Another happy Dyson owner. We have 2 large lab shedders and 4 cats that shed as well. I LOVE that there is no bag. The bag in our old vacuum was what made the vacuum smell when I started it up. My Dyson is about 5-6 yrs old and is used at least once a day. Aside from changing a belt a few times (very inexpensive), it has been THE best vacuum I've ever used. Picks up everything and you can see how clean you're getting your floor because the cannister is clear.

Can't comment on the Miele, since I've not used one.

Does anyone else with a Dyson get annoyed that the upholstery brush doesn't lock on the wand and your basically pulling it off with every stroke when your using it? How much could it cost to have it lock in position...we need women involved in the design process with these appliances.

awm03 my central vac is an Imperium. Almost 5 years of completely trouble free vacuuming, including all the debris/dust following remodeling.

If a CV is sized and installed correctly there should be no disappointed owners! CV is a good idea made great by the introduction of Hide A Hose. The other complaint of CV owners seems to be having to lug around the hoses but Hide A Hose has resolved this problem.

I also love my Dyson, though I've never tried a Miele. We have a cat and two Aussies and I can fill a canister every other day with their hair just by vacuuming the 5 by 7 entry rug.

I agree with work_in_progress. Clumps of dog hair smell!

For me, the bagless is the best feature. I empty it right into the large trash container in the garage so never have to worry about the dust inside the house, and I'm not storing shed animal hair in the closet. I'll sacrifice a little power for the bagless.

I've had in 6 or 7 years and not one problem.
Dee

Thank you for the great added reviews and suggestions! Am reading every one and will read them with DH now.

Olychick, I am sooooo glad that I wasn't drinking anything when I read your post about nakid Ramone. ROFLMAO . . . thank you for the great start to my weekend!
Lynn

Thank you, sis3! I'll look into Imperium central vacs & Hide-a-Hose.

I hated the Dyson. It is so cumbersome to use the attachments and does not clean as well as my old hoover.

When we remodeled our house and did an addition, the builder insisted on roughing in a central vac with a retrofit to the old part of the house. I was against it, but finally relented for the rough in.

The brought out the parts for a demo and I was impressed. Now I love this thing.

Part of what I love though is that I have 6 different places to plug in and 3 different size hoses. I have the Z-broom in the kitchen that reaches my heavy trafic areas and a pan vac right under my prep area.

I don't have to deal with super long hoses. That makes it much more usable for me.

I LOVE MY DYSON!! Mine is the yellow older model, not the new ball style. Super suction, no animal hair here, but a new wool area rug that sheds like crazy!! I have all wood floors upstairs, and the amount of dirt it sucks up amazes me every time!! Easy to dump, and I love the bagless feature. Attachments are readily available with the telescoping wand. Anyone have a soft brush attachment they are not using?? I lost mine and miss it!!

My Sebo canister with HEPA filters is the bomb. I had an Oreck upright for two years and detested it. It was cumbersome & way too hard to get underneath cabinets and furniture. A friend raved over her Sebo and I bought the same one. It's not heavy and does an excellent job on the first pass. We have hardwood floors with rugs in a couple rooms and a dog that sheds white hair. The Sebo does it all perfectly.

We have a Sebo also, but an upright with hose attachment for furniture, etc. It is the best vacuum I have ever had and have had no problems for the four or five years we have had it. We have two long-haired dogs who shed constantly and the machine has been a life-saver. My only minor complaint is that it is a little heavy for me to carry up and down stairs, but I figure I am building bone mass when I do! ;)

I think I may need to get the canister version for myself and let DH use the upright after reading the recommendations from Storklady and Lisa! Thanks.

Oh and just out of curiosity, has anyone ever installed a central vac in an older (1960) home? I just wonder if that would be an option someday.

