Best deep cleaner? Kirby or sanitaire?

[vac_whisperer]

I have a 1986 Sanitaire,(SC888) and 1997 Kirby (G5), I think they would be comparable.


Sadly the sanitaire is all taken apart, being restored. :/

 

[brandon_w_t]

I have yet to find a vacuum that can lift up the carpet and beat it as hard as a Sanitaire. Its absurd to vacuum a rug with a Sanitaire, they are just too powerful for throw rugs.

 

[twocvbloke]

I have both, though not currently got a G-series, but, I've had the 4 main Kirby groups (500/Sanitronic type (D80), Classic (CIII & Trad), Heritage (H84 & 3x LegendII's), and Generation (G3 & G5)) while owning a Sanitaire, and all of those Kirbys, while fun to use, never cleaned as well as my Sanitaires (Electrolux C12 & ZC-880, and Sanitaire S663)... :&#92

And yeah, you can't really vac a rug with a Sanitaire, it just sucks the rug up into the brushroll and jams it up, it's a proper rug muncher y'know...

 

[gsheen]

A few years ago we tested a sanitaire sample models that were under consideration for marketing in SA. It was a sc888 or 880 , as a bench marke we tested it against the Kirby sentria that had just come on to the market( the sales man was smiling quickest sale he had ever made).


 


I can't remember the exact results must go and dig them up but On certain carpets the sanitaire out performed the Kirby by a considerable margin. This was lab testing thoug not real life and thats what the data told us but it was interesting.


 


However what performs best for you is the real question, try and get demo's and try them out yourself , that way you will find the one that's suits you 

 

[pr-21]

Sanitaire or Kirby

Brandon,


 


I agree, Sanitaires are too powerful for throw rugs, however, they have a two speed model out now. SC 889A. I bought one for the motor to put into my Eureka 250, which I had a 7 amp one speed motor in, since the old 3.5 amp motor was bad. I can now vacuum throw rugs again like old times. I wish they would put the two speed back into their blue line uprights, like they used to have.


 


I still like my Kirby's the best, especially with the newer stiffer brush rolls.


 


 


Bud Mattingly

[this post was last edited: 11/30/2011-19:34]

 

[kenkart]

Im not going to argue,,,,BUT!

A Sanitaire WILL clean better, BUT!! it is ,in my opinion, not well balanced, I have never seen one that didnt "nose dive" when you pull it backwards, The Kirby is WAY to heavy, but is a all around better machine, but...I personally dont like uprights very much, so my opinion probably doesent mean much..LOL! The only uprights I use on a regular basis is a 1964 GE and a 1958 Royal 801...And then only to run thru the middle of the rugs when in a hurry!!

 

[kirbysthebest]

Just by my name it is going to advise you I am biased in my opinion.

I got into a flame war sometime ago with another member when I stated something beyond my abilities. So here it is my opinion, and my opinion only.

Kirby and Sanitaire are pretty much equeal in amps, where Kirby edges forward is it's air flow. Where Sanitaire edges forward is the availability of the Vibra-groomer.

I am not sure of filtration, but the older Sanitaires I used wer built more for commercial applications and didn't seem to have the filteration that a home model does. This may have changed and again I am admitting my limitations of knowledge.

I would lean towards my bias, Kirby. Cost is not a factor in many cases. First of all that's the asking price retail. No one ever gives retail. Second, there is e-bay, Craig's list, where you can get some pretty discounted, but good condition machines.

I think the best advise to try them both in your home and see what you think.

 

[twocvbloke]

"Cost is not a factor in many cases."

Up to $2400 versus up to about $500, that's a pretty big factor to consider...

Filtration on current Sanitaires, well, they use the Filtrete ST bags, which are huge, bigger than Kirby's own version, so more surface area means more airflow just from that alone, plus the bags are better at keeping the dirt in the bag compared to the plain and Filteraire F&G type bags. Yes, a Sanitaire is a commercial vac, but you have to remember, they turned a Commercial vac into a Household vac with the Eureka F&G upright series, a lot of which still outclean the competition today with tiny little 3.5 amp motors, and they're still selling the same basic design today, brand new with a range of different power & style of motors and a range of brushrolls...

Kirby on the other hand, their machines have gotten weaker in terms of cleaning, they're heavier than the likes of the Dual Sanitronic80 (which for me is about the same weight as my Sanitaires), and the fact you cannot buy them brand new at a retail outlet, just from someone cold-calling at your door and demanding a rather large amount for something that loses value so fast (I recall the Sentria sold at an auction house in Burnley, £80, compare that to the new price!!!). And you only have 1 model available, 1 motor to choose from, and many functions it's not really that great at...

If you want cost effective, simplicity, ease of maintenance, and performance like no other, go for a Sanitaire...

If you want shiny, heavy, fiddly to use, and expensive, go for a Kirby...

And something you might want to read through (thoroughly) on comparing a Kirby against a Sanitaire:



http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?6053

 

[kirbysthebest]

Cost

It's all in the negotiation power.
You get a Kirby guy in hour home, late in the evening, towards the end of the month, trying to meet quota. He'll deal. You can get that $2,800 machine down to $500-$750 arena.

 

[twocvbloke]

Or you could just go to a store and buy a shiny new Sanitaire without the need to waste time on negotiations, demonstrations, and clearing a room for the so-called "free carpet shampoo"...

Not to mention, when you buy new from a store, you actually get a brand new, with some Kirby distributors, "new" can often mean "pre-owned" & "refurbished"...

 

[gsheen]

on that note of getting a Kirby for a bargan. I have always kown that Kirbys were way over priced ( no offense to any Kirby lovers ) in SA selling for at the current exchange rate $ 3629.00 , someone I know  of  just got one ( end of the month must meet quota) for $ 870.00. wow talk about been ripped off, and he nearly paid full price. I still told him he should have come to see me first.


 


We get so many people wanting to sell there sentria's and sadly most have  paid full price. Then they get so angry when you offer them so little for it , no matter how many times I explain it we don't resell kirby's we break them for parts. its gotten so bad that I have put up a notice on the door saying we do not buy Kirby sentria's as the customers just get angry with us. As I have said before its a good machine but its not $3629.00 good , for that money I'll get a nice beem central vacuum installed in my brick and concrete home with some change. 

 

[sanitaire]

I have a sanitaire sc899 and lots of kirbys in my collection. being a master of the custodial arts I lean a bit more tword commerical vacs. my favorite upright is my advance carpetwin 16xp. or for bulk pick up nss m1 pig, witch I can put a power nozzle on and have shop vac suction and power nozzle.