Aadvice on a new vacuum as daily driver

parunner58 · May 4, 2015

I welcome all comments. We are looking for a new vacuum. Our house is a one floor open concept, 4 bedroom 2000 square feet in Davenport FL. all rooms except the kitchen and two baths are wall to wall cut pile carpet (which next year will be replaced with berber style). We have 2 cats and 4 people living in the house. Our current daily drivers were fine for our smaller 50's ranch, (900 sq ft) when we lived in PA. They are both in need of some repairs, A Dyson DC07 animal, latch holding the dirt bin closed is broken, so when you remove it you have to remember to hold it shut. And a 1997 Electrolux EPIC 6500 SR, it needs a new hose. My wife dislikes the Dyson because it does not push very well on the fluffy carpet nor does it go under low furniture and the actions needed to use the attachments are to much of a pain. The lux she likes because you can quickly take the wands off to suck up dirt in a corner or snap on the sidekick to clean the furniture, the cons are the short hose and cord and dragging it all around the size of this house, to do the whole house you have to plug it in three different places.

My suggestion after doing some research is central vac. With the design of the house two outlets would be perfect and according to the length of the hose you could possibly vacuum with just one. The two I have researched are Vac-u-Flo and Aerus. like I said any input would be helpful and sugestions on non central vacs. My father in law bought a Shark Rocket to do his cleaning with and that would not due for me. My wife thought is was great. Me, with pets, sand and other Florida dirt, its a big no. Also it screams like a banshee, and I don't think its made to hold up to real cleaning.

eurekaprince · May 4, 2015

Get yourself a Miele Cat and Dog upright - model S7260. It is an excellent deep carpet cleaner and offers very convenient bag disposal. The 40 foot cord is very convenient and the strong air flow through the onboard hose makes it great for using the onboard tools and the included mini turbo brush.

Here's a video demonstration:

dys0nb0y · May 4, 2015

maybe a shark powered lift away would be good cycling can go on the furniture has good deep cleaning and all you have to do is clean the filter every 2 to 3 4 week.

ge1969 · May 4, 2015

It all boils down to which you like better, an upright or canister. I myself LOVE a canister type and don't mind doing a 3000 square foot home with one. The Miele upright is a good suggestion, or get a Miele canister with power head or a gently used Filter Queen. BTW, to each their own again, but one of the happiest days of my life was when that god-awful berber carpet was pulled OUT of our house. Toby G.

marks_here · May 4, 2015

Vacuflo is the way to go!!

I've got the 466Q (quiet series) with 5 inlets, 3 for the house, 2 in the garage, it's true cyclonic w/no bags to buy as the exhaust is vented outside (make sure it's away from walkways, roof tops, etc.) I just dump the dirt bin once a year (twice a year if you have slobs in the house), has a lifetime warranty for the motor and the suction is incredable!! I have it paired with a TuboCat Zoom, 30ft of hose & attachments. People on here told me to get the electric hose w/power nozzle so I did but I don't see no difference in my carpet, the dirt bin still fills up regardless of what I use, heck even straight suction will clean my plush carpets. Other thing I'm not dusting as much & since I've had this now for a year I haven't had to shampoo the carpets as they are staying cleaner longer whereas before twice a year. (I live in the country with mud & wildlife). Whatever you decide on just make sure you're happy with it as I love mine & the neighbours do when they hear it on the pop in too see how it works!

I also just got a Kirby Avalir which I use when I don't feel like using the central.

bimmer740 · May 4, 2015

VacuFlo

I have a VacuFlo 566Q that I put in about 8 years ago. I have 4 direct connect electric inlets, an electrified hose with Lindhaus power nozzle, as well as the non electric turbo grip hose with the TubroCat Zoom kit. It's one of the best things I've ever bought, I absolutely love it! It's powerful, convenient, and it really does reduce the amount of dust in your house. And with the central vac you can mix and match any standard size attachments to fit your own needs. The bin usually gets emptied twice a year and other than that it really doesn't require any maintenance, no filters or bags to buy.

