# Vacuum Cleaner - Dyson, Bissell, what ????



## Melensdad

Broke the handle off our vacuum cleaner the other day.  Its a plastic handle that joins to the metal arm and it snapped right at the curve, where it would make it pretty much impossible to epoxy or otherwise repair.  The vacuum is a old one, at least a dozen years old, and probably not worth the effort to take into the shop for repairs.

I was wondering if those Dyson vacuums actually work the way they claim to work?  Are they worth the money?

Bissell just came out with a knock off of the Dyson vacuum, there are probably others too?  Bissell has a HEPA filter hooked up to their unit and I'm not sure if that means it won't blow dust around the house or if that means there will just be another "consumable" part that we will have to buy & change on a regular basis.  Bissell calls theirs the Healthy Home Vacuum.

Anyone have any experience with these things?  Is a Dyson worth roughly $500?  Seems pretty darn expensive to me, when most other vacuums are roughly 1/2 that price.  Does a Dyson suck up TWICE the dirt for twice the price or is it all advertising hype?  The Bissell is $249 at Sears and there is a $20 rebate.

What about brands like Eureka?  Hoover?  Kenmore (Sears)?

And what about Oreck?  Those are about $500 too?  

Bissell http://www.bissell.com/images/IncludeContent/HHV_DRTV-20/29/index.html

I've noticed the Dyson advertisements no longer say "the ONLY vacuum that doesn't lose suction" and they now say "the FIRST vacuum . . . " so obviously Bissell and others have come up with similar designs.  But are they just cheap wanna-be copies?  Or are they good machines that cost less because they don't have the Dyson brand name?  

Dyson does have a 5 year warrenty that makes it somewhat attractive, even at double the price.

Thoughts?


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## working woman

I have a small dyson (not an upright) that I bought  a couple of years ago. At the time I was living in a townehome with hardwood floors and  didnt need an upright. Now I wish I had the upright becasue of where I live now. All carpet. I have had no problems what so ever with mine. It still picks up just as good today as when I bought it. Two of my friends also bought dysons and they are both happy with theirs as well. 

I will say Consumer reports dosent recomend dysons. They recomend Eureka "the boss" smart vac


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## bczoom

No Kirby in your list?

Are you looking only at uprights?

If a canister would work for you, Filter Queen is a great choice.  I've seen people use their Majestic model for years as a shop vac and they still can't kill it.  Ours is about 10 years old now and it's like new.  The new ones have a gear driven power nozzle so there's no more belts.


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## REDDOGTWO

Roomba.


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## Melensdad

Just looking at uprights, no canister models.  I'm open to any brand I can get locally, I'm also wondering what the heck the difference is between a $250 vacuum and a $500 vacuum?  I'll pay for performance if it is DOUBLE the performance, but if I'm paying for "hype" then I think it would be waste of money to spend double.  




			
				REDDOGTWO said:
			
		

> Roomba.


Well we already have Snowball Puff and he is pretty small and close to the floor, when we spill something Misha ususally just pushes Snowball into the mess and soaks it up


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## XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

We bought one of these this year:

http://www.hoover.com/db/xq/asp.hvrProductMain/CatID.5/SubID.6/ProdID.211/ModID.1784/qx/WindTunnelElectronicBagless.htm

It really sucks. In fact the first time we vacuumed with it we were disgusted at home much stuff it picked up.

I don't really like bagless as it's a pain to clean up the canister but we now use our old bagged Vacuum to clean the dust out of the filter of the new one. The dust filter sure gets clogged up with crud fast.

The carpet agitator is very aggressive on this vacuum too.

I think the Dysan's are pretty good to but they do cost more.


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## bczoom

B_Skurka said:
			
		

> I'm also wondering what the heck the difference is between a $250 vacuum and a $500 vacuum?


Come on Bob, I know you're smarter than that...  The difference is $250. :StickOutT 

I'm not a vacuum expert (nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night) but from what I've seen, a lot of the cost difference has to do with quality of the parts used in the machine.  In today's market, there's lots of very powerful vacuums that could probably suck crap-weasel in but some are built to last a lifetime where others may get you 10-15-20 years.


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## Dargo

Neither are rated very high at all by Consumer Reports.  As a matter of fact, the Dyson is rated rather poorly.  A $60 Hoover model is rated higher than any models from Dyson or Bissell.  With 5 kids, I've sort of really gotten into vacuum cleaners, if you know what I mean.  I've found over the years that CR is pretty darn accurate in their vacuum ratings.  They rate a Eureka Smart Vac Ultra ($150) near the top and they rate it as a best value unit.  

