My vacuum cleaner doesn’t suck.
Literally. It doesn’t suck.
I left my DH at home alone during Spring Break while I took my son to visit my parents. I came home to a vacuum cleaner with no suction. Tom says that he’s tried to fix it (and he’s handy!), and he says there’s nothing that can be done. I’m not sure what kind of mess he was trying to clean up when it broke, but something tells me that I don’t want to know.
Here’s my problem – I need a new vacuum STAT that is just the most wonderful vacuum cleaner EVAH. I have a messy 3 year old, two dogs, a long-haired cat, and a husband who manages to get metal shavings and drywall dust on the floor (don’t ask). I need a vacuum cleaner that will tackle all of that and come back begging for more. The vacuum we had was one we bought on a whim at Lowe’s after the last one broke (hmmm…see a trend here?), so we didn’t put much research into it…and it didn’t perform up to my standards.
We do have an iRobot Roomba, which I think is pretty much the greatest invention ever. However, “White Circle,” as Zack calls him, can’t handle the big messes. I usually just turn him on when we are leaving the house so he can pick up the little bits of dirt that accumulate throughout the day. He’s been having a rough week trying to replace the Big Boy vacuum cleaner, so I think he needs a break. The dog hair alone is about to strangle him. Poor White Circle.
Anyway, I really need YOUR help in trying to help me pick a new vacuum. What vacuum cleaner do you have? Do you like it? Hate it? Want to marry it? Does it have an attachment to clean stairs? Does it work well on carpet and tile? And are Dysons really the end-all-be-all of vacuum cleaners?
I can read reviews online until I’m blue in the face, but what I really need is reviews from real people like you who have kids and dogs and husbands and know what a vacuum really needs to do. And if it can be bought at Bed, Bath, and Beyond with a 20% off coupon, that’s all the better.
GAH! Help! My quasi-OCD is really getting the best of me here and I just want to clean, clean, clean…because I can’t!
What works for you? Help me out and then visit We Are That Family to see what other dilemmas you can help solve this week!
PS- The winner of The Five Dollar Challenge will be announced soon! I’m still working my way though all the entries, and I am blown away by each link I click on. You people are amazing! I think Martha Stewart should really have us on her show, don’t ya think?
Okay, this isn’t going to impress you, but I have a Bissell Powerforce 12 amp that I got last year at Walmart for $40. I had previously had a Eureka upright for about 10 years and was very happy w/ it til it died. I replaced it with a Eureka bagless. Hated it. I think you just think a bagless is picking up more because you can see it in the clear canister. Then you have to shake it all out into the trash, and guess what, the dust flies around and lands back on the floor.
The Bissell has great suction and does the job. I have 3 kids, a dog, and a cat that sheds everywhere. Plus, whenever it breaks down, be it another year or another 10 years, I only spent $40.
I get the ShopSmart magazine and the latest issue just gave the best review to the Hoover U6485-900 WindTunnel Anniversary-Edition.
I hope that helps.
I have heard nothing but good about the Dyson. The price-tag horrifies me though. Ironically I just picked one up today (a Shark) because I *love* my Shark steam-mop and returned it within the hour after I read the horrible reviews.
I will be watching your comments with interest-thanks 🙂
My mom has a Dyson and they (all those tasked with vacuuming in her home) love it. I’ve tried it and it seems to work well. We have some unmemorable vacuum-machine that gets the job done. Maybe someday I’ll graduate to a Dyson…
The Dyson Animal is the best invention EVAH! It’s literally an appliance, which is why I bought mine at the Depot when they were having an appliance sale. It wadn’t cheap, but that sucker could suck the hair right off a cat.
I have a Dyson, hated the price but love the vacuum. It works really well on carpet and also has a setting for floors.
I never thought I would buy a Dyson.
I have a 1300-square foot house, and the only carpeted area is the 9×11 area rug in the living room. I have two dogs, but I’m the only human in the house, and I swore that the huge price tag couldn’t be worth it.
It is. Every penny. I’m totally sold on them now.
I absolutely love (as much as one can love a vacuum) my Oreck. And, I’ve heard wonderful things about Dyson. Both are pricey, but there’s that old “get what you pay for” thing.
We have a DirtDevil bagless from Target. Love, love, love it. So easy to empty .. especially for 12 year old who just picked up vacumming (sp?) as one of his chores. 🙂
I have gone through twenty or more vacs in the last 11 years. Some were yard sale junkers that only lasted a few months but the price was right at the time. We have four vacs in service at one time (one on each floor of the inn.)
