thoughts on a new vaccum please

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If they are still available and bagless is desired, I have a Kenmore Iridium canister that I'd highly recommend.

Unlike most Kenmore canisters that have been made by Panasonic, this one is made by LG in South Korea, but I've had no problems so far and it has exceeded my expectations.

I agree with the accolades for the bagged Constellation...it's not just flash, it really is a nice machine and easy to handle!

The Miele canisters are nonpareil and so quiet, if you like to clean in the middle of the night (don't laugh, sometimes you get a lot more accomplished), but the less expensive machines are IMHO a much better value then the higher-end ones. They are such good quality!

The only Euro-Pro model worth considering is the Shark Infinity bagless upright, only because the build quality and functionality is far better than the other Euro-Pro models, which continue to be of pure quality. There are better choices than the Infinity, but I'd still take it over a Dyson upright for the money.

I have a Hoover "Mach5" bagless upright and a GE bagless upright that I like a lot, and are relatively inexpensive choices available only at Wal-Mart.

IMHO the best bagless upright currently available is the Bissell Healthy Home, the only Bissell model I recommend. It is widely available and frequently discounted but it is quite heavy and somewhat unwieldy in narrow spaces.

Avoid the Hoover bagless canister that is Korean-made by LG.
It is messy to empty and has costly filters that clog and must be replaced.

Vintage and "reconditioned" Electrolux tank-type models represent excellent value and give great performance, but I do not know of anyone reputable who rebuilds them (supposedly there is an Internet dealer I've heard good feedback about, who IIRC is based in Rhode Island...)

If you want a bagged upright, the Eureka 4880 is pretty decent, but it's on the heavy side as well.

The Hoover Tempo bagged upright is very inexpensive and not bad but I've noticed they aren't as available as they once were, which may have to do with the fact that the Hoover plant closed down.

The Dysons might seem impressive at first glance but they're rough on certain rugs, for the money they charge for them (I returned my DC07, buyer's remorse).

I've never known a Rainbow user that didn't turn around and resell it after a year. I never personally used one, but the main beef seems to be the messy clean-up factor afterward (story of my life, lol!)

YMMV, but hopefully we've given you some tips to investigate. You should keep us posted, and bounce your suggestions off us, and maybe even check out vacuumland for more technical info before taking the plunge.

Good luck, and let us know. I could yammer on about vacuums all day. :)

 
Thanks everyone

I read everyones post this morning..I've checked e bay and there are several "vintage" eletrolux on there.... I found one that has all the attachements..carpet sweeper, floor attachemtn, furniture duster, and the uplostery attachemt..buy it now deal for 94.50... think the shipping was 35.00..there's also an eletrolux dealer a few blocks down from my office thought I might stop by after work and take a look, have'nt had a chance to look in the paper. I had'nt even thought of eletrolux..thanks for the suggestion!!!! I thought I was doing good when I bought my Kenmore can. that was bagless...after reading the post that's probably a big part of my problem (aside from the dogs and teenager). I did'nt realize the Rainbow had to be taken apart and allowed to dry after use..yeah like I really have time for that additional chore. Oxydolfan1 was correct about the Rainbows..I talked to a co-worker and she said they paid a ton of money for what the sales person told her would be the last vacuum she'd ever have to buy...because of the quality ect...she said after about a year of flushing dog hair down the potty she'd had enough and went to Wallyworld and bought a hoover. Thanks again everyone for your thoughts..I've said this before but once again..ya'll are the best!!!! please..your additional thoughts and comments would be appreciated.thank you/!!
 
I still say get a central vac - the doggy odor goes outside, you will never have to replace it, it adds value to your home, and you can even get a dog grooming attachment.

If you get a canister vacuum, Sears has a good selection and Consumer Reports likes them.
 
I think some of those Kenmore designs look suspiciously like a Miele.

We have a Rainbow that we still use on occasion. It's suction isn't all that great and we can only do 1/2 of our den before we have to dump the water and start all over again due to dog hair clogging the water swirl. We use it mainly to deodorize a room with the pine scented oil or this stuff that makes your house smell like a hospital you put in the water. Just put in a few drops and don't connect the hose and let it run for about 5 minutes. It'll kill any smell you may have.

