Best Vacuum cleaner

I did some reading on Vacuumland (an internet vacuum forum) and read reviews/comparisons before buying our last vac.

Dysons are not well liked by vacuum nerds on that forum, and bagless vacs are also not well liked.

I wanted something not made in China and I eventually settled on an Electrolux Ultrasilencer canister model. It's made in Hungary and is super quiet. Working great so far.

Many of the new Electrolux models are made in Hungary, but some of the lower-end models are made in China.

Another company that assembles vacuums in the US sells them under the brands Simplicity and Riccar.

The company Aerus also makes high-end vacs in the US. Until a few years ago Aerus had the rights to the "Electrolux" name in the US. So, vacuums more than a few years old with the Electrolux name were actually made by the company Aerus. The European company Electrolux recently re-aquired the "electrolux" name in the US.

Anyway, here are links to the brands I mentioned:
http://riccar.com/
http://www.simplicityvac.com/
http://www.aerusvacuums.com/canisters/
http://smallappliances.electroluxusa.com/
 
Why people would pay 4-600 for a vacuum for their house is beyond me. i use a bagged dirt devil i found in the trash someone was throwing out. had a broken belt and $5 later it was GTG

If you need a vacuum, go to the local thrift store like good will and you will see a bunch of them cheap. just make sure it works and take it home.

To me, vacuums are not really rocket science. Some just have bigger marketing budgets
 
..for people with poor hearing and no allergies it does not really matter, folks with poor vision and arithmetic skills go to Walmart.. there are all kinds of scenarios. We have room for everybody.
 
If you want durable, like others say in here you cant beat Kirby, (I know)you will own it for decades. It is heavy but you want durable, also it has drop dead well built attachments, not the play toys that come with most vacuums under $600. If you clean properly, even if once a year by vacuuming the walls, light fixtures, edge of carpets, ect, nothing will beat the Kirby in an upright because of the superior attachments. If there is, someone let me know.

If you want something lower in cost then maybe a Miele but that will be a canister which you dont want. I dont have a Miele but thinking about one if I ever want another vacuum for fun as it makes it super easy with attachments but I have not seen the quality of them first hand yet and once again I will call into question the "consumer grade looking attachments"

Ok, all the above is pointless as you only want to go as high as $600 (unless you go Miele which maybe possible)
So under $600 its a cr*p shoot. Much of the stuff is designed for looks and marketing hype to grab an extra 100 to $200 dollars of profit and the under $600 group, as many in here say, has good vacuums for $100 to 200 that work better or just as good as $400 or more.

Im not an expert and if such as machine exists in this price range I would love to know.
I do too use Consumer Reports as a guide for overall impression of the company but not as the authority for what I need and want and that is reasonable quality attachments with a proper length hose to use them.
If your just vacuuming a carpet and ignoring everything else then any high rated cheap vacuum will do, after a few years throw it out and buy a new one as I dont think in this price range there is a standout.

Ps, we also have a on sale $500 Roomba Robot (retail was $800 or so), which is now over 3 years old, thing is amazing, it just keeps on going trouble free.This doesnt take the place of our regular vacuuming, it is just a supplement for a super clean home.
 
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I have a Kirby, great vac.

I like the Shark, both an upright and a hose, best part besides the price, so easy to take apart and unclog.
 
I should also note what jlawence said. We too have a Shark Navagator pro. (or something like that) got it for a son and dance on Black Friday a few years back. Wife loves it and I will also say it is like the post above, its also a nice well constructed feel to it.

For me, on A LOT of vacuums they are on the smaller side as far as the vacuum pick up part and roller brush, Shark no different. We have a "larger" type home and I feel no different then if I am cutting my lawn with a 19 inch lawn mower vs a 21 inch. If the heads on these things would get bigger it would be nice. I cant believe I am the only one who has noticed the downsizing of vacuums. I think?
and again, the Navigator like the others, the attachments are small and the hose not long, more or less, they do the job but not meant for REAL ceiling to wall to floor and crack and crevice cleaning.
 
The local vacuum repair place suggested a simplicity. USA made and headquartered. The owner has been in the vacuum business a long time, and said to skip the orek, and Kirby. My cousin sold kirbys for a while. He used my grandmothers living room to try to sell her on one. Supposedly they have the best cleaning power, yet even after the demonstration my grandma was getting dirt the Kirby left behind.
 
I would steer you to Consumer Reports and/or Wirecutter and look at what they recommend. Keep in mind that a bagless means you will be forever cleaning one or two filters. Also the type of flooring will make a difference. Thick carpeting vs more commercial grade carpeting vs tile or wood. Some now have eliminated the belt for the beater bar but a new beater bar will cost you $200 vs $15 for a belt driven one. Consider a robot vacuum.
 
The Hoover Wind Tunnel we have had for 21 years is a plain/Jane machine but the best vacuum cleaner we have ever had. The fancy Sears vacuum we purchased because Consumer Reports had it rated #1 not so hot.
 
Donald said:
I would steer you to Consumer Reports and/or Wirecutter and look at what they recommend. Keep in mind that a bagless means you will be forever cleaning one or two filters...
Click to expand...
I got to agree on that. Wife loves the Navigator, I like the Kirby.
The Navigator is bagless and a fun vacuum but I much prefer the Kirby for two reasons, one of wife I posted above, the other is I do NOT want a bagless vacuum. I almost think bagless is a step backwards.
With the Kirby (or any other bagged model) you change out the bag once or twice a year, no mess, simply take it out, put in a new one. No needed filters to replace ect. The bag is the filter

Bagless need to be cleaned way more often and to me, a messy process.
Good news is, plenty of choices for whatever one likes.
 
alarmguy said:
Bagless need to be cleaned way more often and to me, a messy process.
Good news is, plenty of choices for whatever one likes.
Click to expand...
Concur with this. We have an Electrolux canister (the old original kind), you stick a new bag in and every 5th bag you put on a new after filter. The bag is as dense as a brick and goes into the trashcan. My MIL for some reason got us one of those bagless Shark uprights, it cleans just fine but it is a PITA having to empty it out every time and then having multiple filters to wash from time to time.

jeff
 
For an apartment! I'd go to the local Big Lots store and pick up something off the refurbished aisle and call it a day.

$50 would be my target price point.

I sometimes splurge for $70 and get the Hoover with the headlight on it.

Run the thing for a year, if you get sick of it throw it out and buy another one.
 
The Shark vacuums with the Zero-M dual beater bars work well if there is a lot of long hair to pick up. It might get some hair wrap, but it will keep working.

Purchased a Shark not so equipped, and it jammed up in about 30 seconds of use, hair wrap. Reassigned it to a less stressful area, and it works well.

Also have a 6.5 hp Shop Vac, biggest one I could get. Put a bag in it. Takes care of the non-carpet areas well.
 
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