My first choice would be a Kenmore Progressive series. Great suction, long lived, picks up everything, tools on board, easy to change belts, hepa filters, and bags.
My second oldest/favorite is a Hoover. Most of the pros of the Kenmore but it has a shorter cord.
I have used Oreks and their virtual twin in the Bissel family. Both picked up ok on carpet, not so much on hard floors. Both were very very loud but I could forgive that because they also had very long cords. The Bissel had belt problems in that they broke often and were hard to find.
Don’t buy the Bissell lift off that Lowe’s carries. I think it is way too heavy and has a suction design flaw that will drive you nuts. The bare floor setting is worthless.
Don’t buy a bagless vac period. You have to breath in more dust when you dump the container and clean the filters.
Ooh, I’ll be keeping an eye on the comments here! We also just lost our vacuum and need a new one.
I heart my dyson. We also have two dogs that shed their weight in fur every other day. I don’t know what I’d do without the dyson.
I also suck up a lot of spiders with it….. Which brings me to why I stopped over. Thanks for the comment. I feel ya on the wolf spiders – they’re known as mini-tarantulas around here.
I have a Riccar. You have to buy it at a Vacuum specialty store. It is the same price as the Dyson. It has all metal parts so you can suck up anything without breaking it. We went through a Vacuum a year until we bought this one about 5 years ago. Tonight while I was vacuuming, I actually sucked up a rock from my sons collection. It didn’t break a thing. Seems to work great for Dog hair too.
Good luck.
I’m OCD and I have an Oreck and I love it. The only thing I don’t like is that it doesn’t have attachments, you have to use the seperate cannister vac for baseboards and such. My Oreck is the Hepa one and it works really well and never shows dust on the actual vacuum. That’s a good thing.
I absolutly LOVE my Dyson Animal. It’s pricey, no doubt, but I’ve had mine for the last 5 years and it was the best chunk of money I’ve ever spend. It is as powerful as the day I bought it and I’m always amazed how much it picks up. We two have two dogs and 4 people in this home making a mess.
We have the Dyson Animal and I LOVE it. We got it 5 years ago after burning through 3 other vacuums in a year. We have 2 dogs and a toddler and the Dyson still works wonderfully after 5 years. This is the best vacuum we have ever had.
I went through MANY vacuums before getting our Dyson Animal… it is worth every penny! We used the 20% coupon from bed bath and beyond 😉
We are currently renting, because we temporarily live elsewhere – and they are lending us a Dyson, and I LOVE it. Okay, I’ll never really love a vacuum. 😉 It has great suction, and gets everything between the wood floor cracks (old building/former barn) and if it weren’t for hubby planning to install a central vac – at home, this is what we would be getting. They do go on sale periodically…
The Dyson is a must! My husband and I purchased ours last year after having a Kenmore for eight years. We vacuumed our upstairs, which is just our girls bedrooms and playroom. The suction was so great that we filled the canister twice in each room. The third time was about half. It made me a little disgusted thinking that our Kenmore wasn’t as great as we had thought. A Dyson is worth every penny!!
I would love a Dyson, but that’s not happening anytime soon! We have a Bissell Healthy Home ($150 or so)(Target runs sales w/ gift cards). Ours came with a hand brush attachment for pet hair.
We use the vacuum HEAVILY (7 kids – it stays plugged in!) and it’s still going strong. The filters are washable, and I love that it’s bagless because we vacuum 2-3x a day (and we vacuum up treasures, too – legos, barbie paraphenalia, etc. that must. be. saved.) We’ve gotten clogs a few times (like when my son tried to vacuum up bandaid wrappers) but it’s easy to fix because the hoses come off.
My only gripe is that if there is a lot of hair, it can be difficult to empty and sometimes I have to break up hairballs w/ a pencil.
(Although now I totally want a Dyson, LOL!)
We have to high end vacuums and one middle of the road. I can tell you the best one by a mile is the Bissell Healthy Home. It blows away any electrolux or Kirby we've ever had. If you read the reviews on amazon, people get rid of their Dysons for this one! I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE ours!
http://www.amazon.com/Bissell-5770-Healthy-Bagless-Upright/dp/B000HS28AK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s;=home-garden&qid;=1238598564&sr;=8-1
We’ve had our Dyson Animal for over 4 years now. NEVER a problem. Worth the money! There I said it! Happy Wednesday!
