Looking for a Great Vacuum

Boy, have YOU pushed my 'passion button'! LOL

I have always been intrugued with vacuum cleaners -- took several apart and got them to work better, etc. I never did like uprights (simply because i grew up with a canister). N-E-ways, in 1996 at the tender age of 39 I got the 'full-effect' demonstration of a water vacuum and haven't looked back! There is NO OTHER vacuum that can clean like a Rainbow, OceanBlue or any of a few other water vacuums. I sold Rainbows for 8 years straight (and still would if I was able).

I had a Sears (Kenmore) canister for several years before that and it had about the most 'suction' of any vacuum I've come across (and believe me, in 8 years of demonstrating Rainbows, I came across a LOT of vacuum cleaners!), but suction is NOT what cleans -- it's the amount of AIR that's flowing THROUGH the tubes and filters. Once ANY dry filter gets coated with dust (which happens REALLY quickly when you're SWEEPING UP DUST!), it loses about 80% of its efficiency (compare to trying to dry clothes when the lint filter is totally covered with very fine (not fluffy) lint or trying to drive a car when the air filter is dirty and clogged. You lose your power and efficiency, right?) The water 'filter' in the Rainbow is about 90% efficient from start to finish. Now -- USING them is kind of a bummer. You need to put clean water in them each time you use them, AND you MUST empty them as soon as you're done or it starts smelling like sewage w/in a few hours; but they are SO, SOOO efficient. I even have several used ones that I need to get out of my house. (The reason I'm unable to 'sell' any more is that I had a period of depression -- several deaths in the family, etc) and just couldn't 'sell'.

If you choose to go with a 'dry filter' vac, though, I'd surely recommend one with an actual bag instead of a 'bagless', because their filters are smaller (surface area) and clog faster -- plus there is usually a SERIES of filters that you must check often!

ANYONE who's interested in a good used Rainbow, please contact me!!

God bless, and happy shopping (and cleaning)!
P.S. I know it's kind of hard to believe, but sometimes when I went to do a demo at a house that was already using an older Rainbow, I could TELL by the look of the carpet (brighter and standing up fluffy -- even if it was 20+ years old. Carpet-layers told my boss that when they took up carpets from households that used Rainbows, they didn't find those piles of sand and grit UNDER the carpets, either!

I would definitely agree about the Oreck. It is light and works really well. One hint - you can buy a "loaner" or or demonstrator model for around $300. It doesn't come with a warranty, but I saved $500 by buying it this way. A tune-up is about $65, so the savings was well worth it.

Good luck.

We went with a Consumer Reports pick and got the Eureka the Boss Smartvac. It was $140 a few years ago. It is a little heavy (going up and down the stairs), but otherwise I love it. I despise sweeping, and it does fantastic on hard floors.

I have always had and used the dirt devil, it's not real expensive but it works real well and and now that i have had a dirt devil i would not trade it for anything in the world. Also for just small spills or messes i also have a handheld rechargable dirt devil vac that hanngs on the kitchen wall which really comes in handy with 3 small toddlers roaming the house all between the ages of 1-3. Very active and inquizitive little things that like to get into and explore everything in sight that catches their eye. It has swept up everyting from spilled dry cereal, noodles, sugar and even overturned plants (the soil) very well with no left over residue. Hope this helps you out some and good luck!!

I have a dyson, and I love the next vacummn cleaner I would use would be a bissel, they are the next best thing to a dyson, I am not sure, I have owned the bissel vacumn cleaner and they work very well. I also have bissel steam cleaners and I would not use anything else but bissel.

I hope this helps.

I am a surgical assistant and just turn 63yrs old. After working my butt off in operating rooms i don't feel like lugging a heavy vac around. 10 years ago i bought the 8lb. Oreck vac and a seperate attachment vac came with it. I would vaccum the carpet and floors one evening and take the attachment vac and do that part the next day or evening. It is so light weight you don't wear your butt out to do floors and rugs. The belt is easy to change. The hypo bag and inner disp. Bags are easy to work with. The attachment vac will fit on your shoulder and do all the other stuff.
You really should consider trying this out as it is the most light weight and strong suction on both units i have ever had. Yes, it cost a little more. What is your energy worth? Do the 30 day try out and if you don't agree with me send or take it back. I am going tomorrow and purchase the updated one from the one i have been using for several years now.
What ever you choose good luck to you. I can't imagine having children and sruggling with a heavey vaccum.
S.
I JUST READ SOME OTHER RESPONCES TO YOU AND THE ORECK CAME UP BUY THESE OTHER FOLKS.LIKE I SAID I'M 63 NOW AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE WORKING THAT HARD TO CLEAN HOUSE. WE HAVE 3265 SFT. JOINTS ARE STIFF. DIABETIC AND TIRED. JUST DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND LISTEN TO ALL OF US WHO OWN THE ORECK. VACCUM WITH A NOTHER BRAND ON YOUR CARPET AND GO OVER THE SAME PLACES WITH YOUR ORECK AND SEE FOR YOURSELF HOW MUCH THE ORECK LIGHT WEIGHT WILL PULL OUT MORE DIRT.

