Recommendations for a New Vacuum

I have a Dyson and love it. I have cleaned homes for extra cash and used all sorts of vacuums, nothing compares to the Dyson whether or not you have carpet or bare floors, it is great!!!! I highly recommend it to people with pets. I know it is a lot but it is really worth it. I got mine from Sears and got it under their payment of 0% for 18months. Look for ads like that and it is like paying cash!

We got a Roomba for Christmas last year and it's wonderful!!! The kids and the cat get into the act with it. You push a button and off it goes and cleans around you or depending on the model you can set it to vacuum at a certain time. They have a new one for pet hair which would probably be better than the one I have, but I absolutely LOVE it! good luck

I have an Oreck and love it. It doesn't create more dust.
You can almost pick the price you want to pay as well. If you don't want the 20 year service plan, then you pay less. I would say right in the range of the Dyson. If a company will give a waranttee for parts and labor for that long, they must expect that it can last that long. The machines I have bought at the big box stores have never lasted. The Oreck I have is now 7 years old and it still works like a charm.

C.,

The store bought vacuums seem to never last. I had a Kirby and did not like it. They are very heavy and can be a little complicated changing things on it. I bought an Oreck 2 years ago and love it.They are very very light, They have them from about $400.00-$900.00. I spent a little over $800.00 for the XL21 which is an upright vacuum and a hand held portable canister vacuum, I received a years worth of bags for both and scent pacs (they have scent strips in flavors like vanilla you put on and it releases the scent when you vacuum) I got a free cordless steam iron and a 21 year warranty. You bring your vacuum in once a year for a tune up and they give you a new belt. I don't know how you can beat a 21 year warranty. You can check them out at oreck.com and there is a 30 day trial.

Good Luck,

T.

YES - get the Dyson Pet (Purple). It is amazing - I can't say enough great things about it. They sell it at Costco now so you can save some..... (or use a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond). We have three kids (oldest is 5) and shedding dog. It has wonderful attachments for under things, the stairs, etc.... You will not regret it. Several of my friends have bought it too & are thrilled. I've had it about 5 years now & it works perfect! No bags - easy to empty, etc....

Hi C.,
I looove my Oreck! No kidding. A couple of years ago I was talking to a colleague of mine and she told me about her vacuum. It was a weird topic for us as we werent really on those kind of terms with each other and typically spoke only business. She was so excited about this vacuum. She had 2 dogs and a cat but no kids. What she told me was accurate...it cleans all types of floor surfaces, even plushy carpets and pulls up that nagging pet hair too. If you wait for a special it also comes with a small canister vac that is perfect for corners and stairs. I like the small vacuum even more and my kids enjoy using it as the power of the suction will pick things up from across the floor. They actually have fun with this chore. If you are even luckier, it can also come with a free cordless iron.....its okay but a bit heavier than my other iron but its always good to have a spare.
Now Oreck isnt bagless so if you are stuck on this feature...its not the way to go. I am wondering why you want bagless? They can be messy and do need changing often....good luck with your choice!

I have an Electolux and love it. Kirby is good also. It is a wise investment to have the best you can afford as it keeps your family healthy!

Hi C., It sounds like the Dyson Animal is a good choice but I must say I bought a Kirby years ago and I still love it. We have taken it for maintence through the years and I believe I am on year 14 with my Kirby. The bags are pricey but worth it as they keep all the dust encapsulated. The other feature I love is that I can vacuum my beds! Right now we are going through fleas at my house (yuk) and I can count on that machine to get them all taken care of. When you decide consider longevity & maybe the price & availability of the bags too. That was my other down-side the bags have to be purchased at the dealer or on line no walking into store to buy.

I have the Dyson Animal and I love it! It's not too heavy, easy to move around, can be used on hardword or carpet, and comes with attachments. It gets up pet hair much better than any other vacuum I've had before. Not to mention, the amount of dirt that you'll see in the canister the first time you use it...I thought my old vacuum was doing a decent job - man was I wrong!

i have a dyson and its the best vacuum i ever had, its worth it, i have all carpet and 2 dogs, its so nice no bags, and i did that test old vacuum and dyson used the ild avacuum for like 5-10 mins thought i got it all and then the dyson and it picked up what the old vacuum left ,

Hi, C.. We debated long and hard before purchasing our Dyson, but I can tell you it is a WONDERFUL vacuum and well worth the price tag. I found that folks on the Target and Home Depot websites (testimonials) agreed with me, too. We have 2 cats and a toddler, and the first time we used the Dyson and saw how much it picked up, we were amazed. We wondered how much our old vacuum didn't pick up! We were fortunate when we bought ours, because it was on sale and we had gift cards, so we didn't have a large out of pocket expense, but I think it's still worth it.

BTW, we did not get the "pet" version but the regular yellow one. Does just fine for us. My sister got the pet one, said it doesn't seem to do anything different than the regular. If that one costs more, maybe you can get the regular version.

