Best lightweight canister with beater bar power head?

[Burt]

New to the forum, but this looks like a great one!

We need to get a new canister vac. The problem is that I am finding problems with just about every brand I do research on. The new Meila looks good, but I read where you can't get a replacement for a nylon gear in the power nozzle and have to buy a whole new nozzle for 170 bucks. Between our home, and purchasing vacuums for our church, we've owned and worked with a lot of brands. My wife wants a canister vac to replace our current sears Kenmore canister which has a bearing going out. Overall, I pretty much hate craftsman and Sears products. My wife is getting a bit of arthritis and needs to carry this new vac up and down the stairs, too. I priced a new motor for this Kenmore, and it was about half the price of a new vacuum. I am wondering if we would be better off with trying to find an older Electrolux. Our local guy wants 600 bucks for a reconditioned one. Any advice would be appreciated. Oh, my wife hates bagless vacs, those are out. I would very much appreciate any help.

 

[miskini]

Go with the new riccar prima. It's light, quiet, and has more power than you could ever need.
It has one of the, if not the best powerhead you can get. When the bristles go bad, change the brush strips.

 

[suckolux]

the older Lux is not going to be light either

 

[n0oxy]

best canister

If your wife does not want to carry a vacuum around, you might consider a central vacuum, then all you would need to move around is the hose. If you want a portable canister, I would also suggest the Riccar Prima. It's a great vacuum, fairly compact but very powerful. I would not pay $600 for a refurbished vacuum, that's a rip off.

 

[s31463221]

Hi Burt!

First off, let me say Welcome to the group! You will find a VERY knowledgeable and friendly group of folks here who are more than willing to assist in every way possible. Now with that said, you are probably going to get as many suggestions for vacuum cleaner models as are out there available. We each have our own personal tastes and thoughts as to which cleaner will do the best job for the money. I agree with the others above though, someone quoting you that much for a used older Electrolux seems quite astronomical to me, and the older machines were made out of metal so they are not the lightest things in the world. If you are leaning toward the Aerus/Electrolux models (not the same thing you can find in the big box stores these days), the base model of the Aerus canister line (The Classic they call it) can be purchased brand new with a warranty for somewhere in the $750 to $800 range I believe. They are plastic body machines that are lightweight (12.6 lbs), but still have rather powerful motors in them, have an L-shaped power nozzle that's good to get around furniture, and includes a 5 year warranty with them. These models take the style c bags which are relatively inexpensive compared to other vacuums. I can't speak for the other brands such as Riccar and Miele as I have had absolutely no experience with them, but I have been around and used the Aerus / Electrolux products all my life and for what they are, I really like them. I hope you are satisfied with whatever vacuum cleaner you and your wife choose, and hopefully some of the information you get in your post will be beneficial in helping you make your decision. Again, welcome to the group!

Steve

http://www.aerusvacuums.com/luxclassiccanister/

 

[eurekaprince]

I think your best bet is the Miele C1 Classic Titan. It weighs only 17lbs with the compact power nozzle and the canister is very, very easy to carry. It's powerful, quiet and offers great filtration. Miele canisters are well made and you get access to a wide variety of optional attachments and filters and bags.

In the brand reliability ratings done by Consumer Reports, Miele is a pretty dependable brand compared to others - surveys have shown a relatively low rate of problems needing repairs by consumers who have purchased a new Miele canister.

I loved my S2 (C1 Classic) so much, I upgraded to a more deluxe S8 canister!

 

[n0oxy]

aerus classic

I agree that the aerus classics are good vacuums, I have the 90th anniversary version, it's a good product. You may be able to find something just as good at a cheaper price though. Miele's are good, I have the C1 olympus, that one does not have the ability to use a power nozzle, but there are Miele models that will do that. Another model to consider is the Sebo D4, it's a very nice one as well.

 

[suckolux]

I own the Miele Titan, good machine, light weight, but oh that short hose just burns my butt. Powerhead is better suited to shorter carpet also, I feel.

