Suck It Up
Presently, I find myself in the market for a new vacuum cleaner. I haven’t ever bought a vacuum cleaner before, always either being in a situation where I lived with someone who had a decent one, or being given a workable used vacuum by a loved one. Therefore, I know relatively little about vacuums, other than what I would like them to do. So, it is with great hope I ask you, dear reader, to recommend a vacuum cleaner for me to purchase.
Regulars of the site know that I live with three cats, whose sole occupation is to produce snowstorms of fur, always and forever. My house has two sets of stairs, hardwood and carpeted floors, and the occasional landslide of jelly beans. I have a good sized Shop-Vac for scary cleanup jobs or big liquid spills, so that’s not a huge concern. But, I would like a vacuum that can tackle the fur, floor types, and stairs (hopefully is some sort of manageable, detachment capacity) with ease.
What should I be looking for? Is there a huge difference between bagged and bagless vacuums? I know Dyson gets a huge amount of press for their vacuum innovations, but does anyone have a Dyson vac that can attest to its strengths and weaknesses? I don’t want to buy based on hype. Price isn’t too big of a deal, even if spending a little more means getting something really worthwhile. So, any suggestions?
- Posted at 10:14 am in Personal, Random
Commentary Closed (69)
If you have cats - especially ones prone to shedding - you need a vac with strong suction. For me, that’s Oreck and Dyson. I have an Oreck and enjoy it. It’s physically very light, the handle allows you to get at really low angles, and it came with a free small portable canister vac.
The Dyson’s are worth the hype. I have 2 dogs and needed something that could tackle the hair. A couple of years ago I bit the bullet and forked up the cash for the Dyson Animal and have been very happy. It works great on my berber carpet and hardwood floors. It’ will pull up stuff you didn’t even know was there. It also came with an attachment for doing stairs, which you can also use on your couches, etc. I’ve never found any weaknesses in it and can honestly say it was worth the money. Very easy to use and the best vacuum I’ve ever owned.
Owned a Dyson for a year.
Powerful, light, practical, very good functional design. It is true that they do not lose suction regardless of how full it is. Worth every penny.
The Dyson is absolutely worth it. We went with the DC14 model in a house w/ two cats and two longer haired dogs. It works like a champ and is actually a bit fun to use (at least as fun as a vacuum can be.) The filter design is intelligent and once you figure out how the attachments work there’s no issue.
I’ve got two Shetland Sheepdogs that shed no matter what I do. I’ve got a Dyson Animal. I was told (probably just a marketing ploy) that it was the best vacuum of the Dyson line for dealing with animal hair and the such. I think it comes with all of the attachments offered by Dyson.
Everything you have read about the Dyson is true. The sucking power of this thing is unbelievable. There are times when it is a struggle to pull the hose off the vacuum if it is turned on. You will be hard pressed to find a vacuum line that has more sucking power that won’t pull up your carpeting.
You’ll be looking at $500+ and a bit more if you pick up the protection plan, which, when it comes to dealing with animal hair, is always a good idea.
Not to push my own stuff, but there is no better: http://www.dyson.com/range/feature_frame.asp?model=DC07-ANIMAL
Well, it certainly does sound like Dysons are worth the praise. I’m especially happy to hear directly from some of you pet owners!
And of course, Mr. Dyson. Who knew you read my site ;)
I agree with J.D. If price isn’t a concern, I’d highly recommend the Dyson Animal series. I own the DC14 Animal and it’s amazing how much dog hair (Collie) and other stuff it picks up. No weeknesses in this vac.
I just have to agree with everyone else: get a Dyson.
You’ll be staggered to find that it’s a vacuum cleaner that actually works.
Mine’s a Stowaway, and it works wonderfully on both carpeted and wooden floors. The only downside is being shocked by all the rubbish it manages to find in your carpets.
*cough* washing machines *cough*
We have two little feline critters too, and we’ve got a Dyson DC-07 Animal, with the addition of a Mini Turbine Head accessory which is great for all those hard-to-reach corners like the stairs and the sofa. It never ceases to amaze me when I see just how much cat hair this thing can suck up. Here’s a test: (if you can), vacuum your flat with a regular vacuum cleaner before the first time you use your Dyson Animal. Then be astounded at the amount of cat hair the Dyson can still find to suck up. Seeing the transparent cylinder fill up even makes vacuuming fun!
I completely believe in Consumer Reports in these circumstances. I hate buying something that hasn’t been tested and proven effective. Especially, when there’s so much junk out there. I believe I have a Eureka Boss…it was good for getting things off rugs and floors. A definite bonus. I haven’t been disappointed.
Good luck, Jason!