Another vote for Dyson here. We got the Animal about 6 years ago and I couldn’t believe we spent so much on a vacuum. It was so impressive that even my hubby used it. LOL We have wood floors and rugs now and it still works like a charm. I love having an onboard hose with attachments. My only complaint would be how bulky it is and it won’t fit under the edge of cabinets, but they make a more low profile one now and really with the hose it’s no problem to use it to get under the edge.
We were broke newlyweds when we bought it and I never regretted it.
I have found that the cheap “bagged” vacuums work so much better than the more expensive bagless vacuums. I am still using a cheap Bissell that we got around 6 years ago…it isn’t too pretty…but my floors get clean and I don’t have to fiddle with filters.
With that being said…I have not tried the Dyson…out of fear due to the other bagless failures in our home.
Hi! I’m new. I just went through this whole process too. Couldn’t bring myself to spring for the Dyson. Contemplated it but couldn’t pull the trigger. Nothing was working on my frizee but the $60 Hoover Widepath Tempo I found on amazon (free shipping with Prime) is all it’s cracked up to be. Great price and great results. Good luck!
I have a Dyson Animal and love love love it! I have a medium haired cat and apparently a lot of dust on my floor. I am shocked (!!!) when I vacuum weekly and actually SEE what this thing sucks up! Nasty! But impressive! : )
I got my Dyson right before we got new carpet. I vac’ed with my old one on my old carpet and then with my Dyson in the same place and was shocked at how much came out of the rugs.
I am always amazed at what comes off the floor with this thing!
I have a horrible vacuum, but I know you can buy dysons’s at overstock.com that have been rebuilt or something like that. I don’t know if anyone has had luck with that, but it is something I am hoping to get for myself! 🙂
i have an el-cheapo bagless from the local walmart, it works, but it’s not great, my mom has a dyson and it’s WONDERFUL, but I can’t pay that kind of money for a vacumn just yet. Someday though……
I finally broke one day and told DH that he needed to go get a dyson. He thought I was crazy, but wanted a happy wife (=happy life!!!) so indulged me. He came home and used it and then told me the baby was going to have to learn to sleep on the couch, cuz he was giving his room to the vacuum cleaner. It had to be emptied 3 times in our bedroom alone! It was amazing, we had no idea there was so much dirt and fuz stuck in our carpet! Get one!!!
I just went through this last month. No matter how many reviews your read you’ll always hear good and bad about every vacuum. I made myself crazy until I talked to friends and family and found out how many of them had Dysons and loved them. So I bit the bullet and now I too an a huge fan of Dyson!
I could not believe how much dirt it sucked up the first time I used it. I was so disgusted by what my old vacuum was missing. We got the Sams Club version of the animal. Great price considering the price elsewhere. Worth every penny and then some!
Good luck with your decision.
I cannot say enough good things about my Dyson. It rocks! It sometimes get clogged in the attachment with kid stuff, but easily cleaned out. Sometimes it sucks up things you don’t want, like a pen or a sock. Those need removed. We bought it when we sold out house or we might never have put out the money. I am so GLAD!
Received the Dyson Animal Hair version (the purple one) as a wedding present. Might have to chuck my husband and marry the Dyson instead. It’s amazing!
I don’t have any advice, just empathy. Our vacuum is on its way out – when I use it, the whole house smells like burning rubber. (Despite my husband’s attempts to fix it.) I have to say, though, after reading your comments, I’m wishing for the money to buy a Dyson!!
We have Dyson Animal as well…love it!
Let’s just hope I never have to choose between my family or my Dyson!!
I’ve got the Dyson “slim” and it is fantastic. I worked a store that sold them so I got a good discount. The suction is amazing and it does well from carpet to hard wood, easy to empty and clean. I’d recommend the investment.
I guess I will put in my two cents worth. This post is great because last Saturday I bit the bullet and bought a Dyson ($399 at Sears). My only concern after research was customer service at Dyson. Well, Sears takes care of that! And Dyson has a 5 yr warranty. Not bad! It is good to see so many people are in love with their Dysons. I have a black Lab that my carpet seems to suck the hair off of :< So far it is great on both carpet & floors. I got the least expensive (no real attachments except a hose for reaching corners). The thing I like is that the stuff goes from the floor into the dirt cup without any sidetracks through the hose. That is what caused the problem on my last vacuum, it kept getting clogged. I'll keep my fingers crossed that this one works! Good luck to you too!
