I've seen a thread in the archives about what members' quietest and loudest vacuums are. But I was inspired by a post over on AW.org to make this thread. I wasn't sure which forum to put this in, so I picked Contemporary.
What is the one vacuum cleaner that irritates you the most in terms of noise? This is a particularly good question for apartment dwellers. I have a personal list of all the machines I've used and/or owned which have the most unpleasant noise, in no particular order:
- Dirt Devil Dynamite: I used one in high school, and its noise was SO ANNOYING. The whiny, high-pitched, 7 amp motor sounded like a constant ringing in my ears the whole time I was using it. It didn't help that once the pleated filter got dirty, the noise became more obnoxious.
- Dyson DC07 Animal: The man, the myth, the legend, its noise was rather unpleasant during operation. The motor emitted a high-pitched whine, and the upwards-mounted inner cyclones created a lot of turbulence; they sounded like a strong wind howling. And whenever the brushroll got jammed...DON'T even get me started on the ratcheting noise. Although it doesn't hurt the machine, the sudden loudness scared the bejesus out of me on the rare occasions it did occur. The general noise was exacerbated at my mom's place, thanks to her one-bedroom apartment. The smaller space only made the vacuum louder.
- Black & Decker "The Collector" Hand Vac: This '90s direct-air bagged (either with a shake-out or optional paper bag) handheld vacuum was no stranger to be on this list; it was LOUD, and therefore scared me as a kid. When I went to use it myself many years later, the vacuum was just as loud as I remembered, and the whole thing vibrated in my hand. Although I didn't know it at the time, I eventually figured out that the fan must've been plugged up with fine dirt, making it unbalanced and contributing to the extra loudness.
- Dirt Devil Swivel Glide Vision: This early 2000s machine was where I started to hate the noise of a vacuum (I covered my ears before it was turned on). Ours was light gray, and had a high-pitched motor noise; not as bad as the Dynamite, but worse than most of the other SGVs I've seen on YouTube. Despite all the noise, suction loss wasn't very noticeable, even with the giant pleated "Perma Filter."
- Oreck XL Commercial: I can see why people refer to these vacuums as "screamers." The direct-air motor has no insulation whatsoever, which makes the 8-pound wonder so LOUD. Then why are they so popular in hotels?
So that's my personal list. Which vacuum, in terms of noise, do you dislike the most? This can apply to either vintage or modern machines.
What is the one vacuum cleaner that irritates you the most in terms of noise? This is a particularly good question for apartment dwellers. I have a personal list of all the machines I've used and/or owned which have the most unpleasant noise, in no particular order:
- Dirt Devil Dynamite: I used one in high school, and its noise was SO ANNOYING. The whiny, high-pitched, 7 amp motor sounded like a constant ringing in my ears the whole time I was using it. It didn't help that once the pleated filter got dirty, the noise became more obnoxious.
- Dyson DC07 Animal: The man, the myth, the legend, its noise was rather unpleasant during operation. The motor emitted a high-pitched whine, and the upwards-mounted inner cyclones created a lot of turbulence; they sounded like a strong wind howling. And whenever the brushroll got jammed...DON'T even get me started on the ratcheting noise. Although it doesn't hurt the machine, the sudden loudness scared the bejesus out of me on the rare occasions it did occur. The general noise was exacerbated at my mom's place, thanks to her one-bedroom apartment. The smaller space only made the vacuum louder.
- Black & Decker "The Collector" Hand Vac: This '90s direct-air bagged (either with a shake-out or optional paper bag) handheld vacuum was no stranger to be on this list; it was LOUD, and therefore scared me as a kid. When I went to use it myself many years later, the vacuum was just as loud as I remembered, and the whole thing vibrated in my hand. Although I didn't know it at the time, I eventually figured out that the fan must've been plugged up with fine dirt, making it unbalanced and contributing to the extra loudness.
- Dirt Devil Swivel Glide Vision: This early 2000s machine was where I started to hate the noise of a vacuum (I covered my ears before it was turned on). Ours was light gray, and had a high-pitched motor noise; not as bad as the Dynamite, but worse than most of the other SGVs I've seen on YouTube. Despite all the noise, suction loss wasn't very noticeable, even with the giant pleated "Perma Filter."
- Oreck XL Commercial: I can see why people refer to these vacuums as "screamers." The direct-air motor has no insulation whatsoever, which makes the 8-pound wonder so LOUD. Then why are they so popular in hotels?
So that's my personal list. Which vacuum, in terms of noise, do you dislike the most? This can apply to either vintage or modern machines.