DON’T GET A DYSON!!! The hype is all in the marketing but not in the product. It looses suction after a couple runs. Anyway, trust consumer reports. I bought a Bissel Healthy Home recently and it was top ranked cause price for what you get in consumer reports and it is AWESOME. I definitely recommend it. But seriously go and try a Bissel compared to any other brand, especially Dyson. Trust me, you’ll see what I mean when I say that the Dyson is all spin.
I just bought a new vacuum too. I really wanted a Dyson because, somehow it appeals to the geek in me, but the plastic handles and such give me the impression it is cheaply made.
So, I went to Consumer Reports (they just did a nice review on vacuums) and bought a Eureka 4870. It was about $140 and I think it works great. Consumer Reports had it listed as a Best Buy.
Jason,
You should try and work out to get a free Dyson! I’m sure they would love to know all the free pub they are getting and if the owner really does read your site then it shouldn’t be a question. Maybe you can start a petition or a cause!
The Clean Sweep Initiative
We have 2 cats. My wife and I bought the “animal” dyson (purple) a couple years ago and now the cats are gone!!!
no.
It works great for sucking up loads of cat hair that gets stuck on couches and carpets and generally everywhere.
and when you empty it, it’s like you have a brand new pet!
I’ve had a Dyson DC08 Telescope Wrap Animal for a year or so now and it’s fantastic at clearing up the tons of animal fluff at home. It also came with a mini turbine head as well, which is great for the stairs and sofa.
Jason: I’ve heard mixed reviews on the Dyson, some love and some say they loose suction after a few runs (google dyson on you tube for visuals).
My wife and I were making a similar decision a few months back, both our kids suffer from bad allergies so getting up as much dust/dirt was a must. We went with a Kirby (after a fair amount of negotiating from the original price they quote you). After 6 months I can testify that the Kirby is a powerful monster, and the new design is a really nice industrial design.
As a disclaimer I don’t sell kirby, just a happy customer.
This is the version we have:
http://www.kirby.com/SentriaSystem/12SeparateUnits/tabid/58/Default.aspx
2 monstrously hairy cats were part of the deal when moving in with my soon-to-be wife 5 years ago. After finally gacking up my old college-era Bissell, we did some head-to-head deathmatches with top-of-line Kirbys, Bissels, Orecks and Hoovers before settling - as it seems did many others on this thread - on the purple Dyson DC07 ‘animal’ version.
Verdict? Best. Vacuum. Ever.
Ain’t no hype involved.
I have to also go with the Dyson. My wife is of the stay-at-home variety and I figure if I get to have fancy computer toys at work, then she should have fancy toys at home. We picked up a refurbished Dyson from Amazon and have been very happy with it. It really does pick up things other vacuums leave behind. The price might also be of your liking. It doesn’t come with a full warranty I don’t believe, but ours has never given us any problems. It’s sturdy, although a little heavy, easy to empty and really doesn’t lose suction.
The one we got from Amazon
There are different types which are all available on Amazon refurbished if you are looking for one of the specific pet hair editions. We have been so happy with it that we ended up getting their handheld model as well.
Good luck!
I wouldn’t place much stock in personal testimonials unless they include a comparison. It’s like asking someone about an airline. One good experience does not equal a good airline and one bad one does not equal a bad one.
I just bought a vacuum cleaner for the first time in about 10 years a few months ago and I found a few great sites including this one which actually went over the different types and how they perform.
The verdict seemed to be that only some bagless ones were good and the rest were bad. And even among bagless, they didn’t appear to be worth 2-3x as much based on performance. I ended up getting a Eureka Boss for about $140 and it does the job great (with cat and all). I don’t get excited about vacuum cleaners so I can’t say it ROX MY W0R1D, but I’d recommend it.
My vote is for Dyson
Dyson Dyson Dyson.
I know I sound like a commercial, but they really work great. Better than any vacuum cleaner I’ve ever owned and I’ve gone through plenty.
The price point bites but you can get them relatively cheap on Amazon.
We’ve got a couple cats and kids and have been very happy with the Dyson Animal we picked up a couple years ago. At the time I thought it was irrational to spend that amount but it was worth it. We don’t use the Mini Turbine Head much. but the Low Reach attachment is great on tile and wood floors.
I have the Dyson DC-15 (the one with the ball) and it’s the best vacuum I’ve ever owned.
I’ve owned both bagless and bagged models. I see everyone here loves the Dyson, but my own personal guess is that they are all being hypnotized by the see-through canister. Whatever you do, don’t get a bagless vacuum cleaner. Seriously.
