help me pick my new vacuum

[NINK]

my vacuum died on me a few days ago, i only have 2 rooms of carpet plus the steps so i am getting by with out it, but i really need a new one.

i am interested in those shark vacs, if any one has one please tell me how you feel about it.

i need something durable, something that can take daily use. i mostly use the hose atatchment. i want something that doesn't clog easily. something not too akward or heavy as i carry it up and down steps.

i have had 4 vacuums, one was a kirby g5, i loved it because it cleaned so well, but it wasn't actually mine, my hubby use to sell them and it was his demo unit. i was upset when he quit because than i had to give it back. i would like to get a new one some day for once a month deep cleaning.

i have had a dirt devil room mate, it was o.k.. it picked up well and was light and had no bags. but it wasn't very durable, the lever that kept the handle upright broke early on and little things here and there would break off.

i had a dirt devil platinum edition. it worked really well at firts but than it just kept getting worse.

last my grandma gave me her fantom fury, it picks up well but the hose clogged super easy. and it was not durable, the cover for the hepa filter was always falling off and the cord clip broke off. and it was heavy and akward and was always tipping over. than the motor went out, but it was old.

any input is apreaciated.

[GeThang]

Yeah, I heard the mini mates are great.

[NINK]

i haven't heard of that one, how is the hose at staying unclogged? i liek to be able to stick it in the couch cushions, if there happens to be a klenex will it plug it up or just suck it through? do you have to empty it alot? is there a hepa filter or something simular?

[woleys]

I have a GE Bagless and I LOVE IT! It is the best vaccum I have ever had. I have had it for 1 1/2 years.

[Shancopp]

I've got the Kirby G5 and it is good...not worth $1500, but I'm hoping it will last many years. It converts into a handvac, shampoo, blower (great for pools!), deflater (pools, again) and lots of other things I've never tried in the 5 yrs I've had mine. The only thing I hate about it is that it is so heavy to carry up and down stairs!

[Dragonfairie]

I have a Bissell Powerglide, it works well but the bags are like 2 for $3 for the cheap ones and there are no "generic" bags that I have found. So whatever you do either get one that is bagless or one that uses bags that are "popular" sizes.

[janelle]

I have an Airway canister that was my mother's who had it forever. I like it but you have to pull the canister around. I'm not found of the uprights cause you can't get under furniture with them and in corners.

And I absolutely hate the ones that have headlights on them. What do they think, we are going to vacuum in the dark? They just end up shining in my eyes anyway and are so annoying. Also the vacuums made of plastic need vacumming after you use it to vacuum. Static cling. LOL Just extra work.

I like the small stick vacuum I have that runs on a battery pack. I can carry it from room to room easily. My carpet doesn't get very dirty without kids so I use it the most.

My shoulders burn when I vacuum with a heavy one for some reason so I hate it. I need the Robovac.

Also I don't like dumping the dirt directly into the trash cause it goes all over with the dust. I'd rather have the bags that contain the dirt in one place.

Let me know what you decide on so I can decide. LOL

[swan0002]

Stay away from Dirt Devils! UGH! I did bookkeeping for a cleaning company that used DD and they (don't) SUCK!!

[zitra]

I have Bissel bagless upright, that I really like..got it at Walmart for just under $90

[MrsSpeed]

We bought a Kenmore bagless upright from Sears. It was on sale for $69. It amazes me how much it picks up. It has a Hepa filter. The downside is you have to replace the filter about every 6 months depending on how much you vacuum. The filters are about $20.

[NINK]

o.k. after many months of using falling apart hand me down vacuums to get by, i finally got a shark vacuum for christmas. but i am not very impressed, it has quite a powerfull motor, in fact it'll jump right out of your hand. but it doesn't seem to pick up all that great. and it spits stuff back out at me. and it seems lik eit gets awefully hot in a short amount of time. also it doesn't sit, i mean you either have to carry it in your hand or with the sholder strap, and all the hot air blows right on you, and it lays against you with the strao on and blocks some of the vent. the dust cup is so tiny it's not even funny. the floor attachments don't seem to work at all, it just doesn't have enough suction when they are on. it says right on the box that the floor ectentions are a "sears exclusive" so i am really thinking about taking to sears and seeing if i can get a refund. i mean it cost as much or more than that mini mite, i don't think i have a very good value here. does any one else have one of these? may be mine has something wrong with it? does any one know if i can return it to sears with no reciept?

