BEST cleaning vacuum?

[dustin]

I know we have a lot of people coming to our site for advice on a new vacuum to fit their needs, but can we all agree on a "BEST CLEANING" vacuum? I will use as an example a normal sized home with mostly cut pile carpet, no specific preference between upright/canister, Brand name and durability/longevity do not matter, high filtration isn't critical. price is not an issue. Just looking for a vacuum that can remove the most dirt from a carpet. Can we all agree on what might be the BEST cleaning NEW vacuum available. This should raise quite a discussion....

 

[floor-a-matic]

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Compact/TriStar or the new 2013 Rainbow E3</span>

 

[blackheart]

I cast my vote for

Kirby. So far i have yet to find anything that can outclean my G6, i'm a little unsure about the new staggered brushroll used in newer models though.

 

[kirbykid]

I vote kirby sentria. But i have heard a lot of good thinks about simplicity and sebo

 

[jade_angel]

From a modern vacuum? I think the Kirby Sentria II and the Royal RY8200 are strong contenders. The Riccar Premium Radiance and Simplicity Synergy are in contention too, as is the Sanitaire SC888.

For canisters, the Riccar Immaculate/Simplicity Moxie, Miele S8, Patriot, and Silver King all do pretty well. As always, airflow and agitation are the two parts that matter the most, and any vacuum that does well in both categories will do well.

Pinning down "The Ultimate Vacuum" is kinda like nailing jelly to a tree, because there are so many variables. For example, Tacony, Wessel Werk and Sebo all make good power nozzles, but they likely won't perform identically on different carpets. Riccar canisters are usually thought of as better deep cleaners than Sebos, but I'll bet you could easily find a rug where the Sebo would get more of the dirt. And so it goes with many others.

 

[alexhoovers94]

For me, Kirby and HOOVER (70's, 80's and 90's models of course!} Old Hoover's and Kirby's are the best deep cleaners in my eyes.

 

[tase]

I would say a Kirby Sentria I or II.

I've yet to see a vacuum pull up the carpet like my Sentria does.

 

[sebo_fan]

For me, either the SEBO Felix or the SEBO D2, or Miele S5, or Miele S8.

 

[dustin]

I guess I will put in my vote- 7 amp Sanitaire upright with vg2. As far as I'm concerned they cant be beat.

 

[dysonman1]

The answer to the question changes as the machine is used. BEST CLEANING straight out of the box, with brand new belt, brushes, and totally empty bag/spotless filters -- or a vacuum that's been used six months, a year? The answer will change. Since the original question stressed it would 'for the average person' with quality and durability not an issue - I think we should consider our answers not from the perspective of collectors but from the perspective of the average, uncaring about vacuums, person who just pushes it and wants it to suck up the dirt.

What would our answers be then?

For the typical vacuum user (whether the owner or the cleaning lady), a vacuum built to protect itself from her (or him as the case may be) would be the Best Cleaning. Sebo or Aerus/Lux uprights were built so morons couldn't abuse them. While they don't start out "Best Cleaning", five years down the road (with no maintenance) they'll outclean most anything else.

I happen to like the Wessel Werk power nozzle (as used on Miele, Black Knight, and many others). I know a vacuum cleaner's suction is only used to withdraw the dirt already beaten out and swept up by the agitator. Personally, all the vacuums to which that power nozzle has been attached, have worked beautifully for me personally. If I could change one thing, it would be to give the brush roller replaceable bristles.

 

[sebo_fan]

The other aspect is that CLEANING doesn't just restrict itself to carpet or hard floor cleaning, but all aspects, from being able to reach up high to get to shelving and general dust above the floor line to usage in a vehicle etc However the original question here is carpet performance and I'll stick to what I've said - all German, all of the way, for me.

It is impossible to judge what the average customer will buy and what the average customer will do with a new vacuum cleaner, let alone one "several miles down the road" after ownership. Lack of filter care and maintenance on brush rolls for example can obviously affect performance, so too can a clogged dust bag or a pierced hose/broken tool.