Although they are rather expensive and heavy, the Kirby cleaners are almost always rated as one of the better performers as well the longest lasting brands.  If you go by a pawn shop you can almost always find a year old Kirby that an "ex" Kirby salesman sold to the pawn shop.  You see, Kirby vacuum cleaner salespeople are required to buy their own demo model right away.  When they quit a month later it's quite normal for them to just take them to a pawn shop and get whatever they can out of them.  Several years ago I picked up a brand new Kirby (Generation 5 or 6?) that was pawned by a guy who bought his new vacuum cleaner and then immediately quit; only to find that the local Kirby dealer wouldn't refund his money.  It came with all the attachments and shampooer.  The bags last longer than most, hold more than most, and the units seem to be second to none at performance.  CR only knocks them due to weight (but they are self propelled) and they are not the quietest vac.  Neither of these matter to me; I just want the job done.  And, for $250 cash, I thought it was an absolute steal considering it listed for something like $1600 or so.

Another that is high rated is the Electrolux Oxygen 3.  I purchased the model they had out in 1989 when my son was born.  It still works fine and gets used several times a week.  The bags are smaller and it isn't self propelled, but it seems to perform just as well.

For both upright and canister vacuums, year after year, Sears seems to have the top rated vacs.  In the latest tests, the Sears Progressive 25614 ($350) was tops in the canister style while the Sears Progressive with Direct Drive ($300) was top rated in the upright style.


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## Dargo

bczoom said:
			
		

> In today's market, there's lots of very powerful vacuums that could probably suck crap-weasel in but some are built to last a lifetime where others may get you 10-15-20 years.



Yup, you can get a very powerful, and extremely loud, plastic piece of crap that will suck start a Harley, but it won't last a year with my crew.  As Brian mentioned earlier, I've abused the crap out of one of those extremely high dollar ($1900 list) Filter Queen canisters.  They seem to work better than any shop vac made for drywall dust.  Of course, I got my Filter Queen the same way I did the Kirby.    CR doesn't like the Filter Queen because it isn't good on hard floors.  I don't use it on hard floors. Duh!

My MIL shows the Dyson units at our local Sam's Club.  She thought they were pretty cool but admitted that they have gone through 3 of them so far just using them as demo units.  That's enough to make me not comfortable with one.  Besides, the guy who makes them sounds like some fag. Oops!  I'm not supposed to say that.  Scratch that part...


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## bczoom

Dargo said:
			
		

> CR doesn't like the Filter Queen because it isn't good on hard floors.  I don't use it on hard floors. Duh!


Ahhh, did they take the beater-bar off and put on the wood floor attachment?  

I agree about the drywall dust but I'd better not do that again.  Mrs. Zoom didn't care much for me pulling that trick...


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## Melensdad

Dargo said:
			
		

> For both upright and canister vacuums, year after year, Sears seems to have the top rated vacs.  In the latest tests, the Sears Progressive 25614 ($350) was tops in the canister style while the Sears Progressive with Direct Drive ($300) was top rated in the upright style.


 I went to the Sears website and found several "Progressive" uprights, none said Direct Drive in the description.

Which one did CR like 


Kenmore Progressive Bagless Upright with Inteli-Clean System $349


Kenmore Progressive Upright Vacuum with Inteli-Clean System, Slate Blue $349


Kenmore Progressive Bagless Upright with Inteli-Clean System Reg $349, now $299


Kenmore Progressive Upright Vacuum with Inteli-Clean System, Slate Blue Reg $349, now $299


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## DaveNay

My Grandma uses a Rainbow vaccuum that she has had and used daily since my mother was a little girl.

I have no idea what they cost, but they sure are (were) durable.


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## Jim_S RIP

We had a Dyson's Animal.  Beth didn't like the way it worked so after it lived in the basement for a while she gave it away.  

We're back to the Kenmore.

jim


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## Junkman

My wife purchased a Bissell, and it can go though a filter every time you use it.  She got tired of cleaning and replacing the filters and started to use it without one of the filters that kept clogging.  It took me a few hours to clean the vacuum and get it working again.  Personally, I don't like any of the newer vacuums since they all have filters that clog so often.  We have a whole house built in vacuum that works great, but the wife doesn't like dragging the hose all over the place, so it doesn't get use any longer.  With 3 dogs, we have more than our share of dog hair and vacuums are just one of those items that need to be replaced every year or so when they wear out.


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## Melensdad

Well I am surprised at how you guys are all talking about the short life spans of vacuums.  The 2 that we own are identical, except one now has a broken handle.  Both are at least a dozen years old (now that I think about it, closer to 15 years old is probably more accurate).  Both are Kent commerical units, Kent is (or was) made by Electrolux.  These are modular hotel vacuums.  Both still work great, its just one handle snapped off.  Both have managed dog hair from a Malamute, a Sheltland Sheepdog & 3 Akitas.  

I'm thinking I may want to try to find a replacement handle for mine.

