Vacuum Cleaner that Truly Sucks
January 1, 2015 1:22 PM Subscribe
I need a vacuum cleaner, and am overwhelmed when I browse at the various websites that sell such an appliance. So many choices, how does a very lax housekeeper choose?
I'm no Heloise when it comes to overall house cleaning and all the various necessary appliances...I don't know what the difference is between bagless and one that requires bags (I mean, I know what a vacuum cleaner bag is, but what are the benefits pro/con? And what's the difference between the bag and the filter?) I was previously using some sort of Hoover that cost just under $200 and the woman who (at the time) cleaned my house told me it was "cheap" and within a year after I'd purchased it the gizmo that made it stand upright didn't work and then it emitted a burning smell and made a loud noise when turned on.
My house is approx 1100 square feet, and of that space approximately 2/3 of it is carpeted. We have no pets, but my husband has very long hair (past his shoulders) and my hair is about shoulder length. When I recently resurrected my Eureka Boss SuperLite from the back of the closet and vacuumed the bedroom it worked pretty well, but I noticed after I was done that the brushes were just completely wrapped and encased in hair. I did my best to pull some of it off, but it made me wonder how did we vacuum carpets in the 1970s, when both men and women had long hair and everyone had wall-to-wall carpet? (When I was growing up my Mom had a clunky old vacuum with a long hose and a wand attachment with a brush on the end.....the hair was easily pulled off of the brush periodically.) I'm not looking for one of those old-fashioned models - as I recall Mom's vacuum cleaner also had a bag inside that was a pain to change, as well as some other internal parts that periodically required replacement.
My husband and I don't suffer from allergies, we don't have pets. What are the pros/cons when it comes to bag/bagless vacuum cleaners? Do Hepa filters add any value if you're not allergic to dust? If a person vacuums about twice per month, what is the best machine for her? Apart from clothes lint and other debris from the shoes (road grit, etc. - We don't eat in the carpeted areas, so there are no food crumbs) our main carpet clean-up concern is long hair. What type of vacuum cleaner (I'm thinking $300 or less) would last us for at least five years?
I'm no Heloise when it comes to overall house cleaning and all the various necessary appliances...I don't know what the difference is between bagless and one that requires bags (I mean, I know what a vacuum cleaner bag is, but what are the benefits pro/con? And what's the difference between the bag and the filter?) I was previously using some sort of Hoover that cost just under $200 and the woman who (at the time) cleaned my house told me it was "cheap" and within a year after I'd purchased it the gizmo that made it stand upright didn't work and then it emitted a burning smell and made a loud noise when turned on.
My house is approx 1100 square feet, and of that space approximately 2/3 of it is carpeted. We have no pets, but my husband has very long hair (past his shoulders) and my hair is about shoulder length. When I recently resurrected my Eureka Boss SuperLite from the back of the closet and vacuumed the bedroom it worked pretty well, but I noticed after I was done that the brushes were just completely wrapped and encased in hair. I did my best to pull some of it off, but it made me wonder how did we vacuum carpets in the 1970s, when both men and women had long hair and everyone had wall-to-wall carpet? (When I was growing up my Mom had a clunky old vacuum with a long hose and a wand attachment with a brush on the end.....the hair was easily pulled off of the brush periodically.) I'm not looking for one of those old-fashioned models - as I recall Mom's vacuum cleaner also had a bag inside that was a pain to change, as well as some other internal parts that periodically required replacement.
My husband and I don't suffer from allergies, we don't have pets. What are the pros/cons when it comes to bag/bagless vacuum cleaners? Do Hepa filters add any value if you're not allergic to dust? If a person vacuums about twice per month, what is the best machine for her? Apart from clothes lint and other debris from the shoes (road grit, etc. - We don't eat in the carpeted areas, so there are no food crumbs) our main carpet clean-up concern is long hair. What type of vacuum cleaner (I'm thinking $300 or less) would last us for at least five years?
There's some interesting reading over at Reddit where a vacuum repair technician did a pair of AMA (ask me anything) sessions: The First, and then The Encore.
(tl;dr: he's a big fan of Miele)
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:46 PM on January 1, 2015 [13 favorites]
(tl;dr: he's a big fan of Miele)
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:46 PM on January 1, 2015 [13 favorites]
I have to say I really like the Dyson DC7 upright I inherited. It's bagless and has a washable HEPA filter. When I got it, it needed to have all the gaskets replaced, but you can order those from Dyson for a few bucks.