I highly recommend getting a good electric power nozzle if you have mostly carpet in your home. The TurboCat does a good job but I prefer to use it for just quick clean ups, it doesn't cut it for real deep cleaning for me. If you use standard low voltage inlets place them within 4 feet of an electrical outlet and you can buy a pigtail style electric hose for use with an electric power nozzle.

human · May 4, 2015

Get a Kirby. It'll last forever and is powerful enough to suck the paint off a Cadillac. Since your house is all on one level, you don't have to worry about lugging it up and down stairs and thus weight isn't an issue.

hnz85 · May 5, 2015

You will be very happy with a central vacuum. I would avoid Aerus since they do not offer a crush-proof hose. I have a Vacuflo unit and have had zero problems with it. And I'll second the member above and highly recommend an electric power nozzle. The air-driven nozzles will not give you constant speed like a motorized nozzle will. Plus, they do not swivel and can become clogged rather easily due to their narrow air path. The automatic dustpans are a good option to add to the kitchen and bathrooms.

charleskirby66 · May 5, 2015

My two cents

Kirby all the way. Kirby does not have the "coolness" factor of Dyson or Shark, but if "being cool" isn't a priority, Kirby will provide you with years of quality, performance, and reliability. The multitude of attatchments make it useful for all floor types, as well as above-the-floor cleaning. The height adjustment makes it a suitable upright for all carpet types. You'll be able to shampoo carpets and upholstery, and even spray paint with it. Its powerful suction and airflow are so awesome!

The only drawback is its weight. I love that Kirbys are weighty, but I know some (women in particular) cannot handle a machine that weighs over 15 lbs. Using the myriad of attachments may be overwhelming at first, but there are videos and manuals to help that.

To me, the pros FAR outweigh the cons. Pun slightly intended.

tolivac · May 5, 2015

Central vacuum--I bought an older NuTone unit from the vac place out here-He is an MD systems dealer-would suggest an MD vacuum-GREAT machines-and its BAGGED--no dusty bins to dump!I HATE bagless central vacuums-horrible things to empty-and you have to clean or replace the filter.BAGGED for me.The NuTone has a bag.So far in playing around with it-has become a favorite like my Kirby Avalir,Royal Pro Eleite,and last my NSS M1.I do have an Areus central unit-it has a blown motor.Would like the get it going-another from the trade in pile.It was replaced with an MD bagged machine.The NuTone unit I have is all high quality-better than their new ones.It has two motors-6A full bypass and the airpaths are in series-155" suction,96CFM.

turbo500 · May 5, 2015

which next year will be replaced with berber style

Don't most, if not all, carpet manufacturers recommend using straight suction on berber carpet?

<blockquote>
The vacuum you choose for your Berber carpet is critical. For one, it goes with the preventing the carpet from getting dirty in the first place as described above. More importantly, do not use a vacuum with a rotating brush on Berber. It will snag at the loops and damage the carpet! You need a high suction vacuum that does not have a brush, or has a brush that can be turned off.

</blockquote>
A Kirby would be rendered a little useless in this case, surely.

A high-suction, large capacity cylinder/canister without a powerhead would be better, based on the above.

[this post was last edited: 5/5/2015-05:20]

http://www.berbercarpetbible.com/how-to-clean-berber-carpet/

charleskirby66 · May 5, 2015

A word about central vacuums

The farther you are from the power unit, the more suction you lose and airflow you sacrifice. Central vacuums are handy for surface cleaning of carpets and above-the-floor cleaning, however you will not remove allergens (pet hair and dander, mold spores, dust mite excrement) from your carpets with dependable efficacy. Also, if convenience is your bag, remember you will STILL have to port a hose and attachments room to room, or have a set in each room. The room closest to the power head will have the best suction and airflow, and it won't convert to a blower in whichever room you may need it.

You might ask yourself: of those people advocating a central vacuum, how many of them have ONLY a central vacuum system to do ALL the cleaning?

tolivac · May 5, 2015

Kirby and Berber-Use the Kirby on it in the suction mode with the brushroll disengaged.If your place has all Berber-just remove the brushroll from the Kirby floor nozzle for max airflow.

turbo500 · May 5, 2015

Use the Kirby on it in the suction mode

Seems like a waste of spending a huge amount of money on something that the user won't get the benefit from?

The Kirby comes into it's own on thick, wall to wall carpeting but why bother with a very heavy, expensive machine if it's main features will be rendered useless or risk damaging a new carpet? It's not like the OP will be able to use the shampoo system either.

