What kind of vacuum do you have and do you love it?

[PinkTulip]

I’m pretty sure my vacuum finally died today. It’s been acting funny for weeks, and now it has a strange sound and no suction at all. I took it all apart and cleaned everything, but no help. So I think it’s time to get a new one (this one is 9+ years old anyway). 
 

For reference, we have mostly hardwood floors with some area rugs, one room with with carpet, a dog that sheds a small animal worth of fur every week, and one family member with long hair. Thanks in advance! 

[AbcdeDooDah]

https://www.costco.com/shark-navigator-lift-away-upright-vacuum-with-self-cleaning-brushroll.product.100780581.html

Love this one. It picks up an amazing around of hair I didn't realize was even there.

[hjffkj]

5 minutes ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

https://www.costco.com/shark-navigator-lift-away-upright-vacuum-with-self-cleaning-brushroll.product.100780581.html

Love this one. It picks up an amazing around of hair I didn't realize was even there.

that is hilarious because I was just going to post that this is the one we have and I don't like ours.  It does do a really good job on our carpets downstairs which are short.  But it can not vacuum the upstairs taller carpet, not quite shag. So, we really need a second vacuum which I don't like.

[Miss Tick]

I have a Eureka Boss that I don't love, but which has been "fine" for the last 20 years. I almost replaced it 5 years ago, but then realized that i hadn't changed the bag in forever and that was why it was no longer picking up. Easy fix and no problem returning the replacement I had ordered to Home Depot. 😂 It has been just "fine" the whole time, and it was relatively cheap, which was particularly important 20 years ago.

[Katy]

I have a Dyson V10 or maybe V11. I love it but it’s really expensive and it gets clogged if you use it on popcorn.  Which my family cannot eat without dumping some on the floor. I got ours 50% off from Nordstrom Rack.  The suction is so strong if I have it on max it stretches carpet up off the floor.  

We also have an upright Hoover.  I don’t remember the model but it’s the all-white version.  It’s excellent for pet hair, when I first brought it home I vacuumed what I thought was a clean great room and it got TWO full containers of dog hair! That was after using what I thought was a great quality Oreck. I got it on sale at Target I think, but the cord is obnoxious.  Would definitely recommend if you don’t want to shell out for the cordless Dyson.

[fairfarmhand]

I'm on my second oreck. The first one lasted 21 years and I loved it. Good suction. Goes from tile to carpet. Easy to disassemble if it clogs, and changing the belt is easy too.

[AbcdeDooDah]

27 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

that is hilarious because I was just going to post that this is the one we have and I don't like ours.  It does do a really good job on our carpets downstairs which are short.  But it can not vacuum the upstairs taller carpet, not quite shag. So, we really need a second vacuum which I don't like.

That's so funny. We have no carpet so maybe that's the difference.

[Spy Car]

Miele. Miele. Miele. 

Our White Star is about 25 years old.

I bought it as an "engagement bauble" for my wife--because that's the sort of "true romantic" I am--and it works as excellently today as it did then. A little battle-scarred looking perhaps, but still fantastic.

With genuine Miele bags filtration is A+. With less costly 3M bags filtration is an A.

Best vacs ever.

Bill

 

[City Mouse]

I have a Kirby the I bought maybe 12-15 years ago. I would never spend that much on a vacuum now, but it has been a real workhorse. I used to use the carpet cleaning feature a lot when I lived in a house that came with light colored carpets. I have had to replace belts, but it hasn’t needed anything else done to it in all these years, so I do think I am getting my money’s worth out of it.

[Kassia]

49 minutes ago, hjffkj said:

that is hilarious because I was just going to post that this is the one we have and I don't like ours.  It does do a really good job on our carpets downstairs which are short.  But it can not vacuum the upstairs taller carpet, not quite shag. So, we really need a second vacuum which I don't like.

