I want to know if it’s really worth the price tag over a Eureka or other wind tunnel type device. Especially when dog hair is a problem.
I have a co-worker who has one - she hasn’t said much about the job it does, but has told me she hates the attachments - they’re awkward to get at.
Susan
This is funny, Rick, I’ve been dreaming of a space-age vacuum for a while now, since I noticed my $30 vac seem to redistribute cat hair rather than suck it up. Maybe you could buy one with a return guarantee. Or if you want to start a “favorite vacuum cleaner of all time” thread, I’ll read it with non-casual fervor.
C.
P.S. Come out to O’Duffy’s Wednesday at 8 pm if you want to play some tunes.
Hi Cara,
Nice to see you posting. I have a better idea. Maybe if you bought one then you could tell me about it first 
y’all can tell me, too…
Our vacuum bit the dust (I guess I should say it won’t eat the dust!) a month ago, and I’ve been just using a shop vac instead. Works great - but is a little on the LOUD side!
So - I’ll be reading along on recommendations, too…
Wonder if we could get a group discount on the price? 
Missy
You can get mufflers to (slightly) diminish the loudness of shop and central vacs. And speaking of central vacs, it is the one I would recommend the most. It is as clean as the ones with HEPA filters, and less prone to recirculating finer particles like the shop vac.
Trouble is, I can’t afford to run it through the house’s frame. Instead I have strapped it to a dolly and move it through the house this way. A small central vac unit is only a few hundred bucks. Its the wand with beater bar that costs the most (more than the vac). Sometimes deals can be had 2nd hand.
djm
Some discussions and reviews here (the post talks about his new “ball” vacuum cleaner, but the comments discuss Dyson products more generally.
The upshot is that the reviews are decidedly mixed…
http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/dyson_does_it_again_with_the_ball.php
I was very attracted to the Dyson for it’s geekiness. After reading all the reviews i could find i ended up buying an Oreck instead. We’ve had it for a few months, and are still very happy with it. It’s no-frills, but it does what it’s supposed to do very well and without fuss.
Check this site out. I’ve used it’s advice many times lately. So far, I’ve found the info to be correct. They use info from many different reviewing organizations and then arrive at recommendations. (I just love it when a cheaper model of whatever it is out performs the high cost versions.)
I seem to remember that they did not feel the Dyson was worth the money in performance but it did appeal to some folks for the weird look of the thing. They recommend as tops the Eureka Boss at $140 in uprights and Hoover Windtunnel Bagless at $200 for a canister.
I’ve got a 25 plus year old Electrolux canister that I’ve had through many many long haired house dogs, once had 13 inside, and it’s still picking up great.
I prefer brooms.
They’re cheaper, they work when there’s no electricity, they cost less to maintain, they’re healthier in that they cause the sweeper to work out (especially if it’s carpet) and they’re just prettier to look at.
Pretty pretty broom broom.
I bought this Eureka canister vac in the second hand store. It works great. However, it is so old that everything is made of steel rather than plastic. Steel is strong but heavy. My problem with it is that is tends to come apart all the time. I am afraid that I am goind to break my toe when the steel tubing slams against the floor.
A shop vac is probably your best bet. Or, a Hoover (or Eureka) BAG model without filters.
Seriously. The filters clog like crazy. They’re only useful if you have a pristine showcase home and only need to fluff the carpet. If you have dust, pet hair, or sand, you’ll clog a filter before you’ve vacuumed half the house.
Personal experience speaking here. I was warned, but I didn’t listen.
I heard that Consumer Reports tested the Dyson and found it seriously lacking and ridiculous in price.
Better yet, get rid of the carpet and buy a broom.
Peggy - That’s the problem with my Eureka wind tunnel. It picks up great but I have to clean the filter at least three times to vacuum the whole place. It get’s clogged ridiculously fast. If I didn’t have the pet hair issue it would probably be fine. It picks up better then my Kirby used to.
Doug - My last vacuum did that which is why I bought this one.
Cran - I haven’t found a decent broom with stiff enough bristles to do the carpet well but I do use a broom to sweep up any bits I don’t want in the vacuum.
cowtime - I’ll check it out.
Glauber - Where’ve you been lately? I’ve thought about an Oreck. Maybe I’ll look into it.
djm - Never thought of a central vac.
Missy - I thought about a shop vac. My nephew uses one for everything. Plus if it’s a wet/dry vac you can use it to shampoo and suck up spills.
Okay Rick, let’s look at time-sharing a shop vac. Let’s stage a benefit concert for the shop vac fund. Two whistles, downtown in front of Taco John’s at 5 pm?
Hi, cursor! I switched to lurk mode.
One more thing about the Oreck and i’ll shutup 
They have a nice try-before-you-buy program. Go to their Web site or call them and they’ll ship a vaccuum that you can use for 1 month (shipment is free unless you want it overnighted). At the end of the month, if you don’t want to keep it, they include a prepaid label to send it back to them by UPS. If you don’t send it back, they start charging for it (12 months with no interest).
The thing with the Oreck is that it’s a simple and functional design; very lightweight, compared to the others. It doesn’t come with any attachments, though, it’s just a floor vaccum. When i did the 1 month trial, they were including a free portable vacuum that you can use for the curtains, etc, instead of having the attachments. I think they still have that promotion.
And it’s expensive. But not more expensive than the Dyson or Miele.
i have had many vac’s over the years and the last one bought round 15 years ago was a rainbow, which just died. so i hve bought another one. shakin filters, cleanin out bags or canisters, changein bags is muct to messy. all i have to do is dump out the dirty water.
you might think about getting the kirby guy to come by one a week and give you a free room cleaning demo. 
I’ve been very happy with my Oreck. And I’m very fond of the little portable that came with it, the attachments are excellent. The portable came free with the upright, but I paid a little more (c. $20) to get the delux model which has a softer, longer hose and a bracket to hold the attachments. Also, I bought mine from an Oreck dealer, and the salesman was willing to give me a turbo brush for the portable, instead of the iron or car vac that was the standard freebie. This attachment has a air-driven whirling brush like the one on the upright and it works like a charm on the couch and chairs favored by my long-haired cat. It’s also good for those tricky areas of the carpet that are too small for the upright, particularly when I don’t feel like throwing the furniture around. Also, the portable is quiet!
Consumer Reports likes the Oreck upright better than the Dyson, though they felt that the portable was just OK. The Oreck bags self-seal when you take them out of the upright – much tidier than a bagless.
Cara - It’s a deal. It’ll have to wait until I get back from Virginia though.
BTW, I can’t jam tonight as it’s packing night for my journey.
So far it looks like the Orek is in the lead. Especially with a free trial.
How much do bags and belts cost? One thing about the Kirby I didn’t like, (aside from the huge price), was having to get their brand of belts and bags which cost more then the average Hoover.