As far as performance goes, it's significantly better than any other vacuum I've used, though I guess I haven't used that many. I have a long-haired dog that gets dirty or muddy every day, and this thing will fill its bin (about a liter?) with hair and dirt just vacuuming an 8x10 patch of carpet in her wake. Also, the hose for the handheld attachments deploys easily and is long enough to reach all the way across the inside of my car.
posted by bricoleur at 1:51 PM on January 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
As far as performance goes, it's significantly better than any other vacuum I've used, though I guess I haven't used that many. I have a long-haired dog that gets dirty or muddy every day, and this thing will fill its bin (about a liter?) with hair and dirt just vacuuming an 8x10 patch of carpet in her wake. Also, the hose for the handheld attachments deploys easily and is long enough to reach all the way across the inside of my car.
posted by bricoleur at 1:51 PM on January 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm a big fan of Miele too. Ours is over ten years old and it still cleans as well as it did when it was new.
posted by pipeski at 2:04 PM on January 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by pipeski at 2:04 PM on January 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
We have bought a succession of garbage brands like Hoover and Dirt Devil, but now that we have a Miele we will never go back to cheap vacuums. The bags are a minor inconvenience at worst, we change it a few times a year.
Friends of ours poo-poo'd the Miele and told us we should have got a Dyson. They've had three Dysons fail in as many years. Our Miele is unstoppable.
posted by Sternmeyer at 2:07 PM on January 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
Friends of ours poo-poo'd the Miele and told us we should have got a Dyson. They've had three Dysons fail in as many years. Our Miele is unstoppable.
posted by Sternmeyer at 2:07 PM on January 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
Two friends love their high end Miele canister vacuums. They work great and are much quieter than most vacuums I've used.
posted by JackBurden at 2:42 PM on January 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by JackBurden at 2:42 PM on January 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've got a Dyson, I had a Meile, but called it the Meh-le & sold it on to a friend. I just found it all too temperamental where hair was concerned. I have super long hair & shed like a collie dog, and have 2 dogs with the hair that involves, my Dyson DC39 a dream. It's a cannister vac which I like, but it's easy to clean/dehair beater bar & special non tangle attachment are super handy in my case.
Having said that usually these vac questions come down to a choice between a Dyson or a Miele if price is no object either is most likely a good choice, you'll just find the fans of these two brands as rabidly fanatical as any football fan over what are both perfectly good choices. I'd just check the beater bar of whatever you choose comes out for easy dehairing, as that feature alone made my vacuuming much less of a nightmare hair wise.
posted by wwax at 2:44 PM on January 1, 2015
Having said that usually these vac questions come down to a choice between a Dyson or a Miele if price is no object either is most likely a good choice, you'll just find the fans of these two brands as rabidly fanatical as any football fan over what are both perfectly good choices. I'd just check the beater bar of whatever you choose comes out for easy dehairing, as that feature alone made my vacuuming much less of a nightmare hair wise.
posted by wwax at 2:44 PM on January 1, 2015
Best answer: Oh gosh, don't spend the earth on a vacuum cleaner. We bought a Hoover upright with a bag and HEPA filter at Costco for about $200 15 years ago. It's still going strong. The bags are easy to change, and it has attachments. VERY long cord too.
Your place isn't all that big, you don't have Persian cats or Chow-Chow's, so a perfectly cromulent, middle of the road vacuum should suffice.
Seriously, a good Hoover will last forever!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:48 PM on January 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
Your place isn't all that big, you don't have Persian cats or Chow-Chow's, so a perfectly cromulent, middle of the road vacuum should suffice.
Seriously, a good Hoover will last forever!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:48 PM on January 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
I can attest to the Kirby having superior suction. I am confident that it's getting as much dirt out as possible, due to a handy in-home demo which allowed me to visualize all the nasty stuff in a handy circular window. Buy it used, though! It's overpriced and it's like negotiating for a car in your living room.
posted by oxisos at 2:50 PM on January 1, 2015
posted by oxisos at 2:50 PM on January 1, 2015
Best answer: As somebody who has long hair that of course ends up encasing rolling vacuum brushes: get a seam ripper! They're an inexpensive sewing tool mega handy for efficiently clearing out hair wound around the roller.
posted by foxfirefey at 3:16 PM on January 1, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by foxfirefey at 3:16 PM on January 1, 2015 [8 favorites]
If you don't have allergies or pets, I'd say bagless is fine. It can be a little annoying to empty them (you have to be careful not to launch clouds of dust in the air), but it's not a huge deal and you don't have to buy bags. Emptying our bagless vaccuum annoyed me when I was living in a dusty house with things I was allergic to, but it's fine now that I'm living somewhere without allergens.
