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BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???...
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Subject: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Bobert Date: 08 Jan 07 - 05:36 PM Okay, yeah, I been guilty of starting a couple threads over the years on just how much I hate, yeah "hate", the 35 year old Letcherlux cannister vacuum cleaner that the P-Vine brought into the marriage as her dowery but... ...happy dyas as even the Letcherlux repairman said that doing any more work to it would be like givin' a blood transfusion to a deal man so... ...more happys days seein' as I am the vacuum cleaner engineer in our house it it time to put the Letcherlux in a pine box and blow the sumabitch up!!! (No, no, Bobert... Yer anger is showuin'...These are the happy days, right??) Okay, I ain't gonna blow the thing up... I'm gonna, ahhhhh.... Nevermind what I'm goin' to do with the hatefull thing but I want it on record that that evil thing has tried to kill me about half a dozen times... But, now here's the question: What to get??? I personally think cannister vaccum cleaners suck... No, not that way seein' as they are vaccum cleaners but ain't it bad nuff trying to vacuum with a cord trying to kill you off with out having to have a cannister and the hose and attachments??? Nevremind answering that one... So, folks, what kind of upright would you recommend... Brand, model, por favor... BTW, we don't want to spend our retirement savings on the thing so whats out there decent fir unner 500 bucks??? Thank you... Bobert |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Cluin Date: 08 Jan 07 - 05:37 PM a Kirby. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: gnu Date: 08 Jan 07 - 05:42 PM ShopVac. Get two. One for dry. One for wet. Get lots of attachments and extra hose and such. Can't beat em. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: artbrooks Date: 08 Jan 07 - 05:46 PM Consumer Reports Online says: The Kenmore (Sears) Progressive with Direct Drive 35922 {$300} excels at cleaning carpets and bare floors, and vacuuming using tools. The Electrolux Oxygen3 EL5035A {$400} offers more features, but is a notch lower for bare floors and tools suction and costs more. Both models are excellent when it comes to emissions. The Eureka Boss Smart Vac Ultra 4870 {$150} trades some through-the-hose suction for a much lower price. But its carpet and bare floors cleaning are excellent. These are all uprights. Personally, I have had good luck with Sears/Kenmore, and they seem to keep parts in stock forever. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: vectis Date: 08 Jan 07 - 05:51 PM Get a Dyson. Avoid the Hoover Dustette like the plague (there's a song in there somewhere). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Liz the Squeak Date: 08 Jan 07 - 05:57 PM Dysons are great in that they suck really well, but they also suck really badly in the attachments department. We're on our third brush attachment and the main handle that holds the extending tube is held together with superglue and sticky tape. We bought the machine new almost 2 years ago. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: GUEST Date: 08 Jan 07 - 05:59 PM Don't get a dyson upright because you want to be able to leave it on the bottom floor and avail yourself of it's wondrous hose that will reach to the top floor. By the time it gets up there it couldn't suck cotton. The uprights also need a small trained army to lift them. The pull along one is ok. Could suck the nails out of your floorboards. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Liz the Squeak Date: 08 Jan 07 - 06:10 PM A friend of a friend is a electrical appliance repair man. He loves Dysons. Repairing them got him a holiday for his family in Barbados last year. If I had the money and the choosing, I'd go for one of the new Dyson-style cleaners from other companies. If you are the one who does the most vacuuming, make sure you are the one that goes to purchase the new vacuum cleaner! And the pull along Dyson that says it sits on stairs? Only if you have stairs with a tread 8" or deeper. I've used both and I'd say that the pull along is lighter but the upright is easier to empty. I'm a bit concerned about the lack of handles on the pull alongs' dust bucket and the little keel at the bottom that could so easily break if dropped. Emptying the dust bucket on the upright couldn't be easier. Attaching it to the machine again could. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: GUEST Date: 08 Jan 07 - 06:14 PM So true. Replacing the bucket on the upright always makes me think of the man in the ice cream van putting a too big cornet under the whippy ice cream nozzle. And once you've mastered it you need to get the dustpan out to sweep up all the fine dust that sticks to the nozzle. