Vacuum recommendations
 

OK...we JUST bought a house, we move in January 26th. We're in the process of trying to organise essential early purchases and purchases that can wait (i.e. a lawn mower won't be needed till spring, so we can put that off). We're currently living with my brother, so apart from clothing and a few personal electronics, we have nothing.

One of the essential purchases is a vacuum cleaner. Now, our new house has maple hardwood and ceramic tile on the whole ground floor, carpeted stairs and carpeted upstairs. We don't have any pets, so will not have a very "hairy" house. In England, our last two vacuums were dysons...one we "inherited" when my parents left the country, the other we bought, but we have always thought dysons were overpriced. I do prefer the bagless style though.

So...any personal recommendations for vacuums? I've done a search, but what I'm after specifically is what vacuum do you have, and are you happy with it?

Re: Vacuum recommendations
 

If you prefer bagless, get a Dyson. Every other "bagless" out there is relying on a filter of some sort somewhere, only the Dyson uses real cyclone technology...truly a better mousetrap.

Much as I like Kenmore appliances in general, the kenmore canister vac we got (and it wasnt cheap) is the poorest piece if crap design Ive ever had the misfortune to own, I always end up shouting obsenities at the bloody thing, and hate it with a passion for the fact that whoever designed it clearly never tried to actually use it once it reached the prototype stage. Bloody thing is completely useless to drag along, too big and has a rubber bumper strip thats sticky, so rather than glancing of things its catches on everything, including itself :mad:

I prefer canisters, but Ive only seen the dyson here as an upright, but for my money it cant be beat. Waiting in vain for the Kenmore to expire...I guess the dyson appeals to my techy side. Expensive though. Having said all that my dear wife just sent off $100 for one of those "robot" vacs that roams free range all on it own. Im not expect it to be much good.

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DYSON without a doubt. Cheapest here in BC is $499 plus tax.

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We are 100% carpet-free and have a dog with hair, as opposed to fur (it doesn't shed). As a result, we get by with the cheapest piece of Kenmore crap going. All it needs to do is pick up the larger bits of debris before swiffering takes place.

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I just bought a Dyson and although it's high priced it is, without a doubt, the best vacuum cleaner there is! Mind you, I was replacing my 30-year old Filter Queen which speaks for itself. That's bagless too, but uses filters. When I bought it it was one of the most expensive vacuums, but look how long it lasted. Biggest problem I had was with the power head, had to keep changing belts.

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This is exactly what I needed, thanks all. It's no real surprise that Dyson is in a class of its' own, but I'll get OH to read this thread to justify the "ouch" factor of the price :D

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WOW!! $499 for a Dyson, that is serious money.

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I love my Dyson and unfortunately will have to sell it before I head off to NS. It's less than 6-months old and replaces my 12-year Dyson DC01 which just got a bit wobbly with old age

I am definitely buying another Dyson....... and yes, ouch! they are expensive to buy in Canada :eek:

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I'd hate to tell you what I paid for mine - it's the one for pets, costs much more!! But I am very happy with it, inspite of the price.

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Silly thought - Are you sure your house doesn't have a central vac? (you don't say if you are moving into a new build or not) I wasn't sure what central vac was until I got here and I was also surprised at how many houses had it roughed in but not connected, I have also heard of people putting it in on a completely finished house (sounds like hassle to me). Both the houses we have bought here have had central vac - the first which was only 5 years old had a 'dustpan' in the kitchen (a sucky thing at floor level to sweep the crap into). The house we are in now is over 20 years old and the central vac does need looking at (we lose suction as soon as we put a gadget in the wall :confused:). For anyone moving into a new build (or even being brave enough to build) I would reccomend a central vac with a dustpan (I would have a dustpan in anyroom with hard floors). Two things I miss 'bout our other house - the 'dustpan' and the walk in closet. Before we moved to the land of central vac's my dream vacuum was a Dyson, so if I had to buy a vacuum that is what I would go for.

having said all that I REALLY like the idea of a 'Free Range' vacuum cleaner...........Have they invented a free range Iron yet?

Re: Vacuum recommendations
 

We have ceramic tiles and parquet flooring and make do with a cheapish bagged pull-along vac. It works fine, and and don't think that the bag is changed very often!

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The central vacs are not as powerful as the regular vacuum cleaners and nowhere near as efficient in cleaning. I hardly know anyone who uses their central vacs now.

