Which Vacuum? Kirby or Miele?

I have a Kirby and I am trying to sell it to get a Dyson, which costs half of what I paid for my Kirby. I paid $1100 for my Kirby. It does ok, but I hate having to take the head off of it just to put any attachments on it. I even have the shampooer unit for it. I have sucker written all across my forehead. I fell for it because my son was 2 months old at the time and he was actually born 2 months early. I was afraid of all the allergens, in 2000.

My husband sold appliances at Sears for a few years (2005-2008). Stay away from the Kenmore. It has poor customer satisfaction. People would bring it back with issues all the time. I have no clue how it gets the ratings it does from Consumer Reports because it is junk. At the store he worked at, the vac sales people tried to steer people away from it. Of those who did buy it, most would bring it back and exchange it for the Dyson.

Now about the Dyson, you get a built in warranty with it that kicks "posterior". The Dyson also beats any other vacuum, hands down. The newer models are even better than the older versions that came out. You can buy 2 Dysons for the cost of one Kirby and be happier even. Take the money you will be saving by getting a Dyson and take a weekend vacation. And, if you buy it at the right time from Target or Best Buy, you can even get a store gift card.

The amount of money you pay for the vacuum does not necessarily mean you get the best. You can buy 2 Dysons for the cost of one Kirby and be happier even. Take the money you will be saving by getting a Dyson and take a weekend vacation or pay off a credit card (if you have one). And, if you buy it at the right time from Target or Best Buy, you can even get a store gift card. (I would go BB as you get the gift card, but if you use their FREE rewards program, you will also end up with another gift certificate.)I am all about getting the best for the lowest price I can.

My Kirby has to be used at just the right angle or it will jump across the floor and it LOSES SUCTION POWER, which the Dyson will not. Also, I was told when I bought my Kirby if you don't take it to a Kirby dealer to get repairs, you void the warranty. It is awkward to use on the stairs even when you put disassemble it and then reassemble it with the stairs configuration.

So, if you want a Kirby, you can buy mine so I can go get a Dyson.

1 mom found this helpful

Rainbow... I absolutely love my rainbow. I bought it 17 years ago when I first got married and I am still using it. I love all the attachments that I use for my brick floors, baseboards, ceiling fans and even the tight spots in my car. It has awesome suction. Can't beat it. It's like buying a Lexus. You get what you pay for.

1 mom found this helpful

I do not know anything about the Miele, but my sister had a kirby & it only lasted her 3 years!...and cost alot to repair. My mother has an Oreck that she got used and has had it 10 years, great suction and not too heavy. She also uses it daily! She is a clean freak! Hope this helps.

Hi W.,
I know you only asked about those two vacuums, but here's my experience... I grew up with a Kirby, and Mom considered it premium. Then I got married and bought a Rainbow.. loved the extraction, which saved so much furniture and carpets through the years with kids! I still use it, 30some years later just for quick, small area extraction, since the other parts are done and gone. I've also tried 3 other kinds after the Rainbow, which were heavy, loud, and ridiculously offensive, even though they were 'bagless'. (My sinuses were fine until it came time to empty the thing! So when it was time for a new vacuum, I queried 3 of my 'homie' groups... all widely dispersed population through the US, to see what 'the polls' said. I was amazed at the response! At least 90% (and I received many responses) loved, loved, loved thier Dyson! So I got curious, checked it out, and bought it with a coupon from Bed, Bath and Beyond. (The coupon says it can't be used for that, but the store says they refuse NO coupon!). So, for around $250, I bought the Dyson. I love, love, love it! It's light; everything is easy to use, and right there; it takes the push of one button to empty it without having to touch anything inside the canister; it's suction is great, and stays constant because of the engineering; it's so super easy to handle! For large room carpet extraction type cleaning, I bought a Hoover Steam n Vac at Walmart, and it also works very, very well! Total cost of both was still less than a third the cost of a Rainbow or Kirby, and they work better (from my experience with all mentioned). Dyson has a website if you want to go look. I got the purple one for animal hair. Good luck in your search!! J.

I cleaned houses for 5 years. The Oreck is the best!! It is light weight, has great suction, and most places, if you buy one, you get the little hand vac, and sometimes an iron for free. Those are also great items that work awesome!!! Kirby is over priced, and very bulky. Never heard of Miele, and I cleaned MANY houses... no one had one of those!!!

I would assume that your upstairs doesn't get as dirty as downstairs, so a lightweight upright would be good (Oreck, or whatever. I would recommend one with bags, though, instead of the little 'canister' (cup) for the dirt as those usually have so many filters that can get clogged.

