Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hey, I need some help picking a vacuum cleaner. Price is not really an issue, but I want to use the vacuum cleaner for these purposes: -pet hair -carpet -wood floor -tile floor I also want the vacuum to be light-weight... Can anybody suggest a good vacuum? Thanks ;) . All the best, tw23

Anjalena - thank you - also please post back here once you do get your new vacuum and let us know how you get on!

vacmanuk wrote:

Thanks Vac! I sure will. =) Well, I'll try to remember. I have some mental disfunctions that severely hamper my short-term memory. The only reason I've remembered to come back here is by keeping the link to this page up on my bookmark toolbar. So I'll keep it there and hope I remember. I'll probably wait a while to see how it really affects things around here... give it time to really work, ya know? But I'll try to remember to come back and let you guys know. You've been so helpful and very sweet.

And Mike hasn't said anything yet. I hope he isn't upset with me for my last message. It might have seemed kinda condescending. I didn't mean it that way. I was afraid both of you might have written back and fussed at me for it.

Oh I'm quite sure he will in time, not to worry.

Well, you guys wanted to know how the Hoover Windtunnel Air worked out for me, so I'm back. I've only used it a few times cuz it scares the crap out of my kitty.

Anyway, I'll vacuum up a pile of dirt and fur, maybe a half to a quarter Cup if you were using a measuring cup from the kitchen, and when I turn the vacuum off and move it, some of the stuff falls back out of it. I've been using it with the brushes off since I have linoleum but I actually think turning the brush on works better. This is an OLD apartment and the flooring is crap. It's not level and it's dull and stained. So I don't think the brushes are really going to hurt it much.

But what do you guys think about the stuff falling back out of it?

Anjalena wrote:
You should do fine w/the brushroll on or off.  When the brushroll is OFF, hair can get caught on the brushroll or get stuck between the brushroll and the brushroll chamber.  Debris, like kitty liittle, can sometiimes lodge itself in the chamber if there is a hidden crevice.  Debris can even sit around the edges of the bottom plate.  The brushroll can help move debris to the airflow intake, in the brushroll chamber.  If you find that you are vacuuming up alot of debris at once, you can tilt the vacuum to one side.  This will help dislodge any debris; moving it back into the air path.  This is also the same thing to do if something like a penny gets caught, but you do not want it to go through the machine; damaging something like a fan.  The object will usually shoot back out onto the floor. 

I wanted to make some comments from your previous post.  To start, you said, "Vacmanuk is right in that department. Reviews themselves aren't necessarily a bad thing if you use some common sense along with them".  Now, I said, "do not base everything of a review, unless you understand where the reviewer is coming from or know his/her experience."  Is this the topic you are contrasting?  I have to say, it looks like they are saying almost the same thing.  With your own situation, you did not base everything off a review.  You also came here and received more info.  The same as if you were walking into a vac shop.

I was making a comment to Vacmanuk, in this thread, because of something he said in another thread.  The discussion, about reviews, w/him, is in reference to a post he made here-

http://www.abbysguide.com/vacuum/discussions/64106-A-1.html

You see, one cannot make a conclusion on a vacuum cleaner he or she has never used, nor base it on only eight reviews.  All eight were not even bad reviews regarding the hose and power nozzle.  Plus, you cannot get an accurate conclusion , when reading over all of them.  Some said the cord was short, long, etc.   Eight reviews is not a good sample to conclude this particular brand and model is not very good, because there are more owners of the Riccar 1700. 

I am hoping that you have a better understanding of where I was coming from. 

BTW, did you purchase the extra attachments?  You did not mention it.

Happy Vacuuming!

Anjalena wrote:
HI Anjalena. Glad you got the Windtunnel Air though I'm sorry it scares your cat. My cat gets scared any time our "quiet" Bosch dishwasher is on - just imagine what he does when the vacuums are on! Sadly because of budget restrictions and suggestions previously pointing towards Miele being your better bet, I'm not aware of any quieter vacuums in the U.S that can offer quieter motors than Miele. There may be other brands out there; but we in the UK aren't as lucky to get the brands that you can find in the U.S like Simplicity or Riccar. Perhaps those brands and associated models are quieter, I don't know.

I haven't personally got the issue of dust falling out but do bear in mind that Hoover's dust capacity is a very small 1.5 litres in the bin or 1.31 quarts. I notice Hoover U.S plays down this fact, not able to give this detail for its buyers, and instead promises "25% extra capacity." Hoover U.S already have got into trouble with Euro-Pro and Shark over false advertising with the Windtunnel Air and Navigator vacuums (See http://tushnet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/apparently-false-demonstration-still.html if you are interested.)

I would agree with Mike that if dust is falling out, then it is every possibility to point towards the dust channels on the floor head. Open up the top hood via the two clips at the front and inspect the twin or single dust channels where you may well find a piece of cat litter wedged that is knocking out dust after you finish. It is easy to remove if you have the time and if you have a blunt flexible stick. If the dust is falling out by the bin at the top, then the bin just needs to be emptied thoroughly. Also ensure that the rear hose is firmly pushed into the vacuum at the back. With the Windtunnel Air being a clean air vacuum, the motor fan is completely sealed.

When it comes to unlevel floors though, I find the brush roll is better - the underside is flush and flat to cope with carpets anyway, but on the basis that fibres naturally flatten down before being activated by a brush roller, using brushes on unlevel floors should give you better performance than no brush roll at all.

Being in sales and service that model has lot of clogging issues, make sure when u turn it on dust is swirling inside bin if not it is plugged somewhere, a straight suction can is best for hard surface

vacman2 wrote:
Sorry but I don't see correlation to the previous posts for this thread. The Windunnel Air does not have a lot of clogging issues - actually probably down to the user who can't be bothered to maintain their vacuum - but then a lot of other brands and types suffer from the same problem. I rescued a fantastic vintage Hoover cylinder vacuum the other day and all that it required was a lump of dust removed from the hose. I can't believe someone threw it away.

vacmanuk wrote:

Oh u don't huh, Anjelena said dirt was falling back out of her vacuum, generally that is because the brush bar is sweeping it into the hose but not being sucked into the dirt container, because of a clog, no wonder folks think this site is abrasive, because it is, I'm not just some chump who own's a couple vacuums

vacman2 wrote:
Oh we already know you work in business, you've uttered that many times, I'm surprised you don't take advantage of the signature box. Come to vacuumland.org - so much better there and loads of members with different opinions are far more friendly.