[ShelleyG]

see my eureka bagless one is a piece of poop! I wanna go back to a bag one LOL

[NINK]

i don't want to go back to bags, i hate bags mostly because you have to buy them, i have emptied my fair share of bags and reused them, lol. i just want a freaking vacuum that works! i want it to pick up everything, not leave stuff behind, not spit stuff back out, not get clogged every five seconds. what i really want is a kirby, but i don't have that kind of money, yes i know i'd be going back to bags with that, but that vacuum is awesome! i'd go bag for it.

[YankeeMary]

I have the Dirt Devil MVP Swivel Glide with a hepa and it uses bags but I tell you I love it. We also have the Kenmore thingie with the hepa also and I HATE IT!!! That is the worse vaccum I have ever used...would love to get a refund on that one....the DD is a pain to lug up and down the stairs so we bought the little hand help one for the stairs and it too is a dd. Several years ago I had the red DD and it was a piece of junk and I had to keep replacing the belt but the MVP is great..no problems and it sucks up not only kleenexs but also LEGGOs with no problems...lol...good luck finding one you like.

[NINK]

i had the dirt devil mvp platinum edition, i had problems with it, it had 2 belts and they broke alot and it had some other minor cosmetic thinsg break on it, but it did work good, until it blew up. and it was only like a year old. dirt devils are really great at first but they do break easily, i had the room mate and it had a ton of little stuff broke off of it, it worked great though.

[MusicfanAnnie]

Originally posted by swan0002
Stay away from Dirt Devils! UGH! I did bookkeeping for a cleaning company that used DD and they (don't) SUCK!!

They dont clean well when you dont change the bags often enough..It works great!! I have a Dirt Devil and bought mine from www.bestbuy.com for like 50 bucks...IAnd have had no problems.

[cSoReNSoN]

The man at the vacuum repair shop said Dirt Devils were the worst. On average, the motors die out, after 6-8 months, due to the poor quality motors used.

[NINK]

yes, i had 3 dirt devil, and yes at first they are awesome, but they just can't take it. and hubby worked for kirby and they said the dirt devil cleans almost as good as the kirby, but it isn't any competition because of the life expectancy, for example

mary buys a d.d., it breaks but was good so she buys another, it breaks, now the kirby people come to the door, they show her this totaly awesome vacuum, and at first she is like, wow, thats expensiev, but she rememebers that her great grandma still has hers and it's running fine! thna she adds up all the money she spent of d.d.'s in teh last year, and quickly buys a kirby!

i would love to buy a brand new kirby, but just don't have the cash flow. i won't buy a dirt devil again.

[Shancopp]

I got a Eureka "The Boss Pro" bagless superlite. IT ROCKS! I vaccuum a minimum of every other day and that dirt cup gets full everytime! It really cleans! (I have a long haired dog too that doesn't help!) I'm amazed at what I dump outta that thing! Very lite to carry up and down stairs and the handle folds down!! Hubby got it at Walmart for about $55-60, I believe. I recommend it!! (I don't even drag the Kirby out anymore!)

[fatesfaery]

Originally posted by cSoReNSoN
The man at the vacuum repair shop said Dirt Devils were the worst. On average, the motors die out, after 6-8 months, due to the poor quality motors used.

I have a Dirt Devil Swivel Glide. I've had it for almost 5 years and have never had any problems. I have 4 cats (including a persian who sheds like a monster) and have never had any problems with the hose clogging. I think I've changed the belt twice, once because I didn't see a long piece of necklace cord and it wrapped around the brush.

I also have one of those small Orek cannister vacs......I've never used it because as far as I know, you have to go to a vac shop for bags. I should find out, it would be so much easier to drag upstairs.

[jdglmg]

Originally posted by NINK
o.k. after many months of using falling apart hand me down vacuums to get by, i finally got a shark vacuum for christmas. but i am not very impressed, it has quite a powerfull motor, in fact it'll jump right out of your hand. but it doesn't seem to pick up all that great. and it spits stuff back out at me. and it seems lik eit gets awefully hot in a short amount of time. also it doesn't sit, i mean you either have to carry it in your hand or with the sholder strap, and all the hot air blows right on you, and it lays against you with the strao on and blocks some of the vent. the dust cup is so tiny it's not even funny. the floor attachments don't seem to work at all, it just doesn't have enough suction when they are on. it says right on the box that the floor ectentions are a "sears exclusive" so i am really thinking about taking to sears and seeing if i can get a refund. i mean it cost as much or more than that mini mite, i don't think i have a very good value here. does any one else have one of these? may be mine has something wrong with it? does any one know if i can return it to sears with no reciept?

I got the Stick Shark from Sears and I'm not impressed with it all that much. It's great for hardwood floors (but how hard is it to vacuum something off a floor?) but it really doesn't work very well on carpet/rugs. As far as whether Sears will take it back, I have no idea, but it's worth a try. I've had mine too long to take it back.