Kirby Nickname:
How about "Screamy!" haha
Actually, that could apply to nearly all modern vacuum cleaners, which is one big reason I don't care for most of them -- they are more powerful and have greater suction but that power comes with a price -- noise.
Think back to the gentle, muffled purr of an Electrolux XXX or the pleasant humm of a Kenmore Commander, the sweet throbbing whirrr of the Hoover 61; even the older Kirbys. Yes the Kirbys were noisier than most other vacuum cleaners, but the early Kirbys still had a pleasant, musical sound.
Most of the modern vacuum cleaners I have heard shriek like shop vacs! Even the ones that are not particularly LOUD still have a piercing, high-pitched whine -- sounding like jet engines or hair dryers on steroids!
I think the machine that would get the award for being the quietest of all would be the Electrolux G. When you are using the floor tool on hard surfaces, the motor is so quiet that all you hear is the rush of air into the nozzle. I love listening to people vacuum with Electrolux Gs and the other early models, especially the Fs, AEs, LXs and XXXs. All you hear is swissssh-whooosh as the floor tool goes back and forth. And when you use the power nozzle with the G, the power nozzle makes more noise than the vacuum cleaner motor!
Maybe this should become a new thread: See new thread topic: "What is the quietest vacuum cleaner of all time, and what is the noisiest?