Advice on Buying a New Vacuum Cleaner

Updated on May 31, 2009
M.V. asks from Denton, TX
39 answers

I have heard a lot of people love the Dyson vacuum cleaners...we are about to buy a new one, and I'm wondering from someone who may have had a Dyson for longer than a few months. Is it really worth the big bucks? Any other suggestions for a good vacuum?

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So What Happened?

i found a dyson dc14 on sale and we are going to try it! thanks for all the advice!

Featured Answers

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C.L.

answers from Dallas on

I had a Oreck for 10 years and it just gave out on me. I went to the Oreck store and told them I wanted a re-conditioned vacuum. I paid 299.00 for it and it is exactly what I needed. It is even a 2009 model. Having had one for 10 years, I can tell you that I really loved my Oreck. Tell them you don't need all those extras they might want to sell you. Good luck.

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L.E.

answers from Dallas on

I LOVE my Dyson Animal. It is going on 9 years old and it was one of the best investments that I made. It truly is an awesome vacuum. It picks up dirt and animal hair the same as when I first bought it. I have never had one problem with it. When I first vacuumed my rug with it, it had looked like I had my rugs professionally cleaned. I didn't realize how bad my vacuum was until I got my Dyson. Run, don't walk, to get one!

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D.R.

answers from Dallas on

I love the Dyson. In fact I have two of them because I don't want to lug it up and down the stairs. I bought the first one in 2004 and the 2nd in 2006. They both work beautifully still and I do think they are worth the big bucks.

You don't need to buy anything more than the standard version. The other, more expensive, versions just offer different attachments. I bought the "Animal" version, but rarely feel the need to attach the "Animal" attachment.

Good luck!

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C.W.

answers from Dallas on

I own a professional carpet cleaning company, and frequent vacuuming with a good vacuum is very important in the maitenance of your carpet. I have a lot of clients that have the Dyson and love it. I never heard one that was not happy. My only issue with it is it has a lot of plastic insides, and if it breaks you have to send it back to the manufacturer which can be a pain. The local vacuum shops can not do the repair's last I checked. We researched and purchase only Riccar for our business. They are heavy duty and last forever. All metal parts. Plus you can take them to a repair shop and easily have them fixed. You can purchase them at Evan's Vacuum, or places like that. Or we buy them refurbished on Ebay and they have worked out great.They are very pricey.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.R.

answers from Dallas on

Ive had mine a little over a year and it has been one of the best things I've ever bought. You can really feel the suction in it and it picks up everything. I've noticed a big improvement in my families allergies since we've bought it and installed hard wood floors throughout most of the house. My only complaint is that is not a great edge cleaner but my other vaccuums haven't been either and I still haven't figured out how to get the hose attachment to release some of its tension and be easier to use.

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B.L.

answers from Dallas on

I love my Dyson. I've had mine for about 3 years and so glad that I was able to get one. I thought that we were doing a good job with cleaning our carpets, but once I got the Dyson, we found out that we had a lot more dirt in our carpet. I have the animal Dyson since I have 2 very large dogs who shed tons of hair daily. I love all the attachments that comes along with the vacuum. Since I am pretty short reaching high areas is really hard for me, but with my Dyson I am able to get the high areas without standing on a chair or step ladder. I highly recommend the Dyson vacuum cleaner. I hope that this helps you decide.

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A.D.

answers from Dallas on

We've had the Dyson Animal for about 5 years, love it for the most part. It is heavy - my understanding is this is typical for a HEPA filter vacuum- but we've never had a problem with anything on it breaking etc. We did just replace the "lifetime" HEPA filter and the sponge filter because we have 1 stinky dog and I felt like it didn't matter how much I cleaned it, there was still a stink and the problem has been solved. My only complaint would be that when you want to use the hose you have to completely unwind the cord. Newer models may not be that way, I've not really looked at them.

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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

We checked out Consumer Reports before we bought a new vacuum. They did not rate the Dyson high at all. We followed their advice and bought the Kenmore Progressive and have been very pleased with it. I would check out Consumers Reports before buying anything. It is an investment.

