Kirby Vacuum - Overland Park,KS

Hi A.,

I've never owned a Kirby but swear by my Dyson which is still pricey ($300-$500) but worth it.

I have a large home, with a lot of hardwood floors and area rugs on the first floor. Carpeting the second floor. A husband, 18 year old son, 14 year old daughter and golden/retriever lab mix who sheds! Plus we live out just enough that there is always something being brought in, burrs on the dog, acorn pieces, leaves etc. I do have a cetral vac which is worthless. I really only use it around the hardwoods to get dog hair etc. Even with their most "powerful" rug beater the central vac doesn't pick up 1/4th of what's on the carpets. I bit the bullet a couple years ago and got a Dyson, (it's the purple one) and have LOVED it! There are no filters to worry about, it picks up and cleans well and is easy to empty.

Good Luck.

L. K

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I have been married for 44 years and I have always had a Kirby. I have had only two in all those years. I won my first one at the Fair. My second one I got from a sales man that came to my door. I told him I couldn't afford the price by time he left I got that vacuum for $600. I love both Kirby's I have had and only had mine in shop for repair once.
They are heavy, last year for Christmas I bought a Oreck, it is light weight and easy to use. I use Oreck upstairs and my Kirby downstairs. Love them both.

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i actually tried to work for kirby, it lasted about two days. (they didn't tell me what they do, when i responded to the ad, only that it was a large company blah blah blah...i didn't even know it was sales until i got there...very conniving and sneaky in my opinion). i went through the whole training that they do for their sales people, and i was not convinced they were any better than your basic higher-end vacuums -and i detest the whole "salesman" song and dance that goes with it. i am a bit of a cheapskate, i admit that - however, i would not give a penny of my money to that company. spend three or four hundred bucks (still a fraction of what they charge) and get a great quality vacuum from sears or walmart or wherever. just my bit of soap-boxing!

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I have a Kirby and have loved it. But, I wouldn't buy one again. It's very heavy and the attachments take up quite a bit of space. I am a custodian and brand of vacuums we use (and we do miles and miles of vacuuming each week) is
Riccar. I'm pretty sure that's how you spell it. I'd give my Kirby for one of those at home! We bought them at Cross Keys Vac (if you are located in Florissant) at the Flower Valley Shopping Center. The vacuum works like a wonder, and has the wand and all tools onboard. The dirt doesn't go through the motor like it does with most. It goes straight into the bag, so you aren't as apt to tear it up, if you accidentally vacuum up a penny or something. I am so spoiled by that great vacuum! I hate to get out my Kirby at home. If I ever need a new vacuum, I'll get the Riccar. I think they are fairly expensive, but... worth the $$ in my opinion.

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I purchased one a few years ago and I would waste your money. I mean it does the job, but still not work the $. It is very heavy and you have to detach the head to attach the attachments, too much of a hassle. I'm pretty much stuck with mine though.

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I remember my Mom owning a Kirby for years and years and that sucker was sooo heavy and it truly made vacuuming a chore. Really, so many other brands on the market have advanced in technology and production that you'll be able to find something else that costs half as much. My MIL swears by her Dyson and I'd love to have a Dyson too. However, at the time I got married which was 11 years ago...I registered for a Eureka Back-Saver with environmental bells and whistles which would also collect dust mites, etc. and even though I have had to take it to the shop for a tune-up a couple of times...it's still running. Most products don't seem to be made like they use to be so whatever you buy probably will have to be replaced in about 10-20 years anyway.

My motto is "if in doubt than don't" buy it. It would be worth doing some comparision shopping. Good luck!

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My mom has one. Loved it at first but doesn't feel it was worth the money in the long run. Their carpet still looks bad after my three kids (5 year old twins and 2.5 year old) have eaten, tracked in mud, etc. The vacum isn't enough to compensate for the stains.

