# household Vacuum cleaner recommendation.



## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Our Kenmore Vacuum cleaner started to smell like the motor/wiring burning Today,I knew this was going to happen soon ,I have been repairing all the plugs,connections,roller brush, for the last 3 years.
Anyhow,I'm now looking for a decent vacuum that's not going to fall apart in 2-3 years,Miele ,Kirby,Filter queen,Dyson,which one do you have ?how long have you had it?are you happy with it?


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## tvr (Mar 6, 2014)

We have had a Dyson Stowaway for five or six years and the thing will still suck the hair of the cat. I like the no bag concept, it is so easy to wash and clean the cannister, also designed so you can take the head apart easily and clean it.
Had a problem with a hose but it was replaced no charge. All in all pretty good machine.

Trevor in Powell River


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

Consumer reports says one of the Kenmores is the best. It'll suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.


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## longgone (May 5, 2009)

I use a Shop Vac in the house. I t will suck the flooring off the slab..


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

> Consumer reports says one of the Kenmores is the best. It ll suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.
> 
> - Clint Searl


.I need a vacuum that sucks the trailer hitch and the chrome on it.I have had good service from the 2 Kenmore vacuums in the last 30 years or so but all I hear nowadays is the newer ones are junk ,don't last more than 3-5 years


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

I would stick with the old names.. Some new ones cost over $1200 and they suppose to clean the air from all sorts of things. But remember most rich folk's kids died in the 1700's because they refused to let them get exposed to the elements as the poor kids did and the poor kids survived. Carpet is something you want to get rid of as it collects all kinds of things you don't want in your house. Area rugs are the best thing to have because you can take them outside and wash them through once a year. This was practiced for thousands of years for a good reason and with good results. Wall to wall carpet is not a good idea regardless of how attractive it looks.


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## JADobson (Aug 14, 2012)

> But remember most rich folk s kids died in the 1700 s because they refused to let them get exposed to the elements as the poor kids did and the poor kids survived.


Umm, no. Take it from a historian, being rich made your chances of survival incredibly better. Hobbes was speaking about the medieval period but it holds for the pre-modern world as well (for the poor at least) when he said that life was "nasty, brutish, and short". Prior to antibiotics even a small infection could do you in.


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

JADobson, maybe more poor folks died than rich ones.. I was talking about their kids in that era. In Europe, if your wife was fat, it meant riches as they could afford to eat. In other cultures, having a black teeth meant you could afford sugar and thus poor folks wold paint their teeth in order to pretend to be "rich". All those dietary indications in real terms were bad for your health; the ones that faked it had a better chance of survival. In so far as statistics, yes, more poor died than wealthy.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Do they still make Filter Queen vacuums?I remember they were the Cadillac of vacuums in the seventies or the "gold standard"lol.


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

Electrolux used to make some of the best. You can always go for one of these.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Mrjinx,those things look so gimmicky don't they.not the real thing,lol.
Thank you all for your help.I'll find something that suits my needs.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Weve got one of those dyson ball vacs and its awesome on carpet but it wont pick up a cheerio off of a hardwood floor, it just pushes it around. Using the hose on it also tends to tip the whole thing over or youve got to use it at such an angle it restricts air flow. All in all, if youve got pets that shed and some to a lot of carpet, its killer. If youve got kids that drop more cheerios than they ingest look elsewhere.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

> Weve got one of those dyson ball vacs and its awesome on carpet but it wont pick up a cheerio off of a hardwood floor, it just pushes it around. Using the hose on it also tends to tip the whole thing over or youve got to use it at such an angle it restricts air flow. All in all, if youve got pets that shed and some to a lot of carpet, its killer. If youve got kids that drop more cheerios than they ingest look elsewhere.
> 
> - chrisstef


Good to know what Dyson can and cannot do,I used to hear a lot of praises about their vacuums but it looks like their quality has gone down the tube .
Don't they (manufacturers) make good products any more?


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## cutworm (Oct 2, 2010)

Wifey has a Miele. They are really well made. Had it 3 or 4 years with no issues. Averages about an hour per day running it. She's a type A. The way the smooth floor attachment is made you only have to get close to the Cheerio and it grabs it. There are openings in the bristles that allow for debris to be captured without actually running over it.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

If you got the bucks look at Rainbow.


