So would my wife, who was happy that I started vacuuming from time to time to share in that burden (after we had the Dyson).

Edit: My wife, who is with me at the moment, said I sounded like a jerk in the post. For the record, we divide household tasks and vacuuming is on her list. When I am being nice to her, I will take an item or two from her list just because. Thanks to my wife for pointing out that others might not know how our house works. She always keeps me from looking like a sexist pig. :shock:
I'm not a financial professional. Post is info only & not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship exists with reader. Scrutinize my ideas as if you spoke with a guy at a bar. I may be wrong.
General Disarray
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by General Disarray »

I personally favor Dyson upright vacuums, but that is because I've had a very good experience with mine. My Dyson is from 2007 (Dyson DC 17, Asthma and Allergy) and it is still going strong. I have, however, seen the new Dyson models and sort of played around with one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and another at Costco. The new Dyson vacuums just do not seem as strong or durable as the older models. I've read so many complaints about them, including the wand cord being too short and inflexible. So maybe the newer Dysons are overrated after all. To me, the quality of Dyson vacuums seems to have declined considerably.

Whatever vacuum you get, keep it clean--the brush, roller, etc.
Last edited by General Disarray on Sun Mar 02, 2014 5:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jeffyscott
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by jeffyscott »

The thing is, how many vacuums does the average individual really get a chance to compare in a lifetime. In my 30+ years of adult life I would say I (and my spouse) have used about 4 vacuum cleaners.

CR tested 106 last fall and shows ratings for 28 of them, with mostly "good" or better ratings across the board.

Comments that refer to just a brand are generally not going to be very helpful, as performance varies by model. Just as an example, our model did not make the published list in CR, but two other Eureka models did and meanwhile 3 Eurekas were called out as being among the worst. BTW, not a single Dyson made the CR rating list but one was called out as being among the worst and at least the crappy Eureka models were cheap ($100), while the crappy Dyson model, DC47 Animal, goes for $450.
btenny
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by btenny »

We specailize at my house. We have three vacuums for various purposes plus a dust swiffer. My wife does not like vacuuming the tile and wood floors. She prefers a dust swiffer for ease and speed so she can clean those floors often, sometimes twice a day but at least every other day. Then she mops about once a week. She also uses a Shark ultra light weight battery vacuum on the three small kitchen rugs 2-3 times a week. That vacuum is small.

But we also have a Bissel Powerforce upright bagless vacuum with Hepa filter for normal carpets and attachments for the furniture. It works great and cleans great. It cost about $70 at Walmart. It can easily be taken apart after each use to empty the dirt and to wash and clean the filters. I do that job as the machine is too big for my wifes' taste.

As far as cleaning cars and other outside stuff I also have a big can type Shop Vacuum in the garage. I think it cost about $60. It has a big hose and big motor for vacuuming up water and all kinds of stuff. I use it for cleaning the cars and boat and dust and wood shavings and so forth. It does not care if the carpet is wet or there is water on the floor or dirt in the water or ??? It just sucks stuff up and puts it is this big roll around cannister. I clean it with the garden hose. I would not think of using the house vacuum for those tasks as it would destroy it with the water.
Tuga
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Re: Vacuum cleaner advice

Post by Tuga »

Miele owner here. Will never buy another brand again (hopefully will never buy another vacuum cleaner again too).
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