I LOVE my Oreck! I have a two story house so I love the fact that it is only 8 lbs!! It comes with a separate vacuum with attachments that work great for cleaning curtains/ blinds and stairs. Can't say enough about it. It is worth every penny. But probably the best part... because it only weights 8 lbs. my 2 year old can push it!!
She loves helping mommy vacuum & love the help.

Good luck!!

Gotta go with the Oreck!!! I've had mine for about 8 years after a Eureka Boss only lasted about 1 year. Although some might be a little pricey, you always get extras with your purchase. I received a hand held and a cordless iron with mine, and I know that they still have similar specials today. It's the lightest vacuum I've ever used and doesn't require a lot of work to run - self-propelling so that helps a lot. I have an aunt who has been extremely ill, on chemo for several months, and is taking months to build her strength back up. She used mine and loved it b/c it didn't wear her out to try and use it. She got her own Oreck for Christmas! We wouldn't have any other vacuum!!

I have a Eureka "The Boss" Smartvac upright, and I like it. It has done very well for me for about 2 years, and I hope it lasts a long time.

I know you said "not Dyson" but I have a Dyson and love mine! You can get a discount if you use a 20% coupon to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Kerby is great too but pricey.

Good luck

Hi. I have a Bissel Velocity, for about a year now, and I have been happy with my choice. I have 3 dogs and 2 cats so it definitely gets a work out. Occasionally, it gets clogged at the beginning of the hose and that takes some ingenuity to remove, but other than that it does a great job for us. It cost us just over $100. Good luck.

I just bought the Eureka Optima (pet lover bagless). I went on reviews from Best Buy.com and they were so right!! I actually logged on to add a review myself! It is small & light weight but packs big suction! The handle adjusts (I'm 5'3" and my hubby is 6'1" so it's perfect for both of us!) and the hose is longer than most & much more flexible plus it has a powerful suction. It even has a feature that will shut off the brush so you can vacuum on bare floors. I tried it out on my hard woods & it did pretty good (much better on carpet though). It cost me $80 and I got it delivered to the Best Buy closet to me for free (and ready the next day!). It's thin and gets under the beds & dressers with no problem (I'd have to move all of that with my other vacuum). I HIGHLY recommend it! Hope this helps =)

I'm a housekeeper by trade and i've had a kirby sweeper for 18yrs and never had any problems it'll suck hair off a ducks back, you get every attachment you could dream of even a blow-up attachment for all the blow up toys. It is pricey but the motor is garantied for life as long as you maintain it, they have a drive where it goes really easy . I bought mine in 1991 and still have it, the only thing i've had to replace is the plastic fan at the motor it was 8.00 it broke when i was sweeping out my car and sucked a big rook in it. Good luck in your choices but i've tried a dyson and the 2 filters are constantly need clean and the lady that has it wishes she'd bought a kirby, most sweepers only last 4 yrs my kirby is almost 19 and still going strong. Good luck M.

Hi L.,

The SEBO is my absolute favorite and my friend that owns a vacuum shop tells me it is absolutely the best. I'm not buying one until mine dies and that may be a long time. I have a Rainbow and love it too. It was my Mom's so it is about 40 years old. I know they're pricey but you can sometimes pay a reasonable price on ebay. And if you buy it on demo you can negotiate it down a lot. They last forever, obviously, their parts are not that expensive if you need to repair it, and they do a good job. They are great at containing the dust so the allergens don't float all over the house again.

My two cents....

M.

well you get what you pay for.... i have a riccar and LOVE it its not too heavy and has a ton of attachments if you are in Louisville i recommend going to A1 vac in the highlands they are great and can help you pick whats right for you

I agree with Cynthia! I have a Miele and it's awesome. I have had several vacs over the years, but this one is definately worth the money. We have a dog that sheds like mad. We bought the miele for downstairs. We have laminate and tile.It's so light weight. I have an old Kenmore I use on the carpets upstairs. I am going to buy a second one for upstairs.

I am personally a huge fan of the Oreck vacuums. They are a little pricey but you wont be replacing it every few years like with the cheaper vacuums.

The oreck is lightweight at around 8 pounds, so it's not hard to manuver, or carry up and down stairs if you have them. The upright doesn't have attachments of it's own, but it comes with a minivac that comes with all kinds of attachments so you can vacuum just about anywhere.

