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

Hi Anjalena
Well I found that the Windtunnel Air/Vax Mach Air is great for picking up pet hair and its lightweight enough to easily push on carpets. On Lino however, I found that the upright can stick with the brush roll turned off - but this may be the UK version only and not the U.S version which has a slightly different head/hood design arrangement. Instead I resort to just switching on the brush roll and the machine flies up and down hard floors with ease! I know of the frustration of dealing with pets - I have many bagged vacuums but I also have the Windtunnel Air solely for pet hair and the bird seed my aunt's budgies often spit out on the carpet. I have to vacuum daily when she sends them to me (she's like "Travelling Mat" from the Fraggles, off somewhere on the continent and I get dumped with the animals!).

However as you've mentioned that you're disabled, can I perhaps offer an easier solution? I don't know what you may think of canister vacuums but the Miele S6 series is pretty good - its a very lightweight vacuum, has almost twice the dust capacity with the bags and the main body weighs much the same as the Windtunnel Air. The beauty of that particular vacuum from Miele is that it has a new auto cord rewind called "Comfort." You just press the pedal once and it all rewinds back in - no need to keep your foot on it. Granted though, on price alone, the Windtunnel Air would be better as it is a small, compact upright. A slightly heavier vacuum, but one that is better made and has a 3 height handle position is the Sebo Felix - Walmart or Costco were doing special price offers on the Felix, but it takes bags.

Also the HEPA filter - don't be misled - a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter in a bagless cyclonic can still loose as much suction as a bagless cyclonic without. Only aspect a HEPA filter does well with is keeping back the smell of collected dust in the dust bin. The Windtunnel Air has washable filters and suction can eventually start to get weaker if you don't clean or wash your filters every 4 to 6 months. It really depends on the amount of pet hair, dander and dust etc that you'll pick up but on all accounts, the only way of getting around washing filters is to buy a bagged vacuum. Sadly Miele vacuums are not cheap in the U.S and neither are my other favourites, the Sebo K1 and K3.

The Windtunnel Air is on Amazon.com at $149-99 I think, the Miele S8 Quartz has general prices of $399, but it does pay to shop around and you'd have to buy bags but they are healthier...

vacmanuk wrote:

Hey again, Vacmanuk!

Yeah, I agree the bagged vacs are healthier, from what I've read. I'm not overly versed/knowledgeable in vacuums but they say the bagged are healthier. It makes sense. I imagine the bags would hold in a lot of the dust and hair. Though I do remember the nightmare of changing bags. UGH.

I prefer a bagless because of the monetary issue. I have to live on $700 U.S. per month which isn't much at all! I have to live in subsidized housing (government helps pay my rent basically). I be poor. (or "po" as I like to say sometimes. *giggle*) After I pay my bills on the 1st and do my budget, I'm lucky if I have an extra $5 - $10 and that's only tentative. If I go over my miscellaneous items budget, that $5 - $10 is gone. I'm trying to buy the things I need right now since I'm in college (again. last time I was in college, I was in my 20's. now I'm 41 and in college again. *laugh*) and I get a student loan stipend about 3 times a year. It's putting me into huge debt but I'm able to buy some things I need for now like a new computer which I desperately needed. Now I'm looking at a vac.

So, yeah... long story still long, bagless and washable filters seems the most economical way to go. Though I do realize that in the long run, those better, more expensive vacs can last longer and be better at their jobs. But you can only do what you can do, right? The Miele looks great but $400 for a vac is WAY out of my league! Even $175 would be pushing it for me, so yeah... no way I could get that one. =(

The Navigator (NV22L) is getting great reviews from everywhere I've looked so far. The only thing about it that I can see that I'm a bit annoyed with is the height of the head. Doesn't seem like it would get under things easily. BUT, I don't have much that I need to get under. The couple of tables I own have a bottom level that's too low for ANY vac to get under anyway, so either way I'd have to move them. But they don't weigh too much and my 23 yr old son can move them for me. He'll be doing most of the cleaning anyway, him and my home care workers. I just want the vacuum to be usable for me too for those rare moments when I need it and don't have anyone else to help. And of course for when my son eventually moves out, if that EVER happens. UGH! *ROFL*

So on the NV22L, have you tried it or talked with folks who have?

