I Need a New Vacuum Cleaner

Hi B.,

I LOVE MY ORECK!
I just recently purchased the Oreck
XL21. A bit pricey but worth it. Beside
the suction power, it is sooooo light!
Saves a lot of wear & tear on your back.
Before this I had a Hoover Windtunnel. I
also considered the Dyson but Oreck won out.
You can't beat that warranty. With the XL21
there is a 22 yr. warranty.
Happy cleaning!
Liz D

1 mom found this helpful

Hi B.:

I was able to thoroughly clean our carpet with the help of dyson. We went through cheap vacuum's in a year maybe two at best. I bought the dyson when it first came out and I tell you it was worth every penny, even then.

If I add up all the other I bought the first ten years; I could have bought two dyson (when they first came out).

I hope this helps and good luck.

T.

I've run a small house cleaning service for many years, and while the Oreck is good, there's absolutely NOTHING that beats a Dyson......... don't get the canister type one. The model called the Animal is the best by far and worth every penny! I am buying one for my personal use ASAP..... they are expensive but you'll probably never need a vacuum again! Good luck.

You can't go wrong with Oreck. I have used one for 15 years. I am on my second Oreck but still use my old one for the patio.
there is an Oreck store in Hurst on Grapvine Highway - in the same shopping center as the new Tom thumb.

HI B.,
In many years of having several vacuums I have to say my Dyson has been by far the best. It does have great suction power and tends to give your carpet a nice clean feel afterward. Hope this helps.

Mom of 2 Boys,
Carmen

We have a Dyson and it SO WORTH IT!
We have a large Australian Shepherd who sheds like you wouldn't believe...and I mean that.
The vacuum works so well that hair is not really an issue in our house anymore.
We have the Dyson "Animal" and we bought it brand new from a vacuum store on Ebay. We saved about $100 and it still has a full warranty.
I would recommend researching the model types too.
Some have better ratings than others.
Good luck!

I purchased a Dyson last July and love it. My Hoover was 12 years old and even though it still worked well, I was wanting something newer. Hoover is a good brand. I have had three of them and they all lasted much longer than I expected. I have really enjoyed the Dyson - there are several to choose from. Because I have indoor/outdoor dogs, I purchased the Dyson pet - it seems to really pull the dog heair out of the carpet. I have several others that I know that have purchased other varieties of the Dyson.

Panasonic - best vaccuums out there and I have used a Dyson. When Kirby came to our house to demonstrate with the salt in the carpet trick our Panasonic picked it all up!

I'll give you my opinion...
I bought a Dyson about 2 years ago and I absolutely LOVE it. It is a little too much to say that it never gets clogged (I have 3 dogs) but it is the way the vacuum is put together that makes it great. If you suck up something too big or heavy, every part comes off the vacuum and you can find it and remove the item. It has a hepa filter and it really picks up everything. The only thing that I recomend that is kind of a negative is that when you empty the canister, you want to either empty it outside, or in a tall garbage can, or you will release dust. But even with this, it is the best vacuum that I've ever used. If you are a member at Sam's or Costco, I think that they are cheaper there.
Hope it helps!

Hello B. H,
I used to use an Oreck and it worked great. It was very lightweight and easy to use. I particularly liked the way it would pick up dirt on the edge of the baseboards. My mother also used an Oreck and her carpet always looked clean.
I currently have a Hoover , but I am thinking of purchasing an Oreck myself. I also like the little vaccuum that they usually offer for free with the purchase. I recently purchased a home and it only has ceramic tile. I know that the little Oreck vaccuum will help me keep the edges clean.
I hope this information helps you and Good Luck making a decision.
Thank you, J. Martinez, mother of 2 -- 7 and 5

If I had the money, I'd buy a Dyson. I have a couple friends that have one and they love it! My biggest pet peeve and not having a long enough cord on mine. I wish mine would die so I could justify getting a Dyson!

When I was looking for a vacuum I went down to the local vacuum repair shop and asked them which was the best. They told me that the bagless vacuums were always in getting fixed and recommended a bag vacuum. They said the suction is better and they hold up longer. My shop recommended the Sears Kenmore bag vacuum because they hardly get any in for repair. I have had mine for over 4 years with no problems!!

J.

I just talked to the repairman about my Electrolux and other brands. He says the Kirby is overpriced, heavy and not easy to attach the attachments. The Electrolux has been bought out by Urecka and is putting their name on the Ureckas. There is one made by Riccar that has been around a long time but has not been advertised much. My son's family bought one and love it. This is the one he recommended to me. One model has 2 motors, one for attachments and one for floors that he recommended. He said most have only one motor. They are not too expensive for what you are getting. Check it out.

A.
Retired secretary; grandmother of 7 granddaughters, married

hi bigette
i like you have tried many vacumes,kirby oreck...with 9 kids and several rescue dogs,cats.. my carpet takes a beating. my son has a tendency toward asthma so i purchased a dyson 2 yrs. ago. i love it!!! it is the only vacume i will ever buy again. it is so easy to use and truly amazing what it picks ups. hope this helps. oh, i was very disappointed in the oreck gave mine away.

I recently bought a Dyson and love it. However the attachment for stairs is not great

I have an Oreck and love it. When I bought mine, I got the small hand held which is great for cars and baseboards. Good luck!