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S.C.

answers from Dallas on

I have had mine for a few years and I love it still. My husband prefers the Eureka Boss (consumer reports best buy) but he does admit that the attachments on the dyson are better and pick up better than the Eureka. Plus, he's a guy, so his vote doesn't matter. I love my dyson and I am the one that vacuums every day...not him. You really could not go wrong getting one. You will love it!

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L.F.

answers from Dallas on

I have the Dyson DC25. It's the one that's sort of orange in color and has the ball. I have loved having it. I love the fact that I can go from our carpet to the tile. I purchased mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond and used one of the 20% off coupons they send out frequently. Good luck.

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A.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

Totally worth the money! I have had mine (Animal Dyson) for probably 5 years and I absolutely love it. It has great suction still and very easy to maintain. The only downside to my Animal is that it is one of the heavier models (especially for stairs) but since we have 2 large dogs, it is exactly what we need.

Good luck!

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K.P.

answers from Amarillo on

I have had the Dyson with the ball for a year and a half. I can't remember the model name or number but the ball is purple. I LOVE it!

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E.H.

answers from Dallas on

I have had mine since christmas & i love it. its the best thing i have bought.

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A.C.

answers from Lubbock on

HI! I love my Oreck vacuum. Pricey but so worth it. There are different "levels" but I splurged and bought the expensive one also b/c you have a 20+ year warranty on annual "tune-ups". My friend has a Dyson and loves it so I'd probably check them both out! Good luck!

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C.C.

answers from Dallas on

During my lifetime (I'm 62), I've bought all of them and paid big bucks! When my mom died, she still had the Electrolux canister vacuum she bought when I was 3 and a Sunbeam toaster she bought when I was 4 .... they still worked. I found with the Electrolux, it was cumbersome and not easy to use .... plus hard to find bags, etc.

My advice - the best one I've found (not expensive) is the Dirt Devil. I've had mine for 6 years, paid $89 for it.....it's still going strong. I've never had any trouble with it and I have 2 cats, 2 dogs, live in the country where there's lots of dust. It's the second one I've had and I bought it only because it had a bagless system I wanted to try. I like them both and use them both. They have good attachments and are light and easy to use.

I know these expensive ones claim to be the best with the Hepa filter and all the other perks ... but for my nickel, they're not any better than the others out there - certainly not worth the hundreds of dollars you spend. All of the vacuums have filters. The key is keeping the filters clean.

H.M.

answers from Columbia on

We've had our Dyson Animal (the purple one specified to pick up animal hair) for a couple years now and I LOVE it! It's the best vacuum cleaner I've ever owned. I vacuumed our bedroom carpet with our previous vacuum cleaner and then we brought the Dyson in and vacuumed and the canister was FULL of fur by the time we got finished. I know that's gross, but it just illustrates how much stuff gets trapped in your carpet that an ordinary cheap vacuum cleaner can't lift.

Not sure if they're running a sale right now, but Kohl's often has pretty good deals on Dysons. They're expensive, but if you can afford it, they're awesome!

Hope this helps!
Hilary

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L.A.

answers from Dallas on

Hi there, I have a Dyson and love it.....it is so worth the extra money. I have kids and pets and it truly picks up everything...you do not even have to roll directly across it...you can just be near the dirt, dust and hair and it sucks it right in, it will fit it tight spaces due to the roller ball design and turn on a dime. I will never own another brand...I am a Dyson customer for life...got mine at Kohl's and had a coupon (which helped)....I know they are having quite a good sale 15% off your total purchase if under 100 and 20% if over 100...for one day on May the 30th...if you type in promotional codes for Kohl's in Google you will probably find the coupon and info...good luck...if you choose it I can definitely say you will not be disappointed....!

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L.B.

answers from Dallas on

I've had my Dyson (the basic gold one) for about 6 years. It is absolutely worth the price. It still performs like new.

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D.E.

answers from Dallas on

I would suggest you try a Rainbow vacuum before you buy. Nothing beats them!

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P.C.

answers from Dallas on

Don't do it! I definitely regret the purchase of our dyson. We bought the most advance one and it was not any better than our panasonic. In fact we would venture to say it was worse. We recently bought a kenmore rated number 1 in consumer reports. It is fantastic but heavy.

