# Vacuum recommendation



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Walmart is the only store around. With that in mind does anyone have any suggestions for a reasonable vacuum.

Visiting one of my kids and their vacuum doesn't work. (Explains the dusty floors)

Bare floors, wood and vinyl except for one room with low nap.

Thanks


----------



## AandPDan (Mar 27, 2011)

A stick vac, or the equivalent, would be great for bare floors and low nap.

I use a 40+ year old Electrikbroom.


----------



## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

Bissell makes a pretty good vacumm for hardwood, vinyl, and low nap floors. I believe they are available at Walmart. Pretty reasonable price wise. In between cleanings we also like using a swiffer.


----------



## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

get one that you can turn the brush off. they work better on hard floors.


----------



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Thanks for helpful responses.

I also wonder about bagless. Would dust fly all over when you empty them. She's an Ultra marathoner so no time for trivial things like buying bags. 🏃 lol


----------



## msaeger (Mar 1, 2011)

I have had both and like one with a bag better. Dumping the bagless ones was messy and I don't need to replace the bag that much.


----------



## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

the bagless can be messy. i dump mine outside, in the garbage can of course.
and they do need to be cleaned or they plug up.


----------



## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

I bought the Eureka that Walmart sells for around 120 that claims to be better than a Dyson. It has clog proof technology similar to the Dyson and is pretty good for the money. I don't know if it is actually better than a Dyson as they claim but it doesn't cost 400-500 dollars either.


----------



## Rango (Dec 13, 2013)

I have a Dyson. It's a very good vacuum with massive suction but it is expensive. I probably wouldn't spend that much again. It's bagless of course but not messy. You push a trigger and the door drops down releasing the contents. I suppose if you shook it violently you'd have problems but I like getting away from buying bags.


----------



## paintdrying (Jul 13, 2012)

i bought that cordless hoover and it seems fine


----------



## md2lgyk (Jan 6, 2009)

We used to buy all our vacuums at Walmart or somewhere similar. After trying (and buying) a "real" vacuum (a Miele), it's clear that all the others we owned were junk.


----------



## The Jeep Driver (Feb 24, 2014)

Our Kenmore vacuum was on the fritz after over 15 years of use. My sister brought her Shark bagless over for us to try out. We thought it was a great machine, and bought one. The best deal I found was on QVC, I linked the Shark we got for you if you'd like to check it out. There was a good deal on Shark's web site as well, but it came with the floor mop/steamer, which we already have. Our home is 100% tile, wood or concrete, and the Shark does the job.


----------



## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

Shark Rotator is pretty good. Kind of like a Dyson, but under $200.


----------



## spaceman spif (Jul 28, 2009)

*Ditto on the Shark*

I have a Dyson and while it is a good vacuum, there are other models using the same technology and perform just as well but cost half of what a typical Dyson costs. My gf bought a Shark last year and she really likes it.


----------



## atun willis (Feb 28, 2014)

check out vacuums at amazon.com. they have many types you can choose complete with reviews from buyers


----------



## The Jeep Driver (Feb 24, 2014)

Startingover said:


> I also wonder about bagless. Would dust fly all over when you empty them.


It does not on the unit we purchased. The canister lifts off the vacuum, you would hold it in the trash can and release the door that is on the bottom. I suppose if you aren't careful the dust could make a mess, but it hasn't been an issue for us. I wouldn't normally hold the canister so high above the can either, that's just how it turned out for the picture!


----------



## Kaleyh (Mar 1, 2014)

Everyone will have different opinions. I personally love the Kirby, but it is expensive and timely when you have to change the heads. The vacuum will also depend on the usage. You don't want to buy an expensive one just to have it break down again......


----------



## mbender2004 (Mar 19, 2014)

I have a hoover with automatic cord rewind. Vacuuming is actually fun now because you don't have to worry about the cord


----------



## sgip2000 (Sep 24, 2012)

md2lgyk said:


> We used to buy all our vacuums at Walmart or somewhere similar. After trying (and buying) a "real" vacuum (a Miele), it's clear that all the others we owned were junk.


I agree. I used to sell and service all makes/models of vacuums. There are only a few brands that aren't complete junk.


----------



## HardwareHabitat (Jun 17, 2014)

You can also buy one online. I'm sure you've thought of this, but there are a ton of websites that sell them for super cheap.


----------



## mnp13 (Jan 16, 2007)

It all depends on your budget. Any pets in the home?

I have a Dyson Animal, and we have no carpets in the home. Does a fantastic job... and you can get just about anything delivered, no need to stick to only what WalMart carries.

The Dyson is bagless and is very easy and neat to empty. I used to have a Hoover bagless and it was a HUGE mess to dump out, and the filter used to fall out all the time so you had to put it out before you dumped, or hold it in while dumping. Both options were gross.


----------



## taylorjm (Apr 11, 2013)

I have the hoover cordless linx (lynx?) for our hardwood floors and it's awesome. Bagless, plenty of power and long lasting. Easy to turn the brush on and off with the power switch on the handle. The wife will take it upstairs and do the carpeting with it too and it does a great job at that, but I also have a newer bagless shark that works good too.


----------



## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

I've a german-made Sebo X5 upright and while it's pricey it's tough as nails and very, very reliable. They use them in European hotels. 10 years now and it's still working good as new. It'll likely be the last vacuum I ever buy.

