TCB Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I've got 2 questions about vacuum cleaners. First of all - I need to buy a new one. The one I have had for the last 10 years is a Eureka canister vacuum that I bought from the thrift store for $10. It has been good and has worked well, but now the plastic parts are brittle and keep cracking off a bit at a time. Also, I've taken apart the beater/brush section for carpets and fixed it but it won't stay fixed. You can see that I am not a big spender on such things. I would like to buy a reasonably priced ( preferably $150 or less) vacuum. I use it on my wood floor and also rugs and carpets and stairs (although we are hoping to get rid of the carpet from the stairs). I keep not pulling the trigger on Amazon because I'm scared of spending on something that turns out to be a dud. I've looked at the Shark vacuum on there several times. What can you recommend? The other question I have is - Is there such a thing as a hand held vacuum that actually works? I've bought a few from garage sales to try but they've never really worked. My dd has 2 parakeets and it would be really nice for her to have a small vacuum cleaner to use every day to keep up with the seed husks and feathers flying around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gstharr Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 Why not get another from the thrift? Should be able to find a good Shark Navigator quickly, for$9 to $-29. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I have a miele - it's lightweight enough it's not a big deal to get it out for quick clean-ups. (the cord could be longer). the other one is basically what I had before - a panasonic canister. (I had a kenmore - but it was made by panasonic). now, I have mostly hardwood/bare floors and don't need much for carpet. the more expensive miele's have a power head more effective for carpet. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCB Posted April 4, 2017 Author Share Posted April 4, 2017 Why not get another from the thrift? Should be able to find a good Shark Navigator quickly, for$9 to $-29. I've not seen any good ones at the thrift store recently. I've tried to buy a couple since from the thrift but they turned out to be duds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCB Posted April 4, 2017 Author Share Posted April 4, 2017 I have a miele - it's lightweight enough it's not a big deal to get it out for quick clean-ups. (the cord could be longer). the other one is basically what I had before - a panasonic canister. (I had a kenmore - but it was made by panasonic). now, I have mostly hardwood/bare floors and don't need much for carpet. the more expensive miele's have a power head more effective for carpet. Thanks! I'll look at Miele. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 Why not get another from the thrift? Should be able to find a good Shark Navigator quickly, for$9 to $-29. Wow, you have good thrift stores! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I bought a Shark Navigator Lift-Away when Costco had it on sale last fall and have been very pleased with it. We also have hardwood, carpet, plus wood stairs. I like how easy and light it is to detach and carry the canister to do the stairs. Suction power is great overall. Erica in OR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I love my Shark Navigator Lift Away. I've had mine for a few years and still love it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I like my Hoover $70 Or so vac and think it works really well. https://www.amazon.com/Hoover-Cleaner-WidePath-Upright-U5140900/dp/B0009ONZ8G 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 (edited) I use a Miele for my hard floors and a Shark for my carpet, because the Miele canister is a pain to navigate around the kids' rooms and hallway. If the Miele is more than you want to spend (which it is from the sound of it), a friend of mine who had looked at Miele ended up going with Oreck because they're cheaper and an upright served her better. They threw in a hand-vac she uses on upholstery etc. since the Oreck doesn't come with attachments. She said she was skeptical at first, but it's worked really well so far. You might want to go see them at a store. They're supposed to last forever. Edited April 4, 2017 by texasmom33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 This is random, but I thought I would add- if you have really high pile, dense carpet, beware of switching to an upright from a canister. The uprights don't handle super dense, longer pile carpets well. They just bog down and not budge. That is why I now own a Miele canister. We had new carpet installed in the kids' rooms at our previous house and my Dyson bogged down in it like you wouldn't believe. You couldn't push it 6". I tried several other upright brands that all did the same thing, and finally ended up going to a canister because they handle the carpet differently and usually adjust a bit higher than an upright. We have cheaper thinner carpet now, so the Shark works fine at this house. But I still love my Miele for hard floors and couldn't go back to something else, so I put up with the hassle of a canister in that case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 Panasonic. One with metal internal components 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 My old vacuum died last September and I bought a Shark from Amazon. I love it! It's really performed well, and I like that the filter is washable and the canister can be emptied each time we use it, rather than messing with bags that we never knew when to change. The only thing I don't really like is that the cord is shorter than my old vacuum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCB Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 Thanks for all the suggestions! I feel like I can maybe try and make a decision now I have some recommendations. I want cheap and lasts for ever but I think I'll have to make do with one or the other! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 We had to have something with a HEPA filter. Miele canister. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted April 5, 2017 Share Posted April 5, 2017 We have a Kenmore canister that I like. It's a cross over, I thibk. The main part of the vacuum is for hard floors, with a carpet attachment. Backwards from a lot of vacuums, and it works very nicely 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCB Posted April 5, 2017 Author Share Posted April 5, 2017 We have a Kenmore canister that I like. It's a cross over, I thibk. The main part of the vacuum is for hard floors, with a carpet attachment. Backwards from a lot of vacuums, and it works very nicely I'll have a look at this one too. Thanks! I think the Miele is out of my price range but it looks like a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4Kiddos Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 I have burned through so many cheap vacuums- two have actually lit on fire. My last one was a Bissell I bought at Target and it broke after eight months. My husband thinks it is hilarious and calls me the vacuum killer. Our new house has a whole house vacuum and that has been wonderful. But that is not all that helpful to you. I wanted to mention that eBay has a lot of good quality, high cost used vacuums that are certified and are much cheaper than new. Perhaps you could find a good used Miele or another expensive brand for cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 We really like our Shark. I think our model is the Lift Away Pro. We bought it from Overstock at a great price as a refurbished item. It was like new with absolutely no sign of use. We haven't had any problems with ours, but if you do, I think you can order parts directly from Shark. I hate the thought of something large like a vacuum being a "disposable" item (like only being able to get a couple years use out of it), so I like the idea of being able to change parts/fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermama Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 We also have a Miele canister. Love that thing - it's a trooper! For a handvac, we have this Black and Decker one. I use it for getting dog hair / crumbs off the sofa and any small messes I don't feel like getting the Miele out for. For what it's worth - Amazon has a Warehouse Deals section where you can get "used" items for a cheaper price. Some of the items simply have damaged packaging, while others will have cosmetic damage - it'll tell you in the listing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 I have a little vacuum Makes me happy as can be You know that little vacuum Is spelled M-I-E-L-E M-I-E-L-E M-I-E-L-E If I did not own one, I'd have two or three. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 I have a little vacuum Makes me happy as can be You know that little vacuum Is spelled M-I-E-L-E M-I-E-L-E M-I-E-L-E If I did not own one, I'd have two or three. Bill I have two. It is sort of an accident as we used to have a beach house. But I am glad, because now I don't have to haul vacuums up and down stairs. Poor stairs; they are in limbo. Maybe I need a third to store on the staircase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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