I think Dyson is the best and I don't think they are much more expensive than the UK- prices at Argos range from 200-360 pounds.

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There is a rough-in for a central vac (the house is four years old), but my parents had a top-of-the-line central vac back in the 80's and found it useless. My mother had to buy a separate vacuum to get up the stuff the central vac mixed. The only thing is was good for was sending little green army men from any room in the house to the garage VERY quickly ;)

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You're right, I've got a central vac and never found it efficient. Plus, so much hose and cord to trip over!

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Oh I found my central vac very good and much better than my normal vacuum back in the uk, easy to use and no heavy bulky machine to lug up and down the stairs, just a hose to plug into a new hole!.

Re: Vacuum recommendations
 

Get another Dyson. They may be expensive, but you get what you pay for.

We brough our 240V one cross and although we run it using a transformer, I tried it directly plugged into the 110V. It still worked better than the central vac where we live.

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I also recommend Sebo (a German make). Though it is expensive (about $599.....strangely one of the few things that is cheaper in the UK when I was researching it). Dyson's didn't exist here yet 2 years ago when I had to buy one (was very sad to have to sell mine). As I sew for a business I needed a vacuum cleaner that doesn't give up at the first sight of a pin. It is great......I bought it from the local vacuum store that is highly recommended. It does use bags but only needs changed every three months or so. The advantage of this cleaner is it can completely, and I mean completely be dismantled if it gets clogged anywhere. Once renos were completed on my house I eventually dismantled it and found a few nails stuck in it in places. Yet it still worked despite that.

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We are moving into our house at the end of the month. We have central vac, but I'm still going to go and buy a Dyson coz I just don't think that the central vac will do the job. Yeah they are expensive but they are good.

OH told me that the new ball one is on sale at Dixons at the moment for half price £169 may get the in laws to bring mine over at Christmas and run it off a transformer, will save me a load.

Raine

Re: Vacuum recommendations
 

Dyson are great...had one of the first ones in the UK.

For solid floors buy a Roomba...just turn it on and it will clean the floors for you. I have 2...one for upstairs and one for downstairs.

Re: Vacuum recommendations
 

I second that. I just got a Roomba on sale at Canadian Tire for $299 and I love it. I just really hate vacuuming so I never did it much, but the Roomba really helps. We use it on our laminate floor and carpet and it seems to do a pretty good job. You would still need a little handheld vacuum to do the stairs though.

I just love it because I can tidy the kids toys at night and press a button and go to bed. And in the morning I have a nice clean floor.

They also make a Scooba too, that one actually washes your floors for you.

Haley

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I've been spoilt living in the UK... went through the first couple of months living in a typical carpeted 2 up 2 down no pets with a second hand vacuum from a dog owner... everytime I vacumed the house smelt of stinky wet dogs *blech*.. went out and bought a brand new Hoover Cylinder mid range modell (1900 watts) from Argos. That worked ok for about 3 months then it wouldnt suck up a long hair (mine) from the carpets... lived with it for about a year more though.

Finally bought myself one of the low-end Dyson Cylinders this past summer after my English partners insistance that there is no better vaccum, and WOW!!! :eek: Who knew there'd be THAT much of a difference for a £190 low end Dyson compared to a £100 mid range Hoover... it is SO much easier to use and the carpets actually look CLEAN, no stray hairs left, after a quick 10 min pass over in the front room!

I just came back from a trip to Montreal to visit my family and I shuddered at the difference when using my mums old Kenmore to hoover the carpets... took about an hour for one large room and the carpets still didnt look "clean", just looked "acceptable". :rolleyes:

Now I know if I move back to Canada I will indeed have to save up extra money to buy another Dyson... no way will I be reduced to kneeling down and picking up hairs from the carpet again!! :D

Re: Vacuum recommendations
 

Congrats on your new house - exciting isn't it? :D

I got sucked in (pardon the unintentional pun) to buying a "Kirby" - and no I'm not telling how much, 'cos I'm ashamed of myself :o . It's a pretty good vac (so long as you've got muscles like Arnie shwarztzie wotsit).

I have had Central vacs in a couple of houses - but to be honest, they really suck (and not in a good way...lol). I would definitely go with a Dyson, and hope to get one myself soon at a huge discount due to number one son working at a 'big box' electrical store ;) (The profit margin on some of the stuff is mind boggling - not that you heard it from me, of course ;))

Re: Vacuum recommendations
 

This thread sucks.