In case you’re still questioning that decision, take the bag out of your current vacuum cleaner (or borrow one from a friend), cut the top off, and try to empty it in your trashcan without choking on dust. If you can do that without cursing at least twice, then you deserve all the see-through turbine-y goodness you can get.
Myself, I have a Eureka Boss and it picks up after two cats whose sole purpose in life is to create hair.
I’ve been trying to wrap my head around what the differences are between the (all Animals), DC-14, DC-15, and DC-17 (aside from the obvious ones like the ball). And, does the ball really improve matters that much?
Agree about the perception of bagless being potentially better than the actual performance. Listen to Richard. Check out THE BOSS. :)
Sorry, I should also mention that I’ve had a Oreck before (including the standalone canister vac) and wasn’t very impressed. It seemed to have lots of suction, but it also left quite a bit on the floor (especially the hardwood), and in the carpet.
Some of the Dyson features do seem quite nice, though.
I’m surprised that so many people here have Dysons. Ames and I have a vacuum that we bought about 3 years ago that is quite frankly starting to suck. It’s a bagless, but I have to clean 3 different filters every other time I vacuum, which is much more labor intensive than dealing with the bag in the old canister vac we inherited when we got married. I’ll have to read through these comments in more detail when I have more time.
If you really want to drop some cash, check out Rainbow. Quite expensive, but exceptionally effective - not to mention long-lasting. The cool thing is that they filter through water, which is easily/inexpensively replaced and also (arguably) better than any paper filter outside of NASA’s R&D lab.
I have the Dyson Ball, and I really like it. But then I’ve never used a non-ball Dyson so I can’t speak as to whether or not the ball makes it better. It does make it highly maneuverable though.
As for those who argue against bagless, I had a bagless vacuum before my Dyson (I don’t remember the brand) and it was horrible. A huge nasty mess. The bagless Dyson seems (to me at least) an evolutionary step ahead in terms of cleanliness and easy of disposal.
The only drawback to Dysons is that they don’t come cheap. Other than that, in my experience they are fantastic.
The other great feature of Dysons is that they are FANTASTIC for cleaning stairs.
The hose comes out of the vacuum at the very base of the unit, so even when you have the hose fully extended and pulled up a flight of stairs, the base is in no danger of tipping over, like a lot of vacuums are inclined to do.
I am curious about LG’s new vacuum cleaner: The Kompressor. It acts as a trash compactor for dust, etc. in addition to it’s natural sucking abilities. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be in stores for another month.
Gizmodo has good article about it… The compact size looks ideal for big city dwellers. Maybe it’s worth holding out for some real-world tests?
Like others, I have two cats, a wife, and a Dyson. The three of them put enough hair on my dark clothes to color me blond.
That being said, I love my Dyson. It sucks, but in that good way. It’s not a ball model and it’s likely I wouldn’t notice having grown accustomed to wielding more heavy industrial models working in mall retail shops as a teenager.
If my apartment caught on fire I’d save my wife, my cats, my iMac, and my Dyson (kidding, but I do live on the ground floor so it’s not out of the realm of possible).
I’d say the only detractor is that they need to be more ruggedized. I don’t like it when I’m using the hose to clean my couch and absently try to drag the Dyson too hard, resulting in the handle flying out.
I have a Dyson and my parents have an Oreck. Both perform admirably, and even comparably, but the Dyson is bagless and hence has lower maintenance costs, putting it over the top for me. Both testing grounds have dogs and cats, for the record.
I’ve also owned recent models from Eureka and Bissell, and while they were okay, they did not really do as good of a job as the Dyson and Oreck do.
Maybe think about the problem from ‘outside the box’ and get hairless cats instead?
I was in a similar situation, and watched my floor eventually start to grow plans as I researched for months on the absolute best vacuum. Just as I was ready to by, Mom gave me her old one. So, first, check with the fam, and humbly accept leftovers!
I’ve been mulling over a Dyson purchase. We’re currently dragging around a ridiculous Philips vacuum cleaner whose designers don’t seem to have nodded very much towards either form or function.
I notice Adam Greenfield quite likes his Dyson DC07.
Check out Dyson Vacuums, I have 2 big dogs and it handles the mess. They also come with useful attachments which is rare. Hope that helped.
Two cats + Dyson at mine. I got a second-hand refurbished Dyson, an older, clunkier model that’s long been superceded, and my only complaint is that it takes up heaps more space than my old vac. Make sure you’ve got a good place to stow whatever you end up with.
Working at the ol’ Mugshots we use a Dyson. Everynight, lots of crap to vacuum from lots of people. I’ve named her Lucille. She is turqouise and purple, which zaps the whole sexy design thing and instead reminds me of the Charlotte Hornets and those old Grandma-ma ads. Get the yellow one. That nice Australian man spent his whole life perfecting a vacuum. Who are you to make that man’s whole life irrelevant?