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## Blackcatbone (Sep 14, 2014)

Second the Miele. Don't bother super high end, we have an Olympus, which the dealer we bought from highly recommended for my allergies. Said all the extra Hepa and filters aren't worth it as long as you vacuum regularly, not that I do . . . The replacement bags are a bit pricey but we get these from Amazon and they work great. http://www.amazon.com/Vacuum-Allergen-Designed-Engineered-Crucial/dp/B00IIP4000/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1411994787&sr=8-4&keywords=miele+vacuum+bags

Oh, to add, we've had it for about 4 years, no problems. My previous was a Miele as well, which I assume is still going. I was living overseas and left it with my ex-husband when moving back.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

That Rainbow vacuums,had never heard of them before but they seem to be well built,I'll check with my boss to see if she would consider them over Miele.I think we'll be happy with either brand .
Thank you for for your recommendation.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

I have the Rigid TS3650. Mine's about 2 years old now and I'm pretty happy with it, though in my dream shop, it will be replaced with a SawStop cabinet saw. The only knock I've got on the TS3650 is the arbor they shipped with mine has a groove cut into the threads just past the 1/8" point, which is precisely where your first chipper sits if you use a dado head. That means that th first chipper cut will be "high" (deeper) than the rest of the cut. One of my applications is to use the Freud Box-Joint two-blade system, so to handle this problem I bought two CMT stabilizers to space my blades out 1/4", just past this groove, but of course that means I can't use a 3/4" stack anymore since the arbor isn't long enough to accommodate the spacers plus 3/4" of dado-but it works fine for my box-joint blades. I've heard that Rigid has sent new arbors to some people who complained. I usually use a router to cut dados for shelving, so I mostly just live with (or use a shoulder plane on) the non-uniform bottom if I cut them on the TS. All that said, I've got no other complaints about this saw. Woodline and a few other places sell ZC inserts for this saw made from HDPE if you don't want to make them yourself.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> LOL, I always thought you were confused.
> 
> I have the Rigid TS3650. Mine's about 2 years old now and I'm pretty happy with it, though in my dream shop, it will be replaced with a SawStop cabinet saw. The only knock I've got on the TS3650 is the arbor they shipped with mine has a groove cut into the threads just past the 1/8" point, which is precisely where your first chipper sits if you use a dado head. That means that th first chipper cut will be "high" (deeper) than the rest of the cut. One of my applications is to use the Freud Box-Joint two-blade system, so to handle this problem I bought two CMT stabilizers to space my blades out 1/4", just past this groove, but of course that means I can't use a 3/4" stack anymore since the arbor isn't long enough to accommodate the spacers plus 3/4" of dado-but it works fine for my box-joint blades. I've heard that Rigid has sent new arbors to some people who complained. I usually use a router to cut dados for shelving, so I mostly just live with (or use a shoulder plane on) the non-uniform bottom if I cut them on the TS. All that said, I've got no other complaints about this saw. Woodline and a few other places sell ZC inserts for this saw made from HDPE if you don't want to make them yourself.
> 
> - DKV


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

I'm not sold on the Dyson, I've not had the luck most others have had with them, I just recently purchased a brand new $350 paper weight or pile of junk, I replaced it with the shark, if you compare the two in cost, Shark and Dyson, you're not going to spend near as much for the shark as you did on the Dyson and you'll get better preformance, to me the Dyson's are way over rated and over priced, chrisstef, is also right about the Dyson just pushing debris around on hard floors and not picking it up.

I'd recommend the 
Shark NV501 or 502 Rotator Professional Lift-Away Vacuum, I have both the Dyson and the Shark and the Shark way out preforms the Dyson, plus it's not near the cost.

Now as for as what Alaskaguy mentioned the *Rainbow Vacuum*, these are the elite of and over all Vacuums and it'll be the last vacuum you'll ever buy, even a reconditioned Rainbow would be a good choice and still out preform any and all vacuum's including Dyson, Comparing a Rainbow to a Dyson is like Comparing a Bentley to a Kia but as Alaskaguy mentioned they are priced very.. high a new Rainbow is going to cost you over $2000 dollars so they aren't practical for the middle class, I owned one, purchased it reconditioned for $600, kept if for over 20 years and never lost it's performance and regret ever replacing it, they are a canister vacuum and can take up a lot of room the closet and I also thought I was ready for a change boy did I make a mistake getting rid of it, but even after 20 years I still sold it for $150 they hold their value, they use a water filtering system, all debris are deposited into a canister of water and you just simply dump the water and clean out the canister once your done, there are no dust particles to escape.

Ken the reason you've never heard of a Rainbow is because they were a door-to-door sales only and since times have changed they no longer do the door to door but you can still purchase them from special dealers.

