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

Mike_W wrote:
I would support this site if others supported me; not cut me down with any opinion I choose to offer. This site for example doesn't offer any incentives for the review sections; a big black mark against other sites who do. Dont worry though, my global review of this site and yourself will shortly be available to be read.

Katherine 77,

 Before buying a Dyson make sure you have carpet that dyson will workon. There are carpets out there that Dyson is not recommended  to be used on. Frieze being one of them.

                                                Procare

Katherine77 wrote:
Im glad you like it. There are some rivals on the market like the Dyson, but if you like what you have got, best to stay with it.

Personally I've had it with bagless cyclonic vacs - about the only reason I chose to keep my Vax Mach Air upright (similar to the Windtunnel Air)  is that it took all the pet dirt and bird seed in one go off carpets and hard floors; a daily occurrence when dealing with family-owned pets. I have now replaced the Vax with a cordless low energy run brush roll sweeper and wondered why I never considered this cheaper option before. My main vacuum of choice uses a dust bag. I don't mind paying out for bags. It's a small price to pay to remain hygienic and my main upright swivels too, gets under low furniture (unlike the Dyson DC25 because the round bin gets in the way) and has a push button release where the entire brush roll just comes out for ease of cleaning hair from going around the brush bar.

Interestingly though, Dyson have shown a video of a new concept of tacking the clogged brush bar problem - they claim that by using contra-rotating brush tuft bristles, hair doesn't get a chance to clog up. However, as the owner of a cordless Gtech sweeper now, I can see where they have maybe got their inspiration from - the Gtech has round spinning bristle discs at the side for edge cleaning. Pet hair doesn't tend to get clogged up, but threads do which are easy to remove. See the video link of Dyson's rotation discs if you wish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dDzK-MJ9Uk

Katherine77 wrote: I am curious about what other brands/models of vacuum cleaners you have compared w/the dyson.  I am not a fan of bagless vacuum cleaners, but will recommend them if someone finds they are having to change the bag more often.  I have to agree w/you that dysons "angle very easily" w/their swivel feature.  

I would suggest that you read the owner's manual before you take the plunge yourself and familiarize yourself w/maintaining the machine.  It does require regular filter rinsing.

vacmanuk wrote:

I don't normally post here, however I've been in the vac sales/service industry all my life and have been keeping up with this and other vacuum forums for several years so as to keep my finger on the pulse as to what's going on out there.

Apologies in advance to the moderator for making this my first post, and I would like to sincerely state that it is not my wish to stir up any trouble.

That said, Vacmanuk, you really do need to get over yourself. Who cares if you have the "power" to review this site and its mods? It seems to me you have delusions of grandeur, and like to make yourself out to be someone and something you are not. To be perfectly frank, I think you have a little too much time on your hands, and need to find something more constructive to fill your time with. Writing hundreds of excessively long, rambling reviews and splashing them all over the net does NOT make you an expert, it just means you like to hear yourself talk. I'm surprised you are able to even buy toilet paper without immediately logging in to tell the world, chapter and verse, why it's so great. Of course you may earn plenty of kudos on sites such as Dooyoo, but such places are full of ill-informed people with verbal diarrhoea so it's no surprise you'd fit right in there.

The other problem is your writing style. I don't know whether or not this is intentional, but it often carries a rather condescending, finger-wagging tone that raises people's hackles. That and your eagerness to put people in their place and correct them. As mentioned before, I keep up with several vacuum websites in order to follow what's happening in the industry, and every time you pop up somewhere it's the same old story. Within a short space of time you start talking down to others, threatening to report them to the mod/webmaster if their posts don't meet with your approval, and generally behaving like a pain in the neck. Perhaps that's why some people choose to lurk rather than post, which is more the pity because forums like this thrive on active participation.

Maybe you need to think about what you write, how it's phrased and how it comes across to other people BEFORE hitting the post button.

Once again, apologies to MikeW and everyone else who is reading this.

