Trying to buy a new vacuum and I’m completely overwhelmed at all the options! CC, help! Ours is very old, clunky, and keeps breaking. I’m sick of fixing it every time we need to use it.
Situation:
-House is mostly hardwood and tile but the bedrooms and stairs are carpeted and we have rugs throughout the house. Would prefer a vacuum that can transition from one floor type to another without having to adjust anything but adjusting isn’t a big deal if need be.
-There is lots of dog fur. Our dog has short fur but we are fostering dogs in the near future and would prefer one that won’t freak out if long fur gets in there.
-We live on a dirt road so there is a lot of dust and dirt that gets kicked in but never any mud so I’m not worried about getting one that scrubs floors.
-Bagless is better (though it seems like that’s all there is nowadays?)
I’d prefer something in the $250 or less category but one with a decent to good warranty (preferably 3+ years but it seems like 2 is the standard and that’s OK). Other than that, I don’t really have any needs that I can think of… by the way, spouse does the vacuuming and when I asked what kind of vacuum he wants, he said “One that works.” Sigh…
This may not fit your needs because it’s expensive and small, but the Dyson cordless vacuum that’s specifically for pet hair has worked really well for us. We use it on carpet and on hardwood. If you have a small house it could work well, but for a large house it’s not big enough. We also have a “big” vacuum we use occasionally. Good luck.
Everyone I know who has a Dyson says it was worth “every penny.”
I’ve never had a Dyson, but have had plenty of issues with the cheaper models. My next vacuum may very well be a Dyson, because I’ve regretted a few of my purchases.
I have a Miele canister which starts at around $300. Lightweight, powerful suction, quiet (by comparison to other vacuums). It’s good on hardwood floors, and you can get a powered head with brush as an optional attachment. Quality German machine well worth the money.
My other vacuum is made by Sebo, which is also a German maker. But it was $750 or so 9 years ago.
Romani, when I got my Dyson, you could use the 30% Kohls coupon, so that saved us a fair amount. I’ve heard Kohls may have started placing limits on their coupons, but it may be worth checking. Also, sometimes on-line has different coupon rules than stores. It may be worth checking around.
Thanks all, definitely things to consider. I, too, have heard about Dysons being worth every penny. It’s a bit above my price range but if they last as long as people say then do then it’s definitely worth it. The one we currently have is an Oreck and it’s a beast that’s lasted forever but it’s very bulky, heavy, and finally starting to fall apart. I’m pretty sure it’s almost as old as I am…
Plus, I’m not desperate for one right now so I can wait for sales/coupons (if possible).
If I do go for a Dyson, any recommendations there? lol I know they have some uprights in the 400-range.
I have never owned a vacuum that I liked. In fact, I hate vacuuming so much that, after my children were born, I went back to work so I could justify having a cleaning lady so I didn’t have to vacuum.
I think I have personally started three threads asking what vacuum is best, and you all lied to me, because I know for a fact that no vacuum is a good vacuum.
Ok I think I might’ve found my winner. A Dyson DC40 Animal Upright Vacuum Cleaner ($450 on the Dyson site) is currently only $279 at Home Depot with free shipping.
There’s a 90 day money back period so we’re trying this
I hope you like it. If you decide you want to shop more, we all LOVE our electronic, programmable Roomba. We just program it and let it do the work. We have to empty out the bin and help put it back on the charger when it gets “lost,” but otherwise, we LOVE it! They have them at Costco, so it can be tried and returned with no obligation if you decide it’s not for you. We have had several and currently have three in our home. Our kids each bought one as well. We program it for M-F and take a break on the weekend.
The Roomba is DEFINITELY on my future to-get list. It’s not a needed expense right now but as things settle down and get more financially secure, that’s high up there. Is it good for transitioning from hardwood to rugs and back?
Spouse is convinced I only want it because it amuses me… when we went to a friend’s house that had it, the dog chased it and I was transfixed.
It’s fine going from one type of floor to another (preferably not too high a pile on the carpet). We have hardwood and sheet vinyl, and have been VERY happy. My folks have low pile carpet, as do my SisIL & brother. It works effortlessly! They say if you “discipline” Roomba in front of the pets, they won’t attack it and mostly ignore it. I’m sure there are youtube videos on the topic. (We have no pets, so that hasn’t been an issue for us but others have said it works–“scold” the robotic vacuum in front of the pets, so they know they are still alpha, and viola!)
OP, I recently bought that Dyson and have mixed feelings. It’s big and bulky and very heavy/awkward to lug around. It came with a bunch of attachments that mostly confuse me and didn’t come with some I would have liked… The learning curve for putting it together and figuring out how to use it was steeper than average, mostly because the owner’s manual was short on words and long on pictures–not up my alley at all. I used the online chat function to ask about a particularly mysterious attachment and was referred to a video that was about another model entirely, so their customer support isn’t so great. On the plus side, the suction is excellent and the special animal hair attachment works great–no clogs. I like not having to use bags. Hope it works out for you.
Thanks for the head’s up, @MommaJ! Ordering it through a store website is nice because I can return it straight to the store rather than worrying about shipping it back (which I admit I am terrible about doing!)
I know you already made your choice, but wanted to point out that there are definitely advantages to vacuum cleaners with bags… As I came to appreciate the year our dog brought home fleas!
I have one of the earlier Dyson models (1995?) and my husband was really upset that I bought it because he hated the yellow and the fact that it didn’t have any bags. At the time, it was priced like the average Hoover. My family thought I was nuts.
Still works great! (It doesn’t have all the parts that now come with the vacuum). My neighbor has two Dysons! Why? She wanted one on each floor, plus, she didn’t want to have one break and not be able to use her vacuum. I thought that was overkill.
Funny thing: we were going to replace the carpeting downstairs and the carpet rep saw my Dyson and said that I needed to buy a new vacuum because my Dyson would be too strong for the fibers, and would ruin the carpet. It made our decision on carpet easy-going to hardwood floors.
I have a woman that helps me with the hard tedious part of housecleaning 2 Saturdays per month. She says that she’s considered buying her own Dyson for her housecleaning service because it would make her job easier.