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:20 PM on January 1, 2015
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:20 PM on January 1, 2015
My parents had a Miele and loved it. My mom ended up with it after the divorce, and my dad got a Dyson. He said it's great but it's really heavy and he hates dragging it up the stairs. The Miele is light as a feather.
In fact, we got the Miele because I used one when I was babysitting and I was shocked at how easy it was to bring upstairs.
posted by radioamy at 3:24 PM on January 1, 2015
In fact, we got the Miele because I used one when I was babysitting and I was shocked at how easy it was to bring upstairs.
posted by radioamy at 3:24 PM on January 1, 2015
I got this Shark Navigator vacuum (or one very similar) from Costco and have been very happy with it. The review will answer a lot of your questions about the kind of vacuum you need.
posted by rsclark at 3:30 PM on January 1, 2015
posted by rsclark at 3:30 PM on January 1, 2015
I think the Hoover Windtunnel PAWS vacuum is great. I got one last year. It has a HEPA filter and it is supposed to be good for cleaning up pet hair. I don't have a dog or cat. I do have a parrot that makes a mess. This vacuum has the ability to be switched to a hand-held hose in seconds. I can vacuum up the feathers and crumbs in the corner and then switch back to the regular mode so easily. My house is a lot cleaner now even though I, too, am a lax housekeeper.
posted by goodsearch at 3:32 PM on January 1, 2015
posted by goodsearch at 3:32 PM on January 1, 2015
The Sweethome likes Miele, too.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 3:32 PM on January 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 3:32 PM on January 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
First you have to decide between a canister and an upright. You didn't mention stairs so that makes it simpler, but it's a personal preference based on weight, maneuverability, etc.
The next decision is bag or bag-less. Buying bags is a pain, but I've had two bagless ones now and I'm ready for something that doesn't explode dust all over the kitchen when emptying into the waste bin.
I'm pretty sure this question was asked in the past couple years on the green, I can't search right now but it had a lot of responses including one from a member whose husband was a vacuum cleaner repair person.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:38 PM on January 1, 2015
The next decision is bag or bag-less. Buying bags is a pain, but I've had two bagless ones now and I'm ready for something that doesn't explode dust all over the kitchen when emptying into the waste bin.
I'm pretty sure this question was asked in the past couple years on the green, I can't search right now but it had a lot of responses including one from a member whose husband was a vacuum cleaner repair person.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:38 PM on January 1, 2015
That reddit is so surprisingly fun to read. FWIW I have a Miele and love it. I actually vacuum more now that I have it and it's given me no problems. I have pets and a lot of dirt and dust from living near a raised highway. The canister is a lot easier for me to store and move around.
Personally I don't like bagless - I don't see why in the age of internet shopping that getting the bags is such a big freaking deal. It seems cleaner to me to have all the dirt contained. My Miele bags have never somehow freakishly exploded or anything, you just pop it out and pop it in the trash. No dust swirling in the air trying to empty the canister.
Miele charge more for every single upgrade and the one thing that really made a difference to me personally was paying for the automatic cord retractor feature. I hated rolling and unrolling the damn cords my whole life - being able to just step on a button with my foot and have the stupid electric cord retract automatically changed my life for the better!
posted by rdnnyc at 3:54 PM on January 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
Personally I don't like bagless - I don't see why in the age of internet shopping that getting the bags is such a big freaking deal. It seems cleaner to me to have all the dirt contained. My Miele bags have never somehow freakishly exploded or anything, you just pop it out and pop it in the trash. No dust swirling in the air trying to empty the canister.
Miele charge more for every single upgrade and the one thing that really made a difference to me personally was paying for the automatic cord retractor feature. I hated rolling and unrolling the damn cords my whole life - being able to just step on a button with my foot and have the stupid electric cord retract automatically changed my life for the better!
posted by rdnnyc at 3:54 PM on January 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
Thirding that reddit thread. Good info on there.
posted by small_ruminant at 4:15 PM on January 1, 2015
posted by small_ruminant at 4:15 PM on January 1, 2015
I'm not a house-cleaning extraordinaire either but I wanted to stop buying the cheapish vacuums that had no suction and died after a few months and so we went with the Shark Rotator Lift-Away.