My mom, who shares her home with seven dogs and two cats, swears by the oreck because it picks up all of the animal hair and she doesn't have to vacuum the same spot over and over again to get the fur up. My sister has an oreck as well, and she shares her home with two dogs and a toddler that has a habit of throwing food in the floor. She loves her oreck, too. I have two cats and a son who is allergic to them. I vacuum with the Oreck and it has made a huge difference in our house. My cats shed like it's their job, so I needed a vacuum that would pull cathair out of the carpet without me having to run over the same area over and over again. I've had my oreck for about 5 years, my sister has had hers for a few years, and my mom has had hers for I think 10 years. They are reliable :)

The biggest downside is that you have to use Oreck bags, so you can't just run to walmart or target to pick up vacuum bags. Your profile says you're in Charlotte, NC so you are in luck because there are oreck stores right in Charlotte. You can buy bags there or online, at the oreck site or other sites like ineedbags.com. If you go into the store, they will give you a demonstration of the vacuum at work. They used to have a 30 day in home trial but I dont know if they still do that. I do know that they will service your vacuum twice a year for free - they clean out anything that gets stuck and will make sure all parts are working correctly, and change the belt if you need it.

You can see their line of vacuums (they have other stuff too!) at www.oreck.com

The oreck stores in Charlotte are:
ORECK
###-###-####
8925 J M Keynes Dr, #4, Charlotte, NC 28262

ORECK
###-###-####
8140 Providence Rd, #500, Charlotte, NC

ORECK CLEAN HOME CENTER
###-###-####
6449 Albemarle Rd, Charlotte, NC

Get you a kirby. Don't buy brand new... you can't afford it. Look on craigslist or in the paper and get you a good used one for about $200. You won't be sorry and it will last you for about 20 yrs PLUS it converts to a shampoorer that is really nice.

Dyson!!! They are so awesome.. We got one about 6 months ago. I have to say that I had a bissel. I thought it did a good job until I got the Dyson. I had just vaccumed and then Vaccumed with the Dyson. I was just in shock to see how much came up with one pass through. They are the best in my opinion.. Try one. If you know someone has one ask them to borrow it for a day and see what you think.. They are great Hope this helps T.

i have the eureka it not at all pricy and i love it sucks hard serious it sucks super hard no bags when i first got this my stepson who does not clean vACCUMED OVER AN HOUR CAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS SO COOL HOW IT PICKED SO MUCH DIRT

I absolutely love my Oreck. We got it two years ago and it is still like brand new. It is very light weight and I carry it throughout my 5500 sf house. You get a 25 year warranty and maintenance every year free. It is absolutely the best vacuum i've ever had. I used to buy the mid priced vacuum's at Walmart or Target and i'd always have to replace them yearly. They are a bit pricey but it's so so worth it.

L.,

Whenever I want to buy something like that, I usually check Consumer reports. They put all sorts of products through rigorous testing and I have never gone wrong with them. I personally have a Eureka The Boss, Smartvac. I purchased it 5 years ago on recommendation of Comsumer reports and it works great! I have never had a problem with it, parts are easily replaceable and it picks up everything. I first bought it when I had a 2500 sq ft house and was living with my stepdaughter, husband and 3 children and dog. Besides my own husband and child. I'll tell you, that thing does the trick. It wasn't frightfully epxpensive, bags are easy to change and the attachments are great. It was the #2 pick that year and I haven't regretted it.

There are a lot better pricier vacuums but if price is an issue, then check the report. It will show you price and everything.

I hope you find what you are looking for.

E.

We have a kenmore direct drive canister vac. it was $250 but it does a decent job, tho it's no dyson. you can view one here:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02028615000P?vNa...

I also have an Oreck...I've had it for almost 5 years and no problems with it. I love how lightweight it is... my 10 year old daughter can use it without it being too heavy for her. It is about $400 but since you won't have to replace it for years it will pay for itself in no time. You can also use them on hard floors, just tell the salesperson that you will be using it on tile, wood, etc, as well and he will guide you to the correct model for your needs.

Oreck XL is a great vacuum, not too pricey, around $300.00. I just bought one recently and love it!!!! picks up great, easy to use. I got 3 vacuums with mine, 1 upright, 1 canister vac, and 1 car vac, plus the bags, belts, and hoses. :)

I have a Miele and absolutely love it. My sister-in-law was visiting us last year, helped with the cleaning and used my vacuum. She liked it so much that she bought one when she returned home. It's not cheap, but there are different models and price levels. I have had mine since 2004, use it almost every day and have never been disappointed.