I was a nanny for years and the people I worked for had a Kirby and I hated it. It was about 20 years old at the time also. It was very hard to push. My husband and I own one now and I love mine (it is the same model you saw). My kids love it too. They are heavy, but now there is a neutral and drive button that makes them easier to move around. It does drive itself and isn't bad at all. I used the wet cleaning attachment and cleaned my carpet about a year ago. (Unfortunately it needs it again, but it did great.) My girls use it to clean the stairs down to the basement too. We've owned a canister vacuum for 10 years and emptying the canister was always messy and I'd have to clean the canister every few months, yuck.

On the other hand my BIL owns a Dyson and they live by it. So do your research. If you can get the price down then go for it, if you can't, then get the Dyson. Good luck and God Bless.

A demo was at my moms home about a yr ago yes the vaccum is truly amazing,but I wouldn't pay that kind of money for one.If you are interested in one I would go to an all vaccum repair shop and ask questions about it and others.If you live in Topeka there is one located right off Kansas Ave..And by the way my Greatgrandma that was all she purchased nothing else and even back then they were selling from house to house.

HI A., I personally do not have a Kirby, but my Aunt and my cousin use them all time. They rave about them. My cousin tells me she felt lost without her Kirby. She recently moved and left hers her for her MIL to have. She bought one about 1 month after moving away. Good luck. T.

We purchased one over the summer and I do like how well it cleans. Great suction! However, I do grow tiresome at how long it takes to switch to the accessories. I'm used to just pulling a hose out at the top and fastening an attachment and putting it back together in a matter of seconds. The Kirby takes many more steps and takes longer, but the results are worth it. Good price for you, too!

My mother-in-law has one, and she loved hers, that is until we bought a Dyson Animal, and then her other son bought one as well because of ours. She ended up purcahsing a Dyson as well, but she bought a different model and didn't end up liking it as much as our model, or as much as her Kirby. My husband and I decided to buy the Dyson Animal because at the time we had a dog. The best part about the Dyson Animal is that all of the parts are guaranteed for life. I didn't believe it at first, but when our belt broke, I contacted the company and they sent me out a new belt, free of charge, and they also sent me a new filter. The filter can also be taken out, washed, and then re-used over and over. I have had mine for almost 2 years and I still have not replaced the filter, even after they sent me the new one. Also, the Dyson Animal cost over half of what you talked the Kirby people down to. Hopefully this helps!

Nice vacuum, DEFINITELY NOT worth the price. Bought the G6 several years ago and wished I would have saved the money... I have a cheapey Eureka bagless that I bought for $40 b/c I got tired of lugging the Kirby up and down the stairs and it was the perfect adjustable height for my son to help vacuum and it does a FANTASTIC job! I'd rather have bought 50 of those then spent the exhorbitant sum on the Kirby. Get the Dyson if you want an AWESOME vacuum and couple it with a carpet cleaner. Better bang for your buck then spending it all on Kirby.

BTW- if you want a REALLY good and honest opinion on vacuum cleaners, take 30 minutes to an hour and go to a vacuum repair shop...the good old boys there will tell you the VERY best models to buy and what to avoid...goodness knows I've seen PLENTY of Kirby's sitting in their for sale piles!

And if you are dead set on the Kirby...watch Craigs List or ebay...there is always someone selling one there...but for goodness sake...DON'T spend that rediculous sum on a vacuum cleaner...take it from someone that should have known better!

I personally like my Sanitaire model... These are the industrial ones you see in office buildings and I have had two different ones in 15 years, with a third off model in between.... I will never go back to anything else!

There is a little whole in the wall vacuum store at about 65th & North Oak Trafficway in Gladstone, he is on the west side of N Oak, this is close to the Harley Store. He has new and used in his store and he takes in your old vacuum and knocks down the price a bit depending on your trade. He might even have a used/refurbished Kirby in there at a lot less.

I spent $400 on mine & I think it works just as well as a Kirby, even though it is an upright model. Also - This guy works sort of like a used car salesman... so work him down if you need to on the price!