Plus, using the Kirby as suction only will likely leave behind pet hair or fibres. Regardless of how powerful the suction is, you'd need lint pickers to be able to shift hairs and threads without the brushroll. A straight suction cylinder would include a floorhead designed especially for this.

Wouldn't something like a Simplicity, Aerus or Miele cylinder with no powernozzle be a better option? Solid, reliable but high suction power and it won't damage the carpet.

kirbymodel2c · May 5, 2015

Umm

If they did want to use a Kirby they could always use it with the delicate brush roll designed for delicate carpets and rugs. I'm confident it won't damage that style of carpet. It would get more dirt out of the carpet than suction alone. 

I would be more concerned with pets like cats and dogs catching the carpet threads on that style of carpeting.

James

eurekaprince · May 5, 2015

I found a really informative video demonstration of the Miele S7 upright produced by our friend Roger. Though the model is a UK version with a maximum power setting of 1800 watts, it is essentially similar to the deluxe version of the S7 sold in North America.

Because you don't need to lift this vacuum up and down stairs, its hefty weight should not be an issue.

Here is the clip:

turbo500 · May 5, 2015

Pretty much everywhere I've looked online states not to use any kind of rotating brushroll on a berber carpet.

"Regardless of which fiber your Berber Carpet is made of you DO NOT want to use a vacuum cleaner with a Rotating Brush.

If your home has all Berber Carpet your best bet is a high quality Canister vacuum"

http://bestvacuumcleanerinfo.com/best-vacuum-for-berber-carpet/

"Berber carpet is an investment that you should take precautions with.

The main thing to remember is that a vacuum cleaner that uses an aggressively moving revolving brush can damage your Berber carpets. Many Berber carpet manufacturers recommend that you do not use a revolving brush vacuum cleaner at all on Berber carpets."

http://www.theflooringlady.com/choosing_a_vacuum_cleaner_for_berber_carpets_000828.html

"Depending on the carpet style you buy, some carpet manufacturers might suggest that you use a vacuum without a beater bar or roller brush. They fear that carpet will become damaged by the revolving brushes. This is true with some Berbers and other looped style carpets. The carpet warranty will be void if you do not follow their carpet care instructions to the letter."

 
http://www.carpetprofessor.com/Best_Vacuums.htm
 
"Do not use a vacuum cleaner that has a beater bar on it. This will cause fuzzing, fraying, tearing and shredding and will ruin Berber carpeting.

A beater bar can even snag on a loop and pull the entire string out of the carpet.

The carpet should be cleaned with vacuum that uses suction only. (the more suction the better)"


http://www.housecleaningcentral.com/en/cleaning-tips/floors/best-method-to-clean-berber-carpet.html

 
"Berber carpet is made of lines of fabric woven into small loops. Because of this, it is important to avoid vacuum cleaners that use a revolving brush or a beater bar. These vacuums can flatten or pull loops, destroying a whole line of carpet."

http://www.woolitecarpet.com/berber...B24C416ECE5D9A9E410D1BD09F94C4E8FD8ED47AF2797

sebo_fan · May 5, 2015

Good links, Chris.

It does surprise me that some U.S members are not acknowledging these American sites with suggestions to taking the best care of cleaning berber carpet. Clearly there is a great difference of opinion. Certainly whilst I think the Kirby has a market, it doesn't justify for all. There are times when just a suction floor tool will do, and with a much lighter machine behind it.

durango159 · May 5, 2015

Your wife wants easy attachment use and low profile!

I think a canister vacuum or central vacuum system is the right system for you but my recommendation is a canister with electric power nozzle.

From your original post your wife is the primary user and she doesn't like how hard it is to maneuver the bulky Dyson. She also wants easy attachment conversion and low profile head for getting under things. You also mentioned about cord length and having to drag a heavy unit around the house.

Carpet manufacturers for true actual Berber do not recommend a rotating brush head for Berber. That said they also recommend no pets on it, no high heel shoes and a lot of other things that the majority of practical households in the United States have no clue about and get along with their Berber just great!! Until reading about Berber today after reading some posts above, I would've had no clue about not using a powered brush roll on Berber. I've tried straight suction on it before and with regular household dirt like sand and hair and dust it didn't seem to pull it from the over lapped rows of Berber. I've always vacuumed berber carpeting with spinning brush roll and have never had a problem and find that with the right machine it comes out gorgeous!! FYI: I've done professional house cleaning for over 15 years and have had a few clients with Berber. Never ever ever had a problem vacuuming or shampooing it with a decent vacuum cleaner!!