I have the Kirby worst $1000.00 I ever spent. My mom has a Dyson and LOVES it. That is my 2 cents worth. good luck on your purchase.
K

We bought our Dyson when they first came out in the US and we love it. There was a scathing article in Consumer Reports about it this past year, saying that it doesn't pick up hair, etc. I have NOT found that to be true at all. I've even done "tests" to compare it to my mom's oreck and it's unbelievable how much stuff it picks up that the oreck leaves behind. I've also heard really good things about the rainbow. Supposedly they are pretty expensive, but great if you have allergy problems.

Don't get a Kerby... I have one because mom did and they just cost too much. The Dyson does the best as far as allergens. I would look up consumer report.com and get a 1 month membership to see what the experts recommend. I did this before buying both my flat top stove and my new refrigerator.

i broke down and bought a dyson last year and LOVE it! you can use the 20% off coupon at bed, bath, and beyond!

I vote for the Dyson animal, but the fancy, expensive one. Bed Bath & Beyond lets you use a 20% off coupon. The regular animal one (light purple) gets bad reviews online and from my friends. I got the DC-17, I think, and it would pull a whole container of stuff from only one room. Tons of silt and junk from deep in the carpet. It's easy to push and when you wrap the cord up the plug actually stops at a decent place to hook it to itself!

Have you considered a Rainbow vacuum. They have a canister vacuum that doesn't require bags or cleaning messy containers, instead before you vacuum you put water in the reservoir. The water traps the dust, dirt, hair, fur, dander, and whatever else you pick up in it. The best part is when your done you just remove the reservoir and flush the dirty water down the toilet and clean the reservoir in the sink. It is so simple. It is also a carpet cleaner. I have also found that if you add a capful of your favorite room deodorizer or cleaner (like Pine-Sol or whatever you like) to the water it freshens the air as you are vacuuming. So when you are done you not only have clean floors but the house smells nice and fresh. It has attachments for hard floors and of course funiture and such. We have had ours for a couple years and it has been great. We have 4 cats and a dog and vacuum daily and have had no problems with this vacuum. Rainbow has a warranty on it and can service it whenever it may need anything or just for routine care. The downside is that it is a canister vacuum and it is expensive.

I have a Dyson and love it! I am not sure of the warranty on it. I got my used from my dad. Most of the accessories are on the vacuum itself. It does a great job pick stuff up. Hope that helps.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Dyson. It picks up everything and I feel like the house is sooo clean when I am done. The only problem is that it does not work well getting under the kitchen cabinets so I have to sweep under them before vacumning. I have a dog that sheds badly and it gets every hair up. It also has a 10 year guarantee. Good luck.

I have a Dyson that is specialized for pet hair b/c we have a dog...and I wouldn't trade it for anything. And I'm pretty sure there are parts of the vaccum that have a lifetime warranty, but you might not want to quote me on that. And it doesn't just vaccum the carpet, you can use it on tile too which is awesome b/c if you have tile you know that you have sweep, mop, and then sweep again. In my opinion it's totally worth the money and if and when this one ever dies on me I will buy another one. :)

I have three dogs and a son that brings everything back in the house with him. every vvacuum I had would get clogged and loose suction. I finally broke down and bought the Dyson animal. It is the best vacuum, I vacuum every day. I have had it for 2 years and it still works just as well as the first time I used it.

I bought an Electrolux in 1976 that lasted 26 years with only minor repairs. In 2002 it finally died. I tried the bagless ones and hated them. Dust flew every where when I was trying to empty them. So I went back to the Electrolux---which is now called Aerus. They sold the Electrolux name to Eureka. My Aerus is the tank type, but they sell an upright, also. You'll pay more, but nothing compares to the suction, durability, and ease of use. My daughter has a Kirby, but I can't get under furniture, or reach up and clean cobwebs out of the ceiling corners with it. You'll pay more buying an Aerus, but you'll spend the same money on a bunch of cheap ones in the same length of time. I'll never have anything else.

Go with the Oreck. I've had one about 2 years and love it. It is light-weight and I love how it doesn't "blow" dust around. The bags really work. Good luck. Forget those bagless ones, they just spread more dirt and dust around.

wow! you vacuum a lot! :-) I suggest the Dyson Animal (the purple one). It's about 550 bucks but they have them at linens and things and bed, bath and beyond. (you can use the 20% off coupon). It's expensive but it REALLY works well. The attachments are all onboard and a wand comes out with a hose so long i can go up all my stairs and leave the unit downstairs. I could not believe what that thing pulled out of my carpets the first time I used it!!! Just to put it to the test, I vacuumed with my old vacuum (a top-of-the-line rikkar) first and THEN used the Dyson. WOW. After one room I had to empty it because there was so much junk in it. My carpets actually look to be a different color now that I've been using it for 6 months.

I bought the cheapest Dyson at Target, and love it!

I would highly recommend a RICCAR. And also get a vaccum with a bag. I know everyone thinks bagless is better and easier (we thought this too) but it is not correct. Bags contain dust, mites, hair, etc...especially if you use a bag with a HEPA filter. Bagless cannot do this as well. There used to be a place called Frisco Vaccuum. Not sure where you live, but they are now in McKinney - McKinney Vaccuum. Very helpful and informative. Sells several brands. I would go someone like that that does not just sell Oreck or whatever type (Nothing against Oreck just first name I thought of) b/c obviously those places are going to be prejudice against their own brand.