And, off-topic, what's a budgie? Some type of bird, I'm guessing, unless you have a strange cat or snake that eats bird seed. *laughs insanely* Sorry, I'm a bit of a weirdo... but I love me that way. *grin* Anyway, pet-wise, all I have are my two kitties. I love all kinds of animals and would have a zoo if I could, but all they allow in my apartment complex is cats. Buggers!

Anjalena wrote: I understand when finances are limited.  I am one who believes that any good vacuum cleaner is better than none.  I know of the two brands/models you are mentioning, plus many more.

Some of the Shark brand models can also be found in the UK.  It is known as the Morphy Richard Lift Away, eventhough these are two separate companies. 

The NV22L is a very good performing vacuum cleaner.  It does a very good job of cleaning carpeting, floors and has attachments for above-the-floor cleaning.   

You said that you wanted a vacuum which was not heavy.  What I wanted to tell you is that there is a thing I call "handle weight".  This is how heavy the vacuum cleaner feels when you are holding it in your hand, while moving it forwards and back.  This can make a big difference if you have physical problems.  The Shark has more weight in the upper portion of the vacuum cleaner, so it may feel heavy to you.  The other vacuum cleaner, the HOOVER Windtunnel(WT) Air, will have a better "handle weight" than the Shark. 

While I am on the HOOVER WT Air, I will also say that it too is a very good performing liteweight upright.  It will clean very well on carpeting, floors and has attachments and an extension hose for cleaning above-the-floor.  The HOOVER is not a loud machine, eventhough you can hear the whine from the small brushroll motor.  BTW, the WT Air does a very good job on linoleum, with or without the brushroll.  The cleaning head does not "stick" to the floor. The HOOVER WT Air and the VAX Air are going to be slightly different.  The WT Air also has a very long cord, which is a necessity in my book.  No one wants to keep moving the plug.

The Shark and HOOVER both have the washable filters, which do need to be maintained regularly.  These models, as well as other bagless, can have diminishing performance, if the filters are not maintained.    Another thing to remember is just because a filter is permanent, does not mean it will last forever.  It might need to be changed in a few years.  There are even dyson owners, who have needed to change their "permanent" filters.  You just do not have to worry about changing the filters every six months, like some disposable models. Remember, if a brand says "LIFETIME filter", or similar, it means LIFE OF THE MACHINE.  That could be five years and not your lifetime.

With your finances, I would suggest that you look at a factory refurbished vacuum cleaner.  These can be just as good as the regular new out of the box vacuum cleaners.  The FR vacuum cleaners are usually returned, because someone did not like it or it was defective.  The machines are gone over w/a fine toothed comb.  They will  not have a long warranty like the original new, but they are still a good choice.  I have been in the practice of purchasing some appliances like this and have been very happy(no problems).  It is a shame you were not looking last Nov.-Dec., because HOOVER was selling the WT Air for under $50.00.  Go to HOOVER.com and look at the WT Air.  The factory refurbished WT Air is selling for $109.99.  If you go to the homepage, and find the code, you can also get 15% off the machine. 

The Shark model, you are interested in, is also available at a cheaper price tag, as a Factory Refurb.  But I think the HOOVER would be a better deal, because it can be hard getting service and parts for Euro Pro Shark.

I also wanted to touch on the comment that bagless in unhealthy.  I usually make suggestions to people, that bagged is the way to go.  The few times I tell someone to get a bagless is if theayy vacuum up alot of debris like animal hair and have no allergic reaction to what is in the dirt bin.  Just because it is a bagless dirt bin, does not mean it is unhealthy.  It is unhealthy if the person using the vacuum cleaner uses/maintains the vacuum improperly or has respiratory problems.  The vacuum cleaner should always be emptied outside.  If one lives in an apartment, take your trash outside, empty the dirtbin in the trash, then take the trashbag to the dumpster.  You do not want flying dust floating around your home; redepositing itself onto the furniture. 