Now for my 'downstairs' recommendation. I sold these for 8 years, so I'm pretty 'sold' on them myself. Rainbow. They are a little messy to use (they're a canister and they use water for the filter, so must be emptied EVERY time), but the water filter is so much more efficient at picking up gritty dirt without ever clogging and losing 'pick-up power' like a dry filter, and it really is a blessing to get rid of it all every time w/o having to breathe it as you empty it. Get a used one (I have several and can answer almost any ?? you have about them, if you're at all interested ). I'm passionate about Rainbows! LOL

God bless!

P.S. I read your other responses AFTER I posted mine. I admit that I have never had my hands on a Dyson, so I have no opinion. I did demonstrate the Rainbow in well over a thousand homes (maybe a few thousand), and I also never saw Meile. I went to a store that sold them, though, and I was thoroughly unimpressed. I don't like uprights (they have a little less power than canisters), so I don't like Kirby's (they really are a pain to change from carpet to attachment hose as some others said, and they are super heavy). I hope you find whatever one will be your personal 'best' before you buy, as everyone has different needs and preferences. (I still love the Rainbow, tho! LOL There's a similar one that I tried selling for a little while called 'OceanBlue', and it's really good, but I just didn't have the mental and emotional stamina at the time to make a go of selling them). They're fairly new to the market, tho; & you probably couldn't find a used one and a new one will run $1,500-$2,100.

Actually the kirby would be good, but I recommend the Oreck line of vacuum cleaners. Lightweight, easy to use and they last a long time. Ijust got mine at the beginning of the year and it has helped tremendously with my allergies. Hope this helps.

I wouldn't get either of those. I used to be a house keeper in college and we always used Oreck's. They are awsome. Light weight and powerful and so simple you can take it apart yourself and get it really clean. I love the Oreck vacuum. I don't have one because I have all wood floors in my house nut if I had carpet I would buy one today. I don't like Kirby's they are so heavy!!!

I have to agree on the Oreck. I've had mine for almost 9 years and it still works as great as when it was brand new. After a few years I had to get it serviced for about $50 and probably spent $50 every couple of years(belt replacement, beater bar replacement,service, etc..). I love it because I also have steep stairs and it's only 8 lb and also fits under chairs and other furniture easily. I have definitely put it to the test (kids, dogs, long hair cat) and it never fails to impress. Our cleaning lady also has told me of all the vacuums her clients have had over the years, she likes the Oreck the best.

great question! Loved reading the posts. :)

Hi W.,

I wouldn't get a Kirby because of the weight and you are right about the dust/allergy problems. I wonder if you have checked out either the Rainbow or Dyson? I have had a Rainbow for over 15 years and it is wonderful for keeping dust etc where it belongs. It also is very versatile and can be used as a humidifier and has carpet cleaning capabilities. It is heavy as it has a canister of water as its filtration system. I haven't ever used a dyson, but I have heard good things about it. Good luck in your search.

B. B

Hey I'm a few days behind, but I wanted to suggest checking into a rainbow. I went with rainbow to hepl control allergens. It works great, is powerful enough, a canister and it is an air purifier. One of the things that convinced me was there are no bags or filters to replace. Everything is filtered by water (nothing gets out.) It also works well on my kitchen and bathroom floors, mattresses and furniture. I don't like kirby. they weigh a ton and can be difficult to manuver. I don't know much about the others but Rainbow is guaranteed for 8 years, on average they can go 40. Like with anything, if you take care of it, it should last a very long time. They also give MAJOR discounts if you want to upgrade to a newer model years down the road. I love mine, it does the job it's supposed to, I even mop with it (great accessories). I'd suggest watching a demo to see what it does. Check them online at rainbowsystem.com.

Good luck!

I just resently purchased a Kirby and I love it. My grandmother still has a Kirby and she bought hers about 50 years ago. I do not think they will ever go out of business. My grandmother has never had her Kirby repaired. I can even shampoo with mine. I believe a Kirby will be your best buy.

Before my husband gave in to a Kirby salesman, I did some research and found that the Dyson actually got the best ratings for its price. We had an Oreck before the Kirby people visited, and we hated it. Although it was lightweight and easy to deal with in some aspects, it did not do a good job picking up dirt and hair (we have two short hair cats who shed like crazy). Plus, my grandmother had used it before giving it to us and had vacuumed up after her dog; every time we used it, it left our house smelling like her golden retriever.