I have the Dyson that helps helps with pets/allergies (purple one). I have three kids, a messy husband, one cat and one dog...this vacuum rocks. I have had it for about four years and it is still working like the day I bought it. I love it and highly recommend it. It is easy to clean and there are no bags. I had to call the customer service number when i purchased it to ask a question about the accessories and they were super nice.

We love the Dyson animal!! Bagless is nice and we have never had a problem with it!

Hi!

I have the lightweight Dyson -- (the orange one that weighs less than 15 lbs.) and I have to say it really sucks. (Sorry for the pun). I never liked to vacuum at all until I bought this one.

It is so easy to use, easy to empty, and easy to carry around the house that I have started vacuuming far more frequently just because I like to use it. And I have two children who frequently give me reasons to vacuum. Even my husband likes to use it.

The Dyson comes with a 5 year warranty.

The only downside is that this particular model is light on the 'accessories' for drapery cleaning, etc. It's okay for corners and small furniture. If you were looking for full range of extra heads, then you might want to look at the one that is made specifically for pet hair. But I just wanted the lightweight floor vac, as I was primarily concerned with rugs and stairs.

Hope this helps!

I actually just saw a program on Fine Living Network reviewing vacuum cleaners!

Dyson came in on top. Second I belive was the Oreck.

Dyson was by far the most expensive, I believe close to $400 but did the best, was the easiest to empty (the bagless container)and seemed the best built.

Good luck!

Hi, I have a kKirby and I agree with you it is unwieldy, and heavy. My recommendation would be the Dyson. Since you do have crumb factories and you shed all year, the pet one should be the best. I have several friends who have them and they are absolutely wonderful. My daughter and I went to see an Oreck demonstrated and that was enough to turn us off of them. They're far more work than it's worth. While they aren't as hard to manipulate as the Kirby, they leave doubt as to whether they're actually picking up the trash or grinding it into your carpet.

Go with the Hoover V Twin Bagless, I did the research and the Dyson is an expensive piece of poo, the Eureka's aren't worth a dime, the Oreck doesn't pick up pet hair. The Hoover V-Twin bag less will pick up pet hair like it is going out of style. I can't believe how much it gets up off of my floors and carpet. I am still amazed after 5 years with it. My MIL had the Oreck and she has a long haired dog, she said it wasn't worth it's name, it didn't do a thing other than spew dirt everywhere.
Good luck with your choice,
L. N.

Unless you're a weight lifter, forget the Kirby. I have one with ALL the bells and whistles, and it is pretty useless to me because it is sooo heavy to work with and very cumberson. Changing out the attachments takes a bit as well. Oreck would be a good choice, or a Panasonic....had one for years, and I still miss it! Good luck!

I have an Oreck. I absolutely love it. If anything ever happens to it I will buy another one. It is SO easy to manuver and the suction is great. The first couple of months I used it I had to learn to not run over it's own cord because it would suck it up immediately. I have also owned a Eureka or a Dyson.

Hi! B., I have a Oreck and I absolutely love it. I would never buy anything else. Not only do they have wonderful suction, they make your carpet look like it has been vacuumed. Im not sure what they cost today or how updated they are but they are so worth the price. Ive had mine for 4 years and the only thing I have had to replace was the bag. I hope this will help you make a decision.

A Little about me: Stay at home mom of 2 (a 14 yr old girl and 1 yr old girl)

I had a bagless and absolutely HATED it!!! I had to clean after cleaning. I bought an Eureka "The Boss" and love it. My daughter is a college student, and I bought one for her apartment. She loves it also. It cost about $140 to $150.

I highly recomend the Oreck, I have had one for years and have not had any trouble.I also use one at our church.They are very dependable. D.

I have had a Dyson for a year and a half and I absolutely love it. In fact my whole family owns one and they all like it as well. My parents have dogs and they are always sucking up dog hair and they have never had any problems with theirs. I would definitely recommend a Dyson!

B.,
I have an Oreck and while it is light weight, I don't feel like it does a good job of getting the carpets clean. It has pretty good suction in the center of the beater bar, but as you move out toward the edge of the bar you loose a lot of suction. To do tight places, stairs, under cushions, etc. you have to use their seperate utility vacuum - and it's lousy. I've had mine for about 7 years and only really liked it for the first two. I've taken it in for regular repairs and one time they gave me back someone elses machine and gave mine to someone else. Overall, I've been very dissatisfied. Before this I had a Rainbow, which is very expensive and at that time cumbersome, but it did a great job and we had it for almost 20 years. Good luck on the search.
D. P.

If I were you, I would go to Vacuum Cleaners Unlimited in Dallas. These guys are wonderful and honest. They clean your vacuum cleaner for you (the rollers) and do not charge. The are great! They have been really helpful. I think if you buy a vacuum from them they maintain it (once a year) for free. It is worth the drive into Dallas.

Vacuum Cleaners Unlimited
1460 Preston Forest Square
Dallas, TX 75230

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Hi B., I have a Oreck vacuum cleaner, 8 pounds. You just can't imagine. I have week wrists so I needed something that I didn't have to use 2 hands to menuever and my grandchildren love to help when they come over. They can actually push it. It is the best at suction I have come accross. I recommend Oreck to everyone that asks. It was the best investment I ever purchased.

Have you looked at Consumer Reports on-line? We use it for all such purchases-really helps narrow the field. It's worth it to get the subscription.