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: John Hardly Date: 08 Jan 07 - 06:36 PM Good advice all. I can only add that apparently their is a god-shaped vacuum in the soul of man. I don't think it's an Oreck. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Murray MacLeod Date: 08 Jan 07 - 07:03 PM Cluin got it right on the second post. There is nothing to compare with a Kirby. Dysons are plastic crap, they are ( reasonably ) efficient while they work, but they won't work for very long. A Kirby is like a Martin guitar, it gets better with age and you can pass it on to your descendants. No contest, imo. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: jeffp Date: 08 Jan 07 - 07:52 PM I have a Bissell Lift-Off Revolution Turbo. Huge name, that. It's an upright with an integrated hose. The brush attachment for the hose spins under wind power. Not as strong as a belt drive, but it does pretty well. A feature that I like is that it has separate switches for power and the main brush, which is belt-driven. Not only that, but the brush shuts off when you lock the handle upright, so you don't wear out a single area of your carpet. Finally, the business section lifts out and becomes a canister vacuum for those occasions when you need one. I'm pretty happy with it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Bill D Date: 08 Jan 07 - 07:58 PM well, I DO have a Kirby from 1962,and one of the newer ones..(1980's) but note that the air, and thus the dirt, passes THRU the blades of the impeller....I have twice had a broken blade in the newer Kirby. They do not require bag purchases, but you still have to be careful about emptying regularly. We currently use a canister (Miele)with a 'upright' attachment, so that it is 'almost' like an upright...powered brushes and such. It is 4-5 times as quiet as the Kirby and does as good a job, but does require buying bags....and is not cheap....but what is? (We got it when we needed a Hepafilter for strict dust control, but no longer need or buy the fancy filter. You sorta need to go out and make a store demo several... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Bee Date: 08 Jan 07 - 08:51 PM I hate uprights. I have a Dirt Devil upright, doesn't suck nothin', is awkward, changing bags is a pain and dirty as well, has no lowering thingy to do hardwood floors. Miss my old cheap Canadian Tire pull along, worked great. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: diesel Date: 08 Jan 07 - 10:04 PM Dyson Repeat... Dyson, Have one three years now, works a treat. - Now that's not saying it never had broken bits, but in fairness, they're aftersales service was excellent. "What's the problem, yes ! We'll post that part to you immediately" and they did....no questions. "Well -just to let you know the warranty expired on that last month - but don't worry we'll ship that part immediately - again they did !" Yep - Dyson, anyway makes me feel good buying a part where the inventor was turned down by the corporations and then had to push to sell - now the suits are falling over themselves copying his patents. Diesel. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Bert Date: 09 Jan 07 - 01:07 AM Somewhere over the RAINBOW!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: GUEST Date: 09 Jan 07 - 01:19 AM Don't buy a Panasonic. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Liz the Squeak Date: 09 Jan 07 - 03:40 AM Now I didn't say don't buy a Dyson did I? We have had good responses from their aftercare service, but if I'm going to pay £200+ for a vacuum cleaner, I don't expect the main components to start breaking before it's first birthday. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: GUEST,Moses sans cookie Date: 09 Jan 07 - 07:56 AM I've had a Dyson and wouldn't buy another. Very messy to empty and the power cable never retracted without several attempts at pressing the button, pulling the cable out a bit, pressing the button again etc etc. I now have a Miele (cylinder type model). It does need bags which are expensive but it is very efficient, clean to use and empty and the bags are large and seem to need changing infrequently. (I do try not to vacuum up dirt (like sawdust) that can be swept up and I pick up tissues etc. rather than vacuum them up). The tools fit into the cylinder body and the nozzle/tube has a hook that fits into a cradle in the cylinder body so they are kept neat when stored. I wouldn't buy a Dyson again. I would buy another Miele. Christine |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Scoville Date: 09 Jan 07 - 08:51 AM We have a 25-ish year old Electrolux that runs very reliably but is beginning to self-destruct on the outside. Has been through three hoses and recently, the handles on the outside broke. My father's been swearing he was going to buy a new one but he can't make himself do it since it still works just fine. (My grandmother had one, too, for decades, but I think they had metal handles then.) I don't think it would be an issue except that it's the kind that has the body on rollers, then the hose, then the long wand/head, which is more cumbersome than most people want to use these days, anyway. I think if it were a normal upright vacuum it would be fine. