Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Because of old age, arthritis and a bad back, I am retiring my Hoover which cleans OK but is hard to maneuver and weighs a ton.

Was going to buy Tacony 8 LB which is purported to be the same as the Bissell Prolite. However, there were some negative reviews regarding pet hair on the Prolite so I gave up on that because it seems my dog sheds half of his fur daily :-)

Then I considered the Royal MRY5000 at Amazon but cannot find reviews and Royal's website does not say if it goes from carpet to bare floors. They say the MRY6400 does but does not say the weight on the site.

Next for consideration is the Oreck Oreck XL2100RHB-2. This one has 2 speeds and that is a desirable feature. But I have read some negative things about Orecks so am conflicted while at the same time, seriously considering this machine.

Next, I saw a Hoover Clean and Light but don't know how good that would be either. It is supposed to be 2X the suction power of Oreck. Sounds good but why can't I find this vac on the Hoover site? One review at a seller's site makes me believe this would not be good for my use. For example, I would love to be able to vacuum throw rugs or mats without them being sucked into the cleaner. And I like the idea of going from carpet to bare floors like you can with Oreck.

My dream vac is a Simplicity Freedom F3600 but the price is too steep for the budget ... especially when you add in sales tax.

I don't want a Dyson because the commercials are a little too slick and frankly some reviews of their machines were not all that great. I kinda feel that if it seems to good to be true, it probably is not true.

Any comments on the above mentioned vacs or suggestions would be appreciated.

Chris

Venson wrote:

Hi Venson:

Difficult times call for difficult choices.  Consumers reap the benefits.

Carmine D.

Venson wrote:

Right you are Venson. The sales tax was $30. If the bags are worth $17, I got it pretty close to $400. Now we could have driven to Delaware where there is no sales tax or to one of the state's urban enterprise zones where sales tax is 3.5% but how do I know we would have gotten as good a deal. This shop is 10 minutes away and look what a good deal we were given! If I have any problems, I can take my machine in easily.
I did contemplate buying -  http://tinyurl.com/cah7ar - off the internet but could not get past the idea that once it was here, it would be my dime if I had to send it back. And of course it would not have all the features on the F3700.

Carmine, the box says manufactured in the USA from globally sourced components. I guess that is as good as it gets in today's corporate environment.

I used the Freedom 3700 this morning. The carpets look better than with the old Hoover so I'm a happy camper.

Chris

The Supralites are very good at grooming the carpet.  They are also very good at digging deep for hidden dirt.  I would not compare them to Kirby, but Consumer Reports list the Riccar Supralite just one notch below the current Kirby.  They are a little on the noisy side, agreed.  The bags are huge, the cord is long, the headlight is bright and the vacuum doesn't give you a hernia to lift. 

I have the Riccar model that is just below your Simplicity and could not be more happy.  One word of caution, the fan seems to be rather delicate.  Even more so that other fan first "dirty air" machines.  In the 40+ years I have been pushing a vacuum, I just shattered, and I do mean to the point of pieces falling out the front of the machine for the first time.   The item under the bed was a small charm that had fallen off my mother's necklace, not very large but quite damaging.  The cost of repair was about $30.  As someone with failing eyesight, I fear that the incident may be repeated, but I will be much more careful.

Venson wrote:
The Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price is used more as a "feel good" technique.  It is used by some vac shops to make the customer think the shop is giving them a great  deal.  They post the MSRP on the machine, then tell the customer they will drop the price $100.00 just for them today. That is high still.   Not every vac shop uses MSRP.  If you call up every Riccar/Simplicity dealer,  you will find that they are  not selling the TOL "8lb." upright for $700.00.  That MSRP also is used to convince customers, by the manufacturer, that they have a very top-quality product. You who read and follow CR know that they are trying to convince readers that they do not have to spend alot of money for a vacuum cleaner.  

Adding bags to a purchase is very common.  It is just a part of doing business.  I give extras all of the time.  It does not cost alot.  Wholesale price of bags are not bad.