Blessings~

if you are in the austin area, go to Austin Vacuum, they specialize in vacuums and have people that can recommend the machine for your life style

I have a Eureka "The Boss" Smart Vac. You can find them at walmart. It is about $130 if I remember correctly. I did about two weeks of research on vacuums before buying this one. I looked on consumer reports websites and read hundreds of customer ratings on all the different types of vacuums. I had considered the Oreck myself, but research showed that it did not clean as well as they advertise. Bagless vacs can also be more trouble than their worth and the price you pay in filters can end up being much more than bags.

It has worked wonderfully for me.

Hope that helps

The Dyson is the best!!!!! We have the DC 14 model which is called the "animal" model, and it works great on hair! My hair sheds alot too, plus we have 3 cats. The canister is easy to empty, and it's light enough to carry upstairs. My favorite thing about it is the telescoping hose. I can vacuum our stairs all the way up to our landing before having to move it upstairs to vacuum the second half of our stairs. It's alot of money for a vacuum, but I have never regretted this purchase in any way.

I've got a Bissell Healthy Home. I love it!! Not as expensive as a Dyson, but the same quality.

I have a Dyson and really like it. It gets up the hair really well-we have 3 cats. It is bagless which is nice, too. I think it has a 5 year warranty...but I am not certain on all models. It is more expensive but if you use it alot, its worth it. Hope this helps!

Check out FactoryDirect.com. I got a Dyson Animal D14 before Christmas for $424, no shipping, no tax, and a free car acc kit. It is $559 at Target and the car acc kit is $85. I am not sure what the specials are now, but they have a great way to put all the models side by side to compare. We are loving the vacuum and my husband is even using it a lot because it is really great and easy. It self adjusts if you go to different floor levels. It emptys with the push of a button to remove the canister and a button to empty the canister from the bottom right into the trash so it doesn't spill everywhere. I have had several expensive and inexpensive vacuums and they have thought of everything. It is pretty light weight too. Also the hose and attachments are connected so you don't have to take it apart to use the hose, just push a button to switch to that feature. The hose is really long too. Check it out.
-T.

I've been married and vaccumming for 34 years and have gone through several...I highly recommend the Orek over any other. I finally switched to that after the death of the last Eureka which actually worked fairly well for a while. While shopping for vaccums, one store owner who sells the Dyson, told me that it was not the vaccum it promises to be. He said the "engineer" with the great accent and great story has made a vaccum that doesn't work any better and won't last any longer than the others...and he sells them along with several other brands! That said, I got on the Orek website, and found a "barely used" one...I was able to purchase their top of the line for less than half of the original price...and it had only been used for one day in a booth demo. It works great, is easy on the back, and I think it will be my last vaccum purchase. :)

Oreck is FANTASTIC, the light weight sells me and they truly last for years!

I went through two wind tunnels and finally decided to change directions. Tired of them breaking in a year! I love my Oreck. I got the middle of the three models. They had no interest for a year so it wasn't too painful to pay for it. It is light weight so you don't feel like you are dragging around a truck! It comes with the shoulder/handheld and accessories for the handheld. Mine's ready to go in for it's 2 year checkup.

T.

I have owned an Oreck, Hoover wind tunnel and a Dyson and the Dyson is by far the best vacuum I have ever used! I have 2 Great Danes that are house dogs so we have a lot of black dog hair! I am amazed by how much dirt comes out of the carpet every time I vacuum. I have owned my Dyson for 2 years.

L.

Hi,

I have had a Dyson for almost 5 years. I have only had to replace one part, which I ordered online and replaced myself. I have rugs and hardwoods and one shedding dog. All the accessories fit on the actual machine, so no extra storage space needed. I like that I can use one machine for getting the floors, the corners, the couch, the ceiling fan, the blinds, etc. I thought my husband was crazy for wanting to spend $500 on a vacuum, but it has been worth it!

I bought an Oreck a few years ago, and I am still in love with it. It's lightweight, has great suction, and even works with the handle laid down flat. (My old vacuum wouldn't clean all the way under the beds, because every time I laid the handle down the front end would pop up-not a problem with this one)
I ordered mine from a catalog and got a free iron and mini-vac with it for around $300. (The iron is SOOO fabulous, but that's a different topic!) The only problem I've ever had with any of it is that I can't buy replacement bags at Wal-Mart. I have to either order online or go in to the Oreck store, and they cost a little more than regular bags. On the flip side, while I was at the Oreck store this last time, I noticed that they also sell reconditioned models for less than I paid for mine. I believe these also come with a warranty, but I'm not sure.

Hope this helps!

d2

I would reccommend an Oreck. They are light weight and very effective. Changing the bag is not any different than any other bag type machine. And mine works on my Ttle floors as well as the carpet. They are kinda of pricy, but I got mine at over half off because it was an unsellable color which I frankly didn't mind because I wasn't planning to decorate around it. It also has other type attachements for egde cleaning ets. I am hoping the birthsay/vaccuum fairy hs one for me!

R. Halter

I work in a flower shop, so our cleaners really take a beating, but we had an oreck for a long time before it broke down. It cleaned really well. Then we got a dyson, and there was always something wrong with it. The thing I didn't like about it, and would advise you to check into before you buy, is to check the belt. On the brand of dyson we had, any time the belt broke, we had to actually mail the vacuum cleaner back to the manufacturer. You can't change it yourself.

I just bought a Dyson about 1 month ago and its great. It came with all kinds of attachments and weighs maybe 10 pounds. It has no belts and a lifetime filter. You can adjust it to do carpet or wood floors/ceramic tile. I purchased mine on overstock.com. I got it about $50 cheaper than at the dept stores. I checked out everyone. The warranty is 5 years and the suction is great. Hope this helps.

