My vacuum died

[Truscifi]

Again. :angry:  I cannot seem to get a good vacuum. This one was only 4 months old. It is a Bissell, which I thought was a decent brand.

 

All I want is a small, light weight, bagless vacuum that is good for hard floors and area rugs and will last. Is that really so much to ask?

[RKWAcademy]

I had a Dyson for years.  It was expensive but at the time we were dual income-no kids.  I liked it a lot.  Then it died late last year.  I couldn't spring for another so I bought a $99 hoover from Costco.  I have regretted it since the second day.  I don't think any of the lower cost vacuums are worth anything.  Sigh. 

[JudoMom]

I love my Shark Navigator Lift Away.  The suction is amazing.  I bought the hard floor attachment off of ebay because mine didn't come with it, and it works really well. 

[hornblower]

How did it die? Is the engine fried? MY Panasonic is almost 10 yrs old but it has wear parts. We've replaced beater brushes as there's a ball bearing that gets wrecked by all the fur & hair that gets stuck in it... 

[Truscifi]

How did it die? Is the engine fried? MY Panasonic is almost 10 yrs old but it has wear parts. We've replaced beater brushes as there's a ball bearing that gets wrecked by all the fur & hair that gets stuck in it... 

 

I think the engine burned up. It just stopped after 2-3 minutes, and the casing was hot. Maybe I could have it repaired.

[Bluegoat]

If it is good quality it can be worthwhile to take it to be repaired.

 

As for purchasing, I have had best luck with the repairman's shop, he is independant and rebuilds old vacuums, and he always gives good advice about the strengths and weaknesses of the different models.  And used seems to be much cheaper.

[Lolly]

Shark

 

[arnold]

I love my Shark Navigator Lift Away.  The suction is amazing.  I bought the hard floor attachment off of ebay because mine didn't come with it, and it works really well. 

This is the one I have too.  I love it!!!  Had a Dyson in the past, but I'd say my shark is just as good, and a lot less expensive.

[TammyinTN]

I have 2 Shark vacuums and love them...they're work horses here...we have a dog and toddler in the house.  :D

[ChocolateMomster]

We've had the same Dyson for 7 years now, and it works still as well as when we first got it. We only had to replace the HEPA filter, but we have a dust allergy so do that more often than some others might.

[PrincessMommy]

I love my Shark Navigator Lift Away.  The suction is amazing.  I bought the hard floor attachment off of ebay because mine didn't come with it, and it works really well. 

 

Another Shark Navigator fan.   The suction works really well and when you start to notice is getting weaker all you have to do is clean one small filter.. It's super easy and then the suction is back to workout mode (as in - I can barely move the thing across my rug the suction is SO strong).    I've had mine for more than 6months and only had to clean the filter once.   I have a dog and grandkids that come around 2x per week, plus a wool rug that loves to shed. :glare:

 

My only complaint is that the head is not very big so it's more work to clean an area. 

Edited March 22, 2016 by PrincessMommy

[Ailaena]

 

Hi, my name is Ailaena, and I'm a vacuum killer. Seriously. There must be, like, 3 or 4 threads where I say that over the years :p

 

I recently had a guy at Best Buy sell me a shark, since it was the only brand I hadn't tried, and I killed it in 3 months :(

 

However, before it broke I was kind of impressed with it considering I bought the cheapie one. I replaced it with an identical one based on the fact that another salesperson said that he'd never seen one break so quickly. Plus, it was an even trade ;) Thank you, protection plan!

[FriedClams]

Another Shark lover. $150 at Lowes. We use it every single day. The filters are easy to clean. Excellent suction. This is my second but the first failure was my staff's fault (the 13 year old vacuum operator). :-)

Edited March 23, 2016 by FriedClams

[RoughCollie]

I've had a Dyson for 12 years. Never had a problem with it until the hose split last year. I bought a new one and had it unpacked and installed in 2 minutes. It costs less, per year, than every other vacuum cleaner I've owned. They all seemed to last about 2-3 years apiece.

[Truscifi]

There is a repair place close by that gives free estimates, so I'll try that first, but I suspect I'll be buying a new one. Is the Shark Navigator a canister? It looks like an upright in the picture.

[Tap]

Have you tried to call Bissel to ask if it still has a warranty?

 

I have had so many things replaced over the years just by calling the customer support line.  Odd things like Blenders, faucets, shop vacs, car seats, mixer parts, etc.  

If you bought it at Costco or another reputable dealer, the retailer may replace it.

Or if you bought it on a CC, they may cover you on the purchase. Just call....

Edited March 23, 2016 by Tap

[Ausmumof3]

If you change your mind about bagless I love my Miele! It is so nice to use.

[Farrar]

I say take it to the repair place. My grandfather ran a vacuum/sewing machine repair shop for many years. It's one of the few remaining products that can still often be repaired and fixed up pretty easily, though it depends on the model - it's apparently getting harder with some of the new ones. We live in such a disposable society, but I like that there is this one thing that we still tend to fix.

[redsquirrel]

take it to the repair place or ask around to see if anyone you know is good at such things. This year alone DH has saved the dishwasher and the stove. I thought both were goners, but now they are working better than they have in at least a year. I thought we needed new ones for sure.

 

And spend some time on the google regarding what happened. Often it turns out particular items break the same way for the same reason and someone else has posted a youtube video about how to fix it.

[PrincessMommy]

There is a repair place close by that gives free estimates, so I'll try that first, but I suspect I'll be buying a new one. Is the Shark Navigator a canister? It looks like an upright in the picture.

 

yes, it's a canister.  no bags, just empty the canister and put it back on.

[Guest]

I had a Dyson for 12 years, and just recently got a Shark Rocket.  I really like the Shark more than my Dyson.

[KungFuPanda]

If you change your mind about bagless I love my Miele! It is so nice to use.

 

Same here, but me and bagless don't get along.

[meena]

Another Shark Navigator Lift-Away user here! I got mine refurbished from Overstock a few years ago. The refurbishment was so complete, I couldn't tell it wasn't new. It has great suction, is lightweight, and very easy to keep clean. I also have the hard floor attachment which works well. The only drawback is that the hose is fairly short, so when I use the brush or nozzle accessories I usually end up pulling the vacuum and/or knocking it over. The short hose also makes it hard to reach up high, but with the Lift-Away feature it's not a big deal. The short hose is not a serious problem, just kind of a pain. Otherwise, it has been a great vacuum.

[Truscifi]

Have you tried to call Bissel to ask if it still has a warranty?

 

I have had so many things replaced over the years just by calling the customer support line.  Odd things like Blenders, faucets, shop vacs, car seats, mixer parts, etc.  

 

If you bought it at Costco or another reputable dealer, the retailer may replace it.

Or if you bought it on a CC, they may cover you on the purchase. Just call....

 

That's a good idea. I'll do both in the morning.

[Guest2]

I bought a cheap Hoover Wind tunnel rewind 2 pet vacuum and it works really well. It was supposed to be a back up to my meile, but it is about twice as good (as the so expensive Meile)for a forth the price. Just remember to rinse out the filter once in a while. I totally forgot about this until it started over heating, no problems since.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Silver Brook