Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

I'm looking for an upright bagged Hepa vacuum for around $300.  Consumer reports rated the kenmore #1 but I haven't always agreed with C.R.'s ratings before on other things.  Is there anything at that price point I should be looking into or should I just go with the kenmore?  Thanks

There are a few better choices than the Kenmores.  I would suggest something like a Simplicity or Riccar at that price point.  With this price you wont find a vacuum cleaner that is considered "sealed HEPA" so with the Simplicity/Riccar what you can do is use HEPA material Filtrete type bags which will trap almost all of the dirt (I use these in my Riccar Radiance which I have had for 6 months and the bag chamber is still perfectly clean).  These brands will also be much higher quality and give you longer life than the Kenmore units.  I also have to say that based on my experience in dealing with vacuum cleaners, what I have seen doesn't always match what CR says when dealing with vacuum performance, and their reliability ratings are completely off (based on a survey of people, not on actual repair data), so my suggestion would be to find a local vacuum store with a good reputation who can show you a good machine in your price range.

I also second the motion that you visit and shop at your local independent vacuum stores.  In the current economic conditions your $300 (+/-) will be better spent on vacuum brands there than at the big box retailers.

The vacuum brands previously mentioned by Vacuuman are worthy considerations and should be tested and tried.

Keep us posted on your findings, progress and conclusions. 

Carmine D.

Go find a PANASONIC DEALER,great machines for the money............

mole

Look for a Panasonic with the TRI-Force motor. Good machines and easy to maintain & Fix...but they won't have the filtration you desire. The Miele Version of the Panasonic, while higher in price, (Unless you go to Christine's Miele Dealer...LOL) will have better filtration. I recommend some of the Simplicities as well.

Yes, there are definitely better choices than the Kenmore. 

The Riccar or Simplicity residential machines around this price range are very similar to Panasonic but better made and with a few improvements such as a higher quality motor.  To me, the current Miele Powerhouse uprights made by Panasonic are very similar to the older Sharp uprights of the early-90's (EC-3320 and the like, metal handle, 6 amps, anyone remember those?), which I thought were great machines.  Extremely light weight, but still decent cleaners, which describes the Miele to a "T".  If weight is a concern I would check one of those out.

If weight isn't a concern, at this price point I would *definitely* suggest a clean-air commercial upright.  Panasonic, Carpet Pro, ProGrade (Cirrus), Simplicity, and Riccar all have commercial models, many equipped with on-board tools, and at $300 you'd be getting a LOT of machine for the money.  They are generally sturdier than a residential machine (the ProGrade machines I have seen are VERY substantial) and built for hard use, though they usually are a bit heavier than a residential upright.  With the right bag setup as Vacuuman mentioned (read: Filtrete cloth material and NOT paper), you'd have HEPA-quality filtration as well.  Just an idea, but if someone can get at least 15 years out of a residential Simplicity, imagine how long a commercial model would last...

Good luck on your search,
-MH

are riccar/simplicity made by the same company? and how much do their top of the lines radiance and synergy go for? i can't find any online prices.

Yes  Riccar and Simplicity are made by the same company, and their uprights are all made in a factory here in the USA in Missouri.  The top of the line models go for about $1400 full retail, lower prices depend on dealer tho.  The other series you may want to look into would be the Brilliance/Synchrony.  These models range in the $500-800 area and also use the Tandem Air system but cost a little less than the higher end models.  These can also use a HEPA filter too.  If you are willing to spend the extra money  the Tandem Air models are much better cleaners, but even if you can't, all of their machines are well made and clean very well.  Personally I have the Radiance Premium that I use and am very happy with it.

Both Simplicity and Riccar are made by Tacony. The Uprights are made in Missouri and the New Canisters are made in THEIR managed factory in China the older canisters were made in Korea but they had trouble making any changes/adaptions to models so they wanted more control.

Synergy-$750
Synchrony-$500-$650

Prices are going up in a few weeks

Here's another thought, if you are looking for a true sealed HEPA cleaner on a budget and don't mind replacing it after 3-5 years...I forgot about this machine until I happened upon one of my earlier CR issues.  Go to Wal-Mart and check out the Eureka SmartVac 4870, they are $150.  CR has consistently rated it as one of the best upright vacuum cleaners at cleaning and filtration. 

-MH

I think I'm going to go with either the riccar brilliance or the simplicity synchrony. I've got two local dealers. One told me that they'd take a trade in and knock off $200.  I didn't know Vacuum sales were like car sales.  What kind of prices are you guys seeing for these models?  Is $200 off retail pricing good?