Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hello,

I'll be honest, I know nothing about vacuum cleaners except that I need one. I have 4 criteria for selection:
1) Works well
2) built well/will last me a long long time (serviceable)
3) Made in US, Japan, or Western Europe
4) Hopefully no more than $350

I think Oreck may end up being my choice since it's made in the US and I haven't found any others that aren't manufactured in south east Asia. But that's why I'm here! To tap into your brains :)

I'm joining this discussion because I too would like advice on a new vacuum. I've read all the posts in this thread and some of the others. There's so much knowledge here!
The discussion that drew me to the site was the one about the Shopvac EasyLift. My husband called me from Lowes yesterday wondering if he should buy one, and after reading the responses on that thread I called him back saying "NO!"

The reason the Shopvac momentarily appealed was its light weight. Oreck seems very expensive (and has mixed reviews on this site).

I have lots of joint aches etc and the vacuum has to be carried upstairs etc: it must be as light as possible.
Plus we have allergies so need a good filter.

We currently have a Dirt Devil bagless, not heavy, but it has other problems: it's hard to open it to empty the dirt out. The dirt sticks to the filter in a horrible way. While you're vacuuming, there's a fan that blows all the dirt around in front of the vacuum, and away from it! The vacuum is very noisy. And now the rotating brush thing underneath doesn't rotate.

Experience with emptying this vacuum makes me feel like going back to bags. I see the bagged Hoover Clean and Light has been recommended above.

We used to have more wall-to-wall carpet but now have mostly wood floors and about 6/7 area rugs. I see the miele antares has been recommended for such a situation.

Some of the rugs are oriental; I've seen Oreck recommended for those (does it have less suction?!).

I'm far from fastidious; won't admit here how often (or not!) I vacuum; just want a lightweight easy-to-use vacuum that works on bare floors and area rugs, and (preferably) has a couple of easy-to-use attachments for corners, furniture etc.

I haven't really liked using a canister in the past because you have to carry or drag the canister while also holding the hose...but now most of our floors are wood, perhaps a canister would be better?

As you can see, I am confused by the plethora of information! And I've been disappointed with many vacuums in the past.

Ok, I guess my questions are as follows:

1) Is canister vs/upright simply a question of personal preference in the end?
2) I know there's controversy on this site re Dyson; but what about the new Dyson lightweight? (can't recall model number.)
3) bagless vs bags: i hated the difficulty of emptying my dirt devil and the way you have to bang the central filter against something to get the dirt off. Dyson claims emptying its vacuums is easy, is this true? Are there any other bagless that are easy to empty? Buying bags is a hassle, of course.
4)the Hoover canister 51361 has been recommended here as lightweight (tho has bags), any other feedback on this canister?

Hoping for guidance!
Christine.

Cristine:

Many of the vacuums mentioned will perform well.  Oreck included.  Oreck offers something that no other vacuum brand does:  Free in home trial for 30 days with no obligation.  If you decide you don't like it for any reason, you return it at Oreck's expense.  Now, think for a moment.  If the Oreck vacuum were as bad as some say, would Oreck make and stick to that promise [for over 45 years]?  Right: No. 

It will serve your purposes well.  If you shop wisely you can snag a new one for $300 [XL Classic Deluxe] or less and a used one even cheaper.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Christine.

Most big box stores offer 30 money back guarantee (same as Oreck).  Carmine sometimes is misleading in pushing his preferred brand.  Not unusual for a current or past sales person.   Most of the vacs that the big box stores sell are heavier than the Oreck but in my experience they clean much better than Oreck.

I admit to liking Dyson because they vacuum so well.  Dyson is the only upright that I have used that does not blow dust and dirt away from the vacuum on hard floor surfaces.  If you visit an Oreck store for their demo take a bag of fine dust and lint.  You could take a box  of baking soda if dust is not available.  Ask them to vacuum it on a hard floor surface.  The cerial and heavier objects that they use are heavier and do not blow around so much. 

HARDSELL wrote:

HS:

After being used and without the box?  Most big box retailers have made returns/refunds much more difficult over the last year.  Only COSTCO, to my knowledge, still has a liberal return/refund policy, probably due in large part to the annual income of their members: About $60,000.

You may have missed a post recently here where a customer tried to return a new dyson to Sam's Club under warranty that burned out after several weeks of use.  Sam's Club refused to accept it telling the buyer to send it back to dyson under warranty.  This is not uncommon now for big box retailers who have taken huge losses year after year by accepting returns/refunds on high priced vacuums.  Why?  They can't resell these returns for new.  Instead, they have to mark them down until sold, most times with the caveat "as is" and without the manufacturers' full warranty.

I own and use an Oreck XL Classic Deluxe.  I also own and use other vacuums.  Including at one time a dyson DC07 pink.  I would recommend the Oreck upright to all persons interested in a lightweight vacuum that performs on rugs and floors just like a full size vacuum. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

You have one or two examples out tof millions that are sold.  Thanks for the comedy.

I owned and used an Oreck XL21 among other vacuums.  It was the worst of the lot and the most expensive by a large margin.  You do not always get the performance that you pay for.