My vote is for Dyson!! they’re expensive but so completely worth the price. I resisted buying it but broke down and bought it. It’s such an easy vacuum to use, even my kids like to help me out. My carpet looks almost new again since we’ve been using it
I love my Dyson. We have a cat and it works very well. I’ve had it for nearly 3 years and it still has suction. It was worth the money for me.
Last year, we bought a Dyson DC17 – Asthma and Allergy. My son has asthma due to severe allergies. I must say I never dreamed a vacuum cleaner could suck like this thing. It grabs things that I don’t even see so I have to be careful to make sure to pick up all the tiny legos and coins and anything else I don’t want to lose. And then there’s the attachment. I will use it for the tight spots and it will grab things I never thought of before like bags and towels and hold on for dear life. The suction power is amazing. So, yes, they really work. I found a website with free shipping that had better prices than retail. If you decide to go that route, contact me and I will try to find the link to it.
Yet another vote for the Dyson Animal! I had one when I lived with a German Shepherd and it was my savior! The attachments are great, and that hose is amazing. Two thumbs up!
Oh! I can hear your call for a new vacuum too!! I'm looking into the Bissell Healthy Home. I have 2 cats, 1 dog and a 4 yr old with allergies. I need a good "hair" vacuum. Most can't deal with all the hair in my house. I would LOVE a dyson but someone told me it's not good on area rugs. I have hardwood floors & area rugs (full carpet only in the basement) I've read ALL the posts and no one really mentioned anything about that. Any thoughts…Oh and Lindsay…I'd go for the dyson!!
I got a Dyson DC17 – Asthma and Allergy for my birthday (MY request!) and I absolutely love, love, LOVE it! I’ve had several vacuum cleaners in my life, but this one has got to be the best one I’ve owned. Good luck finding one that works for you!
I love my Dyson! I have a dog and 2 cats, and have gone through 2 vacuums prior to the Dyson. Nothing compares to it. The Dyson is worth every penny!
You poor girl, there’s nothing worse than a girl with a dog and no vacuum.
I have the purple Dyson, the one that’s made for pet owners. It’s FABULOUS. Santa Claus brought me mine, after I whined for it A LOT. 😉
I had a Miele for years and it did a terrific job on dog and cat hair, etc. Now have a Riccar upright and canister. I’m very tough on vacuums and these two have been excellent. The vac store I got them at had Dysons.The saleslady said not to buy that brand. Many pieces and you need a specially qualified tech to repair them. Their store did not have the tech.
I have a Singer Vacuum that I LOVE and I HATE to vacuum…HATE IT I would rather scrub 50 toilets then vacuum but not since I got this baby!
I have a Dyson and I love love love it! Seriously, I do.
I bought mine at Big Lots, it was remanufactured but it works great! trust me, I did lots of research before I bought a remanf. one b/c I was hesitant. I got it for $279 but I did see where some people signed up to get email alerts from Big Lots and got an extra 20% coupon. So, it’s worth a shot! Oh and Overstock sells them too.
Good luck on your search for the perfect vacuum! 🙂
Dyson…Dyson…DYSON!!!!!!!!! You will not be sorry!!!!!! We have the purple animal and it is FANTASTIC. Did I get my point across??
Yes! The Dyson actually is the end all and be all of vacuum cleaners! It will actually suck the dust off of the concrete underneath your carpet pad. It’s that good. I personally think it’s the last vacuum you’d ever need. I also have a rainbow – which is fabulous, except it’s sort of a pain because you have to fill it up with water and then empty the dirty water afterward. But the Dyson…you’ll love it!
OK. One more after reading everyone else’s comments. Ours was also a re-manufactured Dyson from Big Lots. We’ve had it for years and have had no problems what-so-ever. It’s the animal. I have a son and a black dog with white floors and area rugs. No problems there. And believe me – we have had more vacuums than many stores. Long story. We won’t go there.
I bought a refurbished Dyson for half the price 9 yrs ago..it comes with the same warranty as a new one. check out your local vacuum repair shop that repairs dysons (if you have one).