Here is a link to Kent, which I didn't even know was still in business!  This looks almost identical to our vacuums.  I'd bet the handle fits!
http://www.kenteuroclean.com/Products/UprightVacuums/DuraVac_152.aspx#


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## Junkman

Here is where I purchase vacuums for our stores ........ http://www.powr-flite.com/. Good commercial units and they have a very comprehensive parts department that can supply repair parts for many brands.  This is where a lot of commercial vacuum cleaner repair shops get there parts from.


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## Dargo

B_Skurka said:
			
		

> I went to the Sears website and found several "Progressive" uprights, none said Direct Drive in the description.
> 
> Which one did CR like...



Oops.  It was the Progressive model 35922.


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## Kwiens

Bob,

Maybe you wouldn't be able to do this but:  Have you thought about retrofitting a central vacuum system into your house?  When we built our house 10 years ago I installed a Beam central vacuum system.  It SUCKS!!.............in a good way.  I installed an outlet in the garage so it's easy to keep our vehicles clean, at least on the inside.

Kevin


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## Gatorboy

The Dyson ROCKS!  We have gone through our share of Hoover's, Kenmore's, etc. -- I finally broke down and bought my wife a Dyson.  This is by far the best vacuum we've ever owned.   She absolutely loves it!    Ours is purple and aqua -- wicked cool.


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## Dargo

Gatorboy said:
			
		

> Ours is purple and aqua --.



Fag


P.S.  I knew you'd appreciate my comment.


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## BoneheadNW

For better or worse, we buy ours at Costco:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11121938&search=vacuum&Sp=S&Mo=22&cm_re=1-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&N=0&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=All&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=vacuum&Ntt=vacuum&No=7&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

While these only last 5 years or so, they have the extra benefit of really putting out the btus- as in heating the room.  If my heating system ever breaks down, all I have to do is run the vacuum for about 5 minutes and the room is up to 75 degrees.  I would recommend ear protection with this model though- its as loud as a 747 on takeoff.  Oh, and the thing tends to stink up the room if the filter is the least bit dirty.
Bone


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## Dargo

Oh man, I went to that site and accidentally hit "add to my cart".  Can you get it out for me?


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## TOMLESCOEQUIP

Dargo said:
			
		

> Oh man, I went to that site and accidentally hit "add to my cart".  Can you get it out for me?



That's okay, Brent........Just put it on your Capital 1 *"No Hassel" *card....................


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## Av8r3400

The wife wanted a Dyson.  Bought her one ($500).  Like every other vacuume it is a plastic POS.  Total waste of money, IMO.  She still thinks it's the cat's pajamas.  (I think due to guilt of the cost of the damn thing.)

My mom has a Orek XL.  Nice vacuume.  Good support by a REPAIR shop for belts and what not.  I like the idea of a pawn shop Kirby, though. 

Does anyone vacuume hardwood floors here?  What do you use?


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## jwstewar

Monica has a Kirby G5 that she got when she was a Kirby salesman for about 6 weeks. SHHHHH, she didn't pay for it. But, if you really act interested you can usually get them for about $795 - 850 down from the $1600.

Ours does a really good job. Monica uses the shampooer quite a bit, but we found their shampoo works the best. Have tried others in it and it just didn't work as well. She uses the vacuum part almost every day. We have had no problems with it, other than we were taking it somewhere and I was pissed and through it into the bed of the truck. I broke one of the cord clips. She also somehow managed to cut the cord so I had to cut it apart and resolder, but nothing that is the fault of the sweeper.

She is watching the Dysons because she says when when (I say if) we get a new house, she isn't carrying the Kirby up and down the stairs. It is interesting to hear the opinions on that one. I'll have to share those with her.


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## Melensdad

Well I am pretty conviced I will stay with our Kent Vacuum if I can get the part.  I talked with Kent today, they gave me the name of an authorized parts supplier and it turns out that I do business with that company.  I am in the process of trying to confirm with the company that they are, in fact, a parts supplier.  

*If I can get a handle, it is a no brainer to keep the vacuum I have, despite its age. * It sure seems like all your responses here indicate that most vacuums are cheaply built.  These Kent units are all plastic but the plastic is very high impact and even at roughly 12 to 15 years old, these vacuums are in great shape _(except for the one that has a broken handle)_.  I like the dual motor design with one for the beater bar and another for the suction.  

I would say this to anyone who is in the market for a vacuum, the commercial grade hotel vacuums seem to be a bargain compared to the consumer grade vacuums.  I'm not sure if they has as much suction as some of the _super-hyped_ consumer vacuums, but they seem to have enough to do a good job, and the commercial vacs also seem to be a heck of _a lot more_ durable.


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## Gatorboy

B_Skurka said:
			
		

> These Kent units are all plastic but the plastic is very high impact ...


 
Doesn't matter, it's a POS to Av8r.