Another thing I wanted to address.  Most any corded vacuum cleaner is going to pick up animal hair w/o any problem.  Both of these vacuum cleaners will have no problem in this respect.

Addition:
Let me change the last paragraph, since some may not realize that I am talking to a person who says, "i don't have any carpet".  I meant most any corded vacuum cleaner is going to pick up animal hair w/o any problem on linoleum.  Both of these vacuum cleaners will have no problem in this respect.

Mike_W wrote:
Well, corded vacuums with a brush roll is better for any pet hair, or human hair - the Hoover Windtunnel Air and Vax have removable floor heads via two catches that releases the whole hood of the brush roll, making it far easier to clean the brush roll off of hairs that get wrapped around, often reducing the excellent pick up that brush rolls enjoy.

As for bagless - they are unhealthy - not just in light of dumping the dust but in light of removing the filters - usually after 6 months to a year, dust sits in the HEPA filter that is fitted to the Vax/Hoover as well as the fact that the "tray" in which is sits underneath the main suction cyclones can usually be caked in dust. It is relatively easy to clean this whole unit and there's a twist-to-unlock ring that sits above the main single cyclone that will separate the plastic mesh grid, of which you may well find dust behind.

I would agree with Mike that the Hoover is lighter - it also feels far more complete than the Navigator/MR Lift Away Clarity - I tried that one Mike - it's a good machine but it's not well thought out IMHO and I found to be a bit bulkier than the Windtunnel Air.

So there you go, Anjalena, the Hoover WT Air seems to be the best way to go.

On a separate note, I have also tried the Panasonic MC UL710, bagless Sebo Felix rival - swivels, seems well made and very light. I may replace it eventually with my Vax Mach Air as the models we have in the UK have a shorter power cord unless you buy TOL / Top Of Line "Mach Air Reach" models.

vacmanuk wrote: I am going to assume your first paragraph is in response to my last paragraph.  I have added to what I was saying.  I am talking w/a person who only has linoleum.  Most corded vacuum cleaners are going to pick up animal hair from linoleum.  This is one of her concerns.  The two vacuum cleaners in question are actually "overkill", since there is no carpeting in her apartment.  But they will get the job done. 

As for your next paragraph, understand the definition of "unhealthy".  Not everyone is going to be affected by what is in the vacuum cleaner.  Should everyone be scared of dirt?  Should we tell our children to stop playing in the dirt.  Should I have run for cover the other day, when a big wind came; stirring up leaves, dirt, and whatever?  Should we tell everyone to not pet animals?  See how crazy that sounds.  The world is getting too paranoid.  For many years, I talked about the problem using antibacterial soaps.  We do not always need it.  Then studies came out saying regular soap and water are just fine.  Killing too many germs is a bad thing.  We do not need to stay away from using things or being around things that will not hurt us.  Not everyone will be affected from debris in the vacuum cleaner.

What you could say is that bagless vacuum cleaners can be dusty or dirty.  I have no problem w/that.  That would be factual.  It is actually a dirt collector.  All vacuum cleaners must be maintained properly, to be efficient for the machine, as well as the user.

I am going to say it again, bagless vacuum cleaners are not unhealthy for healthy people.  A bagless can be unhealthy for a person who is allergic to dustmite feces/excrement, which is vacuumed up by the bagless, then emptied by this person . Or, possibly maintained by the same user.   There are other kinds of material, in the dustbin/bag, which could affect some also, but I am not going to run through every one of them.

Mike_W wrote:
Oh here we go again, you're the moderator, therefore no one can offer a differing opinion - where does that say that in the terms and conditions of this site?

