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dave

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
21
Location
Lytham St Annes
Hello everyone, I've been reading a lot of the threads on here for some time now, interesting, informative & often entertaining! I've just registered today because I thought I'd ask for some advice/suggestions on which vacuum I should purchase. Although I've got a bit of a 'thing' for vacuum cleaners, it isn't on the same scale as most of the other members here. For the last 15-20 years I've had Dysons, a DC01 then a DC07 and the DC14 (which is my current vacuum). They were all bought new and have all been looked after. Last year the motor went on my DC14, and was replaced, last week I fitted new filters, new clutch/belts and a new brushroll to it. I have a spare bin/cyclone unit and every now & again I'll strip down the cyclone and stick it in the dishwasher (along with the bin) and use the other one until the next time. When the motor went on my DC14 last year I made the mistake of buying a Vax U89-MAF-P Air Force Pet which was absolute junk. Fortunately, I was able to return it and got a full refund and then gave it scathing reviews everywhere I could think of. Although my DC14 is OK, it's showing it's age and I don't think it brushes up the pile of my carpet well. I'll vacuum and then take a close look at my carpet and there are dog hairs in between the pile and grit/sand etc at the base of the pile. It tends to brush over the top rather than get right in there. I live in a flat so I'm not bothered about stair hoses or anything, it's mostly medium pile carpet throughout except the kitchen and bathroom which is tiled. I have 2 German Shepherd Dogs, they both shed (a lot) one is fluffy and his long fur seems to stay on the carpet surface and is easy to remove, the other is short haired and these hairs seem to really get embedded. I've looked at everything from a Hoover PurePower PU2120 (that I've seen new for less than £60 delivered) through to a G Tech Air Ram. Considering Henry/Miele/Sebo/Dyson. I'd prefer an upright as I think vacuuming mostly medium pile carpet with a cylinder floor tool would be quite hard work, maximum £200.Thank you, you're all lovely!
 
I would most definitely recommend the Sebo X4 Extra. The Sebo's are the best deep cleaning upright on the UK market within that price range. The bags are HUGE too and don't need changing very often. The brushroll is one of the most impressive I've seen on a modern cleaner and really grooms the carpet pile.



http://www.vacuspares.co.uk/buy-sebo-automatic-x4-extra+20021
 
Thank you Turbo, I read that thread last night, I've seen an X4 Pet for £230 which I like, I'm afraid I can't stick that navy blue & yellow colourway on that model.
 
Buy What You Want

You asked for advice, and you can't do better than the direct air models for pet hair in carpet. Both models I took the trouble to link to are available to you.
 
Orney...

The Sanitaire uprights are very hard to find in the UK, if at all. If Dave was to import one from the US, he would have to buy a transformer to be able to use it, which is a tad pointless when a used Kirby that wouldn't require said transformer would be cheaper and easier to get.

In terms of brand new, and in that price range, the Sebo is pretty much unbeatable.
 
Yikes!

Good point about the voltage difference. Sorry, I wasn't aware of that.

I feel sorry for you if you can't obtain a direct air machine. Makes very short work of a tedious job.
 
Welcome to Vacuumland Dave.

Like Turbo500 I'd recommend a SEBO. I can't comment on the X Series but I've had a Felix for 6 years without any problems. I have a dog that shreds hair and the Felix (same brush bar as the X Series) vacuum then up with no problems! Going back to bags I've not looked back! Much cleaner and easier to use, little maintenance too! What maintenance there is, is very simple!

I've had every Dyson upright from the DC01 to the DC15 (apart from the DC14) over the years and brought the SEBO Felix while I still had the DC07 and DC15. I couldn't believe how well the Felix grooms the pile of the carpet. Like all SEBO's uprights the bags fill to the top without any noticeable drop in performance. The bags are like bricks when full!! They last me on average 3 months!

I think the SEBO X4 will suit your needs very well!
 
Chris, the Hoover Turbopower Upright has a Headlight.

Hi dave, I had a Sebo X4 & found it to be a good cleaner, it got ground coffee out of a thick white rug which was good, but there are other vacuums you could try.

The Hoover Purepower is good but the newer models have quite poor plastics, they have short cord at 6m, but the plastic quality isn't as bad as some Vax models. The PU2120 does however have a HEPA Filter & the bags last a while too. Where were you able to get one delivered for that price though?
 
Ornery - we can obtain direct air machines in the UK - Kirbys - the problem is that most people cant afford them, and the only option is second hand, which not everyone wants to do.


 


If Dave wants an upright for under £200 then he is a bit limited as most Sebo uprights are more than £200 unless he buys a second hand one, or gets a deal on Ebay.


