posted May 04, 2005 07:09 AM
I need help!! I am in the market for a new vacuum and here is what I need. I have a Black Lab dog and a Dark grey kitty with tan carpet(plus 2 children under 4 oh and a husband...) so you can guess what it looks like by the end of the day.....I want something good for pet hair and one that can get as close to the wall as possible. I also want easy to use attachements that I can do high places and steps. I prefer an upright that has a bag but will consider a bagless that I don't have to fight and bang and run away from the dust while trying to empty it.
Come on Ladies give me your opinions!!!!! What do you use and why and what would you recommend?
posted May 04, 2005 07:22 AM
I have a Kenmore that works okay. I shopped around before buying it and tried an Orek, which was easy to use since it's so lightweight, but prefer the onboard attachments of the Kenmore.
The Orek I tried was an upright with a bag and had a seperate unit for the attachments that was also very lightweight. I just like having the tools there when I see something I need to get to and not having to wait until I'm done before going to get ANOTHER vacuum to use the attachments.
Kirbys work great for a number of different things if you don't mind the bulkiness.
Do they still make Rainbow vacuums? My friend had one and loved it...personally, I didn't like the whole dirty water thing.
posted May 04, 2005 07:22 AM
I am an oreck girl. They are really great vacuums and the hand held portable is really nice and I think still free when you buy the upright. They are a little pricey but I think worth the money. Kamie
posted May 04, 2005 07:36 AM
My MIL got us a Phantom as a house warming gift and I love it. I don't know why anyone would want the bags. They send dust everywhere when you use them and they cost money to replace. I can see when this is getting filled and I empty into the garbage easily and keep going.
We have a Sheltie who, even with regular brushing, constantly sheds. This gets the hair off the rugs and the furniture.
I actually use one of his old brushes to get the hair off places that it gets stuck to and won't come off.
I have really nasty dust allergies and I'll tell you I had a much worse problem with a bag than with the canister that comes off and dumps nicely into the trash.
posted May 04, 2005 07:54 AM
Thanks guys keep em coming.
I currently have a Hoover windtunnel that I hate emptying because dust get everywhere then you have to shake off that filter also so i have to go outside with a plastic bag each time and I hate it. Not to mention my attachment tubes have lost all their suction so those are useless.
Upstairs I have a very old kirby(My father in law found it at garage sale for $5!!) I love it's suction butI have never used the attachements because everything is so big and clunky.
Please keep your comments coming. I went to the oreck site and they sound very tempting but I still would like some more input!!!!
posted May 04, 2005 09:20 AM
Hi I love my dyson, Had a dog that is why we bought the dyson, got rid of the dog kept the dyson. It is bagless attachments are attached to it and it is suppose to never, ever clog. I threw my broom and dust pan away will only use my dyson on my hardwood surface and tile. I have a new baby and new carpet could not stand the thought of my baby on dirty floors so I spent the extra money and bought the dyson. Lisa
LOVE IT. I have 3 kids, 2 cats, a GSD puppy and a husband that works construction. Our floors take a beating.
It costs about $1200 which I didn't think was that bad... considering I would replace the ones you could buy in Wal-Mart almost once a year. We've had it for 4 years and I love it more everyday. It's indestructible and perfect for people that have allergies. It has all of these special filters in it.
Don't know the fancy specific names of the stuff it comes with, but I LOVE it!!
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posted May 04, 2005 09:33 AM
I don't know about the Hoover but with the Phantom, I take off the cylinder, I put it inside a trash bag and turn it over. No dust flying, it all gets trapped in the bag and I don't have my dust allergies screaming bloody murder.
I like that I have an attachment for floors, etc. because it really picks up the dust, which we seem to have everywhere.
posted May 04, 2005 09:39 AM
Eureka Boss. It's top rated by Consumer Reports -- I think only the wind tunnel was higher rater and they were very close. The Hoover was self-propelled, but otherwise they were pretty much equal, and the Eureka is less expensive. I think it was something like $120, which is way less than most.
It has bags, I hate bagless.
I love it. Well ... as much as anyone can *love* a vacuum.
posted May 04, 2005 09:52 AM
I have a kennmore canister. It is my second one in about 20 years. I love it, but a lot of people don't like to pull the canister around.
posted May 05, 2005 08:51 AM
Hi, I would like to add my two cents without offending any other posts. So forgive me. I am a housekeeper. I deal with almost every vacuum. I have a Meile canister(canisters I hate)the upper end Oreck, which is very lightweight, but doesn't work well or take a lot of dust, lint up. I also have the Dyson. That works great, but it is EXTREMELY heavy. The rainbow is crappy as it can put small particles of of moisture in the air which aids in mold. The best thing is to check Consumer reports since they have a great report on vacuums. I have my eye on the new Meile upright, but its almost $400 and I already have 3. My husband cringes. Especially since I am trying to quit and stay home and possibly work there. I also would like to add the Meile is the quietest vacuum ever!! The cheaper they are, the louder they are! Someday they will make an awesome vacuum I hope. T
posted May 05, 2005 11:33 AM
You're right about the noise, Hammer. I don't really care about how much noise my vacuum makes though -- so I went for the cheaper one that was still top rated at CR.
posted May 06, 2005 07:27 AM
Ok so I went and "test drove" some vacuum's yesterday. The 3 top are the Hoover windtunnel, the eureka boss and the Dyson animal. Well the Hoover is out because I have one and I HATE it with a passion I haven't used it in years. I use my 25 year old Kirby before I will use my 5 year old Hoover. I tried the Eureka Boss and it was extremely heavy it hurt to pull it back and I am only 31 years old. The Dyson was very light to maneuver but the price is just killing me compared to the others. I really liked the features of the dyson and I keep reading that you can get the same functions from a cheaper vacuum but I am yet to find those cheaper vacuums that they are talking about. I was really set on the Eureka Boss untill I used it and that was suppose to be one of "cheaper one's" compared to Dyson. Any thoughts from anyone or should I just bite the bullet and buy the Dyson? Cindy
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posted May 04, 2005 07:09 AM