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Bernard Date: 09 Jan 07 - 09:40 AM I've got a Numatic 'George'... Cute little fellow with a face, does wet and dry, plus shampooing with the included adaptor. 1200w motor - will suck up the entire carpet unless you open the bleed vent on the tube! You can see his photo on the Sounds of Folk website... scroll down to the Programme 4 listing! He cost me around 165 UK pounds last year... They also do a 'Henry', which is dry only and therefore cheaper. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Richard Bridge Date: 09 Jan 07 - 10:52 AM A Kirby is almost bulletproof, and bolts together so almost everything is repairable. But it is huge, enormously heavy, very hard work (apart from the ones with the servomotors to push tham along but they are even dearer and more likely to go wrong) cumbersome, and very expensive to buy (and service) unless you get lucky with a second-hand one. Think sort of the Harley Davidson or Honda Gull-Wing of upright vacum cleaners. Most of the tools are pretty good but a single doghair in the wrong place can bugger up the carpet sudser - and it's an inside elbow where the hair lodges that is truly impossible to get at. The next best are the 40 or 50 year old Hoover Senior that use the round belt - again simple and bulletproof. If you want a dry canister the long defunct Hoover Constellation (hovered on an air cushion like a hovercraft) were nearly unbeatable. Henry and George (UK) good 'cos SIMPLE. Vax OK (wet and dry) but the turboheads are a total waste of space. Electrolux absolute shit that just breaks and breaks, Oreck very unreliable too. Vorwerx very clever but plastic and I bet they break. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: jeffp Date: 09 Jan 07 - 11:00 AM My mother had a Hoover Constellation. Very space-age looking. The dogs hated it, but it was great on bare floors, especially with the hovercraft thing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Scrump Date: 09 Jan 07 - 11:00 AM We got a Dyson after years of using other makes including Hoover and Electrolux. The Dyson's great - I like being able to see the stuff it sucks up through the clear sides. Makes the chors more fun somehow - and you can tell when it needs emptying, before it burns out the motor. And you don't need expensive dust bags! [Btw, I remember a while back Electrolux ran an advsertising campaign with the slogan "Nothing Sucks Like An Electrolux". It was rapidly withdrawn when they realised their mistake - it seems that just about everybody in the UK was by then familiar with the US alternative meaning of "sucks", except presumably the company and their advertising agency. I'd love to have seen their faces when somebody pointed it out. Pity, it would have been a good campaign otherwise ;-) ] |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: LilyFestre Date: 09 Jan 07 - 11:00 AM I have a Sharp that I bought about 8 years ago for $350.00. It's great if you have pets as everything that gets sucked into the vacuum cleaner bypasses the motor. We have lots of 4-legged babies in the house and have managed to catch several other vacuum cleaners on fire...but not the Sharp. Great vacuum. Easily serviced. Nice attachments. Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: GUEST,Bruce Michael Baillie Date: 09 Jan 07 - 11:04 AM ...Why not just take the carpets up, burn the buggers and use a sweeping brush instead, think of what you'll save on electricity and the knock on effect to the environment and your own health by the extra exercise! ...Go on, you know it makes sense!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Paul Burke Date: 09 Jan 07 - 11:30 AM We got George when the daughter was 4. When I took him out of the box, she took one look at the face, and spent the next half- hour welcoming him home. But considering what men are supposed(*) to do with vacuum cleaners, you should probably go for the prettiest. (*) according to hospital casualty reports. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: LilyFestre Date: 09 Jan 07 - 11:47 AM Hey Bruce has a point there! We have only braided rugs in the main rooms of the house and hardwood. Vacuum cleaners don't do well on wool braided rugs so we use a handmade old-fashioned corn broom...the kind designed for outside use (extra rough bristles). It works wonders on the rugs!!!! Of course, I think vacuuming is easier...but I sure do love the old braided rugs! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Alice Date: 09 Jan 07 - 12:07 PM Kirby Get a reconditioned used one if you can't afford a new. They are built with metal parts that are high performance and will last a lifetime. I have one I bought about 20 years ago and it is still going strong. I don't expect to have to ever buy another vacuum. