Need vacuum help today! Dyson or Shark?

[enchantedhome]

Well, my 7 year old Electrolux canister vac broke yesterday and needs to be replaced. ASAP. I have done a bit of looking around, and I'd love some opinions before pulling the trigger. Here are some specifics:

 

We have a Lab puppy and she sheds A LOT. The vac needs to be great at picking up pet hair.

We have all hardwood floors, with only a couple of area rugs.

Our house is about 1800 sq feet

 

I'd like an upright this time, to avoid pulling that canister around. I've read enough to know Miele's are awesome, but we're not in the market for a $600 and up vacuum. I've looked at the various Shark models, and it seems like people love them, but I've read they tip over a lot. Also, are they good for hardwood and pet hair? I'm also considering the Dyson Animal Compact, since our home isn't huge. But is the Shark just as good for less money?

 

Give me your thoughts! I need to order something soon, as the dog hair is going to be piling up!

 

Angela

[zoobie]

I haven't tried the Shark, but we love our Dysons. We have a golden retriever and white cats. We had a 100 lb golden who shed like it was her job, and I'd fill the canister at least once a day when she was alive, sweet thing. I still usually empty it once a day. We have hardwoods and an area rug. I say Dysons plural because we thought our old one was dead after many years of service, but my dad fixed it. It doesn't work as well as the newer one (which is 7? years old now), so it lives upstairs where the dogs don't go now. 

 

If you have a Costco membership, check out what they have. They usually have both, and you'd have a great guarantee if you hate whichever you pick.

[Jane in NC]

I cannot respond on the pet hair issue but personally I find the Shark to be more maneuverable than the Dyson. 

[Guest]

Shark.  Hands down.  After owning a dyson for 10 years, I've had a shark for the last three year and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

[TammyinTN]

I have 2 shark vacuums...one on each floor.  They work great ....I have a border collie and we vacuum daily. 

[skywards]

Well, my 7 year old Electrolux canister vac broke yesterday and needs to be replaced.

May I ask how you broke yours? I've been -trying- to break mine for 15 years to justify getting a new one but the darn thing won't die  :lol: .  Sorry no advice on the new one, still lugging that loud heavy thing around the house and up and down the stairs  :cursing:

[HollyDay]

I actually have a Shark and a Dyson and a Golden Retriever. 

 

LOVE my Shark.  We bought the first Shark when my Miele bit the dust (it lasted forever so no complaints just didn't want to pay that kind of money again).  I have both the power head and the hard floor attachment head.  It works great on our wood, tile, and carpet floors.  I bought the 2nd Shark when the power head failed.  I had used it for about 5 years so I'm not uphappy with the lifespan.  Looking at the price of the power head and a flash sale I stumbled upon, I decided to just go ahead and buy a 2nd Shark.  This has been an awesome thing.  The original Shark has the hard floor attachment (only the power head failed, not the unit itself) and the newer (2nd Shark) has the power bar attached.  Now I can just go grab the vac I need for the surface that needs cleaning.  Also, it helps speed up cleaning time if dd takes one and I take the other.  The canister size is nice and the engine doesn't get clogged with hair due to the design.  Since the Shark does not need $$ bags, I would say I'm happier with my Shark than I was with my Miele (finding bags where I lived was not easy nor inexpensive).  You can detach the Shark from the base and tote it around if you want to use the wand only to get dog hair off baseboards, corners, under cabinets, etc.

 

We recently bought a Dyson V6 Absolute stick vac.  It is also quite good and does a good job with the dog hair.  It is a battery unit, so the run time is about 20 minutes if using max option, longer if using regular option. then recharge for about 2 and 1/2 hours.  I bought it because my youngest has EDS and was finding a traditional vac difficult to use.  I expected her to be the primary user but I'm finding Dh and I are using it quite a bit.  The non tradtional design makes it great for cleaning blinds, upholstry (think dog hair), ceiling fans, etc.  It is easier than the shark to get under beds too.  Dh likes it for cleaning his truck.  You can remove the stick and put attachments directly onto the power head.  With no cord to tote and no need for an outlet to plug into, it has more versatility.

 

Bottom line:  Shark is awesome!  IMHO, you won't be unhappy with it.  The Dyson I have is excellent, but the limited run time might be a problem depending upon use (and remembering to put it back on charge). 

 

Any specific questions I might be able to answer, let me know....HTH!

 

[Janeway]

Shark. I cannot stand my Dyson.

[trulycrabby]

I love my Dyson, as I cannot stand dragging a cord around the room. I generally vacuum one or two rooms, then charge it. It is very lightweight and easy to maneuver. My one criticism is that it is useless on my hardwood stairs which have small carpet mats on each step. The rotator stops spinning when It hits the lightweight mats.

[mommyoffive]

Shark.  Hands down.  After owning a dyson for 10 years, I've had a shark for the last three year and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

 

agreed

[Angie in VA]

Never had a Dyson, love my Shark (upright that has never tipped over on me), and have only hardwood and tile floors w/ a couple of area rugs, one of which is as thick as a carpet. My Shark works great on all of these surfaces.

 

Haven't had a dog for nearly 2 decades b/c I can't stand the thought of outliving another dog. 

 

 

ETA:  Great idea about checking out both brands at Costco. We got our Shark with a "triple": on sale, 30% off coupon, and Kohls Cash.

 

Edited August 29, 2016 by Angie in VA

[enchantedhome]

Ok. I really appreciate the quick feedback. It seems like the Shark is the favorite! I thought it might be, but I was open to the Dyson argument:) I just ordered the Shark Rotator Power Lift Away with the pet attachment. It wasn't as expensive as the Dyson, but had better reviews, so I went for it! It'll be here Wednesday, and I'm excited to see what it's like to use a bag less upright!

 

Oh, and as to how the canister broke: the swivel ball attachment thingie which connects the vacuum head to the arm snapped. It's hanging by some electrical wires, and the plastic that surrounded that "joint" broke off in several pieces. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Love my Dysons.  I have a Dyson Animal and a cordless.  I like them both, but if I only had one I'd go with the Animal and not the cordless.  The cordless is good for quick jobs and is actually good with pet hair, but it can't pick up everything and isn't good when you need to vacuum up a lot.

 

Never tried the Shark.

 

You may be able to get replacement parts for your current vac.  I have had to replace 2 parts on my Dyson.  The canister and the hose.  I've had it for about 12 years. 

 

 

[Scarlett]

I use a couple of Dysons for my boss and I bought a Shark for myself. Both have their good points......I would not spend the extra money for the Dyson.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Scarlett

[arnold]

I have had both and prefer the Shark.

[Davysmom]

I love that my Dyson is 11 years old and still going strong.

[Χά�ων]

I have had both and love my Shark!

[frogger]

I've had both and found both work great but if I had to buy again I'd pick the Shark because both the money and lift away feature. The only time it tips is when you are not using the power head. The simple solution is to use the lift away feature during those times.

[Teresa in MO]

We have hardwood floors and a lab mix dog.  A couple of months ago I bought the Shark True Pet Liftaway.  Absolutely amazing!  I got it at Kohls on sale with a 30% discount.