I have an Oreck. It's great. I bought the one with a lifetime warrenty. I've had it for 5 years or so. Whenever it breaks it is free to repair it. One important thing: make sure you take it in for its annual checkup because they will replace the belt and bag for free. If the belt breaks on its own because you haven't maintained the vacuum, then you pay. Also, be careful with the plug. If you pull it out of the electrical socket by the cord and it shorts out, they will charge you for the repair. That happened to me. $35.00 charge
Anyway, it is very light weight. I wouldn't own another vacuum. They just don't last. One more thing, ask them for a demo. I saved a great deal of money and received the same warrenty and all the bonus gifts.

We bought a dyson last year. We have a dog, two cats, two pet rats, carpet and a two year old. Our vaccuum picks up EVERYTHING; especially the rat bedding that flies on to the floor. Also, it works great on the hard floor too to pick up dust. We love the dyson. Its just the regular model not the pet model and it works great. Good luck.

I bought a Dyson several years ago and have been very happy with it everytime I go to use it.
It's not heavy and I like how you can pull the tubing out to reach those high up places or hard to get to places.
My husband and I have really been pleased w/ it.

I have a Rainbow that I totally love. I add scented oil to the water, and makes my whole house smell great. It was very expensive, but we have had it for 12 years with absolutely no problems with it. My sister has a Hoover Fusion bagless that also works wonders. If you want to test some out closer to home, there is a vacuum cleaner shop on Cooper in Arlington, and also one in North Richland Hills (I am not sure where, near the mall I know, LOL).

Hi Bridgett,
Both of my sister-in-laws purchased new vacuums last year. One bought an Oreck and the other bought a Dyson. I think they agree that they like the Dyson better because the suction is stronger. Hope this helps.

Dyson, Dyson, Dyson! Worth every penny - I love mine!

Have you ever tried an Electrolux? Now known as Aerus Electrolux; 25 year warranty on motor, sales & service to the home. ###-###-####

Get the Oreck!! I have had one for 7 years (on my 2nd one now just because my mom bought me a new one...the old one still worked awesome). You can go from carpet to hard floor without changing settings...picks up awesome!! Only vacuum I will ever have.

We have a Dyson and I love it. My parents have had one for years in the UK (they have been available over there for ever) and they haven't had a problem. I have the purple one which is meant for pets (although we don't have any pets) it supposidly has a good filter (HEPA). I have 3 little children and like you said we need a good vacuum. My friend (who has an obsession with vacuums - I think she has 4) has recently bought the Dyson Slim (one of the newer models - its much lighter and gets into more places) and absolutely LOVES it. I am not too familier with the Orecks sorry I can't help there but I love the Dyson!!

Hi there-I used to clean houses for a living, and can give you some advice. I used to have an Oreck..it was lightweight, but not as efficient as I would have liked.
As for the Dyson....many people rave about it. I have never used one, but the design of it makes sense for better efficiency...it's a little heavy, though.
I have Bissel...it's ok for day to day, but not deep cleaning. Remember that you get what you pay for with vacuums! I will probably have to replace my 100 dollar Bissel sooner than I'd like!..hope info. helps:)

I just bought a Dyson and love it. I have a five year old, messy husband and a hairy dog! It works wonders! I have tried Hoover, Kenmore and several others. For me they lose their suction within a year. I heard the Oreck was good but my friends mainly have the Dyson and love them. The animal is suppose to be the best. I have the normal pink one, when I bought it Target gave me a $100 gift card and donated $50 to breast cancer research. I couldn't pass it up and I am glad I didn't. It gets every crumb and dog hair in the house!

I purchased a Dyson Animal vaccum 2 years ago and I love it. I haven't had any problems with it, although, I clean it pretty regularly (roll brush, canister, washable filter etc.) Also, one thing they don't tell you that you should do occasionally is to use an air compressor to blow the accumulated dust out of the air chambers. But, other than that, it's been a really good vaccum. Mine came with a 2 year warranty, but I believe they sell them with a 5 year warranty now. I have a dog and a 5 yr old and it does a great job of picking stuff up. I would definately recommend it, especially if you have carpeted stairs as it comes with a stair cleaner attachment.

I would buy a vacuum from Costco (in store or online) They will refund your money for the lifetime of the vacuum if you are not 100% satisfied...it will also narrow down your choices, as Costco only has about 5 type in store.

I am extremely picky when it comes to vacuums. I have been known to spend $2000+ on one. I have 6 children and look for durability plus the allergy factors (filters, etc.). I've tried several, but I have to say that my favorite, all around, is a Kenmore canister from Sears. They run anywhere from $250-$400. I wouldn't trade mine for anything!

Dyson all the way! I use to buy vacuums about once every two years are so until my daughter bought me a Dyson. I think this is my third year with this one and I have not had to do anything with it. I love it and think they are worth every penny. I believe they have a lifetime warranty.

There are four boys in the family, a dog and cat. We have three Meile(s) for the whole house. They are approx. in your price range. It is hepa filtered and the cost of a replacement box of filters is about 17.00. I recommend that.
claudine

Get a Roomba, they are fabulous! It'll free you up as well. At first you will just want to watch because it is interesting but you'll to where you can do other things besides vacuuming!

Plain and simple... you will never find anything like a kirby!