Also in regards to the Dyson's - They used to be another brand and had a lot of problems, they were pulled off the market, They changed their color and their name and re-released them. I have not seen one yet that will even come close to working like a Kirby... They work just like any other inexpensive one you can get at the local discount stores.

The guy on N Oak has quite the selection and has them out and will demonstrate what ever he has that you want to see.... Good Luck.

I had a Kirby and hated it. I have a dyson and LOVE it and it is about a 1/3 of the price on sale.

Forget the Kirby and get a Dyson. I absolutely love my Dyson!!!! My parents have one too. They wouldn't trade theirs for anything either.

$1200 for a vacuum cleaner - pass on it. There are plenty of great vacuums out there for half the price!

i think those guys are very rude and I do not like them but for me personally I own a oreck and love it its about $600 I think with a very long warrenty I think 10 years if not more There is a store by Indepence Center I purchased it through the info comercial... GoodLuck! T.

Run far run fast. They are nice vacuums but not worth the money at all. Call AAA vacuum, they sell Kirby and a lot of other top brands. Even selling them they will tell you not to buy them. I don't know if they still sell them but they had a simplicity that was only 250. and has the most amazing filter system. That and it is lighter and easier to use.

I have never owned a Kirby, but I recently purchased a Dyson DC18 ($500) and also have a Bissell ProHeat Carpet Shampooer ($250). I absolutely love them both. The Bissell has removed every stain I have had in my carpet and I have a 3 year old and a 2 year old!!

hi, I dont have a kirby but they have come to my house a couple of times and it seems to work very well. they are very $$. They came down to $900 for me but I still didnt get it,but when they were done my carpets look great!!!

Get the price down! We fell into this trap a couple of years ago. Only after the guy left did we do a little search on the internet and ebay to see what kind of prices were out there. I think on ebay you can get it for 800 or so. The sells guy of course will tell you these are all stolen and will be collected. Anyways we had purchased it probably for about the same price and then did research after the fact. I called the company said I have found the vaccuum online for much less. They wanted to know where I saw it. I said I would not tell them where or for how much, instead I would give them ONE shot at giving me their LOWEST price if it was not low enough then they would need to come pick up the kirby and bring back mine. They offered to sell it at $900. We didn't get it but just to let you know you can get it for $900. Just be firm and tell them I want your lowest number if it doesn't match what is in my head I walk.

I concur with what others are telling you. For half that amount of money, you can buy a Dyson. We have had one for 5 years and never plan to buy any other brand.

We've owned many vaccuums over the years, including a Kirby.
The only advantage it offered was that we were able to sell it to a vacuum repair shop that sold used vacuums for about $125, as I recall. Usually, after using a vacuum a few years you're not able to get much back out of it. It was far too heavy, far too noisy, and I never felt it was worth the effort or the money. I will say I got the best little mini hand-held vacuum I've ever used from Kirby, but I haven't bought many of those. I'd like to buy a Dyson mini vac. I just don't think you can go wrong with a Dyson.

Personally, I love my Dyson. Light weight, does a great job, easy to use.

Best Wishes,

J. H.

I haven't owned a Kirby but if I were you I'd do an internet search. There are alot of complaints about them on alot of sites. I think you can probably get a really good vacuum for far less.

We have a Kirby and I think it works great, however, we live in a bi-level house, and I hate to carry it up and down the stairs. It is just heavy to carry around. My mom has the Dyson and I love that you can push a button and go from hardwood floors to carpet. Also, I like the bagless option- expect on new carpet. You do have to dump the dyson a lot with new carpet. The Dyson is at least half the price of the Kirby. Good luck with your decision.
V.

Kirbys are excellent but there is one out there right now that is better. It is used by NASA and they come out to do a free demo also with a better warranty. It is calld Patriot Systems. I know there is one demostrator here in Manhattan.