Most of the other brands lately seem to be made of a lot of very brittle plastic. While the X5 has it's share of plastic, it's of a much more durable kind. That and it has a metal frame. All while not weighing a ton.


----------



## taylorjm (Apr 11, 2013)

About the only way to know how good your current vacuum works is to buy a new one. We had a highly rated kenmore upright for about 5 years and thought it was working fine. Then I bought the shark bagless upright, and tested it out by first using the old vacuum, then going over it with the new one, and I was shocked how much dirt the shark picked up that the kenmore left behind. Everyone thinks their vacuum is the best, and does a wonderful job, until you try something else...


----------



## Jerven (Jun 16, 2014)

Shark Navigator!


----------



## mikegp (Jul 17, 2011)

taylorjm said:


> About the only way to know how good your current vacuum works is to buy a new one. We had a highly rated kenmore upright for about 5 years and thought it was working fine. Then I bought the shark bagless upright, and tested it out by first using the old vacuum, then going over it with the new one, and I was shocked how much dirt the shark picked up that the kenmore left behind. Everyone thinks their vacuum is the best, and does a wonderful job, until you try something else...


This can actually happen if you use the same vac over the same area, just empty it between cleanings to see the new dirt. It's a sales scam that door to door vac salesman use.


----------



## PoleCat (Sep 2, 2009)

I got a Shark Nav recently and so far it is great. With 18 cats in the house any vacuum we get is not going to be long for this earth. Bissel was the worst. Regina close behind.


----------



## cj133 (May 16, 2011)

Around 10 years ago I bought a rebuilt Kirby complete set off of ebay for around $500 and had my parents do the same.

We have had zero problems with both machines. Ours are G5s but I think the G6 and newer are essentially the same.

Something like this, you're going to have a hell of a time doing better for the same if not more money. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kirby-Sentr...380493276572?pt=US_Vacuum&hash=item58972aa59c

I seem to recall a brand new Kirby going for around $2K last I heard? They are awesome machines and perhaps the best of the best but as others have said, very expensive. When mine needs to be rebuilt I've found many places online that sell parts.


----------



## mnp13 (Jan 16, 2007)

Kirbys are amazing, as are Rainbow. Serious price tags for new though.


----------



## jtjordan07 (Jul 4, 2014)

I've had 0 problems with my Oreck, but they usually cost a bit more.


----------



## cj133 (May 16, 2011)

So this weekend I tried something out that I never used before and it sold me on Kirby.

I used the Kirby turbo sander to sand joint compound. 99% of the dust went in the vacuum and it was amazingly easy.

Try that with a Dyson.


----------



## mnp13 (Jan 16, 2007)

Dyson doesn't make sanders. ;-) Kirby and Rainbow out perform Dyson, no doubt in my mind. 

And I like your avatar. Monitor top fridges are awesome.


----------



## cj133 (May 16, 2011)

Just did some more drywall sanding with the Kirby. I learned that if you tip the sander bottom up as you pull away from the wall no dust falls off.

I'll never sand by hand again. More because of the dust than the work.


----------



## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

cj133 said:


> Just did some more drywall sanding with the Kirby. I learned that if you tip the sander bottom up as you pull away from the wall no dust falls off.
> 
> I'll never sand by hand again. More because of the dust than the work.



Yeah, dustless technology is the way to go. The days of drywall dust piled in the floor and floating in the air are over (if we want them to be anyway). 

I've been considering a Feastool purchase, though my current set ups with regular orbitals and shop vacs work pretty well.


----------



## hilarytg (Jan 7, 2014)

If you are going for cost effective vacuums look for eureka/bissel ~50-70$ range and probably hoover for little more. Dyson vacuums are very solid and powerful if you like bagless (I personally don't like bagless very much). I researched a lot about vacuums and here http://vacuumconsult.com/ people suggest that canister vacuum due to its many different attachments is just better choice overall. The floors, walls, carpets, car and so on, need cleaning aswell.


----------



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

We still have an Electrolux, our car doesn't have fender skirts but we still eat supper.:laughing:


----------



## Bob Sanders (Nov 10, 2013)

Startingover said:


> Thanks for helpful responses.
> 
> I also wonder about bagless. Would dust fly all over when you empty them. She's an Ultra marathoner so no time for trivial things like buying bags. 🏃 lol


What they don't tell you about the bagless is that they have filters which need regular cleaning.... at least that's true for the cheaper ones like eureka. We supply (and maintain) bagless eurekas to 71 of our kids emergency shelters, and they are a huge pain in the A$$. There are 4 different filters in each machine which ALL need cleaning (one of them about every other time you use the machine). It's a dusty mess cleaning the filters too.

Stick with bags. It's fast and easy.


----------



## mnp13 (Jan 16, 2007)

That depends on the vacuum. The Dyson filter needs to be rinsed out every few months. My Hoover bagless was a huge dusty mess.


----------



## dudujones (Jul 8, 2014)

Dyson and shark are the best brands deserve your consideration, I will not consider the brands that I am not familiar with


----------



## dudujones (Jul 8, 2014)

Dyson and shark are the best brands deserve your consideration, I will not consider the brands that I am not familiar with


----------