 

[rainbowd4c]

So what would you recomend to a person who...

Doesn't have the money to go out and purchase a Rainbow, Kirby, Aires, or some big name door to door vacuum but still wants a great machine that is going to make sure that it works well for what they want? Dyson would I think be one name brand even if they are expensive as well.

 

[SandyWins]

My Riccar 8900 is my all time favorite!

After going through several retail store better vacuums, I bought a Riccar Model 8900 over 10 years ago. The salesman sold me on its durability. I have a multi-pet household, so I'm hard on most vacuums. The Riccar has been a workhorse of an upright vacuum. I've only had to change the belts and bags and clean it regularly. It's never been in the shop. It's powerful, has bright lights, and almost pulls me along. The suction is incredible.

Since I haven't had to buy a new vacuum for over 10 years, I can't really compare it to others, but I can say that after all these years it still works great! I'm currently looking for a replacement roller for it, but everything else seems to be working fine.

--Sandy

 

[blackheart]

"So what would you recomend to a person who...Doesn't have the money to go out and purchase a Rainbow, Kirby, Aires, or some big name door to door vacuum but still wants a great machine that is going to make sure that it works well for what they want? Dyson would I think be one name brand even if they are expensive as well."

A used Kirby, Sanitaire, Simplicity 7, or a Riccar 8900 if the budget is really tight a hoover tempo bagged.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well, i was going to mention this earlier but I will now..

"So what would you recomend to a person who...Doesn't have the money to go out and purchase a Rainbow, Kirby, Aires, or some big name door to door vacuum but still wants a great machine that is going to make sure that it works well for what they want?"

In response to this, buying from a collector online : ) Or EBay, or whatever other auction site/listings are available.

 

[jade_angel]

If you absolutely, positively must buy new, then I'd say a Sanitaire for an upright. The price is quite reasonable and anything else as durable will cost more.

Canisters are a harder group - there are good canisters, there are cheap canisters. There aren't many good, cheap canisters. Panasonic or Kenmore is where I'd start looking if Riccar/Simplicity, Sebo and Miele are out of the price range.

But yeah, a second-hand Kirby, Royal, Tristar/Compact, Filter Queen, Silver King, Rainbow, etc will work quite well, it's what I'd recommend if you're not averse to second-hand.

Filter Queen, by the way, lacks a bit in carpet cleaning (I'd call it excellent but not top-tier) but is still very good. They have good airflow, and as the name suggests, good filtration. The stock power nozzle is merely OK, but someone with enough gumption could MacGyver on a Wessel Werk, Lindhaus or Sebo nozzle and really do well.

 

[spiraclean]

Depends entirely on the user. A houseproud Oreck owner who looks after their machine properly, vacuums often and is mindful to do a good job will very likely have cleaner carpets overall than someone who has the latest Dyson but can't be bothered to use it more than once a month, and never thinks to wash the filters or clean the crap out of the brushroll.

Those aren't even hypothetical examples, I've seen both scenarios for myself during the time I spent cleaning houses. The choice of vacuum doesn't matter too much, it's more about keeping on top of things and picking up the dirt faster than it can be tracked in.

 

[sebo_fan]

True, but then it also depends on the CLEANING requirements - if you have pets, you can't exactly lift an upright-only design all the time on top of a bed to shift the pet hair. Oreck uprights are all very well as they do carpets and hard floors. You need versatility to keep control of dirt in a home.

 

[spiraclean]

I was referring to carpets only in my last post, but in the case of Oreck, I've never known anyone attempt to use one in that fashion for above floor cleaning. They use the companion canister instead, unless they've declined to take one because they already have a cylinder vac they've hung onto for that purpose. Either way, they still have the means to clean upholstery, curtains, stairs and the like. Only difference is it's a separate setup rather than being integrated into the upright.

Some find that more convenient, others less so. Whatever works best for the user is what will get used more often, and therefore lead to better cleaning overall.