Good luck,
D.

Good Morning A., I loved what you said here. demonstration (first time...and last time that we will go through that).
Same here my dear. They are awesome machines, and when I told them I would need to talk to my hubby when he got home that evening, it was all over. This price is Now not later or tomorrow.
They dumped sand in my foyer stairs, then proceeded to show me how amazing it was. Even though I already knew of the success rate. 15 minutes turned into almost 2 hours.

If I had known telling them I needed to speak with hubby would cause them to pack up and leave, it would of been no more then 30 minutes they were here.

Like the Product, really dislike their sales pitches.

Nope I didn't buy, not for 1400.00
K. Nana of 5

I have read a bunch of the responses out of curiousity...
Honestly, I feel like you shouldn't have to pay that kind of money for a good vacuum.
I own a Dyson and an Orek. They are both very good for a fraction of that cost.
However, my Dyson is a few years old and there are a few things that I'm not crazy about.
It is a pain to switch attachments and the front of it is too high to get under the cabinets and things. However I am sure there are plenty of new and improved Dyson models. Also, about a year ago the canister broke on the Dyson, completely MY fault and I called them and told them the story and asked if I could purchase a new part and they sent it for free!
All of that said, I really LOVE my Orek too... Good luck

A.,
DON'T DO IT!!
My husband and I did. (15 years ago) and we had to replace many parts consistantly. It was such a STUPID purchase but "it did hard wood floors" so does a broom. We put it on one credit card and paid for it for YEARS!!! $1200 could go to replacing 1/3 of your carpet. I haven't gotten one but a DYSON is half the price, and MANY of my friends and family have one. After being stung by the Kirby, I haven't been able to spend more than $200 on a vaccume.
I hope this helps.

Buy the dyson @ $500... it is a wonderful vacuum

I have had a Dyson animal for 3 years and it works just as good as the day I bought it and was a fraction of the price of the Kirby. We have two dogs, one being a black lab that sheds constantly. This is the only vacumn that has been able to keep up with her! I have longerish hair so I constantly have to cut the hair off the roller thing on any vacumn I've had and this one is the easiest for me to work on. I accidently sucked up one of my daughter's necklasses one time and w/in 5 min. had the necklass out and was vacuming again...the screws on it that you would most commonly have to undo are made to be loosened by a coin...very useful when you don't want to hunt down a screwdriver! Use a Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupon and save even more money on it!

side note, I did grow up with a Kirby and that thing would not die for anything (I tried my best b/c I hated it so much) It was heavy, a pain to change the bags (though the new ones have the bagless option), it was ugly, loud, but man that thing did work good!

If you're goin to spend that kind of money for a vacuum I would go with a Rainbow. My mom has a rainbow thats like seriously 30 yrs old and still works great. There are only like 6 models so you can always get replacement parts. I myself have a newer model rainbow and absolutely love it. Its not just a vacuum its an air filter. My allergies have gotten much better since I got a Rainbow 4 years ago. Good luck with however decide!

we had a kirby when I was young. It does clean well but has this fan that if you suck up a penny it will shear it and is what happened to ours so not a cheap fix when you pay a lot for a vacuum.

I have tried several brands and will tell you the DYSON is an awesome vacuum and is a lot cheaper than the kirby. It doesn't get clogged and does have compartments that come apart pretty easy if it does happen to get clogged but so far haven't had that problem and has a lot of suction. I had a nice Dirt Devil before and it did well but the hose area would get clogged often so I got tired of taking 2 hours of time taking it all apart to unclog it everytime I vacuumed that I went and got the Dyson and haven't had to mess with it yet. I have 3 kids and a cat so we vacuum a lot and the kids do most of the vacuuming and don't bother to pick up candy wrappers or small pieces of paper and so far haven't clogged up this Dyson but almost every week would have the old vacuum clogged. My brother has a 5000 sq foot house and have been through several vacuum cleaners as they tend to wear out or burn up and he also bought the Dyson and loves it. They are around $400-500.00 for the bigger models.