You can keep talking about as much as you wish about how bag less can be healthy, or whatever you choose to relay in terms of being pedantic. However, NO clinics. surgeries or large corporate health establishments EVER use bagless, cyclonic vacuums. Some have a central vac with a bag at the end to take all the traffic dust collected. Now, why is that? Surely it would be more cost effective to use bagless vacuums in these kind of places. No, they use bags, they cost extra money and cleaning companies don't have the time to keep sweeping up the dust that the plastic bins leave behind when dumping the dust AND then spend more time cleaning out the filters int the bin when there's a loss of suction. I know this because I have worked as a contract cleaner - so here's a FACT for you to take on board. I have worked in a few large hospitals in a few major cities across the UK. Hospitals who don't use contract cleaners have their own bagged vacuums - again not bagless. Don't bother going there with scenarios of being scared of dirt - since the average house hold consumer now buys antibacterial cleaning hand gel at a time when it was only available in hospitals, consumers clearly want hygiene peace of mind whether they are allergic or not.

Secondly, you wouldn't leave a bin in your kitchen looking dirty, or even use the bin WITHOUT a bag in place - what's the difference? End of the day the owner would have to wash out the bin, clean it and make it hygienically safe to be around. Same with those who own a few brands where the vacuum filters need regular maintenance to keep the suction going.

vacmanuk wrote:
Please stop using "you're the moderator" excuse.  Every person has a right to make a comment.  Every person can debate.  I like that you now say "differing opinion".  So we can now say that a simple comment, "using a bagless vacuum cleaner is unhealthy" is just your opinion.

I am not really going to comment too much about your following comments, because it is mainly again talking about the performance and not being "unhealthy".  I will touch on your discussion about hospitals and such.  They are free to choose what they want.   We are talking about a person in a home, who has no problem.  Would you agree that a hospital is a different situation?  Would you agree that w/all the people who walk through a hospital, maybe at least one of them has some kind of compromised system.  I am one who just had surgery last week.  With all the times I have visited lately, I have seen all the precautions taken against germs, viruses, etc.  We are talking about an individual's home though.  That one household can choose what they want to use.. It does not mean that they are unhealthy, because they use some other process from a hospital.

I have been in many commercial establishments, who have commercial vacuum cleaners.  These vacuum cleaners can use those cloth shakeout bags.  I have seen some of those commercial HOOVER uprights w/the dump cups.  When I was just out of high school, I cleaned commercially for a time.  I used HOOVERs, Eurekas, w/shakeout bags.  I also used Advance, etc. 

Please do not use a comment like everyone buys it or does it as fact.  If that were true Euro Pro would have had the best vacuum cleaner in the world.

I am leaving my last post as is, because I feel that it plainly talks about who should or should not have a bagless vacuum cleaner.  It is so funny that I am a person who prefers bagged cleaners, but am defending a person who wants a bagless.  But then, I am showing that I am not bias for/againsts bagless/bagged.  Bagless may not be right for everyone, but are fine for some.

Mike_W wrote:
Well I can definately tell you this - hospitals don't use bagless vacuums in the UK. There are laws in the health & safety document that lead companies to bring in bagged vacuums.

I'm not trying to "sell" the idea that bagged is better than bagless - but I am giving opinions and facts based on my own experiences that show the bagless route involves more cleaning up after. Also hospitals have hard floors/soft vinyl for the most part and even the polishers have bags in them.

Hey guys. Sorry if I caused the drama. Drama in a forum is never good and I'd hate to think I caused it.

Anyway, from what you've both said, it sounds like the Hoover Windtunnel Air is my best bet so I think I'll go with that. I have a couple of questions, though.

First, should I ever use the brushroll feature on my floors? Since I have only linoleum, it would seem I wouldn't need the brush roll at all. But I trust that you guys know a lot more about practical vacuum use so I wanted to ask.

Secondly, how often should I -ACTUALLY- clean the filters? I don't necessarily trust manuals and companies selling it since their interest is always to make their product out to be as perfect as possible. (gotta love that bottom line, eh?) So what do you guys think on how often to clean the filters?

