Vacuum recommendations

Dyson machines get some of the worst reviews of any machine out there.

IMHO: bagged is always better. HEPA? Are you sensitive to dust? Don't spend the $$ for a HEPA vac if you aren't bothered. The HEPA bags and filters will set you back some rather serious $$ over the long haul.

Attachments on board? They can come in handy and save a trip back to the closet while vaccuming.

IMHO, you can't go wrong with a Kenmore. You should be able to get a pretty good one at the $200 price point.

I hate my dyson. avoid at all costs

Have to say...I bought a Kenmore upright -- top of the line -- based on the Consumer Reports recommendation. Not happy with it at all. It's heavy, and it had to go in the shop less than a year after I bought it. I much prefer my Hoover WindTunnel.

I LOVE MY DYSON!!!

I was buying a vac every year or so for about 100 and pitching them. I finally broke down and bought a Dyson and it’s the best. I only have one room with carpet and it works great on hard wood and tile as well.

Suction city!

Just from personal observation...never heard of a Dyson being used by commercial cleaning companies. Here are (some) what they DO use: Windsor, Pro-Team, Advance, etc. Look for these on Criags or E-bay, or just call a local cleaning contractor and ask if they have any for sale - they will, they lose cleaning contracts all the time and will take the cash. I did, and never regretted. Purchased a used lightweight commercial upright with hepa for under $150.

Just wait for some college kid to come to the door selling them. :)

Get Consumer Reports Mag.

Best Upright - Hoover Wind Tunnel Anniversary Edition U6485-900
Best Buy Upright - Kenmore Intuition 31100

When I bought my vacuum 3 years ago, I was considering the Dyson animal model. We have 2 dogs, so its a priority to have a vacuum that does a good job with pet hair.

As I was searching through some reviews, I saw that the Bissell Lift-Off Revolution pet model was getting reasonably comparable reviews to the Dyson, and it cost less than half the price.

Went with the Bissell, and have been very happy with it. Cost me around $175, and after 3 years its still working just as well as the day I bought it.

As a bonus, the canister is detachable from the upright frame, so I can easily use it on my stairs as well. Plus it comes with a turbo brush attachment for the hose, which works well to remove all the dog hair that accumulates on my top step (my dog's favorite spot to nap).

Thanks for all the information everyone! I will take it all into consideration.

I have a bissel that is bagless with hepa and has worked like a charm for a year or two, and I have a indoor dog. No clogs even with the fur. Think I paid $75 at walley world.

$75? Now you're talking my language, INeedCoffee. Does your Bissel have the attachments on board like mentioned above?

I need a new vacuum, too. The one we have doesn't really vacuum so much as it just pushes things around. Grrr.

Attachments on board is a must for me. I use them a lot. It is so much tidier to remove dust from baseboards and furnace vents, and cobwebs from corners, with a vacuum wand than any other method.

It has a hose with a couple different heads. I basically use those for corners/edges. But nothing really special. It sucks well lol. That was my pet peeve as a kid with one that never really picked up. One thing I really like about having a bagless is that when you are done you can see how much stuff it really picks up. Having a dog never knew there could be that much fur just looking at the carpet.

As for price I believe I bought it on sale. Normal being around 100-125 I think. However I see them in the 75-90 range a lot.

Btw never thought to use the hose for vents will have to try that. Know mine needs it and I don't have a ladder lol, so the extension for the tube might finally come in handy.

This isn't the exact model but close. Just did a quick look up. Definayely check around andersons and what not.

http://mobile.walmart.com/m/;jsessionid=466D8995E875BEDDDCA53C7C704845CA?wicket:bookmarkablePage=:com.wm.mobile.web.item.SearchItemLookup&search_query=Bissel&product_id=14658979

I've owned several expensive vacum cleaners (A hoover in particular stands out that cost around $200 and wasn't worth a dime). I currently have a cheap bissel cost around $75 bagless, with several attachments and it works great and it gets quite a workout with pets that shed like crazy.

We hate uprights that have attachments hanging all over the place.They are constantly falling off.We bought a Eureka commercial grade upright and we like it very much.We use it only for carpeting.It is very heavy duty and does not have all that garbage hanging off of it.We also have a small canister vacuum for all other areas i.e.(stairs,furniture and our cars).

As long as were are on the subject,does anybody know the difference between a Harley and a Hoover vacuum?You can only get one dirt bag on a Hoover!

Or, alternately, if the budget will allow it and you are fairly handy, install a central vac system as I did 13 years ago.

I got tired of buying uprights every couple of years and the noise that goes along with them. I bought a Beam central vac system and installed it myself.

Granted, my home is not huge, is a single story ranch with a full basement so my access was pretty easy.

It took the better part of a weekend to run all the PVC lines, electrical, etc. but it was $$ well spent. In the 13 years that have passed, I expect I would have purchased at least 4 or 5 good quality uprights at around $300 each - about what my total central system cost.

I would find it very difficult to go back to an upright vac.

Two dogs..........the Dyson model made for pets hair is the best.

A name you dont hear very often, but I have an old Panasonic vaccuum. I took it in one time for minor repair and asked the guy about it and he said if it was at all possible to NEVER replace the panasonic. he called it the best kept secret out there, and I must say, Ive gotta agree

Billy-

We had a Panasonic for years, and it worked great. We got the same reaction from our vacuum parts dealer (over on Secor - same as you?) - it was the best at the time. Finally had to replace it about 2 years ago because the plastic housing (where the roller brush gets inserted) warped due to too much friction. We replaced it with a Bissell (basedon CR's ratings). It's a good unit, but I had to replace a the main switch: it melted when the bag got full and my wife didn't replace it in time.

Woops - meant "Eureka", not Bissell...

Woops - meant "Eureka", not Bissell...

Woops - meant "Eureka", not Bissell...

If you are talking about that little place on Secor between Sylvania and Monroe that guy is a prick.