How nice of you not to share your real name and interesting that you're a new member who has only just joined and posted the same day. Certainly if I knew who you were, I could say the same thing about you. One would assume that if you worked in the industry, one forum would be sufficient. I don't work in the vacuum cleaner industry, I wish I did. Perhaps I'd spend less time discussing with members and sharing info on the net and just believe what the brands want me to believe. My reviews reflect what I've bought, owned, done up, collected, sold on and in some cases kept for myself to use as my hobby. The review content is my own opinion and people have the right to disagree or agree. Sometimes that seems to be forgotten for those who don't realise what a review site is.

Frankly, if that's what you think of me, plenty of people would disagree - but we're all entitled to our opinion which seems to be an issue that, of late, seems to be suppressed on Abbysguide. Only last year this forum had many great members sharing their info and advice, and some of them (Carmine, for example) was a great member I had a lot of discussions with - its a pity they were thrown off as well as others.

Now there are very few on here who take the time to visit this forum. Clearly, its no wonder if opinions and differing opinions aren't allowed to be voiced. By all means, share your expertise and industry led experience with others - if you can find them on here. Have fun.

My real name is in my profile - Steve Parry if you want it in full. What's yours? Last time I checked, RS isn't a proper name, and tells nobody anything about you. The date I joined up and began posting is irrelevant IMHO, suffice to say I've been reading and following here way longer than you've been posting. Several years before it was even called AbbysGuide in fact, not that it makes much of a difference either way.

Yes I do indeed work in the industry, and have done so all my life. Domestic/commercial cleaning equipment sales and service to be exact, so I have my finger in plenty of pies. Personally I find it interesting to seek out numerous sources of information, as it gives a more rounded view of what's actually going on in the vac business elsewhere in the country and around the world. So I'm really not sure why you would say I should find just the one forum sufficient, and to suggest as much is rather presumptuous on your part. How, pray tell, did you come to such a decision? Is there any particular website you would be so kind as to recommend, and give me your blessing to use perhaps?

I can well imagine that you *wished* you worked in the vac industry, but "doing up" vacs here and there does not make one an expert. It makes one a hobbyist, albeit one that sometimes gives out one-sided information here and elsewhere. I know exactly what a review site is, and the general impression is that certain people use them to promote their pet brands, while slamming products that are no longer flavour of the month. Therefore, I would indeed hope that people have the right to agree or disagree with much of what is written, because an awful lot of it is biased or inaccurate at best, and flat-out wrong at worst.

Regarding previous members, I know of who you speak and most of them were very knowledgeable and articulate. But, you know, people move on all the time. Sometimes it's because they get bored, other times they get bounced out, but either way it's a result of the choices they make for themselves. That, and the sheer audacity of your original statement with regard to having the "power" to review this site, is why I'm sure the moderator is absolutely mortified (not) by your threat of telling the world what a big bad meanie he is. Absolutely unbelievable...

The issue of writing an independent review is to offer an independent opinion, in the same way that this forum is supposed to act. I don't feel that I have been treated this way - and certainly if the moderator wished to message me about my behaviour or language choice, I'm sure Mike could have done it by now.

Lets not get sidetracked here. You may well feel what you feel by my posts, and granted I could just say that you're not an expert with your many fingers in many pies. I couldn't care less what you've done and what kinds of experience you have because put simply, I've never read about it. You've never made yourself indictive enough to share any experience until now where you feel obliged to act upon Abbysguide's defence on the threat of a review or wish to tell me I'm speaking out of turn. Why should you feel threatened? What happened to free voice. Certainly if someone told me I was being condescending, I'd have changed my style straight away!

Also to quote this site's actual words, ""…We hope to create a people helping people atmosphere at Abby's Guide so we encourage you to come back after you have made your purchase and help someone else by posting a review or contributing to a product forum. Feel free to jump right in and start learning!" One can surmmize then that the forum is a natural extension of "contributing."