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L.S.

answers from Dallas on

If you have pets the Dyson Animal one is good (we've had ours for 5 years or so now) but our pet is outdoors now and it's a REALLY heavy vacuum. If you are going to spend that much on a vacuum (which I think expensive vacuums ARE worth the $ because otherwise you go through 3-4 cheaper ones, or at least that's what I have found) I would buy an Oreck. My mom's Oreck is AWESOME. Super lightweight and does a great job picking up stuff. The only diff. is hers needs a bag but honestly cleaning out the Dyson inside part is not fun and I think I'd prefer to just have to switch out a bag once in awhile. Good luck deciding!

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M.P.

answers from Dallas on

We have had ours for a couple of years and we LOVE it. It's easy to take apart and clean when you need to. Our home is 3300 sq ft and mostly carpet. We have 1 dog (used to have 2). I use it on the tile as well. We have the Animal Ball. The best part is I almost never get to use it cause my husband enjoys vacuuming for me!

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T.B.

answers from Dallas on

I have an Oreck and can't say enough possitive things about it. It as a 30 day return policy even so if you use it and find you don't like it. Take it back no questions asked. Dyson doesn't have that. Everyone that I know whose had a dyson complains about them being too heavy. My oreck only weighs 8lbs!!

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

I have a top of the line Oreck and I will never use anything else. It is so lightweight and easy to use. With Oreck, it is so easy to use, I do not need a second vac for upstairs.

Before my Oreck, I had (still have and both work well) Hoover.

My mom has a Dyson (for 5yrs now). And hates it because it is so heavy and bulky.

Have fun shopping.

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M.D.

answers from Dallas on

not to plug infomercials but, the shark VX3 is awesome. it picks up everything the vacuum doesn't exspecially pet hair. it is definetly not as expensive as the Dyson. goes anywhere because it is cordless and the handle bends to get under furniture w/o moving it (easily). one charge will do your whole house also. Oh did I tell you it is quiet.They have a steam mop i want to try too if you have a lot of tile. There is a 60 day money back guarantee too :)

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C.M.

answers from Dallas on

Hi - I've had a Dyson Animal for 3 years. I think it was about $500-600 (my husband bought it for me and I can't remember now). It is truly amazing how much it sucks up every time I vacuum. It is so nice that I can empty it and then be able to take the whole thing apart (easily) and wash it. I love my Dyson!

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J.M.

answers from Dallas on

Don't get the Dyson DC-17! I loved my Dyson for the first few years, but it is no longer useable although it is still under warranty. On this model, there is nothing to keep the dirt out of the belt path and gears. I have to clean the gears out after every 2-5 minutes of vacuuming to prevent the motor from burning up. The gears are not easy to get to to clean! Dyson's customer service is terrible--they will say there is nothing wrong with the machine since it is picking up dirt, and that some people do have to clean it out that often. The way it is, it would take me hours to vacuum a room, and it is totally unreasonable for Dyson to say it is working as designed! One customer service rep confessed that it is a known design flaw, but they aren't allowed to admit that.

There are local authorized repair centers; call Dyson to make sure they are authorized. Unfortunately, they said this is a common problem with this model and there is no fix. It is not a problem with the other models.

Before this problem started, I loved my Dyson! I would get another model, but their customer service is so bad that I went with another brand.

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K.B.

answers from Dallas on

I have the Dyson DC-17 Animal, and absolutely it is the best vacuum I have ever owned. I have had it about a year and a half, and use it to clean all my carpets and floors. It picks up many times more than my other vacuums. I have one dog who is inside, and the Dyson takes care of all the pet hair. I purchased mine at Bed Bath & Beyond, using the 20% off one item coupon they frequently distribute, which made it a little more affordable. The only maintenance is cleaning the filter at least twice a year (I try to do it every 4 months), and emptying the bin each time I vacuum. It was an investment in the cleanliness of our home, and I'm very happy with it.

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H.F.

answers from Dallas on

I bought my dyson about 5 years ago. I have not had any problems with it. I am about to take it in and get it serviced and cleaned out for the first time. Due to allergies, I vacuum at least 3 times a week. It has paid for itself since I do not have to replace bags or the filter. If this one were ever to get broken beyond repair, I would definitely replace it with another Dyson.