No thanks on the expensive vacuum (e.g., Dysons). I say get a $100 industrial vac that will suck up *anything*, wet or dry. I pick the Ridgid which sells at Home Depot. They’re not that big and come with the usual nozzles for different jobs, the only drawback being you can’t roll it around. But they’ll last!
Hah, I’m just gunna add to the general feeling that Dyson’s rule the roost when it comes to pets.
I live in a house that has had 4 dogs and 5 cats at the same time, and the dyson could deal with it with ease.
Would definatly reccomend one!
Not sure why Jody thinks Dysons are all spin… I’ve had a number of different vacuums over the years (Hoover, Panasonic, Dyson) and have to say the Dyson is by far the best one I’ve owned. My biggest complaint is they way the hose extension works. I have one of the original models and while the suction is great, the way the hose extension works is a real pain. Fortunately for you, the new ones have been redesigned and it’s much better.
Another thing to consider is that the Dyson is bagless, which is much better for our environment.
Well I bought a Dyson a while back because they were the “it” vac. For the first week that thing nearly took the floor boards up and then it developed some kind of issue with one of the seals and it was never the same again,. It was repaired, sent back and forth several times but it just never worked properly again. In my experience the best vac is a Miele. It may not be as sexy as a Dyson but they last forever. Last one I had lasted 12 years and probably would have lasted even longer but I moved countries and left it behind.
I don’t have personal experience with a Dyson — but both my parents and brother-in-law bought one and both of them returned them shortly thereafter. From what I have heard, they are way overpriced. But, hey, if you can get a deal from Mr. Dyson himself, why not?
Owned many vacuums over the years. After being gently prodded to actually use them by my wife, I feel that I have the hands-on experience to join the Dyson Camp with my recommendation. Our yellow lab led the league in leaving his furry DNA throughout the house and our Dyson Animal DC 07 amazed me with its ability to keep sucking up dog hairs and those other little unidentifiable dirty bits long after you seem to think that the area is clean. It becomes an obsession to keep going over the same section of carpet just to see how big you can make the furball spinning in the see-through container.
Miele; Tis the best i have had - canister based; quiet; small and very german. Does incredibly well on mixed flooring and has compartments for all those extra brushes and attachments. I suppose the best testimonial would be the air-con man trying to replace our inline filter system complaining that the filter was still good after 2 years – he could see no reason to replace it {says they are usually replaced once a year or every six months normally}. Small and maneuverable makes it ideal for multi-floor houses, under the couch and for cleaning the car. The best you can get at a reasonable price.
There you go.
Thanks to all for the suggestions and opinions. I ended up going with the Dyson DC17 Animal, and mamaloosha, what an incredible machine. I am very pleased, especially with how quickly it make the jump to hose/attachment mode. Hotcha!
We have a Dyson DC-07. Best vac we’ve ever had (out of Kenmore, Hoover, Kirby, Panasonic). We have 5 cats, 2 dogs, and a rabbit indoors. We pick up a spare dog off the stairs every week! We love the bagless design. For those who say the Dysons clog right away, I don’t get it. If it’s new, and you’ve never had one, you’ve probably clogged the HEPA filter right off. Take ‘em out, clean and dry them, and as good as new. I’d definately check out the Consumer Reports article. If the Dyson’s are rated as low as they say, I’d be frightened to run the top rated vacs. The suction must be scary.
Peter
how about “windows vista”, i heard thats sucks :P
I too love the lightsaber on our DC-17, though I think my wife agreed to fork over that much for a vacuum solely to get me involved in cleaning the house.
@Yani
That made me giggle.
I have 2 dogs, 2 cats and a 2-year old all indoors. We bought the Dyson animal about a year and a half ago. One tip: I bought ours at Target and did the credit card sign-up to save $50.
Pros: Hasn’t lost suction. Good for animal hair. I am constantly amazed at how much junk it picks up!
Cons: If you have stairs, it’s a bit on the heavy side. I have never been enamored with the hose attachment. Even though it claims to have 17 ft of length, I never seem to get it to extend like it should.
Re: #31 Nathan Logan
I have to agree regarding the Rainbow. My mother bought a Rainbow in the early 80s and it STILL runs very well. The water filtration is pretty cool.
Also, my mother in law has a Dyson and she LOVES it. So far, they hype seems to be true.
I think you can’t go wrong with either of these brands.
Another vote for the Dyson. If you have pets, spend the extras $100 and get the Dyson Animal. Best vacuum around. Period.
