Help! Shopping for New Vacuum and Overwhelmed

[vacuumfreeeke]

The Hoover Lightweight Platinum bagged is a nice machine and is compact, nimble, and agile for apartment use... it also has a low speed for quieter use though the difference in noise leve isn't significant. I'd likely go for a more quality machine if money were no object. I use my Miele canister when I need something quiet at night, but in general, I find canisters to be hard to maneuver in the tight spaces of an apartment. The Mieles are a little better than others because all casters swivel 360 degrees... you can kick the body of the machine in any direction to back out of a tight corner and it will readily submit. Mieles are quiet to begin with, but they have adjustable motor speeds which really helps make them even more quiet so they are great for late night use (I live in an apartment and like to clean in the wee hours too!)

But, I have 57 vacuums ) Rainbows make mud and the Kirbys, while great on carpet are bulky and I've never been impressed with the hose suction of my G5... never put a hose on the Sentria, but I imagine it would be similar.

I'd go with the others who say Sebo will not deep clean as well as the Miele upright... I have the Windsor equivalent of the Sebo Automatic X series (without the automatic height adjust) (looks like my avatar pic, just not as pretty, more utilitarian) and while it is a well designed machine, it was very obviously not designed for thick carpet... it was designed for flat thin commercial carpet and does well on that. I know the Sebo Felix is a different animal though, and I've tried one and just didn't like it for some unidentifiable reason... maybe because it seemed awkward and didn't seem to groom well.

Welcome to the forum... even though you don't seem to be a collector yet, you seem very smart and appear to have really given this some thought... I hope you find the machine that is just perfect for you.

 

[kirbyultimateg]

If you really want a Kirby, I recommend a rebuilt Heritage II or a rebuilt Legend or a rebuilt Legend II. These models outclean the Generation 3/G4/G5/Gsix/Ultimate G/Diamond Edition/Sentria/Sentria II models.

 

[kirbyultimateg]

If you really want a Rainbow, I recommend a rebuilt SE or a rebuilt SE PE or a rebuilt E-Series 1-speed. These models do not have the electronic controls which go bad.

 

[hype822]

i guess that I was wrong for buying a sebo 5 years ago, because apparently they are not user friendly, dont groom well, cant be used on thick carpet because the nozzle cuts out, dont clean thick carpets well either. well, maybe if i bought and used nothing but the almighty kirby, i would not be stupid huh? let the sebo bashing continue

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

Steve, don't call yourself stupid because other people have a different opinion than you. I don't know you yet, so I don't know what kind of self esteem you have, but nobody should feel they are stupid because other people stated some things they don't like about a certain vacuum cleaner.

 

[nycwriter]

Thank you all for your responses!

A couple of points:

-- Living in an apartment (not a small apartment, but not a 4,000 square foot house either), I really don't have the *closet* space for more than one vacuum cleaner.

-- I don't mind bulk and weight (I'm a weightlifter myself).

-- I'm willing to compromise on the noise issue (I'm sure just about anything would be an improvement over the jet engine that apparently powers my Fantom).

-- I've learned (as Vacuumfreeke pointed out above) that "professional" or "commercial" units -- despite usually being built stronger -- often perform worse in the home than in commercial settings because most commercial carpeting has "barely there" pile, as opposed to the wide ranges of plush we have in our homes.

I'm truly impressed with so many of you and your collections. LOVE looking at your photos! The only thing keeping me from going overboard myself is my obvious lack of space. Unless you own a townhouse in Manhattan, you don't have virtually unlimited garage/attic/basement space for curating such collections.

 

[THEMIELEMAN]

FANTOM VACUUM CLEANERS

If you thought your Fantom was a masterpiece, you'll probably like the Dyson too. I suggest you go to your local vacumm cleaner dealer and compare the different brands. You will find most vacuums discussed in this forum in his store. Miele and Sebo are the high dollar vac store brands, made in Germany. Miele, a 100 + year old company, is a popular appliance choice and you'll find their vacuums are topping the charts in most countries. Kirby and Rainbow are sold door to door and command high prices and finding service from the seller may be difficult. I suggest you buy your vacuum cleaner from a local dealer that can provide support. Buying a reputable brand will insure you'll have parts for repairs in the future. Where did that Fantom salesman go? Or, should I say "Phantom salesman".

http://www.napasewandvac.com

 

[nycwriter]

Themieleman ...

I'm not a fan of the Dyson -- just looks and feels very cheaply made (and I've heard and seen many comments to that effect).

In terms of service, I have my own sweeper repair man (yes, believe it or not, they still exist in NYC -- mine even offers free pick-up and delivery!). It's important, though, for the vacs themselves to be well-built and not requiring esoteric and hard-to-obtain parts.