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K.S.

answers from Dallas on

We've had our Dyson for 4 years now and we love it. I vacuum quite often (5 times a week) because we have golden retrievers and little kids. It picks up the pet hair and dirt really well. We are going to have to purchase a new one soon because the tubing is starting to tear, but after using it so often for so many years, I feel that it is worth the cost.

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E.S.

answers from Dallas on

Yes! We have dogs and lots of hair. This kills vacuum cleaners. I would buy about 1 a year until I got our Dyson more then 5 years ago. We have the purple animal one and it is great. Easy to clean out and the tools work well. For us, it has been great.

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B.C.

answers from Wichita Falls on

We've had a Dyson for over 4 years now, and we love it. Even my husband, who was very skeptical about spending so much for a vacuum, sings its praises. You do have to clean out the filters once in a while, and last month, my husband took the whole thing apart and we cleaned every nook and cranny. He even blew out everything with an air compressor. We have 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a toddler, so it was time to give it a once-over. It is truly worth every penny.

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J.B.

answers from Tyler on

AERUS! The Aerus vacuum cleaner was the Electrolux until they sold the Electrolux name to Eureka. But I've used the old Electrolux brand since 1970--the first one lasted almost 30 years---and bought the Aerus I have now 10 years ago. It's super, worth the money. I've used Kirby, Fantom, and other brands and breeds, but nothing really cleans or lasts as long as the Aerus.

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N.H.

answers from Dallas on

I owned a Dyson when living in the UK and I have owned my one here for 6 years. I will never buy anything else again. My familiy has all bought one too. I would highly recommend it.

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C.S.

answers from Dallas on

YES! I have had mine for four years and it still works like brand new. Very comparative to the Kirby. when the Kirby people came to visit I was so proud how well my cleaned up.

Love my Dyson and the fact that I never had to buy another bag again is wonderful! You can really see what it is picking up to know it works.

Also - very light weight and easy to maneuver. The cord is extremely long. Ll attachments are on it and they are easy to use. Remember to read the directions - never pick your Kirby up by the handle - use the lower handle.

PS: I washed the filter a couple of times in the sink - so easy and aired dried then easy to put back in.

YES - well worth the money. I have had several cleaners over the years and this has been the best.

Good luck and happy house cleaning! C.

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C.R.

answers from Dallas on

I've had my animal dyson for several years LOVE IT. It did get to a point where it didn't have as good suction as it once had. I know they say "livetime" HEPA filters but even after washing it the suction didn't change. I bought new HEPA filets...changed it and the vaccum was like brand new.

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M.Q.

answers from Dallas on

I have a Dyson animal that I bought 1 and hald years ago. I love it. It IS heavy and requires getting used to changing a bagless canister. Once you get used to it, it is great! I see that there is a new one on the market with a ball that seems to navigate corners. It looks awesome. It is an investment but in my opinion, worth it. Use your Bed bath and Beyond coupon if you find one there you like.

I hear good things about the Oreck too, very light weight. I just didn't want any bags to change.

My advice - go and try a Dyson out. Use the floor tool as well. If you go to an Orek store they will do a demo for you with both.

Good luck!
M.

P.S. I used to have a highly ranked on Consumer Reports Kemnore canister. The motor busted on me 4 times. I used it alot. It cost over $70 each time to repair. Not worth it.

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D.F.

answers from Dallas on

When compared to buying vacuum that are alot less expensive, but you end up taking them back or just simply buying another vacuum after a short period of time, I would say yes. I've have had the very expensive down to the less expensive models, and those $49 to 150 range, always seem to get clogged or some other issue which spells out NEW vacuum cleaner.

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E.M.

answers from Dallas on

I have had the Dyson for 2, almost 3 years...and Love love, love it!

We did a test and vacuumed our house with the "old" vacuum (a Eureka Upright- which was working, but was several years old), and then vacuumed immediately with the Dyson- and we were so shocked by how much dirt and dust was picked up by the Dyson.

We have the Animal model, although we don't have animals in the home. The basic model would work just fine, we don't use the attachments much.

Hope this helps you!

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