We then had a Fantom Fury. Moving that thing around the house was like driving a truck! Even I would get out of breath after doing just the bedroom! The best job it ever did was being used as a trade in for our Miele S500 series a few years ago.
Here is a funny story about the Fantom. One time my Mother In Law was over and Karen pulled out the Fantom to vacuum the den. Her mother got up and just shreiked "Don't turn that thing on until I leave the room! I don't want to be gassed! That thing smells like shit when it's running!" Not a problem with the Miele and it's charcoal filter.

I think the Miele is the last vac we will ever own! It is lightweight, has the 213 power brush. The model we got was the "Pet Owners Miele". It has the best suction of any vac we have had before. I think we got it for $499 total cost with the Phantom as a trade in.
We have a Golden Retreiver/Yellow Lab mix, a Black Lab and an elederly Dalmatian (16!) so we know dog hair! The Miele is the only vac that can pass the "black sock" test. After vacuuming, walk across the floor with black socks on. Then look. Any hair sticking to them?
While the Miele bags may look small, the machine really does pack the dirt in well before you have to change it. So they last a long time. Keep an eye on Ebay for bags. We only use authentic Miele bags in ours and we can often find someone selling them for cheap. We bought a set of 20 FJM bags on Ebay from somebody in Florida a few months ago for something like $11.00. When they arrived they couldn't be told from new. Those 20 bags will last us at least two or three years.
 
I also would support the Miele. For a modern, plastic machine, it is very well built and designed. It is quiet and filters exceptionally well for a canister.

I have even gotten used to the somewhat cheezy attatchments and find that they work very well. The little dusting brush is actually very nice as it gets into corners and small spaces the others miss. I have the turbo tool and love it.

My only complaint would be that they need to increase the lenght of the hose. I don't like a nine foot hose, but Miele could add at least a foot to make it more user friendly...

Just my two cents

Morgan
 
You also might want to check out the cost of the bags and consider their size if you consider one particular model and it's likely you'll change bags frequently because of pet hair.

I'm not saying this to push bagless....if you are grossed out by emtying open bins of dust (for some reason, I am not), it will subconsciously dissuade you from vacuuming as often as is best, and that defeats the convenience of bagless, right?

It's just that I've noticed that some brand-name bags have become quite pricey lately, and many dealers maintain the knockoff bags are not of comparable quality, filtration-wise.

Also, remember that the Electrolux name of old is not manufacturing the new Electrolux models you see in many big-box stores. Andy has testified above to the poor quality of many of the new models, which are actually manufactured by Eureka, which is technically New Swedish Electrolux, but not really...

Also don't be afraid to check out the local independent vacuum dealers. They get a lot of tradeins that they rehab to mint condition, and sell at surprisingly competitive prices.

Our new local vac dealer (yes, a NEW independent!) is refreshingly candid about the relative merits of each of the machines he sells. If he knows about a big-box store vacuum that he thinks will suit your needs, he'll actually recommend that vacuum over the ones he sells, which I think is very non-sectarian of him.

On the other hand, the big-box store salespeople aren't generally well versed in what they are selling. Sadly, this even applies to Sears, and you have to know what you want and preselect it prior to "test-driving" it in the store. The salespeople usually seem nice, but the Sears folks in general have some of the strangest ideas I've ever heard about vacuums and I think this can be confusing.

Consumer Reports is strange to me as well. Sometimes, they seem right on target with individual recommendations, but they seem to rate vacuums and washers more frequently then before, and, a vacuum they rate well in one issue will be at the bottom of the barrel the next....and usually, the model in question has undergone no obvious meaningful design changes. I wish they would rate them in narrower type and price categories so that the user could pick the type and size of machine that is most suited to them, and THEN pick from the best of the litter, rather than breaking it down just into canisters and uprights.
 
What do you think

Vacuum repair guy has an reconditioned Eletrolux..said some guy dropped it off for service and never came back 180.00 with all attachments..I'm going by to check it out after work.
 
IMO,
You can't go wrong with an Electrolux, as long as it's pre 1985. For new, you can't beat the perfection of a Miele. Save your money on a new Rainbow, Dyson, or Kirby. The Kenmore Progressive canisters are not the best quality, but you get a very good cleaning machine for the money. Filter Queen is a pain in the a-- to empty, but it's a good performer and decent quality.
Bobby in Boston
 
Sounds Reasonable:

"Vacuum repair guy has an reconditioned Electrolux..said some guy dropped it off for service and never came back 180.00 with all attachments..I'm going by to check it out after work."