As for my Fantom "salesman", "he" is still around. His name is "Bed, Bath, and Beyond."

 

[thehooverman]

GET A HOOVER WINDTUNNEL

 

[funeraldirector]

Manhattan Apartment Vacuum

NYCWRITER,

There are several very good vacuums that will work well in your Manhattan digs. For the variety of flooring you describe do yourself a favor and forget the Miele and Kirby uprights. Of the two, my choice would be Kirby for its long-life durability but the user experience with both machines could be better while the overall cleaning performance of both units is among the best in the business. IF you choose an upright the SEBO X5/Windsor Sensor XP12 is going to give you good performance, excellent usability and durability and I had one for ten years. You will absolutely LOVE the 1.5 pound handle weight on your wrist. Despite some opinions on carpet cleaning performance, it does a good job and is used at the White House (with LUX) and almost every hospital in America (along with the Windsor Versamatic). It is also used in the Kremlin and Buckingham Palace. More than acceptable for your Manhattan apartment and it won't break the bank.

About deep carpet cleaning. All of the good brands (Sebo, Filter Queen,Rainbow,Lux, Miele, Simplicity/Riccar and Kirby) do a good job of cleaning carpet. Go find the vacuum you want to use based on features and buy it. Deep cleaning becomes a serious issue for most because statistically most people in the US vacuum two or three times a month. Not nearly enough! Traffic areas get vacuumed every day or two with any of the above 8 brands I mentioned and your carpet will last a very long time without showing wear marks. Remember carpet fibers are opaque and the dirt wears the ends off and they start to look dirty even though they are not. Proper care is what makes the difference here. If you don't love the vacuum you buy you won't use it. There is a reason most pawn shops have late model Kirby's on the shelf to be had for basically dog food money.

This brings us to the power nozzle canister which is your best option.

Miele Capricorn, Earth or Gemini with the 236 power nozzle. Small, light and powerful. Just a nice vacuum. Select the Earth since the hose is 18" longer and makes it easier to get around with. Skip the 217 nozzle.

Sebo D4 with Et-1 power nozzle is also great. Better nozzle than Miele since it's less clunky and more durable, 40' cord reel and swivel hose, great filtration and simple to operate. Again just a nice vacuum. You will be very pleased.

Simplicity full-size Moxie and Gusto and their Riccar sister models also have swivel hoses, good performing nozzles, quality attachments and 28' cord winders. Excellent brush roller and carpet grooming and made in the USA.

Filter Queen is an older design without a cord reel that will give better filtration than all the others (three times finer than HEPA) and probably outlive you. USA-made. Most durable canister vacuum money can buy. Period.

Finally the Lux Guardian Platinum is quieter than the Miele, Stainless Steel Body and 14 lbs, 15 year warranty and more power, not quite as aggressive on the power nozzle but still very good performance and a very easy vacuum to use. The Miele holds its power a little longer, the LUX has SIGNIFICANTLY better quality dusting brush and combination rug and floor nozzle and Sidekick III mini power nozzle. The Lux has HEPA filters before and after the motor and fan unit so it is unique in that regard. I now use this machine in my home. Made in EU and USA

The new Rainbow is nice and is the only machine that maintains constant suction power. It too is very high quality and USA-made.

All of the above mentioned vacuums will leave you with very clean carpets at the end of the day. Lots of people on this site don't care for the performance of the Lux and SEBO heads. Not only did I sell LUX for more than a dozen years, I have had and used all of the power nozzle canisters I just outlined in my home for several years. All of the nozzles, Miele 236, Sebo ET-C, ET-1, ET-H, Simplicity Moxie and Lux Omniflo picked up about the same amount of dirt used daily on the same carpet over a period of several years.

There are lots of Youtube videos on Miele and Sebo/Windsor and several on the Lux Intelligence/Aerus Lux Guardian Platinum and the Filter Queen also.

I hope this helps.

Brian

 

[durango159]

How about a Tacony made Simplicity/ Riccar??

I love canister vacuums. I've been professionally house cleaning for 18 years. I've had the best success with Hoover canister vacuums. However now Hoover's selection is quite limited. I look for machines that clean EXCELLENT, while being convenient to use and reasonably durable. Your unlimited price range puts you in a better than me.

I'm not a Kirby guy. Too loud, too heavy, don't groom carpets enough, attachment setup is awful.

Also not a Sebo guy. Don't groom enough, non user friendly, can't handle plush rugs.
I've had awful experiences with Sebo D4 canister, Oreck uprights, most Dyson uprights I've used.