I have a hoover windtunnel which I paid around $250 for and I really like it, I would suggest looking at bed,bath and beyond because they let you use the 20% off coupon on vacums and that can save a ton. Also, in my experience the vacums that are bagless don't hold suction as well as those that require bags.

I have the older style Dyson, I think it's model 07. My problem with this was the hose. It broke within a year, luckily still within warranty, but it has broken again and I haven't ordered a replacement because the lower hose broke too. The nearest service center is about 30 miles away and I just can't make it that far with my 3 kids. Other than those problems, the Dyson is a great vacuum. A new model is out I think it's 14. They may have corrected the design flaws that made the hose(s) easily breakable. I have since replaced the Dyson with a Kenmore Progressive Drive. It was #1 rated by Consumer Reports in 2007. It works great too and it has a sensor to let you know when the area you're vacuuming still has dirt. It was much cheaper than the Dyson, but it does take bags. I hope this helps.

K.

I've had an Oreck for the last 7 years and love it. It has two speed settings, one for carpet, and one for hardwood or tile floor (slower so it doesn't scatter the crumbs!). I got the one with the light on front, which in hindsight I wouldn't do again. It is a little too high to fit under the kitchen cabinet over hang so I have to use the smaller vacuum to get under there. The verson with out the light fits under no problem from what I hear. I have a 14 month old continuously dropping food on the floor, two dogs and two cats. So, lots of mess. Oreck does a great job on all of it. In addition, it very light so is easy to carry up and down stairs. My brother has a Dyson, and is extremely dissapointed with it and does not recommend to anyone. Hope this helps.

DYSON!!!!!!

God bless,
J.

I have had every brand vacuum cleaner made. So far, to date, the Bissell power force bagless is the best. I live in a rural area and like to keep windows open so dust settles on furniture etc. PLUS I have a 5 yr old and his cat. I, too shed all year. The Power force sucks dust from carpets, and furniture we never thought was there cuz you couldn't see it. It gets my long hair from places we didn't know about too. I have had mine a year and use it most every day and I am still amazed at what is in the "cup" Good luck to you J.

i bought the low-end dyson last year and it is unbelievable!! it was alot more than i would normally spend on an appliance, but i have a yellow lab and between dog hairs and general mess it has more than paid for itself. i highly recommend one, but you should get the "type" you will need. i don't vacuum 4x a week, so you might want to go higher up the scale. you will smile while you vacuum - in fact everyone will want to help, it's that easy. good luck.

We have the purple Dyson for pets and we LOVE it. It cleans so good. Its easy to use, its heavier than the orek but it cleans really well.

A. J

I would look at Consumer Reports. Everyone has their favorite, but that's how I finally decided. I ended up with a Kenmore Progressive, it costs much less than ALL the others and is rated the BEST vaccuum. My daughter has really bad allergies, so I was on the hunt for the best no matter what the cost and I ended up only having to spend $250. It has an indicater on it that tells you where the dirt is and if it's picked it all up or not.
Just my advice.
K. E.

I bought a hoover windtunnel (uses bags) 6.5 years ago when we bought our first house. That puppy has been banged around, and used like crazy, but it still works great. From what I've read on consumer reports, the bagless ones don't have as good suction in general. However, I have a friend that has the basic Dyson and as far as I know, still loves it. I guess it depends on how much you want to spend.

I cannot live without my Dyson. If you purchase it from Sears, you can purchase an extra service agreement...which is most probably not needed but will give extra peace of mind if you feel you're hard on vacuums. Dyson has new models which I think would be worth your time to check out. They are an incredible machine. Extrodinary engineering!

B.-
Go for the Dyson! I love this vaccuum. I have two long haired dogs, and this vaccuum picks up more hair and deep dust in the carpet than anything I have seen. Also adjusts for use on the bare wood floors/tile. The other thing I LOVE about it is that it easily breaks down so that you can wash all of the pieces, so the vaccuum never smells like dogs when I am using it. No bags, great suction. VERY easy to use, and its light weight too. This is sounding like a commercial but it's true!

You should buy an Oreck Vacum, hands down.... My sister-in-law used to go on and on about her Oreck, so then I tried hers one day when I was over at her house and that was it for me... I even had a Vacum that worked, but the Oreck worked wonders and is very light to push and you even get the Free Oreck Canister Vac when you Purchase an Oreck Vacum and I also use the Canister Vac all the time....but anyways If you want a Vacum that's light, that works really good, and that picks up all the noseeums in your carpet, then I think you would be Very Happy with an Oreck.... Hope this helps!!!!

I have an Oreck and LOVE it. The warranty was the big selling point for us. Plus you get a free "check up" every year.

I've had a Dysun for about 5 years and it is far and above better than any vacuum I have ever owned. My carpet is hard to vacuum and the other machines I had had (Kirby, Oreck, etc) would not pick up well. I have had no problem with the Dysun, works beautifully. Well worth the money.

We were in the same boat about 4 years ago, and I decided to go with the Oreck vacuum. I has been wonderful!! It works very well and is so light weight, making it easy to vacuum furniture and stairs. I would totally buy it again!

We bought the top of the line, so ours has a 20 year warranty. Oreck is also great about servicing every year for free and fixing anything that goes wrong.

I definitely recommend the Oreck!! We got a free handheld vacuum with our purchase, as well as a great iron - FYI.

I have a Dyson and love it!!! We have two boys; 2 1/2 and 5 months; and two house dogs. I constantly have to vacuum. I even use it on my hard floor surfaces. It is great to catch all the little dust bunnies.