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## Av8r3400

yup


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## DaveNay

Gatorboy said:
			
		

> Doesn't matter, it's a POS to Av8r.



A Point Of Sale vaccuum cleaner?!


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## Ice Queen

I am on my second Dyson, the older one lives upstairs and only vaccuums up there as it is a smaller area than downstairs and due to its' age, overheats.  It has a cut out switch which operates when it feels it gets too hot and under normal circumstances this does not happen upstairs.  Downstairs is a larger area and now sports a newer Dyson.  I have the benefit too, that I don't have to lug a heavy cleaner up and down stairs.  Both of the Dysons are the upright models, but for heavy cleaning (builders rubbish, wood shavings etc., I bring in the 'workshop' cleaner, which is an old Goblin (long rectangular body with a pipe at the end), this was given to me about 30 years ago, to be a temporary dust extractor on my polishing machine, but it is such a wonderful cleaner that it has never made it to being a dust extractor.  It makes terrible noises, but still keeps going!!!


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## Pigtails

I was going to post this in another place but means your looking for a good vaccum.


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## live2ride

I had a rainbow......used it, then used my brand new Dyson........I WAS amazed that a $ 500 vacuum compared to a $ 1600 one was BY FAR BETTER.  The rainbow you would have to dump water, after every use....what a mess!!  Dyson has my vote!!


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## Snowcat Operations

DYSONS RULE!


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## Chandler

Gatorboy said:


> The Dyson ROCKS!  We have gone through our share of Hoover's, Kenmore's, etc. -- I finally broke down and bought my wife a Dyson.  This is by far the best vacuum we've ever owned.   She absolutely loves it!    Ours is purple and aqua -- wicked cool.



I'll second that! We got a Dyson Animal (D-15) and we really like it.


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## Doc

Chandler said:


> I'll second that! We got a Dyson Animal (D-15) and we really like it.



We have a hoover that is barely adequate.  (I was going to say it sucks, but in this case that would be a good thing.)   I'm glad to hear all the good feedback about Dyson.  That will be our next vacuum for sure.  

Welcome to ForumsForums Chandler.  Now that you got the first post out of the way I hope to see you active in other areas of the forums.  
Enjoy and please ....post often!


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## Melensdad

Well I tried to get parts for my Kent vacuums.  I failed.

I think I will take the 2 machines I have, make one good one and toss out the rest.  I'm leaning toward buying a Dyson at some point in the near future.


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## Chandler

Thanks for the welcome. I am enjoying reading all the info on here. As for the Dyson, we have tried a lot of vacuums and I think it is the best yet. My wife ordered it online, I think from the companys website.


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## Doc

Chandler said:


> .... As for the Dyson, we have tried a lot of vacuums and I think it is the best yet. My wife ordered it online, I think from the companys website.



I saw them for sale in Sam's Club.  I'll have to compare prices to see where the best place is to buy one.

General question for everyone with a Dyson ... where did you buy it from?  Is service a consideration .....IOW, have you ever had to return it for service?  If service comes into play then saving a few bucks at Sam's Club would not be worth it, since they do not service anything that they sell.


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## live2ride

Doc said:


> I saw them for sale in Sam's Club.  I'll have to compare prices to see where the best place is to buy one.
> 
> General question for everyone with a Dyson ... where did you buy it from?  Is service a consideration .....IOW, have you ever had to return it for service?  If service comes into play then saving a few bucks at Sam's Club would not be worth it, since they do not service anything that they sell.



I have had mine for 2 years the only thing is cleaning the filter......it gets warm and shuts itself off if you don't....


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## kensfarm

W/ all the animals I have.. I'm thinking a leaf-vac hooked up outside to an all house vacuum.


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## Av8r3400

Comparing our Dyson to our Orec, there is no comparison.  The Orec is an American built, induatrial-quality piece of equipment that does an outstanding job.  It's lighter, built better, repairable (never had to, but it is), uses less electricity and cleaner.  (BTW it has a 20 year warranty.)

The Dyson is expensive chinese crap.  Period.  Very efficient at turning electricty into noise.


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## Spiffy1

Interesting thread! We've been occasionally pondering vacuums for about a year, but the cheap "Big Box Store Sale" Hoover we bought to abuse during some clean up around here won't die or even annoy us quite enough to get a new one.

The bagless Hoover did prove to us that changing bags beats cleaning a bagless.  

Observations around here narrowed it down [for now] to Simplicity [Riccar] in stereotypical uprights or, of course, Kirby for a "all in one." 

If we decide the weight won't be that bad and we will use the attachments I like the idea of lowballing a Kirby. That was my plan when they demoed it [it performed great, but we're still in the deciding mode], but reading here: it's probably $200 less I should offer [if we go that route].