Good luck!

N.

I have a Hoover Windtunnel it is bagless. It seems that since it sucks so much it does clog occasionally. It comes with attachments that are very nice. I have a pretty easy time cleaning the filters too.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my Dyson Animal with the ball vacuum. My DH and I had a hard time with spending $500 on the vacuum as well. I am so glad that we did. I actually watched for the deals at Kohl's where I got 30% off and free shipping. It made it a sweet deal. I actually sometimes look forward to vacuuming. It is totally worth the price tag. I have had mine for a couple of years now and several of my friends doubted that it was worth the money, did the side by side of their vacuum vs. my Dyson and then went out and bought a Dyson. Good luck with the new house and your vacuum purchase, whatever you choose!

Hi C.,

I looked at the Dyson brand for YEARS and finally bought the Dyson Animal. I think it's 549.00 and 20% off at Bed Bath and Beyond even though their weekly coupon has Dyson "excluded." It's the best vac I've owned hands down. I use the telescope to suck flies out of the air in the summer...a tip I got from another mamasource mom...bonus! I love it and have had no regrets spending the money...my vaccuum time has been cut drastically...that's priceless, especially b/c we have a yelolow lab.

Hi C.

I see that you have some other advice on here for the Dyson Animal. But, I thought I would second that advice. I have 2 little boys, a dog and 2 cats and 2 years ago could not fathom the thought of spending over $500 on a vacuum (again, 20% off Bed Bath & Beyond brings it below $500). I am SO glad that I did. It was worth every single penny!

Miele 100%. I have friends and relatives who have the Dyson and HATE it...too bulky, heavy, ruined carpets, etc. And bagless is NOT better. I told someone else to check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXA0N0V2uOQ
Miele is European (they do high-end kitchen appliances too), we love ours, they say it will be the last vaccuum you'll ever buy. It's small, lightweight, quiet, easy to manuever and just works great.

Hi C.,
Wow! Lots of great responses for you! I do have to go with the majority here though...I own and love my Dyson Animal. I've had mine for 4 yrs now and have had no problems. Still sucking up the cat hair.
We too are in the process of moving to a new house with hardwood floors and I've taken my Dyson over there to start cleaning and it worked wonderfully on the hardwood.
I also got mine at Bed Bath & Beyond and even though the coupon says it excludes Dyson they still gave me the 20% off.
Good luck on the new house and the vacuum!
M. T

I love my Dyson! And we bought a remanufactured one on Amazon.com and paid much less for it. I've had it for about a year and have had no problems whatsoever.

I have a Miele & it was worth every penny. I LOVE it. I have hardwood with only a few area rugs and no pets...so the model we bought is probably not as expensive as one that could handle carpeting & dog hair. It is by far, the best vacuum cleaner I have ever used. They sell them at Best Vacuum on Lincoln Ave in Chicago if you want to try different ones.

I see you have a ton of responses... Just want to say I don't like my Oreck. $400, broke down several times. I also have a hoover bagless, it's not good either.

Dyson, all the way!!! It's the best investment i ever made! It's worth EVERY penny!

I have the Dyson, love it! Worth the money!!! Will buy another when it is necessary.

Check out consumer reports...you can use them for free at the library!

I have an Oreck DTX 1400. Expensive but so nice.

Hey C. ~

GET THE DYSON!! I have an English Mastiff, a parrot and 2 boys ~ it's WONDERFUL!!!! Picks up all the dog hair and seeds left behind from the animals! I have hardwood floors throughout my home and use the nozzel to get into all the small places ~ I love mine! I would never go back to the others that I have tried throughout the years! I got the vacuum for pets ~ it;s the purple one! You'll love it once you try it ~ well worth it in the long run! Good Luck!!

Hi C.,
My girlfiend bought a Dyson and she had a dog, cat, 11 year old and a teenager in the house and it worked great. Unfortunately she has moved and I do not know what model it was. She got it a Super Wal-mart and it was turquiose and gray in color. It was bagless and had the filters too.

S.

Dear C.,

I got the Dyson and LOVE it. I have the one for Allergies and Asthma. I have 3 other I know who have the Animal, the Dyson made for people with pets and they rave about it. I know it is hard to justify the expense, but I can't tell you what a great job it does. If you know anyone with one, ask to borrow it and see what you think.

I have an older dyson and I love it! Still works great and I have had it for 4 or 5 years. It works wonders to get pet hair up, bagless and easy to use. The only bad thing is it is kind of heavy when you have to carry it up and downstairs. I really want the new dyson, but can't justify buying one as the one I have still works as good as it did the day we bought it.
Hope this helps!

Hi C.! We recently bought the Dyson for Pets. Purple and grey. We have a 1 year old son, a dog and a cat. We vacuumed with our old vacuum and then went over it with the Dyson. Holy Cow! The stuff it picked up was amazing! We got ours at Bed Bath and Beyond. I am sure you get those 20% off coupons. We saved almost $100!! They also take expired coupons too! Good luck with whatever you decide!

