Good Vacuum Suggestion

S.,

I'd like to know that, too! I can tell you what NOT to buy--a Shark! They show how great it works on TV, but in real life, it has the following problems:

The small collection cup fills quickly and has several pieces to remove when emptying. This is a filthy, filthy process and has to be done outdoors. You have to pick out clogged pet hair and bang the inside filter part against something to clean it as best you can. Just miserable!

It overheats so easily and once it shuts off, you are done for the day! It doesn't stay on more than ten or 15 minutes if you're vacuuming carpeted or runnered stairs with some dog hair. I imagine Cheerios, scraps of paper, plant leaves, etc. would plug it up fast, too.

The hose attachments constantly fall off because they are just shoved into the mouth of the Shark and there's nothing to keep it attached. The hoses are stiff and so the slightest bump or pressure knocks it out.

For dog hair on runnered stairs, I haven't found anything better than doing it by hand with a a plain old scrub brush. For furniture, I use a gentler rubber pet hair removal brush followed by an adhesive pet/lint roller.

1 mom found this helpful

We have a Dyson and I wouldnt trade it for anything! The hand held hose reaches all the way up the steps not to mention the cord is really long (12-15 feet).
Good luck

1 mom found this helpful

Well, I know this is about the most expensive kind you can buy, but we love it. We have a Rainbow sweaper and it works on EVERYTHING. There are attachments for the stairs that I also use on the furnituure. The carpet shampooer also works for hardwood floors. And the handle can lay all the way to the floor which is great for under the bed and couch. It was also great for when the little one peed in our bed, we just poured hot water on the spot and sweapt out the smell and fluid. Best of Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

It is VERY expensive, but I love my Dyson Animal. It does great at picking up everything!!! It got cat off of my couch that I didn't even know was there!! It has a bunch of great attachments, including one for furniture and stairs. Good luck on your search.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi,
We love our Sears Kenmore canister vac. I think there are several models available. Ours came with a "powermate jr." attachment which is a miniature beater bar attachment for doing carpeted stairs and tight spaces that the full sized attachment won't reach.

The canister style is nice if you have different types of flooring because they come with carpet and hard floor attachments as well as upholstery, dusting and crevice tools.

We've had the vacuum for quite a few years now and no probelms. We did purchase the extra warranty because even if there's nothing wrong with it, you can take it to Sears once a year and they will clean it and do any necessary maintenance.

The model that we have has a hepa filter and I use the more expensive hepa cloth bags because I think they really make a difference (you can tell because the inside of the vacuum is still very clean, unlike when we've used paper bags in the past.)

My Mom has had Kenmore canister vacs for as long as I can remember and my sister has one too. I think Sears puts them on sale regularly.

Hope this helps.

1 mom found this helpful

we just got a windtunnel 2, and i love it. the handle detaches to become a cleaning wand very easily, and will stretch for quite some distance. i saw a demonstration on GMA of the leading vacuums about a week ago, and the hoover windtunnel 2 beat out the dyson, and its about 100 dollars cheaper!

1 mom found this helpful

I have a Dyson and LOVE it. I know they are expensive, but it works great and is so easy to clean my stairs. It sits at the bottom and the attachment reaches all the way to the top!!

1 mom found this helpful

I just got a Kenmore Intelliclean. I LOVE it and it is half the price of the Dysons and it got a better review with Consumer Reports then the Dysons did. The hose is long enough for me to leave the vaccum downstairs and do the stairs from top to bottom with an awesome attachment that works just like the vaccum itself. I love it...you should check it out.

1 mom found this helpful

Try the Dyson Animal, specifically designed to pick up pet hair. Can recommend it, no bag, filter that needs washing on a 6 monthly basis so low maitenance and really does pick up the dirt. I was horrified the first time I used mine!
Sam

1 mom found this helpful

We bought a Dyson... just the typical model with the average bells and whistles, but it's FANTASTIC! They're a little pricey, but I don't know how I ever got along without it!

1 mom found this helpful

Turst me, I have tried them all. Dyson vacuums are the best and keep working year after year.

1 mom found this helpful

I'm going to jump on the Dyson train... I LOVE THEM!!! I am an avid cleaner, I love to vacuum. I know, I understand that's strange. But we had a Dirt Devil before, a nice one in fact, but when it broke we got the Dyson. The first time I used it, I was appalled at the amount of dirt that came out of my carpet that the Dirt Devil had missed. One go around filled the entire canister...GROSS!! Also, the extended handle and hose means you can leave the vacuum at the bottom of the stairs and it also reaches my ceiling fan and plant ledge on my vaulted ceiling. I know they are pricey but if you find them on sale (sometimes Shottensteins has them for a lot less) they are soooo worth it.

1 mom found this helpful

S.-
I just purchased the Eureka 71A Hand held vacuum for my furniture and stairs. This thing works wonders! I bought it from Amazon.com. It is lightweight and it really does the job! If you check it out on Amazon, you can read all the great reviews it has...
J.

1 mom found this helpful

I highly recommend the Sears brand Kenmore. We just bought one in December and love it. We checked out Consumer Reports right before we got it and it is rated number 1. It scored better than the expensive Dyson. The Kenmore is in the 200 range on sale. They have a bag and bagless version. We went with the bag version because it scores slightly better and I personally don't like to be up close and personal with my own dirt. Both versions however outpreformed any other brands.

Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

no advice really. i hate cleaning the stairs!! maybe a cannister vac or some kind of carpet brush/broom.
as for the women who like the dyson... i have one and like it for pet hair, but i HATE the wand detached. it is so stiff and does'nt bend at all to get around corners or anything.