Both are domestic machines, repairable, and heavy duty motor windings [actually neither produced a cut-apart to back up that statement]. 

If you want to get a vacuum dealer ranting about bigboxstore units, Dyson seems to be one to ask about. I'm guessing the actual failure rate isn't worse than other boxstore units, but for the money, people are more likely to seek repair rather than just buy a new one. Regardless, I'm not even sure if they work well or not [it was originally on the list], but I'm not sold on it [after the Hoover no bagless fits the bill].


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## Spiffy1

At this risk of digging up old threads (I don't have enough info yet to post a review) thought an update on my post in order.

I happened to ask a relatively new guy at work what he did before, and he said he sold vacuums.  I off handedly mentioned I was thinking about a Kirby (Christmas present for wife....shortly after I buy a rifle....ain't I romantic!) if I stumbled across a good deal.  He was selling Kirby's and still had the last one he was demoing, looking to sell it for cost [about 25% of "list", 33% of "usual opening offer" and 50% of typical selling price]and even through in a few extras he wouldn't be needing again (including the see through demo filter of all things)!  

I did have to clean it up a bit, but it's all there.  I didn't get some of the more obscure attachments, but all the common ones including the shampooer, hand shampooer, and zip-brush.  As I read on a vacuum cleaner shop's website as well, I'm not sure the bit lighter weight of the Sentria was worth the extra plastic, else it looks to be as good as any revisions.  

I'll write a review in 30 years - hopefully!


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## Deadly Sushi

I have a Sears Progressive that cost me $25 at a Thrift Store. Best vaccum cleaner I ever had.


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## TOMLESCOEQUIP

I'm going with the Dyson...........see the MLR


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## Deadly Sushi

Consumer Reports rated the Dyson as middle of the road. basically its WAYYYYYYYYYYYY over rated.


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## Spiffy1

Deadly Sushi said:


> Consumer Reports rated the Dyson as middle of the road. basically its WAYYYYYYYYYYYY over rated.


 
What Tom was pointing out has nothing to do with CR, but I still agree: way over-rated!


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## TOMLESCOEQUIP

Deadly Sushi said:


> Consumer Reports rated the Dyson as middle of the road. basically its WAYYYYYYYYYYYY over rated.



     I was always more into uprights, but it appears the canister models do have more total suction & greater capacity. I guess it's never too late to change models as long as the attachments are compatible.


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## jwstewar

Deadly Sushi said:


> Consumer Reports rated the Dyson as middle of the road. basically its WAYYYYYYYYYYYY over rated.


 
But I think Consumer Reports is way overrated and only take what they say with a grain of salt.


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## Doc

jwstewar said:


> But I think Consumer Reports is way overrated and only take what they say with a grain of salt.



I've had items that worked great for me get a horrible rating in Consumer Reports.  An Astro van was one inparticular they rated very low and the one I had ran and ran with no problems.


...but back on topic.  Since this thread started we have aquired a Dyson.  All I can say is WOW.  My wife loves it as opposed to her old Hoover.   It does a great job.  They cost more but sure appear to be worth it.  We both like the no bag and ease of dumping out what the sweeper has picked up.


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## XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

PBinWA said:


> We bought one of these this year:
> 
> http://www.hoover.com/db/xq/asp.hvr...ModID.1784/qx/WindTunnelElectronicBagless.htm
> 
> It really sucks. In fact the first time we vacuumed with it we were disgusted at home much stuff it picked up.
> 
> I don't really like bagless as it's a pain to clean up the canister but we now use our old bagged Vacuum to clean the dust out of the filter of the new one. The dust filter sure gets clogged up with crud fast.
> 
> The carpet agitator is very aggressive on this vacuum too.
> 
> I think the Dysan's are pretty good to but they do cost more.


 
Alright, this stupid Vacuum just broke.  After looking online for replacement parts (not to be found) and trying to take it apart (lots of little broken plastic tabs and bits censored.  I can say that while it is a good vacuum it will not last very long when it is used in a three story house with kids and dogs.  It can't handle abuse too well.


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## Jim_S RIP

PBinWA said:


> Alright, this stupid Vacuum just broke.  After looking online for replacement parts (not to be found) and trying to take it apart (lots of little broken plastic tabs and bits censored.  I can say that while it is a good vacuum it will not last very long when it is used in a three story house with kids and dogs.  It can't handle abuse too well.



Your dogs abused the vacuum?????

Mine just bark at it


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## XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

jim slagle said:


> Your dogs abused the vacuum?????
> 
> Mine just bark at it


 
OK, my wife abuses the vacuum (thump, tumble, crash down the stairs).  My dogs and kids just provide the content for the vacuum. 

Anyone else have an update to their vacuum life span reports?


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## Jim_S RIP

PBinWA said:


> OK, my wife abuses the vacuum (thump, tumble, crash down the stairs).  My dogs and kids just provide the content for the vacuum.
> 
> Anyone else have an update to their vacuum life span reports?



