Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Interesting opinion piece. 

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2010/09/dyson-vacuum-thief-should-have-checked-consumer-reports-.html

Lucky1 wrote:

Hiya Lucky!,

Point noted.  Nonetheless, I am not adept enough of mind to discern whether Kenmore vac owners I've encountered are generally happy campers or lambs led to the slaughter. Few people are demanding to try these machines before sale so who knows if they even think about workmanship unless something breaks unduly early in the game.  As chance would have it, lately, I've been in and out of a few Sears stores quite frequently -- I've really got to get a life --  but have yet to see or hear much complaint from owners coming in for bags and parts.

The very newest canisters, not resemblent of the usual Pano/Kenmore models, I'd have to agree do look a bit on the flimsy side..

The only complaint I've heard thus far was rather odd.  A woman who owns a Kenmore Progressive beltless upright claimed she at times had problems pushing it.  I asked if she had the carpet height properly adjusted, if it proved hard to push just after she'd installed a new bag (thinking a fresh bag might allow for enough suction pull to cause extra resistance), Per the lady in mention, it boils down to same rug, no different manner of vacuuming, no change in settings.  There are just times she finds the vacuum hard to push and others that she doesn't.

My first impulse was to suggest she run see a doctor for a physical.  Instead I said she should take the machine to an indie shop to learn if the problem could be sorted out.  She asked why an indie instead of Sears.  I explained that I'd made the suggestion as the cleaner is three years old and probably out of warranty and that an indie might proved an explanation or solution in a less costly fashion.

I've never had an on and off problem like that with a vacuum.  They either perform or don't. An off-the-wall idea but I can't imagine that the situation might be due to intermittent humidity levels making pushing a vacuum easily sometimes a go and sometimes not.

Venson

Venson wrote:

Hi Venson:

I'd offer the new bag too as a reason for difficulty to push AND the pile and pattern of the rug.  Ease and difficulty of pushing and pulling vacuums oftentimes is dependent on the direction of the vacuum over the rug pile and fibers: against versus with.  Most times users can alter the direction and see/feel the difference.  Other times due to the placement of furniture and small size of the carpet being cleaned versus size of vacuum, user can't and has top tough it out.  Certainly adjusting the rug height higher may ease the push pull weight but degrade the cleaning and grooming.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Hi Carmine,

Your points are all valid but in this situation the owner is claiming that the vacuum is sometimes easy to push OR not easy to push with no changes in handling on her part.  Very odd.  I thought at first she meant she had problems when at work on different types of rugs but she said no, the carpeting was all the same.  Again, she's claiming no changes in the cleaning scenario -- same rug always -- but different effort requirements out of the blue for yet to be explained reasons.  Maybe I was being tested?

Venson

Venson wrote:

Venson:

I wonder if the brush roll is skipping and/or hiccupping over the rug at times causs the revolving brush to stop and go. This will impact negatively on the push/pull weight even if just intermittent and quick when occurs.  Don't know if this is a problem ior not for SEARS Kenmore beltless Progressive uprights. 

Carmine D.

Could be something more simpler like the wheels getting snagged. This reminds me of one particular customer I dealt with many years ago who said her Dyson upright was difficult to push. No surprise really when she brought it in - her wheels were absolutely filthy - stuck on food, goo and some kind of black sticky stuff no doubt fur from the carpet over the years - had stuck to the bits of food giving an "off road" nobbly ride to rugs.

vacmanuk wrote:

Sounds reaonsable Vacmanuk especially in light of your expereince with dyson's wheels.  I suspect the sticking wheels would cause more of a persistent problem pushing and pulling than intermittent.  Unless trhe sticking is just starting to be a problem and will take awhile longer to become more permanent an issue.

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:
Well the wheels were extremely difficult to push on thick carpeting. It didn't take me long to figure it out when pushed along a hard floor. You could feel the upright jumping about as if something was obstructing its natural smoothness.

vacmanuk wrote:

Makes complete sense logically and practically, Vacmanuk.  Thanks for the posts and follow-up.  Hopefully Venson will see this customer again and perhaps have an additional dialogue about the issue. 

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:

Carmine,

Gotta agree with you on this one.  All my carpeted rooms are the same carpet, installed at the same time.  I have 2 rooms that have a section of the carpet where the vacuum is difficult to push and bounces when pulled back across the spot.

The vacuum is also more difficult to push (say north and south) than east and west on most all of the carpet.

HARDSELL wrote:

HARDSELL:

Note the part of your post I highlighted.  Is this the case with a particlular vacuum or all you use on the rug?  Is this the case with and without the vacuum running or just when in use?

Carmine D.