Lastly, I'm trying to get info on these new pet cleaning attachments. One is called the Rubberized Wiper Blade Pet Tool and the other is the Rubberized Pet Turbo Tool which seems to be a little motorized brush tool. (the part numbers for each are 303303001 for the first tool and 000977002 for the second tool. I've been trying to find some videos on their usage but can't seem to find any. That seems strange to me since it's a "Seen on TV" product and I'm sure there is an Infomercial out there for it. I'm trying to make a decision on how good or useless they are. If they're really good on cleaning upholstery and such, I thought I could buy the Windtunnel Air refurbished and then just buy those 2 tools separately. That would save me a lot more money than buying all of them brand new.

What are your thoughts? Please include any url links that I could use that would help me make a decision. =)

Do not worry.  My hope is that anyone reading will learn from what is written.

My suggestion, after receiving your vacuum cleaner, is to read the instructions completely.  Make sure others, in your household, understand how to use and care for it also. 

The filters should be checked regularly.  The intervals are going to be different for everyone, because we all may have different situations.  Some will have to vacuum up very fine dust, while others may vacuum up larger debris, while still others may vacuum up fine dust, hair and debris.  If you are mainly vacuuming up hair, it could be every two months.  What you need to do is learn about your vacuum cleaner and what it picks up.  Maybe open up the filter cover and examine the filter.  If it is caked full of dust and hair, it would not hurt to rinse it out.  If you understand the intervals between cleaning the filter, you will have no problem knowing when to rinse the filter.  Also check the final filter.  This should not get too dusty, but remember not to wash it. 

Another way to understand when to rinse the vacuum cleaner filter, is if the suction falls off.  Do not let it go that far, because that means a big drop in performance

You really should have no problem vacuuming w/the brushroll off.  It will become difficult when the airflow is greatly reduced.  Just start off vacuuming with the brushroll OFF.  I have noticed that sometimes, larger debris like a piece of paper can get lodged in the brushroll chamber, when the brushroll is OFF. Dog hair, dirt, cheerios, or similar, should be no problem.

One thing I do not like about the HOOVER WT Air are the attachments.  They are small and awkward to use.  Manufacturers have slowly shrunk and cheapened attachments to save money, save space on smaller vacuum cleaners and to save weight on vacuum cleaners.  The attachments, for the WT Air are basically for users who do not have much use for attachment cleaning.

I am not a big fan of the two optional accessories you mentioned.  I feel that you do not need the rubberized wiper blade pet tool, because you can use the small attachment which comes w/the WT Air.  But, it is not going to cost that much if you really want it.  What HOOVER is doing is cheapening their products even more by replacing brush bristles w/soft blade strips.  One advantage though is that hair can be easily removed from the blades, compared to bristles, as you vacuum.

Now about the mini turbo attachment.  They have replaced the bristles w/rubbery blades also.  I do not like the cleaning results from a blade as compared to bristles.  Bristles will have more flex/bend on fabric and carpeting.  You should be able to find a HOOVER mini turbo attachment from independent retailers, which still use bristles.

I really do not care for the smaller mini turbo attachments, from these mass market manufacturers like HOOVER/Royal/Dirt Devil/VAX, Panasonic/Kenmore , etc.  They are small and have a small cleaning path.  They also bog down easily, partly because of their smaller turbines.  The larger mini turbo attachments from makers like H-P. Products and Wessel-Werk are true performers.  I have had an H.P. Rug Rat for over 30yrs. and it has performed superbly.  This model was used on a few brands of vacuum cleaners in the past.  Wessel-Werk has two models of mini turbo attachments also which perform equally as well as the H.P. Rug Rat.  I have found their more deluxe model to be quiet.  These models, which I have mentioned, are going to be higher than your budget, but I wanted to mention them for anyone else looking for a mini turbo attachment.  The rubberized pet turbo tool will actually clean better than the attachment on the vacuum cleaner or the other rubberized tool.  Check out ebay for “Hoover turbo attachment for pet hair” and see what comes up.  You also want to make sure that the fitting is a 1 ¼” fitting and friction-fit.  That means it slides on without locking. 

This should get you started.