Consumer Reports March issue has an updated review of vacuum cleaners and water extraction cleaners. There is also a review of some cleaning solutions for spot cleaning. I don't have my copy with me, but some of the results are interesting.
One bit of curiosity: the Miele Twist ($550) and Miele Bolero ($800?) are ranked 3 and 5 respectively. The numerical score is one point higher for the less expensive Miele. Otherwise the scores on individual tests are equivalent. CR does not seem to mention whether price is a component in their scoring system, and if so how much influence it has.
Dyson's reliability has dropped slightly, but it is still in 2nd place for uprights. Kirby is alone in first place. The Dyson DC28 (13th) is actually ranked higher than the Kirby Sentria (15th); (however, I double checked and the numerical scores are the same - so perhaps it's more accurate to say that they are tied).
One thing that stands out is that there isn't much difference in the overall scores. The highest rated vacuums tend to have the best scores for carpet cleaning. However, the overall scores reflect the tradeoffs inherent in picking a vacuum. The best cleaning vacuums (with the exception of the 2nd rated Hoover lightweight Platinum) tend to be the heaviest - which tends to cause them to have lower handling scores.
Another thing that stands out is the high cost of some bags. One vacuum uses bags that are $7.50 each apparently.
Regarding carpet cleaners, the best hands down is calling a Pro like Stanley Steemer. Several Hoover models did well. CR was not very complimentary about the Dyson Zorb powder. I don't know if they used it incorrectly, but it also was the most expensive application.
This message was modified Feb 3, 2010 by Severus
The smart tyrant writes his own story to ensure that it is favorable. The lazy will repeat lines from the book without fact checking.