Our Kirby is a decent vacuum cleaner, although I definitely wouldn't swoon over it. We've had it almost two years now, and I'm just not that impressed with it for the money it cost. It is extremely heavy, and we ended up having to special order bags because you can't just walk into a store to buy them. Not only that, but it has developed a weird rattling noise whenever we run it (not from something we stuck up; more like some kind of mechanical issue), and even though it has a "lifetime" warranty, we can't get the time of day from the Kirby people to look at it. The one plus is that ours has a shampooer option, so it's like having two machines in one, which is nice when you have four kids and beige carpet :D. If you go the Kirby route, one word of advice: DO NOT let them overcharge you. They will offer it for as high as $2100. Don't be afraid to negotiate with them. My husband offered them considerably less, and they jumped on it so quickly, I'm convinced that they would have gone lower if he had tried.

W.,
Have you considered the Rainbow vacuum? It's a canister. I have seen 30+year old Rainbows still working great. They don't have bags. Instead they have a tank that you put water into, so there is no chance of dust returning to the air. They can do alot of things like the Kirby, like shampooing as well. Once you're finished, you simply dump the dirty water. They do a really good job as well. My best pick for an upright is the Oreck. They do a very good job of vacuuming and are very light weight. I grew up with a Kirby and although they do do a good job, they do weigh a ton, and how easy will it be for you to lift it in 40 years?
I've had a cleaning business for about 25 years and have tried just about everything out there. Hope things helps rather than just giving you more to think about.
T. S.

We bought our Kirby in 2001. I've never had any problems, with it, nor needed to have it fixed. I love it. There isn't a single thing that it doesn't do, or have an attachment for. There is even an attachment to scour my bathtub...and like you said it shampoos carpets. Ours is on the heavier side, but I am able to vaccuum our stairs, hardwood floors, cars, and bathrooms. I'm wondering if they make them any lighter now?
Good luck with your selection!

I just got a Dyson after a long search for the "best" vacuum. I found that overall, there was so much more customer satisfaction with Dyson than any other brand. I actually found a refurbished one on Amazon.com. It was $200 less (ships for free) and it arrived looking brand new. So far I LOVE it! It's not too heavy to carry upstairs either. Good luck!

I don't know much about the vacuums that you're interested in, but I've got a Dyson and I love it. The Dyson has a very long hose that makes cleaning the stairs very easy and it picks up EVERYTHING! Good Luck!

I have a Dyson b/c we have LOTS and LOTS of dog hair. I love it. It is a bit heavy but not like a Kerby. It is canister but has a 5 yr warranty and is really durable. My parents had a Kirby growing up, they are fabulous but is anything made like it was years ago??? I would check on the warranty, etc You can get a Dyson at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and use a coupon! It is the ONLY place that will take a coupon for them. They have several kinds, you may find one is more for stairs. Good luck,

hi, my name is R., i am 49. at the age of 45 i yardsaled my electrolux canister vac. the was my mothers from before i was born. with i could afford one now. sorry i sold the other one. can stand a -----. you need to know that the price they sell for can change. it use to be that they have a base price and of course you don't know this. then any thing above that say 1000.00 well that is how they can give you a deal today for 800.00. all the extra above the base price is the sales persons comission. i disided i better go back and take out the name,i could probable get in trouble. don't want to take a chance. my ex use to sale them. big ripe off. good luck. r. uhls

My husband installed a whole house vac about 5 yrs ago. It is wonderful. Great suction and no weight, as there is only the attatchment cleaner, and a hose you plug in the wall.
If that is out of the question, get the dyson animal.
Kirby is very heavy, and not without problems. Have you gone to consumers? I also owned a rainbow and an oreck. Not impressed with any of them, too expensive.

I have had a Kirby before and to me, they are a pain. The attachments are not on-board and you have to take the front panel off and remove the belt to get the attachments on. In addition, if you pick up something like a penny, by accident, the belt comes off the kirby and you have to stop and use the tool to get it back on. It's a heavy vacuum too.

I have a Dyson currently and I have said over and over that I will never buy another vacuum cleaner except for a Dyson. It is wonderful. I bought the hard flood cleaner with mine and I use that part on both hardwoods and carpets; It's great. You can get under the beds with it as well. It has great suction. I've had mine for 5 years and I've had it serviced one time to replace a hose that was cracked.

I just bought a Kirby in Dec '08. I really like it. It is quite heavy - but ok for me since we have a 1-story. I'm pretty sure they have an extra long hose that can be added/purchased - which would make it much easier on the stairs.