We've had central vacuum systems for over 30 years, mostly Beam.

Never had an issue with suction. Much easier to drag a hose around the house than the whole machine especially up and down stairs in a split level. The hose stores quite easily in a closet.

As for clogging the hose it has never happened and why would it, it is no different than a canister unit when it comes to the business end anything large enough to block the hose would be stopped by the head and besides your supposed to pick up the kids toys and such before you vacuum.

I guess you're the expert on clogged hoses. Any news yet?

A very frustrated no.

Here I sit broken hearted
Paid a dime and only...

Oops sorry wrong rhyme.

We had a Sebo in the UK and whilst I truly cannot get excited about household appliances, that thing was great and I mourn it's 'abilities'

Our central vac system here is adequate I suppose, but a pain in the derriere to haul around. I just find the hose heavy and cumbersome - but it does the job.

I think, if push came to shove, I'd invest in another Sebo here, but the one I saw in a local suppliers was priced somewhere between $600 and $700 which is considerable. It was a slightly different design style to the UK one but the guy in the store extolled it's virtues, and if I'd been in the market, I would have been suckered in again - no pun intended . He liked them because they rarely, if ever, came back in with problems !!

We bought a Bissell from Canadian Tire - works on both hardwood and area rugs really well. It was only 100 dollars and for the cost I am impressed. It's bagless and it's much easier to empty then my uk dyson ever was. Others have mentioned it looses sucking power but I don't see this even when the vortex is full of crap.

The hose on our canister vac has clogged several times with a combination of cat hair and whatever crap the kids have been playing with getting caught on slightly rough edges in the hose. My fevered imagination can see that happening at some point on a rough internal edge on a pvc pipe joint, and in fact it has happened to friends of ours who had to remove drywall to get to the offending joint.

We have a "bagless" too, but the bloody paper filters that do all the work are about $30 a pop to replace. Not at all the same as a Filterless vac. Think its a dirt devil. Its loud, but its light and does the job with a lot less swearing involved than the Kenmore.

Another ex-Sebo user here. TrishB bought a canister Sebo (is that what you call the pull along behind you ones??) in Winnipeg, I think it was 500-ish CAD. I had an upright Sebo in the UK, don't know how the 2 different styles compare...

Happy with a Beam central vac here, 95% hardwood. Also use a Hoover Floormate wash/dry hardwood floor thingy, wet the floor and then sucks up the filth, and squidgee dries it.

Was unhappy with a Kenmore bagless and Hoover bagless on 95% carpet in Winnipeg, utter rubbish, both of them. Avoid those, Fledermaus!

We need a upright vac as we will have 95% carpet, also decent tools as i like to clean down the edges where the carpet meets the wall, plus cobwes and curtains etc.

The sebo was great as it all comes apart easily on the rare occasions it gets clogged. Plus you can buy replacement rollers and stuff so it lasts forever. I think I am talking myself into buying a Sebo again

Hey - you should go into advertising - that is a perfect description, and I'm sold

Kenmore upright almost certainly has the same things going for it at a much lower price. Its just the canister design I hate.

Any particular model of Kenmore?

I hate canister vacs with a passion. I dont see the point in them at all.

Erm, I can't see the point of upright ones but I will admit an upright Dyson is good for doghair.

I used a Miele on holiday recently and it was ok with a very strange variable suck going on (but nothing would make me swap from a Henry). Especially as I suspect the Miele would cost a fortune.

I dont see a lot of difference...try them and go by that I suppose.


Canisters are less tiring to use, and supposed to be better for hardwood where you dont need the beater mechanism. No need to keep pushing all that weight back and forth all the time if you dont have too. Easier on stairs too, and for getting under the beds...

Horses for courses I expect.

I dont think they do Henrys over here. Do they?? Havent seen them anyway.

The upright you just push around, the Sebo even moves itself forward. You can see where its going nothing to trip over, drag behind you. The canister vacs i hae used have all involved some sort of lifting, untangling, breakages. They didnt have rotating carpet beaters and you have to lean the the damn thing to get any hair lifted up. All seem to involve back pain and swearing.