Personal Experiences with Vacuum Lifespans

[bagintheback]

I recently had a vacuum death in my family. Unfortunately one of my favorites, my second-gen Kenmore Magic Blue, bit the dust this Sunday. I got it as a gift on Christmas 2005, so it lived almost exactly 19 years. It wasn't in regular use the whole time, but it has been my parents' primary vac for about 2 years now.

How long have vacuums you bought brand new lasted you?

Off the top of my head, here are some I remember from my collection and my extended family:




<ul>
<li>Hoover Decade Soft n' Light: 1996 - 2006?</li>
<li>Hoover CaddyVac Turbopower: Christmas 1999 - 2009</li>
<li>Eureka The Boss Bravo: 2003 - 2012</li>
<li>Oreck XL Classic: Christmas 2003 - Summer 2022 </li>
<li>Refurbished Dyson DC14: April 2012 - Winter 2023 (primary vacuum nearly its whole life) </li>
<li>Kenmore Magic Blue Mk II: Christmas 2005 - December 2024</li>
</ul>

 

[panasonicvac]

Too many to list

Some lasted for quite a while, some not so much. But I also have some vacuums that were bought new I've since retired because I'm afraid they'd break down sooner than later as I like them so much. Unfortunately I recently was trying to retire my grandfather's Kenmore speaking of which and replace it with another machine after his cabin flooded but I wasn't able to secure a replacement so now I can only hope and pray that it'll outlast him since it still works. As long as I can track down parts for the Kenmore regardless if it's new or used, I think I'll be ok.

 

[huskyvacs]

My family's Kirby that was bought new in 2002, it's been broken down since 2014. It still runs, just got damage from being banged around a lot and accidentally dropped down the stairs. Also the fan might need a new one.

A Eureka upright I got new at Walmart in 2016 lasted through 2020 when I stopped using it because it got stuck in the basement in an area I can't get to right now. It had nothing wrong with it, but bits of the trim and stuff started falling off (glued on). It just got trapped amidst moving stuff around and hasn't become free yet.

Most "new" vacuums I see at thrift stores are anywhere from 10-15 years old for your basic Bissell and Eureka weekday warriors.

I'd say 10 yrs is a good general baseline.

Most people that are boutique buyers and buy for clout and because they are rich and don't care will usually have new Dysons and Sharks every single year as they launch because they need "the best model".

 

[dysonman1]

New vacuums bought today (and in the past 10 years) will give a MAX of about 10 years with a lot of care, before they're trashed.

My mother bought a Compact C-4 in 1958 (and has always complained about the high price she paid), yet it's still in my possession and used on a regular basis. I've replaced the front ball bearing in the motor as well as the cord, but that's it. It still has the original hose. This machine was in constant use for 30 years in my parents' home.

Since I repair vacuums at my store for a living, we see it all. I can safely say that a Dyson lasts no longer than a Shark. All kinds of vacuums, no matter the perceived 'quality' also break down fairly often.

 

[human]

It depends...

I will admit that I am quite biased on this topic, in that I gravitate toward machines that were designed to be serviced and repaired, and were just plain built to last, mainly Kirby and Electrolux. I have absolutely no use for modern plasticrap machines with self-destructing circuit boards, that are intentionally designed to crap out after maybe 3-5 years, or just after the warranty expires, whichever comes first. Those are nothing more than landfill fodder from the moment they come out of the box. With a few notable exceptions, such as a Sanitaire S645, pretty much everything in my collection is between 20 and 50 years old, and they all run as well as they did when new. Those machines could run indefinitely, as long as parts are available. The only way manufacturers have found to kill off those classic machines is to discontinue replacement parts, so owners are forced to resort to cannibalizing other machines to fix what they have. My problem is I can't bear to do that. I rob parts of of one to fix up another, and then the next thing I know, I'm sourcing replacement parts to put the donor machine back to full working order. That's why I have several FrankenKirbys, made up of parts from different models.

 

[eurekaprince]

Our vacuums were never really abused when I was growing up…our Eureka 260 Super Automatic Upright lasted 15 years (1959-1974), and our Eureka Cordaway Rugulator 2083 Upright lasted another 15 years (1974-1989).

My most recent acquisitions are heading into their 11th year: Hoover Platinum Lightweight Bagged Upright (2013 - present) and my Miele S8 CleanAir Canister Calima-Clone (2013 - present).

 

[mjhoshaw]

Two new ones since 1990, no stats yet

I purchased a Eureka The Boss upright in 1990, about the time I started fixing up and donating vacs to thrift stores. Because of the inflow and outflow of vacs, I didn't keep the Eureka long enough to wear it out. Since then I've purchased two new vacs, a Miele S5280 in 2008, and a Sanitaire SC 688B a few years ago. The Miele will be 17 years old this April, with no repairs and showing no signs of impending demise. As for the Sanitaire, I'm just getting started with it, and so far have only replaced bags and one belt.

 

[mw]

A long-lived Hoover 725

My grandparents had a Hoover model 725 from the time it was new (1929 or 1930) until 1973. Then my mom took it over until she moved to a house with shag carpeting in 1979 (it didn't do well with shag). Then I got it and it was in regular use until about 2000. I took it out of regular rotation because I didn't want it to wear out altogether. It's had off and on use since. There were remarkably few repairs that I know of: motor brushes (last time in 1986), beater brushes, cord (1975?) and some motor wiring replaced. And a couple of bags, maybe more. That's a durable machine.

 

[kirbyklekter]

The only vacuum cleaner that I bought new was a Hoover Decade 80 in 1985. For five years it was my only upright and was my daily driver. It still runs although a bit louder and with a little vibration you feel in the handle. Never had any work done in all these years. One headlight and many bags and belts is all it's needed. Condition wise number 10 being the best I'd give it an 8 after all these years. The other 52 were all given to me or rescued from curbside or dumpsters etc. Mostly Kirby's and Eureka's, and many I know the history of and they still run at 40+ yrs.

 

[suckolux]

Dysonman1, You say your mother got a c4 compact in 58, mine got one in 59! It was $200 so yeah we heard about it. Also still have it.