I LOVE my Dyson. When you calculate that you never have to buy a bag or replace a filter or a belt, the Dyson really does not come out any more expensive in the long-run from other top brand models. Go for it! (No vacuum is meant to pick up fine dust particles, so be careful with the drywall dust–I’d use a wet/dry vac for that job.)
I finally bought a Dyson on sale and with a coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond last fall. Love is not enough. I swoon every time I use it. It is amazing. A.MAZ.ING. I have 2 kids, cats, and all that comes with my husbands' hunting and outdoor trips-mess, muck, yuck. It is great. Definitely an investment, but the difference between a Dyson and regular vacuums is really noticeable.
sorry to just now see your post. but maybe being late is good, as the dyson lovers won't read my comment & lynch me.
i've used mine a total of 3 times and it is horrid. i would love it if we had carpet, but it's so strong suction-wise, that it ruined 2 oriental rugs…ripped the fringe off one that can be repaired and ate the fringe from another.
at our beach house we have a canister vac (best style for hardwoods & rugs)by Miele, and love it. the kids even love to vacuum 🙂 it's compact, but the bag holds a lot, it's lightweight (the dyson is so heavy i sweat push/ pulling it around)and the warranty is wonderful. we have one now for our house, and i'm a fan!
lisa
I know that I am little late with my comment, but I wanted to tell you that I have the same vacuum as Holly (first comment) and I LOVE IT. I have 3 kids & 4 dogs and this puppy sucks (in a good way!). And you can't beat the price. The bags are inexpensive and easy to replace!
The other feature that I really like is the hose part and attachments are easy to use. So when I am vacuuming the base boards or under furniture, it isn't wonky trying to maneuver.
:O)
Kelly
Hello…I recently was in your shoes. I asked all my friends and they came back saying a DYSON. I did tons of reasearch and for what I wanted it came back pointed to a DYSON. I am very frugal so this was a sticker shock to me. I ended up waiting till it went on sale somewhere…Sears had %15 off all their Dysons. I took in the ad to the Bed Bath and Beyond. They called the store to price check (typically the don’t have to do this if you have the ad). The Sears clear quoted an even lower price for the Dyson I wanted. So Bed Bath and Beyond price matched it and then took my 20% from my coupon. The manager walked up a few minutes later and said they are not suppose to take the 20% off price matches, but the sales clerk had already did it she would let it go. If they try to tell you that they don’t do it….you should tell them it doesn’t state anywhere in their policy regarding this or on the coupon. My opinion is that the price match isn’t a sales price…just matching a normal price for the product so you should be able to use your coupon. Anyhow I bought the DYSON Ball DC25 Animal (the purple one). I listed the reasons below why it is worth every penny and will save you money in the long run if you invest in a dyson vs another vac.
– the ball vacuum is SOOOO easy to move around. My hubby actually loves using it because you can move it with the flip or your wrist. There is no other vacuum like this one.
– it is light so you can pick it up easily and carry upstairs and downstairs
– the extension hose is housed inside so you just pull it up and out….so easy to use and works great. the attachments all have nice compartments to house it on the vacuum..very easy to remove and put back.
– the hepa filter never needs to be replaced so you will save tons of money as other vacuums you have replace them often. the dyson filter can be washed easily.
– the canister is easy to remove, empty, and put back into place.
– the vacuum has AMAZING suction!!!
Truly a great vacuum. We have a roomba too, but it can not handle all the carpet in our new house…the dyson is actually fun to use 🙂
I’m so glad you asked. I am madly in love with my vacuuum. I have prosthyletized about it at dinner parties (much to the shock and horror of my guests).
I have a Eureka The Boss Smart Vac. It sucks up everything. EVERYTHING. I’ve used a Dyson before and seriously, it has nothing on this vacuum. Even better, the Eureka is just a fraction of the price. It has lots of attachments that conveniently fit into little notches on the vacuum itself so no need to worry about storing them or losing them.
Truly, I cannot recommend this vacuum enough. And who ever thought I’d have such strong feelings about a vacuum?
I got mine at Best Buy, but I’m sure it’s sold elsewhere.
I love how you guys are still updating me about your vacuums! Believe it or not, I STILL don’t have a new one! DH *repaired* the old one, but we have to replace the belt about every other use. So annoying, so this one is just going to hold us over while I’m saving my pennies for one of the big boys!
I would like to hear more details about the Bissell Healthy Home. I saw a video, The bissell's looks awesome.