We have a dog and a baby and use the Bosch canister- it is orange. Works wonderfully.

The Dyson is a wonderful vaccum....worth the money...but if you are able to spend a bit more (around $1500-$2000), the Kirby is AMAZING and has an attachment specifically for wood floors! Good Luck

Absolutely the Dyson purple-it is the only vac I'll ever have again. I have a long haired dog and it gets all his fur up with one pass. I've had expensive Kenmores and Hoovers and none worked this well.

See if your local library carries Consumer Reports. Look up vacs and see what they recommend. Our last two vacs were Consumer REport recommendations and they both were great vacs. The first would still be in use if I had read all the directions and realized there was a filter to change/clean. It lasted seven years with a very clogged filter and had good suction too...so it was a good vac.

And fyi...the dyson and the kirby (my mom has one and grandmother too) weren't rated well for the money....So yes you are right. They aren't worth the money you spend on them. They are good but way over priced.

I love my Dyson. I argued with my husband when he bought it because it was so expensive. But we have had it for 3 years now. Their customer service is wonderful. I striped the belt and they sent me a new one without any questions. I know its a lot of money, but its really great with pet hair. My family has allergies and this has helped a great deal. Good luck!

I have the Dyson and love it, as do my inlaws and my parents. We all have pets. We have a dog and a cat, plus our 17 month old and a second on the way. I would reccomend it!!!

I hated my dyson purple animal, even returned it and got money back and got a miele! LOVE the Meile!
good luck le us know what you get ad how you like it!
J.

The Dyson Animal (purple) is great for allergies, gets up pet hair, and really cleans carpets. Like some of the other ladies, I vacuumed my rug with my central vac, then used dyson and was grossed out at what had been left behind. We were going to have our family room carpet cleaned, and after the dyson it looked like new. Target sells them and puts them on sale too. My only complaint is that the head is bulky. Dyson has a new ball type of head that looks like it could be even better. I have half carpets, persian carpets, and hard wood floors. It works for all! Good luck!

I don't have a recommendation, but I thought I would share something I learned over the weekend. We just purchased new carpet and were told by the dealer that using a Dyson vacuum voids most carpet warranties because it is actually too strong and can stretch the carpet.

Go with the Dyson! If you do, make sure you atleast get the DC14 model. It is a level higher than the DC7 and it has much better features! Also, my mom has the BALL version and I actually like it better than ours.

We have 2 kids, 3 Siberian Huskys and we save tons of money on filters since it is bagless. We also have wood floors and it works great.

Also check into the warranty. When we bought ours 3 years ago, it came with a 2 year warranty. I know they extended it to 5 years about a year ago. I am not sure if it is still 5 years now.

We did have to bring the vacuum in for repairs because it did lose suction. The shop found it was clogged. He cleaned it out and Dyson paid for the repair/cleaning.

I also bent the metal wand (I got mad at the vacuum and somehow I actually bent the wand - I hit it against something). I called Dyson to get a replacement, I knew I would have to pay for it. They asked for my registration info (to verify the exact model for the replacement part) and what part I needed. They shipped one out to me within 3 days and they paid for it. I asked them if they needed my credit card number and they said no, they are just going to send it out - no questions asked. I was surprised!!

Good luck shopping.
M.

We, too had a Dirt Devil, and when my child starting crawling on the floor, I noticed what a horrible job it was doing! We had a Kirby from my grandma for a while, but I couldn't lift it - it was soooo heavy - and had so many contraptions with it, it was hard to figure out. We went with the Dyson and we love it! It is bagless, so no pesky bags to by, and it does have a washable air filter that actually filters out more particles than most "bag" vaccums. Also important, and accurate, is the fact that it does NOT lose suction as the canister fills up. And it's a breeze to empty.

We got ours at Costco.

I was like a walking commercial for Dyson the first week I bought it. I started vaccuming our white carpet, and there was, literally, a clean stripe of carpet and stuff in the canister that the Dirt Devil was not able to pick up!!! So much power and easy to use.

I've heard great things about the Oreck, but they are more expensive, so we skipped that one...

Good luck!
M.

If you're going to spend the money on the Dyson, spend it on an Oreck instead. It's industrial grade, will last for years and years, has a great warantee including annual tune-ups, and it comes with a free canister vac and sometimes an iron. You can order online or buy in storefronts. It weighs only 8 pounds (awesome!), and the canister vac weighs 4 pounds. I had a guy at an independent vacuum repair and sales store tell me that Dysons are awful, and you should always buy a bagged vacuum - they're cleaner and hypoallergenic. Hope this helps! Good luck with your search!

I bought a dyson a year and a half ago, and it's the best vacuum yet! I have 4 children, but no pets, mostly hardwood floors, and I got mine in pink! Silly, I know.:) You most likely want to get one that is good for households with pets as well.
good luck:)