We have this one too and hate it.  Everyone I know loves it though.  DH forbids me from getting another Shark.  He doesn't like it because the suction is so strong that it actually buckled our carpet in many places.  Ds1 has the same vacuum and has had the same issue.

[Spryte]

We have an Electrolux. Love it.

If it ever dies, and I hope not, we will get a Miele.

I have never had good luck with Dyson - our housekeepers have always had them, but I ask them to use our Electrolux instead. We didn’t like the Shark we tried either.

We have all hardwood, cork, tile floors. No carpet. Very few throw rugs. We do use our Electrolux for furniture. We have an Aussie and a schnoodle, so lots of dog hair. Works beautifully. Easy to use on stairs.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Spryte

[kokotg]

Our hand-me-down 80s or early 90s electrolux canister finally died on us (RIP 😞 ) . I found a good deal on a Shark, and I'm surprised at how much I like it. It does well on carpet and hardwoods. I need to buy a couple more attachments for it so it will be more like my beloved electrolux. We have a dyson upstairs, and I've never understood the hype. It's fine for carpet, but it's nothing special. 

[ktgrok]

3 hours ago, hjffkj said:

that is hilarious because I was just going to post that this is the one we have and I don't like ours.  It does do a really good job on our carpets downstairs which are short.  But it can not vacuum the upstairs taller carpet, not quite shag. So, we really need a second vacuum which I don't like.

I have one and love it, but no carpet. 

[kristin0713]

3 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

I'm on my second oreck. The first one lasted 21 years and I loved it. Good suction. Goes from tile to carpet. Easy to disassemble if it clogs, and changing the belt is easy too.

Same!  Although I upgraded around 11 years in with the first one.  It was still going strong. 

[BlsdMama]

3 hours ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

https://www.costco.com/shark-navigator-lift-away-upright-vacuum-with-self-cleaning-brushroll.product.100780581.html

Love this one. It picks up an amazing around of hair I didn't realize was even there.

This!

We had nine girls in this house - this vacuum has been the one that survives the longest. It’s always consistently high in Consumer Reports testing. 

[Tree Frog]

 

We currently have 3 dogs, one a GSD, one another long haired shepherd mix, and a shirt haired hound dog. We have a lot of fur! When I was looking, I was told not to get a bagless vacuum because the bag is considered a filter and helps protect the motor filter. I looked at Miele and was told that only the very top models are made in Germany. The rest are made in China and aren't as good as they used to be.

I just bought a Riccar 25 Pet Premium vacuum.  It does well on the tile and carpet and I really love how easy it is to use the wand attachment, but there isn't an attachment for stairs. And after 2 uses, my bag is full and there's a blockage and I have to take it to the store to fix, so I'm not really happy with it. The store I bought it from has a 30 day guarantee, so I'm going to return this one. I'm considering a Sebo, which is several hundred more than the Riccar. But then that might put me up to the price point of the German made Miele. 

All that to say, I'm following along to hear others experiences. 

[ktgrok]

There is a youtube channel called Vacuum Wars where he tests out pretty much every vaccum, rates them by category, etc. 

[BlsdMama]

3 hours ago, hjffkj said:

that is hilarious because I was just going to post that this is the one we have and I don't like ours.  It does do a really good job on our carpets downstairs which are short.  But it can not vacuum the upstairs taller carpet, not quite shag. So, we really need a second vacuum which I don't like.

I’ll add that we use it on short bedroom and living room carpet - no longer carpets. The area rugs we have in the dining room are also short. We have LVT but sweep it. 

[fraidycat]

I have 3. Different tools for different jobs.