How about a Dyson that only lasted 2 weeks?  My wife hated it, said it was hard to use and didn't do as good a job as her old Hoover.  I took it and boxed it up to send it back and get a refund.   The next evening I noticed it was gone.  She had given it to a friend of hers 

Our upstairs is all hardwood so we have a canister Sears that we leave up there.

Jim


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## cowgirl

I have a dyson and love it.  I have owned several different brands of vaccum cleaners and the dyson has been the best vaccum cleaner I have ever owned.


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## rback33

We have had a new one for about a year now. Danged if I remember what kind. It's one that was rated highest by consumer reports last year. I have heard of issues with the reliability of the Dyson's but you people are the only first hand knowledge I have from actual owners.


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## Spiffy1

PBinWA said:


> Anyone else have an update to their vacuum life span reports?


 
Status quo here; the Kirby is still going strong; heavy enough [though the drive eliminates that while actually vacuuming across the carpet] that it's not exactly an immediate "go to tool," but I don't think much different than previous lighter makes we've had.

I'm still not convinced that a traditional shampooer like Rug Doctor isn't good for the carpet occasionally contrary to Kirby claims, but for frequent shampooing [which we still don't ] their "dry suds" system does seem to have merit [even if still slightly cheesy].  Regardless the fact it came with the vacuum is a good excuse to have it!

Dated a few years now [think I noted earlier in this threat at that], and still partially second hand (in that I wasn't interested enough at the time to ask which samples were which brand, but supposedly including Dyson; the vacuum shop sold Simplicity[Riccar] among other "premium" brands IIRC - on a side note I was rather impressed with the Simplicity), but if you look at the cheap motor windings of some Big Box Store models you'll know quickly why 15amps insn't a good measure of suction even disregarding rotor design, and why continuous use could easily mean early death.


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## rback33

I happened to notice Spiffy's reply and was sitting to feet from the newer one I mentioned as it sat in the closet. It's a Kenmore. I like it a lot as as I mentioned it was highly touted by consumer reports which my FIL treats like the Bible so.....


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## XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

I contacted a local repair store to order a new handle/hose assembly and they wanted $150 for that part!  I went on eBay and bought a second identical vacuum (new in the box)for $169.  Other than reliability, it is a good vacuum and cleans well so now I have a parts machine.  I think I can hard wire the handle assembly on the old one so the power head is on all the time and that will be good enough for most of our needs.


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## Blondie

My husband and I have a Dyson, the one for pets.  We absolutely love it.  We have to give it "hair cuts" once in while b/c I have long hair and we have one long haired dog.  It really is great- all attachments are easy to use and you never have to worry about buying bags anymore- that is a huge plus for me   Oh, in the past we have always owned Hoovers...


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## jwstewar

Well, our Kirby was doing fine until.....

When we went to buy the new Kirby, the salesman told us had we still had it, Kirby would have replaced it free of charge. It is a shame, we didn't know that. We could have easily gotten it out because it was sitting out in the open between the kitchen and dining room. Monica always parks them where she finishes sweeping. Monica seems to like the new one as well, too soon to know if the dependability is still there, but I guess the new ones don't have the fire warranty. Hopefully we won't need that again anyway.


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## bczoom

Bump.

Looking to get Mrs. Zoom a vacuum for Valentines day. 

Is there anything new on the market?

Everyone still think the same of their current picks?  (Like/hate it?).


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## Hutchman

We recently got a new Dyson DC25 Animal. It's great! As a test, when we first got it I vacuumed with our old Kenmore, then used the Dyson. We were amazed at the amount of residual hair and dirt it picked up. So far, the only complaint we have is that the cord is considerably shorter than the Kenmore. This is the one with the ball and it's a new model for '09. 
Hutch


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## Dargo

bczoom said:


> Bump.
> 
> Looking to get Mrs. Zoom a vacuum for Valentines day.
> 
> Is there anything new on the market?
> 
> Everyone still think the same of their current picks?  (Like/hate it?).



For Valentines day...a vacuum?!


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## Dargo

I do have to admit that I'm very, very surprised at how many people here like Dyson.  As previously noted, CR has rated them middle of the road at best.  Last month my sister in law bought a Dyson Animal with the ball after going for the fella's accent and spiffy TV ad and because she has 2 indoor dogs.  After trying her best to like it for almost 3 weeks, she boxed it up and took it back.  It didn't pick up pet hair worth a squat.  She said that, as far as she was concerned, it's only attribute was it's turning on floors.  For a vacuum, she said it was the worst she'd ever owned.  I think she bought a Kenmore or something after she sent the Dyson back and has been pleased with it and said it cost about half as much.