I faced this same dilemma this past Spring. We got a new short haired puppy and it became apparent that between shedding, tearing up of stuffed toys and the dirt that was tracked in after walks, that we needed a new vacuum. I am just not willing to get on my hands and knees and"brush" out the fiberfill from my rugs. I poured over all reviews and noticed while Dyson got raves, they were mainly from people who purchased theirs years ago. Shark Navigator came up positively as well but I was reluctant because my impression was that was a "cheaper" brand. I was undecided until we were about to get company and my embarrassment pushed me to buy the Navigator and I am tickled! I love it. The suction is great, it is light enough to make using it often easy and I am amazed at what I pick up without any blockages. Using the attachments are a bit awkward because the hose is rather stiff but still doable and I paid less then $100 using coupons from BB&B! I use it 5 days out of 7 and feel if I get longer then 2 years from it I am ahead of the game. I think the warranty is 1 year but honestly, at that price I don't want the hassle of returning or fixing a machine I invested $$$$ in. I even use it to help clean out the fireplace - something I would not do with an expensive vacuum. I am careful to rinse out the canister and filters and I am good to go for the next day.

We've had a Riccar for about 7 years and it does a wonderful job. We have two border collie mixes, so lots of hair. The only downside for me is that it is heavy when you have to pull it back towards you or carry it upstairs. My DH uses this vacuum and I bought an Oreck. It's ok, don't love but I can easily carry it upstairs.

We are a 2 Miele home ..two different models..love 'em both. I use the cheap Naturelle downstairs ... no carpets and a more loaded version upstairs.

cyn427, from what I've read, it's not too hard to retrofit a home for a central vac, just a bit more expensive:

NYTimes article
This Old House article

Thanks, awm!

awm if you just need a new hose, you can go right on line and order one. The outlets are pretty standard, there are only two or three types. 2012 hoses will be available to fit your outlets, regardless of the brand.

I will never be without a central vac again. My parents have one and when I built my house I roughed in the outlets. It was a few years till I broke down and had the actual vac installed. A long few years!

A central vac is not going to do the job on carpets that an upright would do. And an upright, is not going to have attachments, that can do bare floors the way a canister or cv would do. I once read that the best system you could buy was an inexpensive upright and an inexpensive canister. The right tool for the right job!

I used to base all of my large purchases on the recommendations of Consumer Reports. My first indication that they might have been "compromised" was their recommendation of a Hoover Wind Tunnel Upright. What a hunk of junk. And 15 years later, they are STILL saying it is the best upright. A few other purchases based on their recommendations were equally disappointing.

Now, I read the articles to learn what to look for, but I completely ignore their choices for top models. If anything I stay clear of their recommended models!

Another Miele lover here. We have the Cat and Dog model.

Only thing I don't like is the bare floor brush (something about it sitting too high off the floor so the suction doesn't work as well as it should). I keep meaning to see if I can adjust it somehow. Maybe I'll cut the bristles like Jen9 did.

If you go with a Miele, make sure you research which model. Costco and other big box stores sell cheaper models with plastic parts. If you want one that will last, go to a small vaccuum shop and get a version 4 or 5 with metal parts and some other features. More expensive, but IMHO worth it.

Cindyloo I would echo your opinion of the Hoover Wind Tunnel! I could actually see it redistributing even the large particles as I vacuumed. It simply moved the dust and detritus from one place to another. Landfill fodder!

We have had a Miele canister for about 25 years. Great, great vacuum. But about four years ago, I decided I wanted an upright, for ease of use. After talking to guy at the vac store and doing some online research we got a SEBO upright. We've never actually felt it was quite as good at the Miele -but truthfully, I suspect that difference may come down to upright vs. canister. If you have a local vacuum store there, I'd ask the people if you could take your top two choices home for a tryout. Brick floor is a unique surface.

Wow, thanks again for all the great reviews on your favorite vacuums ~ and on the ones you haven't cared for ~ and why. This is such an incredibly helpful thread . . . and I can see that I'm not the only one who thinks so.
Many thanks to everyone!!!
Lynn

I had a Dyson Animal and hated that thing. Worst investment ever. When we first got it, it worked ok, at best. I wondered why others raved about it. As time went on it got worse and worse. I wish I had returned it right away. I'd have to go over a spot 2 or 3 times just to pick up a piece of thread or lint. I finally gave it away...I would have felt bad asking for a dime for that piece of junk. I warned the new owner and hoped that he would be able to work on it to make it better. My local friend had the exact same issue with hers. She figured out that if you keep it very upright while you vacuum, that helps but does not entirely resolve things. Also, it was very difficult to do that. I would stay away from Dyson at all costs.

