Recommendations, please, for a new stick broom/vac!

[TygrBright]

When we moved into our current house in the fall of 2005, I bought one of those Electrolux Pronto 2-in-1 cordless thingies.

I like the convenience but I had to take it in for service twice in the first year (once because the battery stopped working, once because the small length of hose that connected the floor nozzle to the body developed a large tear.) Since it was under warranty the service cost nothing, but took a couple of weeks and both times they simply replaced it with a new unit since servicing would have, apparently, cost more.

Now the battery doesn't hold a charge any more.

I have a two-story house and the downstairs is all tile floors and low-pile area rugs. The cat box is in the utility room and I need to vacuum EVERY DAY to clean up around that, plus the kitchen area.

I want a lightweight stick vac with a long cord and an easy-to-empty, large-capacity dust cup. One that has plenty of suction power and will last a good long time. It would be a nice plus if it could also convert to a handheld unit, but that's secondary.

Has anyone here ever tried the Emer line of stick vacuums? Anyone got something they particularly like, to recommend?

quizzically,
Bright

[NMDemDist2]

1. I love a good one too

so I'll keep an eye on this thread

:hi:

[Longhorn]

2. I got this one last year.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008NRU0

I have five dogs and tile floors and it has worked great! It also converts to a handheld very quickly and easily. I've used it on upholstery with good results. I haven't used it on carpet. The only thing I can't tell you is how long it will hold up as I don't use it that often.

I spent several hours making this decision and it seemed the best for me, especially at just 20 bucks!

[Warpy]

3. Mine is 15 years old

I keep it in my loom room because weaving is such a dusty business. The dust cup needs to be emptied frequently, but it's not a PIA to do. The motor is sturdy and the cord is nice and long.

I give the Bissell a thumbs up.

[jillan]

4. That's the one I have too, and I love it.

I have a dog that sheds and use it every day.

It does not work well on carpets tho.

DO NOT buy the Dirt Devil one. A total waste of money.

[NMDemDist2]

5. Free Shipping on this item today, I bought one!

with three dogs, a cat and the NM spring wind, I need help!!

[Dover]

6. Going the expensive route...a robot vacuum

I'm not quite a Luddite, but don't complicate my life with much new technology. I obviously have a computer, but no cellphone or other gadgets. And I prefer turning knobs rather than punching in digital numbers, and like clocks with hands. So I'm surprised at myself for even bringing this up, but somehow this thing makes as much sense to me as the use of a dishwasher (which I am so grateful for because it really makes my life much easier).

Although I can't quite justify this for myself, I'll admit that the more I hear about these robotic vacuums from friends (and now my brother's wife) the more enticing. Perhaps the prices will come down eventually. My brother told me he found an online coupon that knocked $100 off his purchase, which is something I've never thought to look for. That's a good tip for any online purchase.

Anyway, the latest purchaser is one of my best women friends whose home I lovingly refer to as 'pet central', because she is always taking in rescue animals. Presently she has six indoor cats and two dogs. Not one to spend a great deal of time on domestic chores, she lives a somewhat rural and casual outdoorsy life so is always tracking stuff into the house. She used to joke about the pet hair tumbleweeds that would blow through her livingroom and the constant issues with the litterbox.

So she got one of those iRobot vacuums and can't stop talking about it. I've never thought of her as the type to be on the forefront of robotic 'toys', but her mother talked her into one and she never looked back. She says it's surprisingly simple to use and clean and she has even programed it to clean certain rooms once a day whether she's in the house or not. It works so well she feels as though some fairy godmother has come and waved a magic wand while she was away. It is particularly effective on her uncarpeted floors and around the litter boxes. She said it does a good job on the carpets too, but she still needs to go over them with the super powerful upright vacuum every now and then for a deeper cleaning. On my last visit she demonstrated it for me while I and the cats sat perched in chairs watching in fascination. It really did work well! And when it was done with one room completely it moved onto the next (she placed a little laser thingy at the entrance to the room to define the boundaries for the robot). It even handled the fringed rug without getting tangled in it, and let us know when it needed to be emptied.
And when it's done it returns to it's dock for recharging and makes a little triumphant musical sound...ta da!

Anyway, for those not on a budget, just thought I'd pass this along. So far as I can tell, word of mouth has been supportive of this product, and that's usually the best recommendation.

iRobot
http://www.irobot.com/

Advice before purchasing a robotic vacuum:
http://housewares.about.com/od/vacuumsfloorcare/bb/bybrobotvac.htm

A YouTube video of one in action - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvxXFtOeUmA

[mopinko]

7. wanna buy mine? it was fun at first.

i am just too domestically challenged. it is just not tough enough for my household. it just always found some sock to eat, some bird poop to smear, or some little nook to get stuck in.
i need an industrial strength version. a hummerbot.

[madmax]

8. Have I got a stick broom for you!!!

I LOVE my Electrolux stick vac. It's light, cordless, has the hand vac attached (great feature) and can even be used on very low pile area rugs such as indoor/outdoor. I have 3 area rugs in my kitchen and just go from the wood floor right over them. The vaccum head swivels and no bags to buy. I've had mine for 8 months and use it almost every day. Being cordless allows me to zip thru without having a cord getting in the way and needing to be plugged in and unplugged.

It stores on the base/recharger and is ready to go at all times.

It's a little hard for me to explain since I just got home from surgery on my head, LOL. Had a cochlear implant done today and not in the mood to lay down and sleep just yet.

Here it is: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7166256&type=product&id=1110266395012&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=7166256

[yy4me]

9. I have a Bissell East Vac stick vac and it does a great job on

both floors and rugs. It has a long cord, has its own bag that is a snap to empty. It has one major drawback but it is easy to overcome. You must check the bag receptacle to make sure that the bag itself is not covered with dust fuzzies or fur. For some reason, even though it picks up everything, only the solid bits drop into the receptacle. Dust fuzzies and pet hair seems to stick to the bag. It takes about 2 seconds to check and about a minute to clean it off. I figure that is a design goof but for me, an easy trade off for a good machine. This is my first stick, I have not used the old Electrolux or the Eureka mini for ages. Well, yes, I did use the Mini, to vacuum off the fabric bag of the stick. Just as easy to brush it off by hand right into the rubbish barrel.