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## Av8r3400

The only two attributes I can give our Dyson are:



The wife inexplicably likes it
It turnes electricity into noise


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## Hutchman

Hmmm, must be two different Dyson companies. We've got three hairy dogs and four cats, and the Dyson just kicks the Kenmore's butt. Quieter too, but our Kenmore is pretty old.
Hutch


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## GreenWannabe

This thread is a little old, but I will throw in my two cents worth anyway. Over the years (about 40 now), we had a total of three vacuum cleaners. The first was a Kirby, a green one which had cloth bags (which CR said was overpriced and didn't do a good job). The only problem was that the bags would wear where they attached to the metal shoe at the bottom, and would then spew dust all over. We had it about 15 years, and only had problems the last two or three years. 

The second was a Rainbow we got from a dealer who had bought a load, and was trying to get rid of them. We got it for $495 with all the attachments (again CR didn't like it, overpriced, spewed more back in the air than it picked up to start with). It has had the motor replaced twice, the power head motor replaced once, and numerous other repairs, but still runs and does a great job. I didn't like that it had a propensity to turn over once in a while, and since it uses water as its filter media, that's not good. But keep it clean and it does a real good job. 

The third is a Sears model we've had about ten years. It was top rated by Consumer Reports at the time, but by the time the article was published, was in the process of being discontinued. We got one of the last models on sale at a good price. It has been a good vacuum cleaner, not as nice as either the Kirby or the Rainbow, but I have never liked it and it requires a lot of consumables. The next year Sears did not have a well rated vacuum cleaner. 

My experience is that frequently by the time the CR report comes out, most of the top-rated items are no longer available. And many of the products they rate are difficult to find locally, like the Panasonic food processor which was top-rated in 1988 and I had to buy from the wholesaler in Atlanta because I could not get the retailer they referred me to, to even order it if I paid in advance. Of course it is no longer made and parts are very difficult to come by. So my experience with CR over the course of 45 years is a mixed bag at best. Can't complain about the Maytag washer which was top-rated in 1967 though - it lasted 27 years and always did a good job. My MIL went through 3 Sears models in the same amount of time!

Fred


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## benspawpaw

i would say go with the lower price just look at the amp rating of the motor higher will usually mean more sucking power about 60 to 80 bucks at wally world or  go to a pawn shop you might find a real good deal just use a little lysol spray on and in it first


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## Dargo

Just in case anyone is still looking for a vac, this one Proteam ProForce 1500 is by far the best I've ever used.  It has at least as much suction as any shopvac I have.  I almost have a vacuum addiction and own several machines.  This one is head and shoulders above the rest.


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## Melensdad

Dargo, that looks a lot like the KENT commercial vacuum that we have.  We have the Kent on our upper level and the Dyson on the main level of our house.  The more I use the Dyson the more I think the Dyson was designed by an idiot who is great at marketing his silly designs.  The suction head of the Dyson simply does not fit under furniture, along the cabinet base in the kitchen or into tight places.

The flat head design of the ProForce 1500 is almost identical to the head design on our Kent vacuum.  It is low profile enough to get almost anywhere, wide enough to glide under the cabinet base in the kitchen area, and will even glide right under a couch.

As for suction, the Kent, and I presume the ProForce, is designed for use in hotels and offices.  It will suck up pretty much anything.  I will admit its more trouble to empty the bag of the Kent than the canister of the Dyson but that is the only downside I see.  I only wish our other Kent had not broken, but at 15 years old I can't complain too much.


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## Dargo

They very well may be identical.  Somehow the higher line Electrolux uprights are the same and I've seen some other names on vacuums that looked identical.  Between the 3 floors in the house and 2 floors in the pool house I have plenty of vacuums as I mentioned.  I found a deal on the one I mentioned on eBay for $250 delivered with 10 bags and all the onboard tools.  I will admit that I think the Kirby (G5, I think?) does an excellent job but it's heavy, won't fit under furniture and doesn't have the off-set side for edges.  I just though I'd mention it because, especially for anywhere near the $250 range, it's the best vacuum that can be had.  Heck, I'll take away the money qualification; I'd say it's the best vacuum to be had regardless of the cost.  Our original one doesn't seem to have the suction power of the new one I just bought, but I bought that first one before our first child was born.  That was 22 years ago.

It's not quite the same deal I found on eBay, but if you're in the market for a great vacuum, here is a pretty darn good deal on eBay Proteam XP15.  I really like the ones that have the hose attached to the machine.  It makes getting to those hard to reach spots easy with the hose right there attached to the machine.