We have the Shark Navigator now and it's wonderful! No complaints and best of all -- it was cheap! Got it at BB&B with a 20% off coupon too. We have carpet upstairs but downstairs is all hardwood with one area rug and one small rug. Works well on the hard floors.

OK Lynn - which vacuum did you purchase and do you still like it?

Re: Kirby Sentria's. Do not buy one, ever, ever - I hate mine. Thought it was THE vacuum to have and found a brand new one on Ebay for only $700 so I jumped on it. When it came I realized it was used - only very slightly used, but there was dust in it. The seller had a sob story how her SIL's mother had cancer and needed to sell it for treatments - me being the sucker fell for it. Bottom line, I complained to ebay and they did not counter on my claim and I got it for free.

So here I am with a free $1K vacuum that I hate. It is WAY TOO heavy - hate to bring it up and down stairs. You need to change the head to go from carpet to hardwood floors - a real pain in the arse. Does it work well - yes, but, - I always say it could suck the wrinkles off your face (do not try this at home LOL). Would I ever buy one or recommend it to anyone? A BIG FAT NO!!!!!

My hubby burnt up my vacuum two weeks ago but our cleaning lady has used her Dyson since then. Well, we went tonight and got the Shark Navigator Liftaway Pro and WOW! It picked up two large canisters of dog hair, my hair, and debris immediately. My husband was amazed at how much it got up. No wonder my allergies are giving me fits! I, too, got it at BB&B using coupons. Granted, this is all new, but so far, we are loving it! Much better than the Hoovers and Dysons we have used!

I was a first time home buyer 12 years or so ago, and that was when I bought my first vacuum cleaner.

I remember only that it seemed expensive and it was shiny black with a gold stripe.

I handed it over to my cleaning people. a couple who cleaned our house the whole 12 years we lived there. I make no apologies for having cleaning people, especially then when we were just starting a family and at the same time I was travelling internationally for my work.

Anyway, fast forward 10+ years later, and I see a beat up old vacuum cleaner in the hallway. I looked at my DH and said "whose is that?". He said "it's yours". He loves to tell this story and finds this hysterically funny, that I am such a princess that I do not even recognize my own cleaning apparatus! In my mind, it was still the shiny black toy I'd bought so long ago ...

Our new cleaning person in our new house lugs her own. All i can tell you is its not shiny and black, either.

I have a Dyson and would never buy it again! It is heavy to use. Also the attachment hose is so heavy and awkward that I haul out my $79 Eureka canister most of the time for that type of vacuuming. Can do a quick vac of cat hair in corners, on and under furniture much faster and better than with the Dyson. Also able to reach up to the 12' ceilings which I can't do with the attachment hose on the Dyson! What a waste of money for me!

Years ago I had a Rainbow and I wish I had spent the money for another one this time. It did a fabulous job.

I now have an Electrolux Nimble (the green one you get from Lowes), and am pretty happy about it. It has a swivel arm, is bagless, has a long hose and good suction. Having said that, it is a bit heavy if I need to pick it up. Also the attachments are pretty useless. I'm annoyed that I can't buy a generic attachment, as the hose has an odd shape. Otherwise it is great going from wood floors to carpet.

I bought a Dyson before this and it scratched my wood floors (the plastic piece on the bottom was rough). When I returned it, they said that others have had the same complaint.

I also bought a bagless Hoover windtunnel - it was a poorly designed piece of junk. Emptying the bagless canister was a messy activity that spread dirt all over the floor you just finished cleaning (the Electrolux is much better about this). The cord was not winding correctly afer about a week, and the other pieces of equipment were cheap plastic. It makes me sad because my old Hoover was great, but it got old and died.

I've also got two dirt devils - one hand held (that I usually use for stairs) that catches hair and gets clogged. The other is the stick type that is easy to grab and clean the kitchen floor/wood floors pretty quickly.

Oh yeah - in my search for that perfect vacuum, I tried a Kenmore canister vacuum and returned that as well. I just felt that it was akward to drag the canister around after me, and was heavy to lug from room to room.

I want to love a vacuum the way some of you do - I just haven't found my match yet.