Kirby is nice but if you don't watch the toys and stuff that can hit that fan then you would be upset if you sheared off the fan blades and think it cost over 300.00 to fix it. Ours didn't get fixed. My grandparents also have the Kirby and something is wrong with it as well. They bought the expensive one with the carpet cleaning attachments and all and it doesn't pick anything up so not sure what is wrong with that one.

We purchased our Kirby 10 years ago. It is still going strong. It is an awesome vaccuum cleaner, BUT the only thing I don't like it is a bit of a pain to switch between the attachments on mine (maybe they have changed that in the newer models).

I have a Kirby- different style but i bought it 9 years ago!!...and it is still running strong.... I paid the same for it then so the price hasn't changed much- there is a store down by the Bass pro shop in St Charles that sells parts - like hoses and bags for it. (I split the top of my hose about 2 years ago- this is the piece that does kitchen floors) So as much as I think I would like a bagless one- this one has really lasted! and I think worth the money..

We had a Kirby and yes they last FOREVER, but they are SO heavy and bilky and a pain in the butt to use. We got an Oreck and I LOVE it, it is only about 8 lbs it has a hepa filter (great for allergies).

As the proud owner of a "Kirby, Sentria" I can tell you it is a wonderful vacuum. A little heavy, but worth it. My husband sold Kirby years ago and has always sworn by them. He also said to tell you that you should tell the sales person you would like to talk to the distributor and see if he/she can get the price down. Cash, if it is possible can also bring the price down. They do offer financing and in house financing. I got all the "bells and whistles" with mine about a year ago and I love it. Oh, and don't forget to trade in your old vacuum. You should get a good trade in against the price of you new one. I know it is a lot of money but well worth it they last forever. When we traded in our old vacuum it was a kirby generation 3 and it was still in excellent condition. I just wanted all the new stuff. LOL Good luck

My husband had a Kirby when we got married, he swore by it, he had even traded an old one in for a new one right before we met. I hated it, it was heavy and hard to push. We had a two story house and I hated carrying it up and down the stairs all the time, so on an impulse I bought a Dyson animal intending to keep it upstairs. When I brought it home I had my husband vacuum the living room then after he was done, I vacuumed with the Dyson, I got so much more out of the carpet when he thought it was clean. So now the Dyson is the whole house vacuum and the Kirby sits in the garage. Another nice thing about the Dyson is it's bagless, we were going through a lot of bags with the Kirby and three pets.

Kirby is a good brand, but terribly overpriced. You can do just as well, if not better, with a Dyson or an Oreck, for half the money or less. Of course, if you have a money tree in the backyard, and cash to burn.....

We purchased on ea couple years ago. I liked the fact that I could shampoo my carpets with it. After having it for awhile, All the downfalls came in. Granted, it can clean carpets. However, so can any $50 vaccuum at WalMart. The thing is really heavy, and I can guarantee you will hate it in no time if you have more than one level of a house to clean. The shampooer part on mine quit working right within a year, and they refuse to fix it at all, like they said they would when they demonstrated it. It has a 3 year warantee with things like that, although the guy doing the demonstration said a lifetime warranty. If I were you, I'd pass and get a regular one from the store.

Hi there!
My mom has a Kirby, and she's has it for years and years. I think I was about 12 or 13 when she got it and I'm 33 now. It still works great, but her attchments take up lots of room and it's a pain to attatch them (unless they've changed that part). and it's SOOOOOOOOOOO Heavy! She hates getting it out, loves the job it does, but hates getting it out. I'd go with a Dyson.