J.

Miele!!! Best vacuum I've ever had.

I have an Oreck vacuums for many years and they are the best. I have (2)from an Aunt who died in 1990 and my Mother - and still use both of those also. You can getthe smaller hand held Oreck w/attachments for other cleaning.

I LOVE the vacuum cleaner we bought! The Boss Smart Vac from Eureka. It's #1 on consumer reports. It has a bag though? Not sure if you would like that type? I don't care for the "bagless." This Eureka out does the Dyson as far as "sucking power", goes. I have been VERY pleased with it. Hope this helps?

A.

I am also a stay at home mom of 3.

Girl you need a Dyson they work the best, pickup on them is great. with three kids it would be the perfect selection.
I don't prefer the Oreck i don't think its work you money.
K. l.

B.,
Dyson is the way to go. I'm a nanny and housekeeper for three different families(all related to each other). Two of them have Dysons. They are a little more expensive but well worth the money and you won't believe how dirty your carpet gets!! Ha. One dad also got the hand held version and uses it for the automobiles. He loves it. Good luck.

B.,

I bought my dyson animal about 4 years ago and it is still going strong. I love it. I actually went through quite a few vacuums because I had three pets at the time...no children. None of the other vacuums compared to the dyson. I now have a 21 month old son and do not "dyson" as much as I use to, but I am amazed that years later it is working just as great as it did at first. We no longer call it vacuuming we now "dyson" at my house. I'm actually getting one for my sister this week...good house warming gift.

The Kirby is the best I've seen. I vacuume all the time and I've never had any problems with mine at all. I've had it for about 10 years now and it still works like it was brand new. They say that carpet weighs 2 times the amount it should due to dust and dirt. When we had our carpet replaced, they were amazed at how little it weighed. They said we must have an amazing vacuume, and we do.

My husband bought me an Oreck about 1 yr ago (good reminder to take it in for service) and I LOVE it. It's so light weight and easy to use. I live in the country (plenty of dirt???) on a ranch and we do have an inside cat & dog- believe it or not the dog sheds like crazy but the cat doesn't shed - he's got a different type of hair than I've ever seen on a cat) anyway, I love my ORECK!! Good luck in chosing.

I love the new Kirbys! I bought one, you can find them if you look hard enough for about $700 and with it's new transmission it is light as a feather to push around! My 4 year old can do it and LOVES to when I let him.

I reccomend at least having them come out and show you. If you like it search around and find a dealer who is selling out their stock.

Best wishes!

I have not heard many good things about the Oreck. I have had a Star - cannister type about 25+ years and had some minor type maintenance on it. It has 3 or 4 filtering systems and powerful suction. Since I have very arthritic hands I'm not able to use it as much as I like, so now my husband will vacuum when it is absolutely necessary !

I just got a rechargable Shark - light weight with amazing suction and VERY quiet, considering. It does a better than fair job, is easy to empty and now I can keep up better !

I am a 77 yr old great grandmother, with 35 in my immediate family. Unfortunately, none are available to help with the heavier stuff around here and I have never had a maid - I love getting tips to help with housework, cooking, etc. mg

Per consumer report Kenmore has the highest rated vacum

Hoovers always work the best for me-but I don't have bagless. My last Hoover cost 150$ and lasted 12 years.

B.,

I just bought a Dyson vacuum about a year ago. Everyone raved at what a wonderful vacuum it was. I hate it. It was over-priced and did not work like I expected. It is also ranked this month in Consumer Reports and did not do well at all. (It ranked 22 out of 30) Consumer Reports ranked the Kenmore Upright the best (#1 and #2) buy. The cost for both is $300.00-350.00. I have had a Kenmore upright and did love it. Unfortunately I replaced it with an over-priced Dyson which I regret. Hope this helps.

Hi,
I am a mom of three too. I am going back to school to finish my Associates. Anyway, about your vacuum. I would differently go with the Dyson!!! My mom has won. It is light weight, great suction and has a pretty good warranty. I would go with the swivel ball Dyson. It gets into those hard to reach places. Also, if your family ever plan on getting animals it is one of the top Vacs for animal hair. I hope this helps you with your discussion.
C.

I have an Oreck and I love it! I have had it for about 5 years and it still works gtreat! It is light weight and easy to manuver. Good Luck!

Hello B.

I recomend the Kerbi. I have two and love them. They run about he same as the orek but I feel they do a better job. Good luck.

C.

I love my Dyson. I had an Oreck for years and the Dyson
beats it hands down. We have a dog that sheds so I vacumn
at least everyday. Most of our home is Tile. I also like the bagless function and the fact the the assessories store on the unit itself.

loved my Kirby but had same problem..now have Oreck and it is
great, takes up small space and is light weight. the small vac that comes with it and replaces all those attachments is easy to use and store. even went back and got the rug shampooer. not light weight but does a great job. liked it so
much I got another Oreck for our vacation home

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Oreck! I have 2 dogs totaling 160 pounds together, so there is a lot of dog hair around. I also have a toddler, so I am vacuuming daily. I love the fact that it has a bag, it is lightweight, never smells like "dog" when I turn it on, and has super strong suction. I find that the mid-priced one works as good as the high end one. They have a great warranty and you can get it serviced right over on Hurst of HWY 26 free once a year. Stop by their store...it is worth the investment.