That's not a bad price for a pre-1985 Lux that's complete, and has a warranty. If you found one for less on eBay, you'd have to pay shipping. Whether or not you should buy it depends on how you feel about the guy you're buying it from, and whether you think he'll stand behind it if it gives trouble in the next 90 days or so (that's about as long a warranty as independent guys give on rebuilds).

What colour is this thing, so we Lux fiends can tell what machine it is? Here's the code:

TURQUOISE: 1205 (1968-1973)
GOLD: Golden Jubilee (1974) or Super J (1975-1977)
DARK BROWN/GOLD TRIM: Olympia (1978-1981)
DARK SILVER: Silverado (1982-83)
BEIGE: Diamond Jubilee (1984-86)
DARK BROWN/WHITE-AND-CREAM TRIM: Marquis (1987)
LIGHT BLUE: Grand Marquis, Ultralux, Legacy (1988)

All Electrolux and Aerus machines after the ones listed here are plastic-bodied, not metal. Go to Charlie Lester's Electrolux pages for more precise identification, with photos of each model- I've linked his page on the later Lux models.

Machines from the 1205 to the Silverado are classic Electrolux- very good suction, and quiet. Beginning with the Diamond Jubilee, suction was considerably increased, but the machines are noisier. My Diamond Jubilee is a VERY powerful machine, though, and it's only "noisy" if you're used to the hush of an older Electrolux. It's nothing like as noisy as today's jet-screech vacuums.

 
thank you update

Decided on the reconditioned eletrolux..turned out to be a 1505...Silverado..hope that's a good model..got it home Tuesday night..did'nt get to "play" with it much until last night. OMG!!!! I got the living room, hall, kitchen, bath and one bedroom vacuumed..as in moved furniture, vacummed baseboards, picture rails, furniture and door jams.... I could'nt belive how much suction power there was..I almost think it could suck the skin off my arm. Anyway thanks for all the help..becasue of all the post I was able to shop around and ask intellengent quesions...the repair shop I bought the vacuum from gave me a 90 day warrantey..I dont know if it's just me or what..but my house feels cleaner and the air is not "heavy". Thanks again
 
We want pictures!!!!
BTW did it happen to come with the SideKick attachment which is the small handheld electric power brush that fits on the hose end for doing stairs, furniture etc? It's very handy to have. If not it's something you can always find later on
 
As They Say:

Nothing sucks like an Electrolux!

Glad you found a good machine- the Silverado is a great model to have. petek is right about the Sidekick; it's a terrific option to have. It's a little power nozzle that fits right on the end of the hose, ready to scarf dog hair off the furniture. They're all over eBay; search on "electrolux sidekick".

Do yourself one favour; get in the habit of changing bags sooner rather than later. I personally don't go more than about halfway full with a Lux bag; that keeps the suction high. Lux bags are all over the place, and they're cheap, so no need to get all economical about it.

Congratulations!
 
Good choice Mark. Be sure to use high quality filter bags to reduce the amount of exhaust dust/odor and protect your motor.

For anyone who uses Electrolux, be sure and stay away from the Honeywell replacement bags sold at Wal-Mart. I have had three Lux's come in the store this past year all with the automatic control prematurely opening the bag door. The problem was those bags. I don't know what it was about the design, but something tripped the automatic control.
 
More info on the Hoover Constellation, please?

Since I have never seen one of Hoover Constellations in person, I was wondering if people who own them could please give us more details/pictures of them. The Hoover website currently seems to have lots of conflicting info so I don't trust that source.

I was wondering, for example, if there is any difference between the new models (Pearl and Stainless) besides the obvious color/finish? Do they get dusty inside after being used a while? Also, what are the differences between the new model and the older ones? Did the older ones use a turbo-brush like the new models or were they more like the "vibragroom" floor attachments that older Eurekas used? Also, given how much the ads harped on the feature, can one actually clean a regular flight of stairs without having to carry the cleaner?

Thanks in advance,
-- Paulo.
 

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