nycwriter
Well-known member
Hello all -- I'm new to the board. I'm using a Fantom Thunder I purchased in 1997 that I've been thrilled with but am looking to replace for reasons which I'll explain shortly. I understand Fantom reviews have been mixed at best; apparently I either bought early enough (it seems most of the Fantom problems are with post-'98 models) or I just got lucky; 16 years of nearly constant use and never a problem -- none of the electrical failures or power losses that seem to plague many units. Living in an apartment in Manhattan with a variety of floor surfaces (hardwood, thick plush and shag rugs, and linoleum), and lots of furniture creating many nooks and crannies, I've been forever grateful for Fantom's ingenious "wand" design that allows immediate switching between beater brush to hose, which I do frequently every time I sweep. I have been consistently blown away by the unit's suction, and the volume of crap it picks up even during my "light" cleaning days.
OK. Now the reason for which I'm shopping around to replace my beloved Fantom. First of all, it's about as loud as a Boeing 737 just before takeoff. Living in an apartment in Manhattan, this severely limits my ability to vacuum to no earlier than 8 AM and no later than 9 PM (which for most people is no problem, but for myself, who works odd hours and frequently does the housecleaning between 10 PM and 1 AM, creates an inconvenience).
Second -- and more primarily -- it's dusty. VERY dusty. Emptying the bagless chamber sends up a plume of dust in my kitchen, and I find I have to actually wipe the entire unit down each time I use it.
That's really my only complaint, but it's a nagging one.
So I've been looking at the entire universe of vacuum cleaners that seems to have expanded by leaps and bounds since I purchased my Fantom 16 years ago, and I'm really at a loss and could use some advice.
-- I have an unlimited budget. Money is no object; I'm willing to pay for quality.
-- I have no preference over upright versus canister, but (correct me if I'm wrong) it's my understanding that uprights clean carpeting better than canisters. My preference is to have whatever performs best on my rugs versus whatever works best on ALL surfaces.
-- I've been partial to Kirby because of it's apparent pure suction power, but the deal-killer has always been that you can't deploy the hose attachments without a major hassle.
After exhaustive research, I've tentatively settled on Miele's top of the line upright. I'm impressed with the quality, the "swivel" design, and the entirely closed bagging system.
But here's the detail that's keeping me from making the purchase: The VOLUME of "dirt" that the unit picks up. The bags in both the Miele upright and canister models are quite small. And what little I've heard about the frequency of bag changes is that with "average" use I can expect to change them at most once a month.
!!!
Once a month??!! I have to empty out the dust chamber on my Fantom (which appears to hold at least TWICE as much capacity as the Miele bags) after EVERY SINGLE USE!
Common sense is telling me that while my Fantom is apparently blowing dust all over the place, it's still trapping a good EIGHT TIMES as much crap as what the Miele apparently picks up.
Comments, anyone??
OK. Now the reason for which I'm shopping around to replace my beloved Fantom. First of all, it's about as loud as a Boeing 737 just before takeoff. Living in an apartment in Manhattan, this severely limits my ability to vacuum to no earlier than 8 AM and no later than 9 PM (which for most people is no problem, but for myself, who works odd hours and frequently does the housecleaning between 10 PM and 1 AM, creates an inconvenience).
Second -- and more primarily -- it's dusty. VERY dusty. Emptying the bagless chamber sends up a plume of dust in my kitchen, and I find I have to actually wipe the entire unit down each time I use it.
That's really my only complaint, but it's a nagging one.
So I've been looking at the entire universe of vacuum cleaners that seems to have expanded by leaps and bounds since I purchased my Fantom 16 years ago, and I'm really at a loss and could use some advice.
-- I have an unlimited budget. Money is no object; I'm willing to pay for quality.
-- I have no preference over upright versus canister, but (correct me if I'm wrong) it's my understanding that uprights clean carpeting better than canisters. My preference is to have whatever performs best on my rugs versus whatever works best on ALL surfaces.
-- I've been partial to Kirby because of it's apparent pure suction power, but the deal-killer has always been that you can't deploy the hose attachments without a major hassle.
After exhaustive research, I've tentatively settled on Miele's top of the line upright. I'm impressed with the quality, the "swivel" design, and the entirely closed bagging system.
But here's the detail that's keeping me from making the purchase: The VOLUME of "dirt" that the unit picks up. The bags in both the Miele upright and canister models are quite small. And what little I've heard about the frequency of bag changes is that with "average" use I can expect to change them at most once a month.
!!!
Once a month??!! I have to empty out the dust chamber on my Fantom (which appears to hold at least TWICE as much capacity as the Miele bags) after EVERY SINGLE USE!
Common sense is telling me that while my Fantom is apparently blowing dust all over the place, it's still trapping a good EIGHT TIMES as much crap as what the Miele apparently picks up.
Comments, anyone??
) 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.