Aerus Electrolux vacuums will last forever and are quiet. However, I've found that the long slender suction units tend to roll over on their sides and slide along the floor rather than stay on wheels. Carry handles in the middle make it awkward to lug around. Some of their power nozzles aren't very powerful.

The Riccar/ Simplicitys are a great line. Very quiet, very powerful, sealed systems, HEPA S Class filtration, wide assortment of available on board tools, Made In The U.S.A, metal base plates, metal brush rolls, suction to pull paint off your wall. I'm very happy with our Riccar 1700 canister pictured below!! I highly recommend testing out a Riccar in a store. The new Tandem Air uprights are amazing too!!

I have little Miele experience but I hear they're very good. If you go canister I would be sure to get the SEB228 or SEB236 power nozzle. They have a wide variety of suction units, you need to see which one appeals to your needs as far as attachment availability, size and bag capacity. For a Miele upright I would look at the S7 series.

The Royal Lexon SR30020 is a really neat machine!! Very powerful suction and agitation!! Quiet running, and the powerhead glides very smoothly over the carpet with an extremely comfortable handle. Durability wise they look ok but definitely not built the way Royals were years ago. The Riccar or Miele would be better durability wise.

I have noticed many canister vacuums WAYYYY outperform many upright vacuums. I've also seen many that are about even with each other. A lot of machines on the market have great suction. Agitation is where many companies have slacked off. I'm sure there are a plethora of vacuum dealers in the Manhattan area. Visit a few, try before you buy, look at the agitator area: check bristle stiffness, how far it extends below base plate, are bristles edge to edge, what type of belt, etc. See what return window is for machines or if you can try it at home on your rugs and see how you like it for a day!!

Best of luck in your search!!

*****NO ONE ON THIS SITE IS STUPID!! We all have years of experience using different vacuums whether its in our own homes, relatives homes, professional cleaning service like myself or otherwise. Everyone's home is different whether its wall to wall plush carpeting, lightweight area rugs, hardwood floors and/or several options. There is a high tendency for us to prefer vacuums that we used growing up. For Example: If your parents household had a Kirby, chances are you are biased to Kirbys to this day and love them with all of your heart. This is just an example and there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT PHILOSOPHY!!! We should not let our preference of a brand hurt our self esteem and feelings towards one another, just because another member has shared a different experience!! Let's learn from each other and be able to discuss and share our experiences openly on this forum!!! There is a reason why we have Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry ice cream flavors along with Minimans and Station Wagons, canister vacuums, and upright vacuums and several different manufacturers to choose from for just about any product a person desires to purchase!! There is an option out there for everyone!!!

http://www.simplicityvacuum.com/products/canisters/mid-size/verve/

 

[hype822]

i apologize for what i posted earlier. one tends to not be happy when one finds out recently that his fathers cancer has returned at stage 4. so sorry about that earlier post again. and anyway if you like uprights take a look at a simplicity/riccar tandem air upright.

 

[funeraldirector]

Agree With Hype

Steve,

You are right about the Simplicity/Riccar Tandem Air units like the Radiance and Brilliance. Excellent all the way around and worth a look.

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. A friend of mine was a cancer surgeon at one of my clients- Dana Farber in Boston. They do some amazing stuff and their technology is cutting edge. One of the best hospitals in the world for cancer and a visit is time well spent.

Brian

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Hoover Elite C1414 upright.


http://hoover.com/products/details/c1414900/elite-bagged-upright-hard-bag-case-12/

 

[eurekaprince]

Hey there Boston Brian,

Quick question: why does the Miele Earth come with a longer hose? Don't all S5 series Miele canisters come with a 6 foot hose? Is the SES 119 hose different from all the other hoses? If yes, can you buy it as an option for all the other models in the S5 series? People have complained about the short hoses and cords on Miele canisters, so I wonder why this longer hose is not standard for all their deluxe full-size canisters...

Write back when you get yhe chance!

Eurekaprince Brian in Toronto

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Hoover Elite C1404 upright.


http://hoover.com/products/details/c1404---/elite-bagged-upright-soft-bag-12/

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Hoover Guardsman C1631 upright.


http://hoover.com/products/details/c1631/guardsman-12-bagged-upright-steel-lined-fan-chamber/

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Hoover Guardsman C1431 upright.


http://hoover.com/products/details/c1431010/guardsman-12-bagged-upright/

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Hoover PortaPower CH30000 straight suction canister.


http://hoover.com/products/details/ch30000/portapower-lightweight-vacuum-cleaner/

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Hoover Signature Lightweight C1320 upright.


http://hoover.com/products/details/c1320/12-signature-lightweight-upright/