HARDSELL wrote:

HS:

Comedy has nothing to do with business unless one is an entertainer.  In good economic times when high price vacuums sell at big box retailers [as they have in recent past], they can afford to eat the losses on the returns/refunds.  Not so in bad times.  Big box retailers are cutting staff, closing stores, and reporting the worse sales in 35 years.  The majority of the big box stores' shoppers are having financial difficulty due to high food and gas prices and the uncertainty of their employment futures.

I paid $150 for the new Oreck XL Classic Deluxe with a one year guaranty.  I use it daily.  It's over a year old.  I gifted the same Oreck models to 3 other households who are pleased and satisfied.   And I will probably upgrade my Oreck to a more expensive model, and gift several more away.    At least I know not to consider you a donee!

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:

Your exagerations are comical, not the bad business.

No worry about closings.  The executives can get their millions and the workers can go to the soup lines. Isn't that the American way?

christine wrote:
Hi Christine,

I'm the one who initially reported on the Shop-Vac EasyLift, having purchased one in November of '07.  I wasn't all that impressed.  It is light weight, but is cheaply made and very noisy.   Being a direct-air upright like the Oreck with no provision to shut off the brushroll, it would also (like the Oreck) not be a good choice for those with mostly bare floors.  Having owned an Oreck I can say that Oreck's bare floor cleaning claims is 99% hype, as Hardsell noted they tend to blow a lot of debris back at your feet and leave some debris untouched. 

Narrowing it down, it seems you would be more inclined to an upright as you're looking for a machine that is not too bulky and can be carried around without bending over.  Some uprights are more bare-floor friendly than others; since you have mostly bare floors with the exception of a few oriental rugs you would want an upright with an option to shut off the motorized brushroll, or detachable nozzle.  Regardless of what Carmin or anyone else says, an upright like the Oreck with no brushroll shutoff option would not be a good machine in your situation.  If you're looking for a bagged lightweight upright, Miele offers the S168 Universal Upright (link).  It has an amazing amount of power for its size (infinitely variable motor speed) unlike the Oreck, uses the Miele Intensive Clean microfiltration bags that can hold a good amount of debris without the machine losing power, and since you mentioned you have oriental rugs to clean in addition to the bare floors it can accept an optional power nozzle as well (I would recommend either the SEB226 or 236).  The downside is that no, the brushroll cannot be shut off with the power nozzle still attached to the machine, however, the power nozzle quickly disconnects and can be replaced with the combination nozzle or bare floor tool in seconds.

Another good bagged upright choice is the Sebo Felix (PDF link), which is very similar to the Miele Universal Upright, like the Miele it offers a lot of machine for the price.  Different from the Miele, though, the powerhead can be shut off to clean bare floors instead of detaching it, which may be more convenient for you. 

If you want a lightweight bagless upright, Dyson is the only way to go.  The problem with the Dirt Devil you're using is that it is a filtered bagless machine.  Instead of a bin with two or three consecutive stages of cyclones, there is simply a pleated filter in the center of the bin to trap the fine dust.  Like a bagged machine, fine dust and pet hair will attach to that filter causing it to clog and suction to drop off, not to mention making the machine extremely messy to empty.  That is not a proper bagless machine.  The Dyson, on the other hand, is a proper cyclonic bagless, meaning there are no bin filters to clog; instead a series of cyclones handle the dust separation.  The machine does not lose power as you go along, regardless of what is being vacuumed up, and is a lot less messy to empty.   Depending on the size of your home, I would recommend either the DC24 or DC25 Ball models (Baby and Daddy Ball, respectively; links here).  Both are lightweight, powerful machines (unlike the Oreck), and like the bagged lightweight uprights I mentioned above, are easily adaptable for bare floors.  Both the DC24 and 25 have a brushroll on/off switch.  These machines you will want to check out in person to see which suits you best; the DC24, while extremely lightweight and equipped with a telescoping handle is very small and not the best choice for larger homes due to its small bin capacity (more frequent emptying). 

You've come to the right place for a recommendation.  As with anything, you will hear different opinions, and I recommend you explore all of them.  Head to different independent dealers in your area, try each brand or machine out for yourself, and find which one suits you the best before you make your purchase. 

Hope this helps, and good luck on your search,

-MH

Although not in the most recent CR ratings, in the past Consumer Reports has rated Oreck's bare floor cleaning performance as "excellent'.   Consistently.  If you haven't, you should read the March 2008 CR edition.  It's a good starting place.

Based on my personal and professional experience, I would rate Oreck's bare floor cleaning as excellent too [with a properly working belt and bag].  I add the latter caveat because some may have used an Oreck, in need of service, and been disappointed by the performance.  Both bag and belt changes are explained in the User Manual and can be performed by the user in a few minutes.  Recommended bag changes are every 2-3 months [depending on use] and belts should be changed every 6-9 months.  Inexpensive and widely available.

Many of the other vacuum brands and models are equally good and will perform well.  It really depends on your likes and dislikes and cleaning requirements and needs.

Carmine D.

HARDSELL wrote:

Bad business to me is comical but is no laughing matter.  Then, again I try to find the humor in all things.  That's why I like you.

Carmine D.