Way OT... vacuum cleaners

[fidlfreek]

Don't feel like you have to get a new one. I bought an old Kirby (80s maybe?) and the thing it built like a tank and sucks way better than anything plastic. I also buy hypoallergenic bags that are pricey but help. Oh, and I got it at a garage sale. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

[Becky]

I use a Kenmore Progressive upright bagged vacuum. My allergies don't permit the use a bagless model 'cuz of the dust cloud during emptying. I buy the HEPA bags on Ebay for ~$1 apiece, rather than the ~$4 that Sears charges.

It was CR's #2 choice about 4 years ago, and it's holding up like a champ.

[OakLeaf]

Just FWIW, I'm allergic to just about every inhalant there is, and I was a little worried about getting a bagless vac, but actually I've found it to be MUCH "safer." Yeah, there's a minute or two of emptying it, but you do that outside (and if you put the filter deep into your garbage bag during emptying, which you want to do anyway, hardly any dust escapes). There's definitely no "dust cloud" unless it's really windy AND you're being sloppy.

Every vacuum we've had with bags, even with the supposedly HEPA bags, just spewed dust all over the house after it was a year or two old, because there's always an unfiltered unwashable exhaust channel, plus the flexible bags just don't filter as well as a much thicker exhaust filter.

[xeney]

Nothing sucks like a Dyson. Heh. But ours has not held up well at all. It's about five years old and we've had to replace a couple of parts that broke, including that fabulous long hose -- and the replacement hose is awful and comes off all the time. It's pretty much unusable. We have to clean that filter that you are only supposed to need to clean once a decade or so at least once a month, and we've replaced it three times (it is never supposed to need replacement, which begs the question of why they sell replacements). And the Dyson is ruining all of our rugs because it pulls the fibers out ... we should not vacuum those rugs with the beater bar, but without the beater bar it does not pick up dog hair.

It is still a thousand times better than the Hoover piece of junk it replaced, and at twice the price it has lasted five times as long, so I guess that's a bargain. We are going to replace it soon and even with all the problems will probably buy another Dyson.

(We have three dogs, two cats, a man with hair down to his butt, and an extraordinarily dusty house ... but also hardwood floors that we mostly sweep, and only two big area rugs.)

[jeannierides]

Thanks for all your good suggestions! I'm going to check out a few today!

[fastdogs]

Dyson slim here. Not too bad if you get it at bed bath and beyond with the 20% off, plus I had some other discount at the time.
I like the bagless as well, I just empty if far down in the trash and don't get a cloud. I have an older oreck too, and it's fantastic on carpets and very lightweight, but not so good on bare floors, it just throws stuff around (I think all vacuums with the brush throw things around on bare floors, but the oreck seems worse than the others I've used).
Mostly bare floors with some throw rugs, four short haired dogs, and two short haired guys (one's 5, the other's 48)
vickie

[tulip]

I loved my Electrolux Oxygen, but I don't have it anymore (nothing to do with the vac). I will get another one as soon as my budget allows. I have a cheapo upright bagless that does a fair job but I hate emptying the bagless vacs.

My mother has a Miele that she adores (she has three cats and three dogs). It's pricey, but she's had it for 15 years and it still works like new.

[Irulan]

Dyson slim here. Not too bad if you get it at bed bath and beyond with the 20% off, plus I had some other discount at the time.
I like the bagless as well, I just empty if far down in the trash and don't get a cloud. I have an older oreck too, and it's fantastic on carpets and very lightweight, but not so good on bare floors, it just throws stuff around (I think all vacuums with the brush throw things around on bare floors, but the oreck seems worse than the others I've used).
Mostly bare floors with some throw rugs, four short haired dogs, and two short haired guys (one's 5, the other's 48)
vickie

We pulled up about 1800 square feet of carpet and have hardwood laminate now. I picked up a little "pronto" rechargeable vac at Costco. It works great on the hardwood. That, combined with a microfiber dust mop for the fines, is how I keep my hardwood clean. (OMG, i LOVE not having carpet anymore)

[sundial]

Jeannie, I highly recommend a canister vac since you have stairs. My vote would be a Kenmore.

I don't really care to go by CR because the last few purchases that were highly rated by CR turned out to be a bust with our household. Instead, read the reviews by actual customers. They offer the best, and most objective, opinions.

Personally, I have a Dyson Animal that I purchased in '04. I use it almost daily since I have 2 german shedders. So far I've replaced the hose and a drapery tool. I will need to replace the beater brush soon as it's not picking up things as well. Other than that, I really have no complaints about the vacuum.

[7rider]

We just joined the Dyson cult, having picked one (the DC-14 slim) up cheaply at Tuesday Morning. We sold a Hoover bagged upright on Craigslist and are trying to sell a Dirt Devil bagless currently. (Anyone in the D.C. area wanna buy a vacuum...cheap??) Both were okay, but I found them both to be stinky.
The best thing about the Dyson is that DH thinks the engineering is soooo nifty and has soooo many well thought out details, that HE is doing the vacuuming!!! Yay!!!! Sure, hon...Have at it. Use that Dyson for all it's worth! Have fun, too.

[DebTX]

The best thing about the Dyson is that DH thinks the engineering is soooo nifty and has soooo many well thought out details, that HE is doing the vacuuming!!!

There are many different reasons to buy a device- but this is my favorite thus far!