Here is a photo of what the Dyson left on my carpet that the shark picked up and this came from only one room.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I am surprised at some of the results that people have had with Dyson.

I have one of the older Dyson Animal vacs. It does a great job on carpet and tile floors. It sucks up everything and does great along the edges near walls. I love the ball aspect as it makes it easier to go around things.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Great post Blackie,I'm as surprised as redoak49 about why some Dyson owners say they are more than happy with the performance and some regret even buying it,unless dyson started with great vacuums and slowly has been cheapened to the point quality compromised .

I now remember the rainbow vacuum from Blackie's post ,their idea of water as filtering system is something I'll have a hard time selling it to the wife,Dyson is moving down on my list.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

Ken there are a lot of women that don't like the canister vacuums, my sister is one of them, she prefers the upright vacuum and the Rainbow only comes in a canister on wheels that you drag around, as for as the Dyson goes, I'm just speaking from my own experience with the one I have and it's put a bitter taste in my mouth but after saying that it could just be the model I have but still I think they are over priced for the performance you get, I'm sticking with the shark.


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## timbertailor (Jul 2, 2014)

Just rip the carpets out.

Problem solved.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Seriously, I don't think you'll find ANYTHING that will last any length of time like in the "old days"..... These engineers of all things have figured out how to make things last a specific amount of time (along with all the cheap parts they use and where they come from). That's my opinion. Good luck with what ever you buy. Be ready to have to purchase again in less than 5 years.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

> Seriously, I don t think you ll find ANYTHING that will last any length of time like in the "old days"..... These engineers of all things have figured out how to make things last a specific amount of time (along with all the cheap parts they use and where they come from). That s my opinion. Good luck with what ever you buy. Be ready to have to purchase again in less than 5 years.
> 
> - Roger


You are right ,I guess it doesn't matter to them how fast our landfills are getting full ,a few years back there were places that would repair and resell old(maytag) refrigerators,washing machines but even appliances are now disposable .


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

Speaking of how the old stuff last. I have a Monkey Wards chest freezer I bought in 1973 and still using it today. The freezer sit on my back deck exposed to the elements and has never been indoors.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

I will recommend a reconditioned Kirby off ebay. You can get what was a $1600 vac for a couple hundred. It is made out of cast aluminum and is an upright that is easily converted to a canister.

Sorry, Rainbows are over rated, on the beater bar there is a height adjustment on the front, you can pull that off and you will easily see that it does absolutely nothing, it is just a piece of plastic that slides side to side made to make you think it has adjustable height.

I must say I hate the Kirby multi level marketing (aka pyramid scheme), I sold them one summer when I was in college.

I will also say if you want a new one have them come and do their demonstration, you can talk them down to half price easily. Most of the ones I got commission for selling were sold at half price.

Here is a good deal, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Reconditioned-G5-Kirby-Vacuum-LOADED-with-new-tools-5-YR-warranty-/380641989163?pt=US_Vacuum&hash=item58a007d22b

Those started at $1600 but could be had for $800 by a shrewd buyer when they were new.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Patcollins,thank you for your post,that Kirby in the pic looks really solid,reminds me of the old heavy duty sanders of the fifties that had metal casing,steel handles/rollers.I'll run it by the boss .by the time I get it shipped here it will be around $500.
Thanks for the suggestion.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

I will warn you if the boss wants a light weight vacuum do not buy this, if I remember correctly they weigh 22 lbs.

The accessory holder is also sort of unwieldy since the attachments don't store on the vacuum itself. But they are solid, easily repairable etc. Those were really the only pitfalls of them, otherwise a great machine.

I sold one to a woman that traded in her old one that was over 25 years old an still working, she really didn't need a new one but she wanted one.


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## Jeanallen (Mar 30, 2019)

Seems like you need a solidly built vacuum cleaner within a moderate price range. Here's a resource article for you where some such vacuum cleaner reviews accumulate.

Best vacuums under 200


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## OleGrump (Jun 16, 2017)

I also use the Rigid wet/dry vac. Cost about $40 bucks, and the carpet attachment was around $15. Been using it for 15 years. That baby will suck the dirt right up outta your sub flooring, and probably the tea outta the cups in China. The wife has had two of these upright cannister jobs in the last nine years. The interior hoses on those damned things go through a couple of bends allowing them to get clogged up regularly, and we don't even have pets. I've had to perform open heart surgery on both of them a couple of times and pull out all kinds of crap with long needle nosed pliers and screwdrivers.
The Rigid just gets it up and looks for more. Use caution vacuuming near a toilet paper roll. Don't ask, just trust me on that one….


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