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## Spiffy1

benspawpaw said:


> i would say go with the lower price just look at the amp rating of the motor higher will usually mean more sucking power about 60 to 80 bucks at wally world or go to a pawn shop you might find a real good deal just use a little lysol spray on and in it first


 
Higher amps certainly has more power to potentially convert to suction, but there is a lot of misleading info if you go with advertised amps on a vacuum cleaner just like HP on an air compressor (rather than CFM @ pressure). You don't know if they mean amps peak, running at max load, or what. Nor do you know the effieciency of either the motor or the air flow.

I'll second Dargo on the Kirby being a bit cumbersome but well built; on that note [though I've never tested it myself] a little research a while back showed Kirby easily outsucking [is that a word  ] Dyson [and others, IIRC] and on less current. I suspect, the same is true of most of the better built vacuums.


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## Dargo

Spiffy reminded me of something.  I bought my Kirby G5 at a pawn shop.  They had several almost brand new Kirby vacuums there.  I'm told that the Kirby sales reps have to buy their own vacuum for demonstration purposes.  When they tire of being a vacuum salesperson after a month they have this really expensive vacuum and no income, so they go sell the Kirby to a local pawn shop.

We had a Kirby salesperson come to our home several years ago and she gave us the complete demonstration.  It was very impressive but by the time we added the shampooer and all the attachments we would want, the machine was going to cost something like $1500.   I think I paid somewhere around $250 for the same Kirby (may have been the exact one that was demo'd at my home as far as I know) at a pawn shop.  Just to have one canister vacuum, besides my shopvacs, I also bought a like new Filter Queen "Triple Crown" Majestic (their highest model) at the same pawn shop for $200.  It works best for cleaning ceiling fans, vents and crevices.  I don't particularly like the powerhead that came with it for doing floors.  It sort of crabs sideways and doesn't do that well.


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## waybomb

I bought our Kirby G6 at a pawn shop as well. It was essentially unused, in the original box. Paid 250 for it. 

Wife loves it, cleans much better than enything we've had. It's a bit heavy when not running, but if carried by the handle as intended, it is quite balanced.

Had a Rainbow which we bought at cost. Something like 450 with the extra large reservoir and all the attachments. Cleaned well, but what a PITA to haul around, fill, clean, etc.

Had a Sears that was "the best" when we bought it, but it died a few years later. Between that and the Rainbow, had quite a few brands that just didn't cut it.


I think I'll get the Kirby chrome plated.............


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## Bobcat

Got tired of dragging the shopvac around the house. Besides, it was quite labor-intensive using the provided attachments on carpet.




So, got this for $180...



The canister detaches to go portable. The Dyson Animal on the same shelf had outstanding reviews, but at 3x the price of the Bissell, I'll live with a few flaws. Will let you know if/when I break it.


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## pirate_girl

I have a


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## muleman RIP

We have had rainbows and they were pretty good at cleaning but the water was a pain. They are the best thing going for cleaning sink and tub traps i ever found. Then we got a filter queen and still have it today. Now it is used for cleaning the cars and backhoe and skid steer.  We bought a dyson about 3 years ago and love it. It picks up pet hair, mud and bird seed like crazy. Gets run almost every day and except for tearing it down and cleaning filters good a few times a year has been great. With all our critters it would cost a fortune buying bags for another brand.


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## tsaw

Here is what I know on "bagless" vacuums.
I have never owed a Dyson, but I have a http://www.walmart.com/Bissell-Powerforce-Turbo-Upright-/ip/4633929

What the problem is with the cheaper vacuum cleaners is - is that most of the dirt ends up in the "collection" cup. The rest is captured by the filters. The $73.00 Bissel has three filters. When the first one is plugged - it looses suction. 

See the this vid:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_xVWN1Wm_A"]YouTube- Dyson Vacuum Commercial[/ame]

Dyson’s patented Root Cyclone™ technology doesn’t rely on a bag. Instead, it spins the air so fast that centrifugal forces up to 100,000 times the force of gravity fling dust and dirt out of the air and straight into the clear bin™ And that includes the fine dust that clogs the filters in ordinary bagless vacuums. Unlike other vacuum cleaners, Dyson machines don’t lose suction.

So, Why don't I own one then?

Personally, I find it cheaper to replace the filters later, than spend hundreds more up front on the initial purchase.


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## tsaw

OMG! I remembered this - found it!! 

Us bagless vacuum users are nuts!!!

Take a look! its amazing!!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHEq4cSluXA"]YouTube- Oreck XL Ultra Vacuum Cleaner Infomercial Part 1[/ame]


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## Dargo

Bobcat said:


> The Dyson Animal on the same shelf had outstanding reviews,.



Really??  I'm yet to see a single lab test that says that the Dyson Animal is anything but mid pack and way, way overpriced for those with similar performance.


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## working woman

Had the opportunity to try my sisters Dyson vacum a couple of months (helped her move) This is the one with the ball and you can swival the vac  around as you need it.  It was horrible. Not impressed at all. It did ok on the hard wood but had problems in the carppet area.


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