Never start w/ MSRP when making a vacuum purchase.  

Mike_W wrote:

Then where should we start since most consumers are not aware what wholesale price is for the machine?  I ususally take retail and divide by 1/2 or 50% then negoitate from there.   What is the best way to negotiate pricing?

ZZZZZ wrote:

No less than 5 Federal Agencies oversee and enforce the rules for the claim: Made in the USA.  The cognizant agency [cies] depend [s] on the products.  A direct 'made in the USA' claim means that 'all or virtually all' significant parts and processing are of US origin.  But 'qualified' claims are also allowed, including 'made in the USA of US and imported parts.'  Companies must be able to back up either type of claim.  On another thread here about Tacony, the parent company of RICCAR/SIMPLICITY, I posted a site for a YouTube video about the Tacony plant in St. James, Missouri.  You may want to have a look.  It's a short video and worth the effort and time.

Enjoy your purchase.  BTW, $460 with bags included and no sales tax on the TOL brand newest/best lightweight with an MSRP of $700 is a VERY good deal.  Congrats.  And best of all, it's:  "Made in the USA!"

Carmine D. 

Mike_W wrote:
Well -- okay -- but its my understanding that in business everything costs something. Not only rent or what it costs to turn the lights on or maintenance and salaries but even the five minutes, here ands there, an employee may stop to browse the net. In most of the places I've worked everything has been added up one way or another -- and usually not in my favor.

That said, as an instance, if a vacuum shop burns down or goods are stolen does the owner claim what he actually paid for his stock or what the potential sale value was?

As for give aways, if the wholesale price of bags is all that much a big deal then why are ensuing purchases for the same so high per pack for the upper-tier brands? Am I getting real value for what I am shelling out.

Your point re CR's ongoing alert that you don't have to pay a lot for a good vacuum is of course well taken. Nonetheless, "good" vacuums with long warranties and sturdier builds are an enticement for consumers to anticipate more and so they are willing to invest more. However the problem is getting to a real understanding of how much "more" should cost.

Simplicity's TOL canister has an MSRP of $1,500 as does the Synergy upright. Both have lots good features but what are they worth? Do they wholesale at $600, $900 or $1,200 and how can a shopper go about estimating that?

As I've said many times, I don't expect to be given anything and neither do I expect vac vendors to drop their prices so low that they fall short of making a decent (fair) profit.



Venson

ZZZZZ wrote:
Hi Chris,

In the end result, being a happy camper is all that counts.

Venson

Just wrote:

Hi Just, Venson et al:

Look at the competition for the product in that class:  In this case: Lightweights.  ORECK, SEBO, RICCAR, SIMPLICITY, MIELE [recall the old Art Series], HOOVER/TTI, dyson's DC18 Slim, DC24 and DC25 Ball.  What are the MSRP-s and the selling prices?  Best advice is as you said Venson recently and as Just did about a year ago when he decided it was time for a lightweight.  Know what you want, shop for it, ask the right questions, get the answers, compare, and wheel and deal with the one[s] who will work with you. 

Carmine D.

Venson wrote:

Recently, my Son-in-law and I went to the local Lowes to buy a water softener, actually 2 one for him and one for me.  They give you the paperwork in the plumbing department and you go to the cashier to pay.  Kiddingly, I asked the young lady at the cashier desk if they give Senior Citizen Discounts.  No, she said.  Then, kiddingly I asked if they give Veteran discounts.   She looked at me and said: Well, yes we do but we are not allowed to tell customers UNLESS they ask, which I did.  It was 10 percent off the total.  Just need proof: Military ID, or DD214 [honorable discharge].  If you don't have it at the time of purchase, you can go back after the sale with the proof and get the credit retroactively.  I put the purchase on my Lowe's credit card so it was easy.

BTW, Lowes isn't alone.  Like Dunkin Donut coffee and donuts?  Don't forget to ask for the Senior Citizen Discount.  10 percent.  No proof necessary just have to look like an Old Timer. 

Carmine D.