I love them all for their jobs, so I'm probably not much help picking one for overall use. 🤪

[BusyMom5]

I have both a newer Dyson and a new Shark Navigator with the hair cutting rotator (genius!).  The Shark is easier to clean the filters on, its very easy to use the hose without it tipping over, and switching back and forth from hand tools to the floor is super easy!  The Dyson has more suction, so its better if you don't plan to use the attachments.  Its a bit.... floppier?  It tips over easily.  The attachment thing is ridiculous!  You have to pull put the long stick thing, which means I skip it unless I have to 😉 i bought the Dyson back in the fall when my old one died, but recently I really needed a second vacuum and got the Shark.  I like it much better than I thought I would!  I dont know that I would call one better than the other.  I wish I could have the ease of use of the Shark,  with the suction of the Dyson.  

Both have filters that are washable,  as well as Hepa filters that you can change out.  I think she Shark is a little easier to clean,  but not enough to make me pick it over the Dyson for that reason alone. 

If you have a lot of hair, my pick would be the Shark- the hair free roller thing really works!  My favorite feature!  The Dyson, you have to cut the hair off 😉

If you plan to use the attachments, get the Shark.  Dyson just falls over and much harder to use!  

[scholastica]

Miele. Will never buy another brand.

[Soror]

6 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

I'm on my second oreck. The first one lasted 21 years and I loved it. Good suction. Goes from tile to carpet. Easy to disassemble if it clogs, and changing the belt is easy too.

I'm on my first Oreck, it is 14 yrs old and still going strong. It is light and easy to maneuver and has two speeds for carpet and hardwood. Wonderful warranty. 

[Spy Car]

Here are some things about Miele.

With a Miele one gets a very powerful motor packed in a well-designed form factor that makes the machines maneuverable and relatively lightweight. But what really distinguishes these machines--beyond being superbly designed to last forever--is that they completely filter out all the dust the machines pull in.

The Miele bags have advanced multi-layered filtration. The bag material is not unlike that in N95 masks. Not sure about the "N" levels or whether they are good enough to filter viruses (and make no claims about that) but dust does not escape. I've used no machines that are compatible. The 3M bags seem nearly as outstanding. And for those with greater medical issues there are HEPA filter that can augment the already top-of-the class filter bags.

Buy a Miele and you are set for life. It is not a device that breaks down or gets trashed after 5-7 years.

Bill

 

 

Edited September 7, 2021 by Spy Car

[happi duck]

We have a cordless Dyson.  Because it is cordless it gets used waayyy more often which makes it better for us.

[KungFuPanda]

I have a Meile. It’s older than 15, but might be younger than 20.  I got it at the same store that sold me my Speed Queen. 🤣 

I buy the 3m bags because I’m cheap. 😬

[Tree Frog]

Those of you who have the Miele, do you have an upright or cannister? How does it do on stairs? Does it have a separate attachment for the stairs?

[gardenmom5]

3 hours ago, wilrunner said:

Those of you who have the Miele, do you have an upright or cannister? How does it do on stairs? Does it have a separate attachment for the stairs?

I have two miele cannisters.  I originally purchased a C1 classic because my budget was tight. (uses pure suction for the roller head)  I recently purchased a C3 (electric roller head) because I had carpets that shed like crazy, and I had to vacuum several times a week to keep on top of it. They're finally slowing down. I kept the C1 and put it in the basement with my home theater,  and 2ds's office, in hopes my boys would be more wiling to vacuum up after themselves if it was on the same floor as them.  (I have a three story house - so lots of stairs.)

The C3 series miele has a longer cord, so it's easier to do stairs based on where my plugs are located.  The C1 weighs less, but both are easy to do stairs based on their size and weight.   

This tool is very handy for carpeted stairs.  (I had something like this with my old panasonic cannister which I mostly liked, but didn't have a good lifespan.)

The tool/attachments are pretty much interchangeable between the C1 and the C3 lines.  (I upgraded the filter in my C1 classic, from standard to HEPA for a C1 size.)  the only tools I can't use on both are the roller heads.  just about every other tool fits both.  And they use the same size bags!  

Miele STB 101 Mini Handheld Turbobrush

this explains the differences between the three cannister "families".  (and the difference within the families)

Edited September 7, 2021 by gardenmom5