My husband and I purchased a Kirby about 10 years ago. It is fine, has a shampooer, etc. However, I really do not think it is worth it. It's heavy-have to use the 'automatic transmission' during vacuuming, otherwise it is a bear to move around. We rarely use the shampooer. It can get the same 'wet dog' smell any other vacuum can get if you do not get it serviced regularly. The frustrating part also is that I have to go Fenton Sew n Vac for bags when I need them and they are not cheap. FYI: My mom has had an Oreck for years and loves it. Best wishes on your decision...

I've never looked into buying a Kirby, but I LOVE my Dyson Animal:)

A little late responding...but...
No, I've never had a Kirby, but I have had about 10 vacuums in the last 5 years, (all died or started having problems) and I finally gave in a bought the Dyson Slim (I needed something I could carry up and down stairs, emptied easily, had a good filter for allergies, and could handle my 2 crazy-shedding dogs along with rogue Cheerios!) I love my Dyson! I could be a commercial...and I got it for under $400 at Circuit City.

Good luck in what you choose...I'm happy I found a vacuum that really sucks! LOL =0)

Kirby's are the best!!! They have a lifetime warranty through the Kirby company. Rainbows warranty is only through the person who sells it to you, so if they quit after you buy it, you no longer have the warranty. You can talk them down lower than $1200, you just have to talk to the boss of the rep. Also, the Diamond, which is the model before the Sentria, is just as good and would probably cost less. Dyson is probably the worst vaccuum you could buy, they dont pick up fuzz and you have to go over the same spot over and over. Good luck!!

my son sold them, don't know if you bought it or not, but he told me to get one used..

my SIL bought one along time ago, and wishes she hadn't

Hi A., Kirby is an excellent vacume, I have had 3, putting out the big bucks on my first one with my first home when I was 20. They are quality and you get what you pay for, however about 5 years ago my oldest step daughter bought a rainbow and to get a free shampooer with it she had to give the guy 3 names well she gave him mine and I said bring it on to put it up against my Kirby......well needless to say I bought a new Rainbow. The prices are about the same but the part I absolutly love is that all of the dirt is caught in the water pot, yes you have to dump it every time but you truly see what is comming out of your carpets every time and there is absolulty NO DUST ever in the air, I know demonstrations are a pain but if you go to that expense I highly recomend you check it out too!! Good luck and happy cleaning. If you are in the Kansas City area the number for they guy I use is ###-###-####. My mom had one for like 20 years but at the time I was really sold on Kirby, and they are a great machine too, just compare and see what you think.

I have to agree with 50% of the responders on here. My parents bought a Kirby about 20 yrs ago and it still works, but spending that much on a machine (a car definately) is just silly!! When I started having kids, 7 yrs ago, I saw the Dyson in my Parenting magazine and DH went and bought me one, that is the best vacuum ever. Shortly after my parents bought a Dyson and my sister also. Never had one ounce of problem with it and all the parts come apart to clean or whatever...easy.
Bonus: you don't have to make payments on the Dyson unlike the Kirby.

They are good vacuums, however you can pick up a Dyson, which is also VERY good for about $400 at Costco.

Sounds about right to me. I have a daycare and I Love my Kirby. They are pricey but I am going on 2 years with this one and I had 15 years on my first one. Yes I am on my second one which they took as a trade in. Also when I did have a problem with it, I sent it in and the repaired it for me. And that only happened once. I think it is a good investment. Barb K.

I haven't seen the new one. Use to own a Kirby- now I own a rainbow for the past 12 years. The kirby was great but, the rainbow kicked its butt 12 years ago. Do your research... so many choices. I would go with any thing that goes with air flow and not suction.

A close friend of mine (who is an appliance/electronics nut) SWEARS by Kirby. From what he says, you only need to buy one. His Kirby is over 30 years old & still works like new! I do love my Electrolux but I wouldn't mind having a Kirby. My Electrolux(s), we have 2, are awesome though. One was my Grandma's & the other belonged to my Great Grandma! My dad also has one that belonged to his mother who used to sell them back in the 50's. How's that for staying power!!?