For your situation with what you've posted about how your wife cleans I HIGHLY recommend avoiding a Kirby avoiding Dyson, avoiding Oreck. The Oreck style would be lightweight but has no tools and no brush roll on/off. The Kirby would clean very well but requires a fair amount of effort to change to tools which can't store on board. You'd be going back and forth to your closet for attachments when you need them. Kirbys are reliable, powerful cleaners but the fact is many average American consumers get sick of them quickly due to heft, bulk and inconvenience. I'm sure your local vacuum dealership has several refurbished Kirbys sitting around that no ones buying! Some people, especially vacuum collectors love them for their shiny metal and lots of attachment options that they get sold into through very high pressure sales but its the other factors that turn everyday consumers away and I recommend you do the same! I've been to many households where they bought a Kirby and it sits around in a closet or garage collecting dust while they use a lighterweight Kenmore or similar similar because the Kirby is too much of a hassle!! And the Self Propel feature on any vacuum including the Hoover Windtunnel Self Propelled isn't the easiest feature to work with either.

You should visit your local vacuum dealership and check out the Riccar Prima, Simplicity Wonder or other power nozzle canister equipped Riccar/ Simplicity canister vacuums. These canisters are U.S.A made, have attachments stored on wands with some models having additional tools on canister unit themselves. The Riccar Prima line has a long 24' cord, plus with canisters you get an additional 10' average of reach between hose, wands and unit. These canister vacuums are very very powerful with variable speed suction motors, several carpet height adjustment settings, brush roll on/off switch. Riccar themselves or your local vacuum store offer a variety of low priced straight suction tools for you to attach to your Riccar, Simplicity or other branded canister for your Berber if you preferred not to use the power nozzle with brushes turned on or off.

Don't worry about MSRP's on Riccar website either they're much lower in stores and are worth it cause of their performance, filtration options and reliability. If you're more budgeted though you might look to a Panasonic canister, or refurbed machine. Aerus canisters are like your older Electrolux Epic and do perform well. I like them but they're not my favorite due to only fitting Electrolux tools, the upholstery nozzles have no bristle or other grooming device and many times I find they flip on sides and skid around house rather than roll on wheels.

Central vacuums are powerful systems. There are many issues though. As another user stated the air flow is less powerful the further from your unit. In every house I've ever cleaned with a central vacuum, there is always some back part of a room that the hose is not able to reach due to setup and installation of the wall connections for the hose. I guess installers get cheap and don't measure square footage or around furniture and doorways well. But I've always had to grab a regular vacuum in the midst of working with central vacuum in-order to finish a job cause their central can't reach!! A corded vac will NEVER leave you not be able to reach a certain part of your home. The hoses and tools are very cumbersome! Generally with central vacs, there is no on wand attachment storage. You'll be having back and forth trips to closed to grab your accessories while tripping and struggling with a long hose. I've tripped myself on stairs before trying to travel with hose wrapped up and power nozzle wand setup in another hand! I've never tripped myself with a canister vacuum before and I've used probably over 50 different models in homes!!

I hope this information is helpful to you. As I said I've cleaned houses professionally for over 15 years. I'm very meticulous about cleaning and fussy about equipment that cleans well but is yet user friendly and durably built to fit a budget. I've helped several of my clients shop vacuums and also sold vacuums Door to Door before in sales. I noticed someone recommended a Filter Queen to you. After selling the most current market model just recently while working for Filter Queen and listening to your situation I would definitely avoid that system. You can do better and much cheaper and much easier to maintain with a Riccar or Simplicity!

I do not work for or have any company connection to Riccar or Simplicity. I receive nothing for recommending their products. I am just very satisfied by their current market equipment and that their products are USA made as well. I prefer their features, and performance over a Sebo, Aerus, Filter Queen, Dyson and a few other others. I'd be more than happy to offer more advice to you about various machines you may be looking at and you can feel free to email me through my profile!

http://riccar.com/prima-power-team-canister

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