Comments on: Ask the Audience: Vacuum Recommendations

By: vacuum equipment

vacuum equipment — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:30:13 +0000

I have the Dyson Ball, it is lightweight and easy to lug around. I have an animal as well but it needs service, it lost it's suck last year. I have had the animal for 6 years and the ball for about a year.

By: shadow460

shadow460 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:44:18 +0000

Yes, I have a vacuum cleaner that's the best thing since sliced bread. It's not a traditional floor/carpet vacuum, though. It is a DeWalt DC500 shop vac. It runs from either wall power or batteries from DeWalt power tools. Some old Black & Decker batteries will run it also.

It's great for cleaning out the car, blowing (or sucking) dust and small debris off the porch, cleaning up spills of any size, and it works very well on the job, too. I can't count how many times I've needed to clean up a small puddle of water after a plumbing job, and this vacuum is right there.

A number of attachments can be had for it. There are several that can do floors and even carpet, but they don't do it quite as fast as a standard upright vacuum would.

The catch? Price. For the vacuum, two 18 volt NiCd batteries, a charger, a couple of extension poles, a spare (washable) filter, and a couple of accessories, you're looking at $300 to $350. Also if the filters get wet, they will clog until they are dry.

If you are looking for a second vacuum to use in the car or garage, though, without the need to drag a heavy upright and a cord, and you can get by the price, this is the perfect thing. It'll never replace an upright, but it does so much stuff that an upright cannot or isn't practical for.

By: La Rêveuse

La Rêveuse — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:22:28 +0000

We got a Bissell designed for Animal homes, and love it. It's a non-bag model, has great tools, and the middle pulls out to go up stairs, which is very handy. There's also a hand tool with the rotating brush, so you can really clean stairs and upholstery, which I love. The filters are easy to clean, and it really sucks! If it had a retractable cord, it'd be perfect. Plus, it's about 80% cheaper than a Dyson. Here's a link. http://www.amazon.com/Bissell-37604-Lift-Off-Revo...

By: Caroline

Caroline — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:16:15 +0000

I have a Miele that i really like. I don't vacumn that often as I have a bi-weekly cleaning lady and usually all that is required is touch-ups with the dirt-devil cone. Usually milk-bone crumbs and leaves that my greyhounds leave behind. But i had company this week so I went over the 'public' areas with the miele and it worked great. Only downside is it is heavy, and when you're dragging it aroudn the plug will pop out of the wall fairly easily if you reach the end of the cord.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:42:59 +0000

We have 3 dogs and a cat that go in and out, plus a horse farm and we and customers tromp in and out. Our floors are covered with assorted hair, sand, mud, bits of maure, wood shavings, hay and straw. I go through once with a Shop-Vac to get the big stuff and then again with an ancient Hoover Decade. The Hoover can't go first or it gags on the big stuff and has to be taken apart and unclogged, but it does get the in-between bits I miss with the Shop-Vac and leaves those nice lines on the carpet that give the impression the whole house is much cleaner than it actually is.

By: Eugene Mah

Eugene Mah — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:12:25 +0000

a replacement brush from dyson.com will run you around $20 i believe. It could be that the worn brush isn't moving things around as well as it used to and contributes to the perception that the vacuum has lost a it's sucking power. The new brush will definitely help with that. I noticed much improvement with my Dyson after I replaced the brush on it.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:08:46 +0000

I clean houses (plus our own) and for me it's either a Dyson or an Oreck. In no particular order!

By: Gypsie

Gypsie — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:53:36 +0000

Another Dyson fan here! I have two large dogs and two furry kitties and the dyson (we only have the basic model) is amazing when it comes to all of the pet hair. I am also amazed at how often I have to empty the canister in just our little living room alone. I love it and am so happy that we bought it. We have had our Dyson for 4 years without any issues.

Also, you can buy replacement parts on the dyson website. If you purchase the basic model, you can get the animal attachments separately. Then you can pick and choose which attachments you really want and cut down on cost.

We bought the basic model because at the time, Target was having a promotion; buy a Dyson and get a $100 gift card. Since we shop there anyways, it was almost as good as getting $100 off.

By: Candy

Candy — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:41:09 +0000

I am currently using my mother's Kirby upright, which she bought in 1972. It's been worked on once in all that time and still works great. The only downsides that I see are the bags and rotor belts are a little more expensive and have to be purchased at the Kirby store. The suction on it is still great though, and my brother and I are still fighting over it. It was some expensive though, since I think a replacement would be about $1500, but close to 40 years of service makes it worth while.

By: Joyce

Joyce — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:19:31 +0000

I just replaced a Hoover which we were never happy with . After doing some online research I bought a Eureka The Boss SmartVac which was the most highly rated moderately priced vacuum. I wasn't willing to pay $400-$500 for a Dyson. I ordered it from Amazon.com. Only negative was that it is not bagless. It does have a HEPA filter.