It's not you, Marcus, it's everyone! I don't know why people insist on having this same argument over and over again.
Homes in the US and homes in Europe are VERY different. Floortypes, size of the home, number of floors, number of people living in the home, pets, location. These are all factors that determine what vacuum will work well for someone. For example, the UK is a small country with a LOT of people in it. As a result, homes are much smaller here than in the US and built much closer together. It's only logical that smaller vacuums would be more popular here as they're easy to use around our smaller homes.
There is no "the best vacuum EVER" because what works for one person might not be what is required for another.
I don't understand why people are so dismissive of other people's opinions and experience sometimes. Does nobody on this site have the ability to stop and be subjective for just a second?
I will say though that there is a definite arrogance that some people constantly display (NOT ALL!). I'm tired of hearing about how Kirby, Riccar, Aerus, Rainbow etc are THE BEST VACUUMS EVER MADE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD BY ANYONE EVER BECAUSE THEY'RE AMERICAN. It ain't true - there are plenty of products (not just vacuums, all kinds of products) made all over the world that are incredibly high performing. And whilst vacuums made in the US may well be the best for use in American homes, it doesn't mean the same applies everywhere. America is not "the world" and there's a reason why half those brands aren't available outside of their home country.
Just a disclaimer, I'm not slating any US-made products. That would by highly hyporcritcal of me since the UK barely makes anything anymore. Plus, Dyson are British and I think they're a bag of crap. But the country of origin doesn't automatically determine the performance of the machine. Being American and expensive alone doesn't make a good product.
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It's a damn shame we don't produce vacs here in the UK that are every bit as good as in the US if not better because we are more than capable of it don't you think Chris?
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Of course! But equally, my point works both ways. A UK/European made vacuum might not be the best to use in a US home. Perfect for us, but maybe not in the states. So the fact that you've said "as good if not better" doesn't really apply. Better for who? Better for us? Perhaps, yes. Better for our friends in the US? Probably not. Unless you have a situation where a European cleaner is specifically designed for the US market, like the Miele S7. And they didn't sell very well here, despite being a good machine.