 

[Burt]

thank you!

thank you very much! I will be looking at these with her. We have a local Meile dealer. I'm concerned about the comment I found where someone said Meile would not, or could not, sell him a new plastic gear that broke in the powerhead, and a new one was $170. I've worked on all our vacuums, and the church's, for years, and want something I can get parts for.

I've never looked at the Riccar...might have to drive up to Bangor to see one, and the Aerus. Glad to know that the reconditioned Lux for $595 is a rip off! Thank you!

By the way, years ago our son, a little tyke then, stuck the nozzle of our canister vac in the wood stove and sucked live coals into it.... He had a big live coal on the end of the nozzle glowing red, and he was scared. By the time I got it outside it had melted a good part of the inside of it. I fixed it with hardware cloth and used it for years.

 

[dysonman1]

The Riccar Prima (and the sister machine, the Simplicity Wonder) are light weight, VERY powerful, extremely well designed machines. The long, light weight hose is a joy to use. UNLIKE the Miele, the repair parts are inexpensive and AVAILABLE. The bags are large capacity, and won't break the bank when you need new ones. The Power Nozzles offered (there are three) are all very high quality - the middle of the line nozzle is my favorite. Be sure to check out the Riccar Prima/Simplicity Wonder. All the people I know who have already purchased a Riccar Prima have been very happy with them.

 

[countryguy]

What are the differences between the 3 power nozzles?

gary

 

[dysonman1]

Gary:
The Compact Power nozzle is similar to the Miele 217. DC motor, very quiet, narrow brush roller, plastic soleplate, lifetime belt.

The Mid Line power nozzle is a full size nozzle with a steel brush roller with replaceable bristles. It has a height adjustment, handle release pedal, lifetime belt, and steel soleplate.

The Premium nozzle is the same as the Mid Line, but has a three row brush roller, and a dirt sensor which flashes a red light when it's picking up dirt.

 

[Burt]

dysonman1 ... can't find Riccar dealer...

Kinda funny, dysonman1, your recommending something other than a Dyson. It shows you care more for the person's need than any one brand. Thank you!

I tried to find a Riccar dealer. Closest one is in New Hampshire, about six hours away. Tried the 'net dealers, and read, "Riccar does not allow their dealers to ship...local pricing only." Or something like that.

I read the reviews on the Meile Classic on Amazon. Interesting, nearly everyone seems to love the canister part, but many have agony with the powerheads: the turbo one clogs and is hard to clean. The others are short lived and expensive. So, I'm still looking, and will now pursue the "sister" you mention. BTW, I filled out the "contact" form on the Riccar website and asked them what I could do if I wanted to buy one.

 

[blackheart]

Do you have

A simplicity dealer?

 

[eurekaprince]

If you are leery about the Miele power nozzle, why not go with the tried-and-true basic Panasonic CG-902? It has a replaceable belt in the carpet nozzle. Consumer Reports consistently rated this vacuum (and its Kenmore equivalent) "Very Good" in all tests: carpet cleaning, bare floor cleaning, airflow thru the hose, noise suppression and filtration. It's even a Best Buy at about $300!

See link below....

http://m.shop.panasonic.com/home-and-office/vacuums/canister-vacuums/MC-CG902.html

 

[kirbysthebest]

try

ebay.


 


New machines can be had for a fraction of dealer prices.


 


. . . and dysonman wasn't being considerate.  He works for Taconey the manufacturer of Simplicity/Riccar.

 

[dysonman1]

I like ALL vacuums, I just read what he wanted in a vacuum, and knew the Simplicity Wonder/Riccar Prima was exactly the machine he described that he wanted. While technically I do 'work' for Tacony Corporation - I don't build vacuum cleaners. I'm the Curator of the world's only full-line Vacuum Cleaner Museum. We have over 710 vacuums in the collection, and do NOT focus on any one particular brand. We like and learn from them all. The PRIMA/WONDER models were actually designed by Tacony's engineers IN the vacuum cleaner museum, cherry picking history (patents expire after 18 years).

 

[durango159]

I would go with Simplicity/ Riccar. They are excellent cleaners and reliably built!!