I have a Rainbow it's an expensive investment but worth every penny and then some. It not only cleans the surface it also cleans below the carpet, past the padding straight through to the floor below. I not only use it for carpets, I also use it to clean the dust out of the air. Since I bought mine 8 years ago my allergies have been almost non-existent. You can clean almost anything with it. I wouldn't trade it for any other brand on the market.

Hello B.,
We recently purchased the Dyson Animal DC17. I can not believe how well it works and how easy it is to use. I live in a 2 story house and the stiars are always in needed...with they dyson the attachments work great. I really like the way it cleans on hard wood floors and then changes easily to carpet! I have not really ever used the Oreck, so I cant really say anything about that. But the Dyson I really love, it was worth the money, plus I used the$50.00 gift card towards it to! Good Luck!

I once had an Oreck and it wasn't worth the money I paid for it. It was light but a piece of junk.
I now have a Rainbow and have bought one for each of my daughters. It also requires closet space to store but compared to the Kirby it did a better job of picking up. It is great for allergens too. I haven't been sorry that I spent $$$ to purchase it. I have had it for about 4 years and it is still going strong.

Hello B., I feel your pain! We went through 2 different mid range priced vacuums before my husband bought our 1st Oreck! He is an Oreck man now and comes from a long line of Oreck men...his Dad and brothers all love/own their Orecks. He even takes it in for regular service!!! Anyway, we have never had anything that works this well and so light I can easily use in on the stairs. They are not cheap but have payment plans, warranty and usually come with free gifts...we recieved a free canister vac with ours that my husband uses on the cars and for small jobs around the house like windowsills and fans. We also have 3 kids plus a golden retreiver. I can't decide who is the messiest around her! Good Luck!

RAINBOW!!!!! they are pretty expensive brand new...but you can also get a refurbished one for around 330-400. they take a little more effort but are 100% worth it! i will NEVER buy any other vacuum ever again. i really recomend at least looking into the rainbow. it'll last you a lifetime and it does the best job ever.
good luck!
L.

I'm going through the same thing! I had to borrow my mom's: she has a Kirby that she bought. It was the best vacuum I've ever used! It was very heavy but easy to manuver. We're planning to buy a refurbished one with our tax money

I absolutely LOVE my Dyson! I highly recommend it. It never loses suction and is worth the money it costs. Good luck!

Dyson! Worth the money. Can't believe the stuff that comes out of my carpet..and it never clogs.

I would highly reccommend the Dyson! I love mine. I have 3 dogs, a 7 year old, and a husband who, between firefighting and construction, has super dirty shoes! I love that I can vacuum the house from top to bottom and transition easily from carpet to tile with ease. It saves lots of bending because I don't have to sweep the floors. This comes in handy as my pregnant belly grows! I love the attachments and how easy it is to dump the canister. The hepa filter just rinses out every 6 mos. It couldn't be simpler. I hope you get the one that works best for you! Ours is a must have.

Dyson Animal! Even though you don't have pets, it's the most powerful thing out there. I highly recommend it. We have two dogs and a little boy, oh, and a husband that likes to eat on the couch! It works!!!

I use vacuum cleaners for a living and have tried lots. The dyson is very expensive and doesn't really do anything that extrodinary for 400.00 what worrks better and what we use are commercial grade vacuums. The botton hardware is metal and has more durability. There is one at Sam's for about $140-170 don't remember. Yellow Eureka that is great for pet hairs too. Also for a little more, there are some at Austin Vacuum on N. Lamar and north loop.

hi B.,
before my little one was born (9 months ago) i cleaned houses every day and i absolutely love the DYSON...its amazing and gets most of the dust in the air and TONS out of the carpet!!! Its incredible. I do believe i saw the low end model at wal-mart for around $320. There are several types you can get and since you don't have pets, the yellow model would work great for you! I encouraged my customers to buy it if they could afford and i never heard one complaint....i even convinced friends parents and they all thanked me b/c of how well it works!! This is crazy, but i convinced some people at target one day too, they were looking at vaccum cleaners and finally after about 15-20 of them looking, i walked over and talked to them...they bought it too!! :) HA, thats seems silly but the dyson is wonderful!
good luck to you!
S. k

Not so much a brand recommendation but a reminder to be sure to measure any tight spaces that you want to be able to vacuum so that it will fit easily. I didn't when I bought my $400 Panasonic a couple of years ago and now have to pull out the tools everytime I need to vacuum there (and that doesn't happen as often as it should!). I've had really good luck with Hoovers through the years but tried a Panasonic this time.

I bought an Oreck about a year ago. I love the fact that it weighs almost nothing and it has good suction. What I don't like is the fact that there are no attachments with it. I have 2 dogs and I really needed something with attachments and some MAJOR suction as I vacuum almost daily. I finally bought the dyson "absolute animal". It is heavier than the Oreck but the suction is unbelievable!! I love the attachments. I never use the Oreck anymore.

Hi B. H,

I went through the same problem as you. I could never find a vacuum that didn't lose suction or was messy cleaning the filters or throwing the bags out. I bought a Dyson DC17 absolute over a year ago and I still love it. It's the best vacuum cleaner I've ever had. It never loses suction and emptying the tub only takes one hand. In all honesty, my husband has even started helping vacuum since I bought the Dyson. It is more expensive (around $500+), but well worth it. I hope this helps.

Hello, I am also a sahm of 3. The vacuum cleaner that i have is a oreck xl - i love it i have been having it for 6 years nows - every year you get a free service. take care