What Vacuum Cleaner Should I Get?

14 years ago

Our poor old vacuum cleaner is on its last legs. The tools are half-missing, both wheels have broken off, and it is so loud that we need earplugs.

It is time for a new vacuum. SWMBO requests a lightweight canister model that is powerful, good for stairs and furniture as well as floors and carpets, and as quiet as can be hoped for.

Does anyone have any recommendations? This isn't something I've ever learned about.

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Comments (9)

meangoose
14 years ago
I love my Miele Callisto. I bought in in December from a local dealer. Here's the big CON: It's pricey. I paid a little under $1000 for it (bought some exta bags too.)

PROS:
-7 year warranty on motor and body, 1 year on attachments
-It's quiet - I can run it during the baby's nap.
-It cleans both medium pile carpet and tile very well (those are the two flooring types in my home).
-The filter is great - I can stick my face in the exhaust and not feel as though I'm choking.
-It's lighter than my old upright.
-Small thing, but I *LOVE* the auto cord-winder feature. I HATE winding cords.
-The hose is flexible and doesn't crimp when you bend it.
-The wheels on the bottom are 360 wheels, so you can pull it in any direction no matter what position it's in.
-Gets up cat fur.
-It handles edges well.

I love this vac. I got tired of blowing $250-$400 every two-three years on another supposedly good vac.
mcmann
14 years ago
I have 2 top of the line Kenmore progressive canisters - one is 10 years old, the other is 8. I love them. They have some features that I haven't found on more expensive canister. There are 2 lights - one on the power head and another on the end of the wand. So if you disconnect the power brush head and just use the long wand to vacuum behind furniture or along the toe kick in the kitchen you have an additional light. It also provides light if you're using one of the upholstery attachments. I also like the simple vacuum suction control located on the handle- one slight twist and it opens up and reduces the suction so that you don't overpower throw rugs.

I have mixed flooring- tile, wood, wall to wall and Persians. This works on all of them. And it's easy to maneuver. I did use my neighbor's Miele (I don't remember which model) and was surprised how difficult it was to maneuver the head- it actually made my wrist sore.

Vacuums are not inexpensive I suggest you try them out in the store before purchasing. And check the price and volume of the bags and HEPA filter if there is one.
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Well .... I'ld say you need to do the old fashioned "try me out" challenge. You simply go into a vacuum cleaner retailer's business and ask to try out their various models .... If they agree to your trial, you proceed to put a line of dirt and other trash on the floor that you would expect to find in your worst cleanup nightmare, and then test each vacuum he presents on a different part of the line. Make sure you step and scrub it into the test carpet well, because you know kids will do that with the dog and cat hair day in and day out before you can get to the mess ... Whichever vacuum does the job is the one you'll want to get! :) Now ... if only the world really worked that way .... (side anecdote ... read about this in reader's digest) A door to door salesman came up to our house one day and managed to force his way into my living room. He was talking a mile a minute about how fabulous his brand new vacuum machine was and how it would clean up any mess, small or large, and then he opened his briefcase and dump a huge pile of dust and dirt in the middle of my carpet. He then proclaimed that if his vacuum didn't clean up every speck of that mess, he would EAT IT... I handed him a spoon off of the dining room table, and then started to calmly tell the man who was turning red and beginning to panic, that my house doesn't have electricity.
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I would have to ask you if you have enough respiratory problems, that it affects your health. There really is not enough particles coming out. If any,it is from displaced air, from movement of the brushroll. There is no other fan pulling the air. When you are using the wand, make sure that the head of the upright is not "digging" into the carpet. Sometimes this happens, when you pull the hose in front of the upright. The front will tip forward; digging into the carpet. Also, remove the bottom brushroll plate and brushroll, then clean out the brushroll chamber periodically. You should be doing this at least every time you change the belt(if belt must be replaced). If you have a more permanent belt, you should just set up a schedule to do a maintenance check. Be sure to check the airway from the brushroll chamber to where the wand connect to the machine. Sometimes dirt can get stuck. If it is a big concern for you, you then can purchase an upright vacuum cleaner where the brushroll shuts off or shuts off in the upright position. If you do not want to spend the money, then just stuff one facial tissue down where the wand connects to the vacuum. Do not stuff it so far down where you cannot get it.
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Most vacuums are pretty good, if you like to spend time vacuuming and detailing all the little places and under the furniture. I don't, it's my least favorite thing...well, maybe mopping is my least favorite. However I have really clean floors, and the best part is that I hardly have to do a thing. On the hope that it would actually work, I bought a Roomba 500 series (the new models), and WOW, my only regret is that I didn't have this years ago. I love my clean floors. It gets under the cabinets, under low furniture, and everywhere WHILE I'm happily quilting! (: The most I have to do is dump it's bin, and check and clean it's brushes every week. I would have to do that type of maintenance with any vacuum. And, yes, it does pick up the likes of cat litter, pine needles, pet hair, etc. It even handles the thread and mess in my sewing room! It does such a great job that I added a Scooba to my 'bot crew. It washes the kitchen, tile entryway, and bathroom floors. This one does require that I put in water and Scooba soap, and then dump the dirty water on completion...but, wow...there isn't a day now that my floors don't look great in every room, and I put in very little time. I've been using the 'bot system now for several months and would never go back willingly. We live on acreage in the rainy northwest with FIVE boxer dogs running through the house -- that's 20 wet dirty dog feet. So, "best" for me means spending my time on something else while 'bots keep the floors detailed and looking great.
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capecodder
14 years ago
I bought a Miele Callisto too, 2 weeks ago, for $799. Store threw in bags too. If you search on this site, you'll find lots of reviews of the different brands. I've had 2 top level Kenmores, and they were okay new, but I became very unhappy. The noise drove me nuts. Good luck!
cj47
14 years ago
About 13 years ago, I bought a Miele Platinum for just under $1000 and it still runs like new. It's quiet, lightweight, and really powerful. If it died tomorrow (and I don't see any signs of flagging) I'd buy another Miele without hesitation.