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Richard Bridge Date: 09 Jan 07 - 06:49 PM Actually Alice my Legend II is probably about that old too - but "high performance"? No No No - it is so low-tech that's why it works. Take it to pieces and see. You can hit it with a hammer to fix it. THe rollers wear out (they get a groove in the middle but they are replaceable). THe roller bearings sieze up - but they are replaceable. THe back axle bends - but they are replaceable. The circlips that hold the rear wheels on wear through the wheels - but both are replaceable. THe tensioner for the bag support fatigues - but they are replaceable. THe power cable goes open circuit internally (and the arcing melts the insulation) - but they are replaceable. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: bobad Date: 09 Jan 07 - 06:58 PM Use only area rugs that you can take outdoors and beat with a carpet beater - ecologically friendlier, gives you exercise and overall healthier - better still get rid of your rugs and sweep. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: JohnInKansas Date: 09 Jan 07 - 08:29 PM We have determined that when the furballs from the four cats lie around long enough they absorb HUGE quantities of dust, probably in amounts adequate for general dust removal if one has an appropriate small shovel to pick up the balls and deposit them in a suitable container without shaking the dust out. When a furball reaches a sufficient state of development to actually growl when approached, it should be flattened with the shovel (which of course does spread a bit of dust) but should be left in place until sufficient time has passed to be assured that it will not spring to life with evil and vicious intent when touched, and also to allow it to readsorb sufficient dust to make it worthwhile attending to its disposal. No vacuum cleaner of any kind is required to implement this method of maintaining the attendant level of sanitation in the home environment. In the rare instances where an unusual obstruction actually requires vacuum cleaning, a Shop vac is the appropriate tool. Wimpy little "house" vacuums require far too much attention to emptying and cleaning, whereas with the Shop vac "if you can lift it, it ain't full." That's why they put wheels on 'em. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: jeffp Date: 09 Jan 07 - 08:42 PM LOL, John |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 09 Jan 07 - 10:17 PM I used the geological method to clean floors. Geologists realize that fluids drop their sediment load when stilled. First of all, I have almost no carpeting in my house. When I really want to get rid of dust, etc., I do this: 1. Go away on a trip, the longer the better. 2. Using common sense and keeping in mind the expected outdoor temperature, I turn the heat or ac down to the absolute minimum. 3. The goal is to have no fans blowing in the house. 4. While we are away, the dust settles. 5. Arrange to return before night, so as to still have energy. Enter the house and swiffer the floors and flat surfaces before doing anything else. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Cluin Date: 10 Jan 07 - 01:04 AM Works for me, John. Providing of course I can play the battle music from Star Trek while I deal with the fur ball. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: JohnInKansas Date: 10 Jan 07 - 02:18 AM We do occasionally run into furballs that might be Klingon... ... Although so far as we know all our cats have earthling origins. Still there is that adoption thing ... John |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Richard Bridge Date: 10 Jan 07 - 07:27 AM Tribbles were furballs |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: SINSULL Date: 10 Jan 07 - 10:06 AM Have you checked with Alaska Mike? He is somewhat of an expert on vacuums. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: JennyO Date: 10 Jan 07 - 11:07 AM I suppose you could say Alaska Mike is to vacuums what Spaw is to farts. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: Barry Finn Date: 10 Jan 07 - 12:49 PM We bought a Kirby in 1990 & it's still the only one we use around the house (a wet/dry shop vac for the barn/workshop). I found the repair servive reasonable & quick, most times I've just bought the part & fixed it myself. Still happy with it & it seems to still have a long life left in it. Barry |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: GUEST Date: 10 Jan 07 - 01:24 PM I have a Miele and it is without a doubt the best hoover I have ever owned. I would reccommend it very highly, effecient, convienient and sucks up every thing, even dog hair and sometimes the dog as well. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations???... From: SINSULL Date: 10 Jan 07 - 10:15 PM There was an ancient Electrolux cylinder vac left on the street in Portland but Jacqui wouldn't let me take it. Sorry. |