It's easy to use (the bagless element just comes away with one button), took ten seconds to put together out of the box, has helpful hoses to get the furniture and has insane suction, especially for all the leaves and crud we're dragging in right now in the Midwest. My younger sister ended up buying one for her house after using ours (she has five kids). So far, it's my favorite thing when house-cleaning.
posted by Merinda at 4:22 PM on January 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's easy to use (the bagless element just comes away with one button), took ten seconds to put together out of the box, has helpful hoses to get the furniture and has insane suction, especially for all the leaves and crud we're dragging in right now in the Midwest. My younger sister ended up buying one for her house after using ours (she has five kids). So far, it's my favorite thing when house-cleaning.
posted by Merinda at 4:22 PM on January 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
I have a Miele, but when I moved into my current apartment it came with a Dyson (the animal hair version) and I have to say, it sucks a lot more. It's especially useful on a thick wool rug that sheds a lot, but also works better for me on hard floors. My long hair also sheds a lot, and it works really well for that.
posted by three_red_balloons at 6:20 PM on January 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by three_red_balloons at 6:20 PM on January 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have a Hoover Elite Upright from 1992 that is still going strong and is used weekly. We have no carpeting, but it is used for the large rugs we have in nearly every room. For hardwood and tile floors I used a shopvac for years, until we got a Dyson DC59 cordless, bagless, stick vacuum.
What can you say about a vacuum that lasts over twenty years with constant use? The only repairs it's ever needed is replacing the rubber drive belt (twice, I believe). It easily adjusts in height from bare floors to shag carpet. It came with attachments for furniture / drapes, rarely used. Has a headlight. Takes bags, which are easily changed.
We have and have had both a dog and a cat. The Hoover did a good job getting long stiff black dog hairs out of a white rug and now does a good job getting long stiff orange dog hairs out of a white rug. It does OK on bare floors.
On stairs and other places where hair accumulates, I used to use the shop-vac. The Dyson DC59 stick that replaced it does a better job that anything I've ever seen on the bare floors. It is very powerful. The motorized roller on the business end does tend to get bound up with longer pet hair requiring manual cleaning -- but pet hair does not appear to be one of your considerations. The Dyson is cordless and runs about 20 minutes on a charge. It is bagless and easily emptied and cleaned.
Apart from tangles with very long hairs, the downsides of the Dyson are: My wife believes the Hoover does the better job on rugs and finds the roller brush tends to bind up on the rug -- too powerful? Dynamite on bare floors, though; Cordless and light is nice for the stairs, but you can't really clean an entire house in twenty minutes; Being a 'stick', the dustbin capacity is pretty small. I empty it after each use; It was out of site expensive.
There are other Dyson models that plug into the wall so don't run out of juice before you're done. A less specialized model may work better on rugs/carpets. All Dysons are bagless. A Dyson upright or canister probably holds more.
So we have one each, bagged and bagless. We don't really have a problem with either. Bagless is easier to empty, but needs to be done more often. The Hoover bag is easy to change and replacement bags are widely available.
The Dyson is nice, slick, high-tech and highly specialized. I bought it for a special job, and I love it.
But think about that twenty year old Hoover . . .
posted by Herodios at 6:31 PM on January 1, 2015
What can you say about a vacuum that lasts over twenty years with constant use? The only repairs it's ever needed is replacing the rubber drive belt (twice, I believe). It easily adjusts in height from bare floors to shag carpet. It came with attachments for furniture / drapes, rarely used. Has a headlight. Takes bags, which are easily changed.
We have and have had both a dog and a cat. The Hoover did a good job getting long stiff black dog hairs out of a white rug and now does a good job getting long stiff orange dog hairs out of a white rug. It does OK on bare floors.
On stairs and other places where hair accumulates, I used to use the shop-vac. The Dyson DC59 stick that replaced it does a better job that anything I've ever seen on the bare floors. It is very powerful. The motorized roller on the business end does tend to get bound up with longer pet hair requiring manual cleaning -- but pet hair does not appear to be one of your considerations. The Dyson is cordless and runs about 20 minutes on a charge. It is bagless and easily emptied and cleaned.
