Which model vacuum cleaners are good?

[QuarterMillionMan]

Shark, Dyson, Hepa filter, Cyclone, cannister, vacuum bags or bagless, uprights, commercial carpet shampooer, Roomba? There are numerous types on the market.



I have a 20 year old Hoover upright with vacuum bags (replaceable) that I paid about $60 that is still running strong (knock on wood, lol). I also have a Craftsman shop vac which is good for cleaning out my vehicle. It is also good for getting hard to reach places like under shelves, cleaning out dust from refrigerator coils, etc. Those 12 volt hand-held car vacs are pretty worthless because it doesn't have enough power to vacuum sand or small pebbles inside the vehicle. I've also tried the gas station commercial self-service $1 vacuum, those are powerful. I've never tried the grocery store rental carpet shampoo style vacs but I'm guessing those are good.

[moto017]

Depends on the type of use/flooring. Bottom line on the vacuum industry is they all went cheap. They decided to make worthless plastic junk. Idea is break and replace. Every appliance in the home is worth a thousand or 2 except the vacuum. The old metal ones are good and last as you know.

I used to sell kirby vacuums for 4 years and are an all around great vacuum with multiple uses. Hands down if you have carpet or thick area rugs, get a kirby. Downside is they are very expensive and heavy. For hard floors, look for a cannister vac (has a hose with lots of attachmments) or any vac that would be easy for you to use.

[cypher1]

I grew up with a Kirby which my parents still use, so its gotta be 30+ years old by now. I currently have a Dyson DC24, which is pretty nice, but over priced (at the time 400, but got for 300). I agree the plastic makes it feel flimsy, but ergonomically convenient. Only thing I didn't like is the power cord a little short.

[FrugalSensei]

I was recently introduced to a Bissell Rewind Smartclean. It is bagless and has attachments and settings for numerous applications. I think I paid around $50 for it but have only had it for a little over a year so cannot speak to its durability. I love it because it is very powerful and can be cleaned easily - a must for pet owners. Shop vacs are great for industrial applications (like sucking up small rocks, dirt and water) but for now I am very happy with my Bissell Smartclean for household and car cleaning needs.

[kork13]

I've got a Dyson Animal, which I find does an excellent job. I use it on my carpets and also in place of a broom on my tile flooring. I've also used it to clean out my car a couple times, and it also did pretty well there. Expensive relative to most other options (got mine for ~$400 I think), but they do a good job.

A friend of mine has a Kirby, and he/his wife both rave about how fantastic it is. I think they're probably the highest-quality vacuum you're going to find on the market right now, though for the ~$2k-$3k price tag, you're going to get some pretty good performance. But then, what you need depends on what you need it for...

[ua_guy]

I hear they all suck.


Bwahahaha!


We have an upright Hoover that's been around for the better part of 20 years and survived my s/o's early years living on his own. We've replaced the headlight, the belts, and some of the plastic pieces over the years. The next up is the brush...bristles are starting to really wear down. If your vacuum still goes, keep replacing parts, air filters, bags, etc.

We've also had a Ridgid shop vac for about 7 years. Under no uncertain terms, we abuse it and it's held up marvelously. We empty it often and make sure the filters are clear so it can breathe and continue to do a good job.

[FrugalFish]

I've had an "8 pound Oreck" for 20 years and it's still going strong through a couple of sets of brushes. I have some back problems that make the vacuuming/mopping motion a little difficult, so it being lightweight makes it a good choice. It does a good job on carpets and hard floors, but the downside is that it doesn't have attachments. (On the upside, it doesn't have attachments).

We also have an ancient Big Green, if anyone remembers that infomercial miracle of the 1990's, lol. Like the Oreck, it gets used several times a week. This is what we use if we need attachments, plus it also does a great job on hard floors, and wet extraction too. DH had to take it apart a few years ago and discovered that it actually has one of the nicest made motors on the market in it (the name slips my mind).

Don't know what we'd get if/when the Oreck died. I probably wouldn't buy another Oreck though, but have always considered the possibility of getting a canister vac with a powerhead. Electrolux maybe?

[shaggy]

Love my Miele with HEPA filter!

BF loves his Kirby.

[moneysma]

I have both hardwood floors and carpet and love my Dyson. I've had many other brands over the years and they all seem to last about 2 years tops. The Dyson so far has just hit the 2 year mark and there is no sign of it getting old.

The thing that blew my mind was I vacuumed with an old vacuum and then used the Dyson. It was like I hadn't vacuumed in years. It was incredible how much dirt and hair it pulled up from the carpet.

[tripods68]

Love our Dyson vacuum....no filter to change just keeps going and going.

[Mjenn]

Roomba, hands down. We turn it on in the morning when we go to work/school and come home to a clean house. We are on our second. Run it daily. Worth its weight in gold.

[StormRichards]

Again, a new member being able to access an extremely old thread.