NEVER would I spend 1200 on a vacuum, I did however spend 400 on a DYSON it is great and it can sell itself , no need for wierd people going door to door to talk people down to what they would sell it to anyone for. I hope that your still thinking about it and have not made that "investment" the other 700 can go for something usefull in your life, like a fun weekend getaway with the family.

$1200 is crazy! I had someone come and do the Sentria demo for me they told me it cost $2500 but they would give it to me for $800 I told them I would never pay thet much for a vacume and they ended up giving it to me for $500. (It just so happens my vacume went on the fritz that day) Plus they gave me the extra shampooing kit for free. It works great and I love the attachment to blow up inflateables but is very heavy so it is hard to do the steps. There is a spinning attachment but it doesn't fluff the carpet as good as the main vacume. The shampooer really doesn't work any better then Resolve or Woollite carpet foam. It is well made and alot tougher then the Hoovers I have had. However the bags are expensive and they lie when they say one bag lasts several months. Also any repairs cost $175. So you can buy a new vacume for the cost of a repair.

All I can say is that they are really good vacuums. I have one
that is sitting in our storage unit because we live overseas. If you have stairs you may want to consider having a smaller one in the area that is less carpeted and has less company in.
I wish I could still use mine. But most of my floor is tile. With area carpets and rugs laying around. My best to you in your decision to buy one. They can put you on a payment plan as well. My son used to sell them until they did not pay him his salary after making like 8 sales. But that was the company entity he worked for.

We had a salesman come by and show us one. We also had a Hyla salesperson show us one of those. We bought the Hyla and regret it dearly. It fell apart and we spent nearly $1,500 or more on it. When we have the money, we are going for a Dyson ball Animal. It is atleast 1/2 the price of either of these vacuums and practically all feedback I find on them is positive.

I would NEVER spend that much on a vacuum! I have a Bissell Powerforce. It's a bagless vacuum, but what I love is that I can take all the parts of the filter off, and wash them, and then let them air dry. It's a lot less maintenance, and it works great. I think I got it at Kmart for maybe $60.
Good luck!

I grew up with a Kirby in our family. When I moved out, my family generously let me have it. I then was moving to another state and couldn't take everything with me, so I gave the Kirby to some good friends and they used it for years. I have to say, that Kirby must have been at least 25 years old! My husband and I bought a Kirby about 5 years ago. We love it! It can be heavy, but it is a workhorse! We've never had a single problem with it, and it still has great suction and picks up things very easily! Yes, we paid too much for it, but I can't imagine having to buy another vacuum for a long, long time!

I would say NO vacuum is worth $1200. I bought an Oreck several years ago for around $700 and that thing was in the shop (45 minutes away) constantly. It had a 21-year warranty, but that's no bargain if you have to haul it to the shop all the time and be without a vacuum while it's getting fixed. Buy a cheaper one. Even if it only lasts a year or two I've gotta think you come out ahead.

I traded in my Orek about 4 years ago for my Kirby and I love it. It may weigh more than the Orek but it is so much easier to use. By putting it in drive it basically goes by itself. I too paid about $1200.00 but that was around 4 years ago so price must not have changed much.

Buy a Dyson vacuum they are worth every penney they ask for it. My grandbaby had execema when he was like 6 months old an I have to dogs one that sheds an one that does not, so I bought i dyson to make sure there was nothing in the carpets to irritate his skin. The dyson cost me around 500 as I bought the animal one, If you don't have pets then you would not need that particular type. They sell them at target, best buy, Circuit City just about every where. I can honestly say that it was the best investment I ever did. You will be amazed at the amount of dirt it sucks up out of carpeting, Diana Z

Not worth the money and it is bad for the carpet as well...even though they won't tell you that.

Hi A.,
I can't speak for Kirby, but I love my Dyson. I have the yellow one, and I think it was around $400. It's very easy to use and take care of. I know they're available at Sears, but not sure where else. The instruction manual is in plain English too!! :)