 


Dave didn't say if he wanted bagged or bagless. we must remember that dogs make any vac smell with prolonged use, so bagged makes a better bet as one throws the smelly bag out when needed. Bagless vacs used with dogs smell too, and require washing out of the cyclone assembly and filters to stop this. It all depends on how much maintenance that Dave wants to do.


 


Dave could consider a Henry but would need one with the Turbo head, such as the Henry Extra for around £150, or cheaper when sourced online. However air driven turbine heads get clogged easily with fur from long haired dogs.


 


Hoover and Vax make some good models like the new Turbopower from Hoover or the Vax FloortoFloor in Argos in Dave's price range - but neither brand is particularly reliable.


 


Miele uprights from the S7 range are bagged, but not particularly robust, and cost more than what Dave wants to pay.


 


In summary, I would recommend the Sebo X1.1 or X4, which Dave could obtain online for about £200 if he got a good deal. Many Euronics centres sell them as well. Although it has a rather dated look now, the X series is a very robust and reliable vac and bags are about a tenner for 10, so half the price of Miele bags. I'm sure Dave and his German Shepherds would be very happy with a Sebo X series. Also, if Dave bought the X1.1 he could get it in Red and Blue, or in White - as he has said that he doesn't like the blue and yellow of the X4 Extra. The X4 Excel comes in Black with silver trim, but is more money than Dave said that he wanted to spend at about £260.


 


It all depends on what Dave decides that he wants to spend in the end, and £200 is on the borderline. another £60 on top would ensure he gets a very nice Sebo upright.
 
Um, lets not forget there's the SEBO X1.1! £199 from CoOp Direct also from Amazon UK.

To meet the same spec as the X4 you could buy yourself the extension hose for above the floor line or the stair tool turbo brush.

The X1.1 is just as good as the X4 Extra, but slightly less "powerful" with an 1150 watt motor compared to 1300 watts.

Believe me, there is very little difference between the X1.1 and X4 compared to the original X1 Automatic of 850 watts to 1000 watts for the dark grey/light grey model. I did have an X4 but only sold it last week. Now have an X1 Automatic and adore it, as I have always done.

If buying second hand, an X1 Automatic base line machine is good value but the X1.1 is better.

The red models are getting harder to find now - Euronics no longer stock the red models at every store, best to phone them and check if you really want the red upright.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sebo-Automatic-Upright-Bagged-Cleaner/dp/B0002V7U3C/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t
 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks everyone for your input, I'm going to get a Sebo X4 either the Euronics exclusive in red or the Pet in black/silver. A few weeks before Christmas I did see the X4 Pet for £199 so I'm going to hang a few weeks to see if any of the online retailers drop their prices a little bit more. I've noticed the DC25 Animal is now £240 in the new Argos catalogue, which I thought might see a few prices of other manufacturers machines drop. I did look at some reconditioned Kirbys on eBay last night at around the £150 - £200 mark which looked very presentable, but as an at least twice daily cleaner, would probably be a bit over the top.
 
All these models have their pros and cons - but I'd steer clear of the Dyson DC25 - along with the smaller DC24, these were notorious for premature brushroll motor failure. Sorry, but I just don't rate modern Dysons - they are overpriced and overrated. The Sebo is tried and tested - used in many commercial settings, and has one main motor that drives the brush via a twin toothed belt system and cuts the motor out if the brush gets clogged with dog hairs etc. In terms of reliability, the only thing that the X4 occasionally suffers from is a broken power cable where it enters the handle - but the handle opens up easily to shorten the damaged bit of cable. Bags for the Sebo are reasonable too at a tenner for 10. Sebos are very rarely on promotion and its unlikely you will ever get a brand new X series for less than £199. Don't forget though that the X1.1 does not come with an extension hose and turbo brush for furniture as standard - only the X4 Pet does. The X4 Extra comes with an extension stretch hose but no turbo tool. It all depends on how much your GSD's jump on the furniture


Going for a Kirby is always a good choice, They cannot be beaten on carpets. But spares, bags and belts tend to be quite expensive and if you need to use the hose a lot, you may find a Kirby hard work to keep changing the head over to the hose fitting.


With any second hand Kirby that's been refurbed you will be getting a very reliable and sturdy vacuum that will last years and years with the correct maintenance - you can get a good G series refurb as you said for under £200. Bags can be expensive at £25 for 9 from Kirby dealers, but can be obtained online for much less - but they are massive and take a long time to fill up. A Kirby will always give your carpets a much more aggressive beat and clean than most other clean air machines, and Kirbys don't block up easily either. They are a direct air system much like the old metal Hoovers of the 60's and 70's so care will have to be taken what is sucked up using the hose as the Lexan plastic fans can be damaged by sucking up large objects.
 
A Dyson DC25 animal should be a good vacuum.
the filtration is good, it has a twin motor system, cleans better than a DC14, has the Dyson advantages, 5 year warranty/guarantee and even a ball!
 

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