LVS: Local Vacuum Shop

Being in a vacuum deficient-state (ignoring relevant physics jokes), I was given a homeless vacuum (still ignoring) by a friend. Took it to the LVS, which I'd never been to, and got it the full tune-up.

Awww... I love my LVS. Tiny little shop, same guy and his family have been running it for decades, full of cool old vacuums and sewing machines. It was like a Recycled Cycles www.recycledcycles.com but for vacuums. This guy loves vacuums the way I love bikes. Wonderful fun!

If your vacuum needs some love, go to your local LVS. You never know what you might discover!

LVS. That made me laugh. :p

It's neat to see someone who loves their gadgets as much as we love ours. :)
I have a little vacuum shop that I go to, but I only go there to get bags. I have a 14 year old Kirby vacuum that keeps on ticking. It was a wedding gift from my DH. Surprisingly- I still married him after that super romantic pre-marriage gift. ;) The vacuum cost more than both our wedding rings combined. Truthfully, tho, I'm all about the practical gifts, and the vacuum has been the longest lasting mechanical thing I've owned.

One of my friends had a Kirby. That was one amazing vacuum!

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Originally Posted by Tri Girl

It was a wedding gift from my DH.

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i hope you gave him a cat litter scoop ;)

Glad you have a good LVS. I love mine too, though it's in Brooklyn. When I mused that I might just buy something cheap instead of repairing my Miele, the owner said "Madame, you will curse yourself." And he was probably right, so I got the Miele fixed. They have a parrot and quite a few neighborhood kids come in to see the parrot every time I'm there. It's classic small town New York.

Kirby, Miele, you guys have nice vacuums!
My new/old vacuum I just got spruced up is a Bernina, made by Panasonic. The LVS guy showed me the various good points of the machine and how to change the bag; and told me it should be fine for another 2 or 3 years at which point I might want to bring it in for another sprucing up.

I vacuumed my whole apartment this evening, and was very pleased at how well the Bernina did. (yes, this is my life... vacuuming on a Friday night!)

Heh. Maybe it's a trend. I vacuumed tonight, too. After giving my bike a much-needed bath.

I am much too frugal to buy a Miele -- we got it free after 9/11 since we are two blocks from the WTC. I guess the company donated them, which indicates they had a better grasp of the toxic dust situation than our government did.

I think a Kirby is a great wedding present.

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Originally Posted by PamNY

I am much too frugal to buy a Miele -- we got it free after 9/11 since we are two blocks from the WTC. I guess the company donated them, which indicates they had a better grasp of the toxic dust situation than our government did.

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How sweet of them. I think I like the company even more now because of that.
Did they do that for everyone in your building?

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Originally Posted by PamNY

I think a Kirby is a great wedding present.

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Ya know- it really is! My family frowned upon it at the time, but I actually thought it was a neat gift. Like I said- I'm way too practical to NOT have thought it was cool (and when the sales guy showed me how much dead skin it took out of my mattress- I was sold instantly)! :D

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Originally Posted by Tri Girl

(and when the sales guy showed me how much dead skin it took out of my mattress- I was sold instantly)! :D

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Why vacuum the mattress? I'd just use it as a facial and vacuum my face. :p ;)

I have a Miele that I bought when I lived in NYC, so it's about 15 years old now give or take. The carpet attachment doesn't work because there's too much longish hair stuck in it. I keep thinking I should be able to clean that out myself, but there's a vacuum shop near here so maybe I'll take it to them and see how much they would charge to clean it. I think I need new bags for it anyway.

NY Biker, if it is just hair and crap wrapped around the beater bar then just clean it yourself! Take a knife or scissors and just cut the hair and then unwrap it from the beater bar. I have to do that all the time since I have so much dog and cat hair around my house.

I love my LVS. A could of years ago I found an old Electrolux vacuum at the side of the road with a note that it still worked. I found the vacuum motor worked but there was no power to the vacuum head. Took it in and he found the connector wire was shot and he replaced it with a used one he had in the shop. Thing worked like a champ after that! I think it actually worked better then my newer Electrolux that I owner. I finally sold it to my new neighbors that moved in next door. She was going to go buy a cheap vacuum at the store so I sold her the Electrolux for less then she would have spent on a piece of crap one.

The other vacuum I have adn love is my Dyson! Man it works like a dream for picking up dog and cat fur!

I don't have long hair, but my DH does. I have to periodically remove the beater bar entirely to get the hair that's wrapped around the ends. That's easier to do with some vacuum models than others.

It makes me happy that so many "LVS" have been able to survive. I guess it's the disposable bags that keep people coming in the door and eventually spending more money when they need a repair or replacement. Most other portable appliances, if you can get them repaired at all, you have to send them away to the manufacturer. :(

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Originally Posted by Tri Girl

How sweet of them. I think I like the company even more now because of that.
Did they do that for everyone in your building?

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The Miele vacuums were distributed through the Red Cross, so I'm not sure how many were available. We also got Whirlpool Whispure air filters which are still going strong. I really appreciated the donations/help.

I love my Miele vac, but I admit, I also love my little Dyson, because I don't have to support a $3 a bag habit.