Well I was one that once raved over my dyson, but after sending it in to get the belt replaced, since you can't do that yourself like you can on most other vacs, it's not done the job it did when it was new. I was told when I sent it in they'd replace the brushes. I think that's the problem because I can still use the attachments with the same awesome results as before.
Since I didn't want to pay the money to send it in, I didn't extend the warranty, I recently decided to buy Bissell. I'd bought a $40.00 Bissell to use while my dyson was away figuring it would be nice to have a light weight for quick jobs after the dyson was home again. That little thing had as much suction power as my dyson did! That's what sold me on getting a larger Bissell vac when I decided I needed to replace the dyson altogether. The full size Bissell I bought was only $149.00 (sale at Target).

I have a central vacuum.. when I go in the garage I'll see who the manufacturer is. I hate it. When it gets clogged I have to have hubby trace the pipes to find the clog and it's really not convenient to drag around the hose to plug it in on the other levels of the house. It does have good suction though.. well it did until I sucked up one of my grandsons toys.

Now I use a Dirt Devil bagless vacuum. It works and it's easy to handle. The worst part is trying to empty the canister because all that dust gets all over me. Emptying it is the worst part.

It's interesting, but when I was looking for an area rug quite a few of the rug manufacturers guaranteed their rugs but NOT if you used a Dyson vacuum on it. Maybe the Dysons have too much power? I've never owned one so I don't know.

I had the Oreck vacuum.. very expensive but really not worth the price.

I have a SEBO upright and it is indestructable.Changes automatically from hardwood to throw rugs and doesn't tear off the fringe. Has the Hepa filter and the wand is ready to pull out and suck up under things and furniture too.
Had a Miele canister that I bought from the same Vacuum company. It was fine but not as powerful as the SEBO.I have dogs and cats and I buy whatever they suggest and I haven't been back in 8 years.If the vacuum store thought they had a better one they would have called me. I have been taking their advice for 30 years. I am allergic to everything except seasonal plants and trees and animals. So, I use the best I can get to keep the allergies under control. Hardwood floors helped too.

Lynn,

Did you find a vacuum you love? I'm living in a New Mexico adobe house as well -- uneven brick and tiles throughout the house. Would love to hear your feedback on vacuums you've tried!!

Wow, seeing this old thread of mine sure surprised me! I'm glad you asked, though, Emily Alice. I ended up buying the Shark Navigator Lift Away Deluxe and am still very, very happy with it. I found mine on sale at Kohls and had a coupon to use with it as well. It's great on our brick floors, on the rugs, and its many attachments are easy to use. I love it.

Hey, Linen, I do not shed a lot! Okay, I do, and I too am frequently pulling my hair out of my Miele White Star vacuum's beater roll! I love my White Star and hope it lasts forever, esp. because I don't care for the new Miele vacuums that I've used/seen. Glad you found a new one you like. A good vacuum makes a huge difference.

I have the same vacuum as Lynn, and it's been a workhorse so far.

Lynn, we purchased a Shark Navigator Lift-Off & LOVE it. We have a long-haired kitty & even though we are faithful about brushing her, there still seems to be cat fur everywhere! It's not heavy & I can do our stairs just fine with attachments. We have carpet, hardwoods, and tile floors.

Did not like our Riccar canister vac...worked poorly & felt cumbersome to use.

We have central vac in this house & don't like it at all. The hose is really heavy or something, but it just is not easy to use. It now sits downstairs in a closet, unused.

Also have an Oreck Upright that does a good job, but no attachments. It's quite old, but has held up quite well.

Good luck with your decision...I did tons of research before getting our Shark at BB&B. We ended up with the higher end one that can convert to a canister too.

Thank you so much for responding! I had asked in a private FB group for my community and the 2 recommended brands were Shark and Dyson (particular to the adobe houses in our area). I think I'll go with Shark and am going to start researching now. Very helpful in confirming the brand to go with.. Thank you!

I loved my Dyson DC21 canister vac (discontinued now) it was amazing. For some reason I sold it and got an upright Dyson - we moved to a place with large expenses of carpet, so I thought upright would be better (the canister was hard to push on carpet the suction was so good). I like the upright OK but I so wish I still had the DC21, it was so versatile! The upright (I can't recall the model but it's not the ball/animal) is excellent on carpet but a bit of a pain using the hose and hard floor attachment - and since we only have hard floors now, I want a canister again.