Apart from tangles with very long hairs, the downsides of the Dyson are: My wife believes the Hoover does the better job on rugs and finds the roller brush tends to bind up on the rug -- too powerful? Dynamite on bare floors, though; Cordless and light is nice for the stairs, but you can't really clean an entire house in twenty minutes; Being a 'stick', the dustbin capacity is pretty small. I empty it after each use; It was out of site expensive.
There are other Dyson models that plug into the wall so don't run out of juice before you're done. A less specialized model may work better on rugs/carpets. All Dysons are bagless. A Dyson upright or canister probably holds more.
So we have one each, bagged and bagless. We don't really have a problem with either. Bagless is easier to empty, but needs to be done more often. The Hoover bag is easy to change and replacement bags are widely available.
The Dyson is nice, slick, high-tech and highly specialized. I bought it for a special job, and I love it.
But think about that twenty year old Hoover . . .
posted by Herodios at 6:31 PM on January 1, 2015
If you get a Kirby, buy it on eBay. Their salesmen and sales techniques are incredibly shady.
That said, we bought one on eBay, and it's a great vacuum. Very heavy, though.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:43 PM on January 1, 2015
That said, we bought one on eBay, and it's a great vacuum. Very heavy, though.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:43 PM on January 1, 2015
Somehow, we inherited two Riccars, and can attest that they are really good. They're simple, no nonsense designs, but they very clearly lay-down far more suction than any other vac we've ever owned. Relatively quiet as vacs go, too.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:05 PM on January 1, 2015
posted by Thorzdad at 8:05 PM on January 1, 2015
Best answer: The wife and I recently got a Miele canister vacuum that uses dustbags with a HEPA filter and I have been extremely impressed with its performance vis a vis the standard $200 upright vacs we've been using all of our adult lives. Notably, the slightly dusty odor that I have associated with vacuum cleaning since I was a wee child was completely absent. It actually freaked me out a little the first couple of times we were using it. More exciting was the fact that the raw, dry feeling I used to get in my throat and sinuses while vacuuming has completely vanished with the Miele. Heck, I almost enjoy it now.
I think Dysons are funny-looking, but I'm sure they make great vacuums with plenty of suction. (The Miele sucks more than any other vacuum I've used, but I don't think it's mind-blowing or anything.) I settled on the Miele in part because I read something suggesting that bagless vacuums generally don't quite match the bagged variety when it comes to creating a truly closed system to keep fine dust particles inside the machine. I don't know if that's true — I just know that I'm very happy with the apparently airtight performance of the Miele.
posted by Mothlight at 10:23 PM on January 1, 2015
I think Dysons are funny-looking, but I'm sure they make great vacuums with plenty of suction. (The Miele sucks more than any other vacuum I've used, but I don't think it's mind-blowing or anything.) I settled on the Miele in part because I read something suggesting that bagless vacuums generally don't quite match the bagged variety when it comes to creating a truly closed system to keep fine dust particles inside the machine. I don't know if that's true — I just know that I'm very happy with the apparently airtight performance of the Miele.
posted by Mothlight at 10:23 PM on January 1, 2015
The two best vacuums i've ever used were an OLD kirby(like, late 80s maybe?) and a probably even older rainbow.
i can also attest to the kirby weighing as much as an engine block. i would have hurt myself if i had to regularly carry it around, it was HEAAAVYYY(like probably 25-30 pounds, seriously). It was built like a tank though, and obviously had a very big motor with nice windings and such(and a very big, heavy, metal case/shell).
the rainbow was the water filtration type, was also very heavy, and a bit finnicky but when set up it rocked. my mom sold it because apparently people still pay good money for those on craigslist.
personally i'd buy a kirby used if i had to get another vacuum at some point. it was my roommates, but it was awesome for a lazy hungover guy who just wanted to suck up all the cathair and random dirt as quickly as possible and get on with his life. the self propelled function on it worked great, too. but it really only needed it because it was so insanely heavy.
i'm not a vacuum repairman, but i'm the kind of guy who will replace a belt, or some wiring, or whatever to resuscitate something. i would put in my own brushes on a good machine that allowed me to replace them, for example. i chucked several hoovers and a "commercial" eureka in the trash or just gave them goodwill, and i fucking hate my rechargeable shark.