Chalk another one up for the Dyson DC-14 Animal *AND* for the Rainbow. I used a 1970’s Rainbow just before I bought the Dyson and although it required a little more manual labor, it was awesome (and so is the Dyson).
As for the price: you can still find working Rainbow’s for under $100 @ garage sales and I bought my Dyson @ The Sharper Image. It was the floor model and they were closing it out. I was able to talk them into 40% off up from the 20% they offered. That brought the price down to ~$350 out-the-door.
I forgot to mention, even though I don’t have pets, I do have a wife with long hair (well, longer than mine). The Animal is still very effective.
Skip the Dyson ‘Ball’ (DC-15, I think). Now that one is over-hyped.
Wow, I’m late to this “sucking” party.. Dyson, 100% worth every dollar and worth the hype.
I didn’t read the previous comments so forgive me if these Dyson Animal praises have already been sung:
-I have two dogs and used to have a cat, and the Dyson is the only thing that gets up all that hair. It’s also the only vacuum I’ve used that can handle a shag rug.
-It never gets clogged, but the area where you most likely find a vacuum clog is detachable.
-The upholstry attachment is great on my couches and throw pillows for animal hair, and I like that the hose is extra long.
-It’s easy to empty, and requires little to no maintenance, and is pretty quiet.
The downside:
-The brush bar gets clogged a bit, but you can pop it out and clean it off in 5 minutes. I do this every couple of months, but this is probably because of my pet situation.
Not to spam but i have a more detailed review on my own site.
I second @beth… got the Dyson animal a little over a year ago. I could fill up the canister every day with the hair my dog sheds! It does a great job, it’s light weight, and I love the various attachments for dusting, baseboards, etc. I do have to clean the brush bar as well every couple months, but I’ve also had to do that with every other vacuum. In my research, other comparable vacuums of different brands cost at least $200 more.
I had the opportunity to use both the Oreck XL and a DC14 at the same time, and was able to do test runs with both vacuums to see which worked the best. We have a long haired dog that sheds and the dyson worked fantastic.
After having the DC14 animal for about 15 months now I can honestly say that it hasn’t lost a lick of suction.
You can read more about my review where I weight the pros and cons of the DC14 Animal. Good luck with your decision.
Personally, I don’t own a Dyson, but haven’t thought about it. I do own a Rainbow system, and for my allergies, it is the best. I have owned it for about 8 years, and have had no problems at all. It uses a water trap for the filter, so nothing gets by it, even the most miniscule amount of dust.
I use it about twice a month with another cheaper vacuum for quickie cleaning, and love it. I do the whole house about once a month, and will never get rid of it.
The price is a stickler, however, but I know you can find nice ones at yard sales, ebay, and some vacuum shops.
Maybe Jason, you can give us an update on the Vac in a few months to see if it lived up to the hype or not. :)
dru: Sure! And so far, on the two separate cleaning extravaganzas I’ve used it on, it’s performed spectacularly. My rugs have never been cleaner.
We have the Eureka Boss SmartVac and I love it. We too have various floor types, and stairs with cat hair(residual, as the kitties no longer live with us)and bad allergies. This vacuum has a powered stair and upholstery attachment (called “the power paw”) that is great for stairs, chairs, couches, small spaces, etc. We recently used the super long extendo wand to clean off the ceiling fans, even the one 20 feet high. I researched a lot, and this vacuum gets best consumer report for your money, as I originally really wanted a Dyson, this vacuum is more bang for your buck by far!
Jason, how is your vacuum working out? I recently purchased a Dyson DC07 All Floors and it’s the best money I ever spent. If you want I can give you a link to my review on the vacuum (it’s on Amazon). Let me know.
I am extreemly suprised that no one on here has mentioned about central vacuums yet.As far as Dyson, it’s a nice looking vacuum but seriously how long do you really think that it will last. My parents bought an historical house from the 1900’s and believe it or not it has a central vacuum in it. The unit in the basement which we replaced said arco wand 1915 on it.Dont believe me do a search on ebay for arco wand. The unit still worked and had suction,they replaced it with a hoover central vacuum unit. A Central vacuum is really the best you can get. Here is a comparison of a vacuum against a central vacuum. central vacuum is quiet, an upright or canister is not. A central vacuum adds value to a home a regular vacuum does not.A central vacuum is emptied every 6 months, a regular vacuum every month(depending on how much you clean of corse).central vacuums last for 40 or more years.You might eventually have to replace the motor or something like that but still how many people even have the vacuums repaired anymore,we live in a throw away country.
The price point bites but you can get them relatively cheap on Amazon.
Thanks …