Cj
mcmann
14 years ago
The march 2010 issue of Consumer Reports ranked 18 canisters: here are the top 10.

Kenmore Intuition 28014, 28015
Electrolux Oxygen EL6988
Kenmmore Progressive 27514,27515, 28614,29615
Hoover Windtunnel S3670
Electrolux Oxygen 3 EL7020, 7-24
Miele Callisto S5280 (disc.) -55281
SEBO Air Belt C3.1
Electrolux Ultra Silencer EL6986A
Miele Plus S251
Oreck Dutch Tech DTX1400

Obviously there are many more vacuums available that weren't included in the ratings and CR often has their own slant.
monaw
14 years ago
Miele.
wekick
14 years ago
I bought a Simplicity Jill for about $150 and have had it now for 2 months. We have all hardwood floors(3800 sq ft+ the basement). It is well made and does a great job and we have a couple of cats. It is assembled in the USA(in St. James,Missouri). Most all vacuums including Miele have some parts made in other countries. My sister has had other Riccaar /Simplicity products and loves them. Her husband is sensitive to noise. They have more expensive ones too but this one really seems to do the job. My sister was so impressed with it that she bought them for all her kids for Christmas. If you are intent on a German vaccumm, you might look at Sebo. I have had KIrby,Oreck,Dirt Devil, Eureka uprights and have a Royal commercial upright now.
I have had Sears,shark,electrolux, old hoover compact (great) and new Hoover commercial compact(doesn't suck-terrible) and a dirt devil cannisters.
plllog
14 years ago
Not exactly lightweight, but okay for stairs, and better than any standard vacuum, is Rainbow. The one with the water filter. It's expensive but oh, so worth it! (There are a couple other brands of water filter, but I think they're more expensive yet--check out the bag or bagless thread, near the bottom--plus its a good thread just for vacs.)
misplacedtxgal
14 years ago
I seem to have purchased several vacs in the last 10-15 years. None seem to last very long no matter how much I spend. That said, I agree wholeheartedly with plllog, you cannot beat a Rainbow. I "inherited" my mom's 30 year old model. It still runs great (she definitely got her money's worth and then some) plus my dust allergy is much improved since using it.

What Vacuum Cleaner Should I Get?

Comments (9)

meangoose

mcmann

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