Want to find a good vacuum cleaner

[NewJeffCT]

I have used a succession of cheap ones and have not had much success with them. I need to find a good quality vacuum since I'm sure my wife will not spring for a central vac system, as she does not even know how to work a vacuum cleaner.

Any suggestions for something that is powerful & will last? I hear commercials for the Oreck XL all the time... any good? Bagless vs bagged?

Thanks

[Digit]

1. All vacuums suck

Check out epinions.com and amazon.com.
Dysons are supposedly good, but pricey.

[RebelOne]

2. That is my quest, also.

The search for the perfect vacuum cleaner. I bought two from QVC and they are pieces of junk. I have a friend who bought an Oreck and she said it is no good. Instead of sucking up the dirt, it blows it out.

[NewJeffCT]

3. ouch

that's not good if it's blowing dirt out.

I've seen the Dyson commercials on TV...

[radwriter0555]

4. Dirt Devil makes an excellent cannister vacuum cleaner that I was very

very pleased with.



http://www.epinions.com/Dirt_Devil_Breeze_Canister_Vacuum_M082500_Vacuum_Cleaners

I wanted small, easy to store, powerful, no bags, easy to pull around, reliable, easy to maintain and lightweight.

I got everything I needed in this little guy and couldn't have been more pleased.

I especially liked that I could take out the cannister and filter and wash it out with soap and water as needed; I like things clean, you see... It was about $80 at one of the bigger retailers.

[NewJeffCT]

6. Thanks

I will check it out. I've bought some supposedly pretty good ones, but they just don't last for me.

[radwriter0555]

12. same here. I've had eurekas and hoovers and all those kinds and

this little guy really did a great job with no difficulties.

I bought a similiar one here in france made by Carrefour for a whopping $29 on sale.

It just doesn't have any pieces that can really break or wear out.

[JimmyJazz]

5. I have a Dyson. Yes, they are expensive, but it's also expensive to

replace carpeting. I love mine even though I got the lower end model. I think the thing I like most about it is the ability to empty the cannister without touching the crap inside. :)

[bleedingheart]

11. I have a Dyson too...

I love it...

[sendero]

7. Take a look...

... at the bagless Bosch units. They work like the Dysons, but cost less. Ours has a switch on the beaters, so you can use it on carpet or hard floors.

Only downside is that (all of the bagless I think) it uses a HEPA filter - so you don't have to replace bags but there is a somewhat expensive filter to replace every 6-12 months, depending on usage.

It pulls more crap out of the carpet than any other vacuum I've ever had, and that would be a few. :)

[NewJeffCT]

8. thanks, I will take a look

I need a crap pulling vacuum with a 2 1/2 year old in the house...

[eyesroll]

9. If you can find a filter that fits, it doesn't need to be HEPA

...unless you have asthma or bad allergies; then I'd recommend sticking to HEPA.

"Near-HEPA" filters work almost as well for the vast majority of uses, and cost a fraction, assuming the Bosch doesn't take proprietary filters.

[sendero]

10. I haven't had..

... mine long enough to deal with that yet. You can bet I'll find a way to clean that filter 2-3 times before I break down and replace it :)

[MissMillie]

13. Spend some money

Seriously, when it comes to a quality vacuum cleaner, you get what you pay for. I have a Sharp, and I paid $300 for it about 7 years ago, but it's still holding up very well, and it still works very well.

[NewJeffCT]

17. maybe 5 years ago

I spent $200 on what was supposed to be a good quality vacuum, but that lasted for about 3 years, and I've I'm my 2nd one since then.

[leftofthedial]

14. there are no good ones

the best you can hope for is to find one that sucks in a way that you like

[NewJeffCT]

16. was the double entendre intentional?

... and, I have yet to find a vacuum that sucked to my satisfaction.

Funny side story, I'm an accountant and maybe 4 1/2 years ago, I had just started a new job and was working with two other accountants. One was an attractive single woman, and the other was a gay guy. But, they were explaining to me how they get data out of the system, and I guess people referred to the extraction process as "sucking the data" out of the system. So, it was getting late one night and she said that we could go home and she'd finish it up herself because, as she said, "I'm good at sucking." Needless to say, Ms Freud's slip was showing... and, she has never lived that down to this day, even though I've moved on to another job and we've both gotten married.

[leftofthedial]

18. LOL--people say the darndest things. I'm a musician

over the years, I've worked with a number of talented harmonica players who could both suck and blow with the best of them.

[skipos]

15. consumerreports.org

is a good website to check out.