As to who I am, well it doesn't make a blind bit of difference. I'm not here to convince people or to sell an idea, I'm here to share information and to learn from others. I also like debates and I also like independent members to also share their thoughts and info. That is after all, what this forum is supposed to be about, isn't it? I haven't got it wrong since 2009, have I? This isn't Fixya where everyone runs to Mike if they have a vacuum cleaner query??

Further more since you feel the desire to point out my personal style, remember this - a seller or a industry worker will always have a different view point to the buyer - in the same vein that everyone has the right to offer a different opinion - and I really don't care how many posts you've seen me write or how many reviews you've read that are mine - my experience is MINE based on what I've bought. You of course have the enjoyment of such machines, probable at lesser cost than me, the buyer who has shelled out more for them. I don't just do up machines, I've worked as a merchant buyer in floorcare appliances and in large franchise corporations, Ive been a market researcher in kitchen appliances - I've done a lot of retail but I don't feel the need to tell the whole world about it - it doesn't justify me or justify who I am.

Also if you feel that Dooyoo and other sites are worthless, why does the U.S & U.K pay so much for consumer opinions? Whether you like it or not, individuals opinions about machines, lifestyle articles and consumer products appear to have some weight for companies not just in the U.S, but also the U.K where product reviews never appeared before at high street franchises such as Argos, Comet, Currys, John Lewis et al. Whether you agree or disagree, these franchises have cashed in on review sites' concept of individual buyer opinion and Abbysguide with its "come and write a review," section clearly paints the same picture.

Reviews and the like are fine when they come from someone who knows what they are talking about. This is, and has been, my whole point all along. Inaccuracies and glaring errors, however, are not acceptable - especially when you later attempt to position yourself as the go-to vacuum expert, or some sort of consumers' champion. Obvious bias is a very, very bad sign too. For example, complaining how it was SO unfair that Miele would not honour the guarantee on a vacuum that had been damaged by picking up wet dirt, yet claiming a broken Sebo drive belt was "totally" your own fault (despite being electronically protected and therefore supposedly break proof).

Nothing to do with Miele not being flavour of the month any more, because too many ordinary people are buying them now and they've lost their snob appeal? Hmmm, thought so.

And to then suggest that you are in a position to give this site a bad review, and the mods ought to be worrying about it? Because yes, that is exactly what you were implying by your thinly veiled threat. The hypocrisy burns! The only thing your reviews are any good for is demonstrating why you absolutely should not put too much faith in anything you read on the internet.

The rest I can't even be bothered to respond to, because it makes little sense and you're starting to waffle again like you usually do when lost for words. Maybe think it over and rephrase it a little, and we'll see where we can go from there.

P.S. Nice subtle dig at my "fingers in pies" statement by the way, but I'm afraid that's a bit of an own goal on your part. You see, we've diversified through being good at what we do, and have been running for nigh on forty years, doing the same job in the same location and with a growing customer base. Now, let's compare. You claim to have been a merchant buyer, a market researcher (i.e., someone holding a clipboard), and done lots of retail. Is this in addition to being an on-again-off-again teacher, and doing part time cleaning jobs to make ends meet? Yes, obviously very successful. Great track record. Don't call us, we'll call you.

Rugbusters wrote:
Oh WHATEVER Steve, if that is your real name (or could it be Jamie, or JM the one that is banned from most forums on the internet?).  I dont see any of the posts and opinions you've cared to share, so really i can't quote you because you're too weak and false to provide any real time evidence to back up what you claim to be. I chose to do teaching because it was new and something different; info which I see you seem to take fun in sharing from my about me on Dooyoo.

Again, my experience is mine and I have the right to voice any opinion I wish to share. You don't seem to recognise that. You'll fit in well here, then!

You can look at other comments and reviews that show both Sebo and Miele in poor light as well as the good. You may well have a 40 year old history in your business, but I sincerely hope that your buyers are looking elsewhere like the internet for a far better deal and far better respect. End of the day if you can't take it, don't dish it.