i never had a single problem with that kirby, and i sucked up so much cat hair and garbage with it. it had strong enough suction to pull the carpet away from the floor and really blast the gunk out of it. i also just really liked how it was designed and put together, quality stuff. i can't speak at all to the newer or current ones, though.
posted by emptythought at 11:21 PM on January 1, 2015
i can also attest to the kirby weighing as much as an engine block. i would have hurt myself if i had to regularly carry it around, it was HEAAAVYYY(like probably 25-30 pounds, seriously). It was built like a tank though, and obviously had a very big motor with nice windings and such(and a very big, heavy, metal case/shell).
the rainbow was the water filtration type, was also very heavy, and a bit finnicky but when set up it rocked. my mom sold it because apparently people still pay good money for those on craigslist.
personally i'd buy a kirby used if i had to get another vacuum at some point. it was my roommates, but it was awesome for a lazy hungover guy who just wanted to suck up all the cathair and random dirt as quickly as possible and get on with his life. the self propelled function on it worked great, too. but it really only needed it because it was so insanely heavy.
i'm not a vacuum repairman, but i'm the kind of guy who will replace a belt, or some wiring, or whatever to resuscitate something. i would put in my own brushes on a good machine that allowed me to replace them, for example. i chucked several hoovers and a "commercial" eureka in the trash or just gave them goodwill, and i fucking hate my rechargeable shark.
i never had a single problem with that kirby, and i sucked up so much cat hair and garbage with it. it had strong enough suction to pull the carpet away from the floor and really blast the gunk out of it. i also just really liked how it was designed and put together, quality stuff. i can't speak at all to the newer or current ones, though.
posted by emptythought at 11:21 PM on January 1, 2015
I've had good luck with a cheap GE upright. It was a Consumer Reports Best Buy back in either 2001 or 2002. Never had a problem, all I ever do is change the bags and very occasionally clean off the rollers.
If I needed a vacuum today, I'd do the same thing--get one of CR's Best Buys that's still affordable.
posted by aerotive at 8:03 AM on January 2, 2015
If I needed a vacuum today, I'd do the same thing--get one of CR's Best Buys that's still affordable.
posted by aerotive at 8:03 AM on January 2, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks so much for all the great responses, much food for thought! (And Mothlight, I was totally transported back to my childhood vacuuming days and that distinctive dusty vacuum "smell" when I read your post!) It looks like bagged is a better fit for me, since I hate rogue dust particles (I go through Swiffers like nobody's business when it comes to dusting). And I forgot to mention that we live in a ranch-style home, no stairs to consider. Thanks again for all the information - I'm off to do some serious research.
posted by Oriole Adams at 1:48 PM on January 2, 2015
posted by Oriole Adams at 1:48 PM on January 2, 2015
I love my Riccar Brilliance! Bags, Hepa, second motor for the tools, and sucks like nobody's business. I originally bought a Dyson (to replace an older dyson) but returned it within a week- dusty, dusty, dusty which defeats the point. My Riccar is sturdy yet easy to maneuver and I'm sure it will last a lifetime.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 8:26 PM on January 2, 2015
posted by PorcineWithMe at 8:26 PM on January 2, 2015
You've already received a ton of responses, but I just wanted to say that I just bought a lower end Miele canister vacuum based on that reddit thread and tons of online reviews and so far am very pleased with it. Also, it is QUIET, like I can vacuum on the same floor when my baby is sleeping and she won't even stir. That in my book makes an amazing vacuum!
posted by echo0720 at 7:10 PM on January 5, 2015
posted by echo0720 at 7:10 PM on January 5, 2015
Best answer: Oh, I wish I hadn't missed this thread. In case anyone is reading, my husband was, erm, a vacuum repair technician for years ("he fixes vacuums" is what was usually said). He worked at an aerus electrolux franchise, so that was his preference; we've got a 30 year old electrolux which we can reasonably expect it to last another few decades, as they're built like tanks and made to be repaired. He also likes Mieles, and as in the reddit thread, hates all bagless (dust and debris ruins the internal parts) and dyson vacuums. I believe that they're more pleasant to vacuum with, but they aren't made to be repaired or serviced and therefore aren't worth the high price tag.
Happy to forward any vacuum questions on to him via MeMeail.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:31 AM on January 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
Happy to forward any vacuum questions on to him via MeMeail.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:31 AM on January 18, 2015 [4 favorites]
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