But this thing refuses to die, I used it as a shop vac during our initial renovation of this home before we moved in - I vacuumed concrete debris from the concrete slab after removing carpet pad glue to the slab, and I use it to vacuum my outdoor rug and furniture on my patio! The HEPA and suction are excellent, I just don't like the hose system for hard floor use.

Oh and I shed a ton and have very long hair. I use the hard floor brush most of the time, which does not have a brush to tangle. I only use the upright brushes on our 2 area rugs.

I recently bought the Shark Rotator lift-away and love it. You can configure it as an upright or a canister. I tried it as an upright for a few weeks, but I really like it better with the floor attachment on the canister. The hose/attachment works great on our hardwoods and flattens easily to get under furniture.

We are one our second Dyson upright vacuum. Bought the first in 2004 and the second in 2013. Huge family and lots of carpet in my home, like 2,000 square feet. We vacuum quite a bit. I even vacuum my patio with my Dyson. These vacuums are beasts. Worth every penny and great warranty too.

I have a Shark Navigator lift away and it's the best vacuum ever. My CL says that whenever one of her clients ask she will tell them about the Shark. You wouldn't believe how much shedding comes out of our rug!

Yesterday I was in Costco and they had the Shark Rotator Powered Lift Away 3 in 1 vacuum on sale with an instant $60. manufacturer's rebate. I paid $239 and it came with the under appliance tool, the upholstery brush, a 2 in1 crevice tool, the weird floor tool where you can attach a cloth and vacuum and dust simultaneously, the canister caddy and the attachment that I really like - the mini motorized brush. The vacuum head LED lights and another light on the handle.

I had been using the top model Sears Progressive canister for years but I don't like their newest model - nor the price - so I thought I'd give the Shark a try. Costco has a wonderful return policy too. I used it immediately because my black Lab is a notorious shedder. It seemed to do a good job. One thing I noticed and didn't like is that the wheels are close together and I have one rug that shows vacuum marks - well for some reason the Shark leaves very noticeable wheel lines in the rug.

The next time I vacuum I'll do a little comparison test. Vacuum half the family room with the Kenmore and half with the Shark. Empty the containers and then vacuum again switching vacuums and see how much they pick up.

I've avoided Shark for the same reason I've avoided all of those "As Seen on TV" things. The informercials are just so enthusiastic and loud that they remind me of Boardwalk shills.

I have two Miele Cat and Dog S8380 Cannister vacuum cleaners. Wood floors, Carpet, Rugs, Tile, Cat fur...it does it all! I have three stories and it is great for stairs and also upholstery. The best vacuum cleaner I've ever had in my life! I had a Dyson and it's better than Dyson for picking up animal fur, that's for certain. Miele Cat and Dog Cannister Vacuum S8380

I really like my Miele Jasper. It is worth the money. I spent a little more for the attachments I needed for hardwood and rugs. There are no rotating brushes, Hair once in a while gathers on the rug but I just pick it up. The vacuum is very lightweight and rolls easily in all directions, Gets into corners and under furniture well. Very quiet. I have a older Progressive I use in the upstairs bonus room which is carpeted.

We have no pets so the cat and dog model Zombie mentioned might be even better for you.

Just an FYI if anyone is considering the Shark Navigator Lift-Away. I noticed it on sale in yesterdays newspaper flier at Big Lots for $119.99.

Sebo D4 is Wonderful

We have had our D4 for 2+ years and it works great. Powerful, quiet for a strong machine, great powerhead and trouble free. It was $900 but worth every penny. Built very strong and we would buy it again.

Is this the Shark you all recommend? I really think it's time I replace my heavy, clunky Kenmore.

Linelle- Jmho but I wouldn't buy a Shark. I would buy a Dyson. I had one of the original dysons for 10 years and replaced it with a Shark because I wanted the lift away option for my carpeted stairs. I have regretted the purchase ever since and wish I had purchased another Dyson. The suction has no comparison and it is horrible on hard floors. Good luck.

diymom79, thanks for weighing in. I am totally open when it comes to brands. Is there a particular Dyson model you recommend? I have no stairs, half hardwood, half carpet and tile bathrooms. My house is 1250 sq.ft. and there is cat hair and occasionally tracked litter.