Vac recommendations - vacation lake house

[panofan]

So we recently bought a lake house -- we'll close in a few weeks. After what I predict are some weekends full of a lot of backbreaking hard work to renovate & fix things up, we are thinking of renting it out, probably next summer season, as a weekend rental.

I'm looking for thoughts on a good vacuum to get.

I'm thinking of a Panasonic MC-CG902 -- seems like a basic, durable solid performer, not too expensive.

But, have also been toying around with this one- MC-V5210: http://shop.panasonic.com/home-and-office/vacuums/commercial-vacuums/MC-V5210.html

a panasonic commercial upright.

Or maybe (if it is worth the extra $150), a fuller brush mighty maid:
http://www.costco.com/Fuller®-Brush-Mighty-Maid-All-Floor-Vacuum.product.100059345.html


Right now, it is like 99% carpet (everywhere but bathrooms & 1/2 the kitchen) - but we are thinking of eventually putting in laminate, especially if we rent it out a bunch -- the carpet is older and I would imagine it wouldn't wear that great.

My thoughts there would be to get one of those 15' hoses + full sized wands and barefloor brush to convert either upright into being decent on hard floors.

I'm especially curious about what y'all think about the fuller brush (just stumbled on it while looking at costco online). These are made by Tacony, right? Decent quality? Better value found elsewhere? Better to get both the panasonic upright + canister for $400 v.s. $350 for the fuller brush?


Thanks!

 

[ralph123]

Most of the vacation rentals I've stayed in (e.g. Myrtle Beach, Destin, Tybee Island, etc) have had very old cheap upright vacuums that they probably purchased at thrift stores. Presumably they assumed that the renters would be rough on them, so they went very cheap.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Might I suggest a Hoover

Tempo?It's a great cleaner for the money.If you'd care to"upgrade',a nice Anniversary Windtunnel is another option.John


 

 

[eurekaprince]

If you are thinking of renting this out, you need a basic durable vacuum that is not complicated to repair and not all plastic. Get a basic commercial upright with no onboard tools like a Sanitaire or a Hoover commercial upright.

When you change over to hard floors, get a basic commercial canister like the Sanitaire metal tank machine in the link below or the tried-and-true Numatic.

As a matter of fact, come to think of it, you can get a Numatic with a power nozzle, then when you change to hard flooring, the canister can easily be simplified to be used without the power nozzle. This durable canister vac will also be useful to clean up as you are renovating the house.

Here's the Sanitaire tank machine:

http://www.sanitairevac.com/Cleaning-Products/Canisters/SC3700A/

 

[eurekaprince]

And here is the Numatic "Harry" which is a great basic vac that can be easily used later without the powered carpet nozzle:



http://www.mchardyvac.com/numatic-harry-hhr200-canister-vacuum-cleaner/

 

[kirbylux77]

Panofan

First off, with regards to the MC-CG902 canister....yes, it's a good canister, but for a rental application such as yours, it might not be such a great choice. Those Panasonic canisters don't stand up to abuse as good as some other choices in the same price range. The hose handle / wand / quick release PN connector, & the swivel caster, are the Panasonic canister's weak points. If you did still decide on a Panasonic canister, I would prefer the MC-CG917 myself....it's only a little bit more & it has the OptiFlow bag chamber, which really does make the vacuum perform better & makes the bags last longer.

As for the Panasonic commercial upright....yes, it is nice, but a little bit overkill for your application. I would look at this Panasonic upright here....basically the same, with a shorter cord, for 1/2 the price, & it still uses the same bags & filters. http://shop.panasonic.com/home-and-office/vacuums/upright-vacuums/MC-UG223.html#start=1&cgid=vacuums

As for the Fuller Brush....Yes, they are owned by Tacony. BUT they are outsourced & made for them by a company in China, most likely KingClean. They are OK, but the motors & metal brushrolls in them are definitely inferior to the Panasonic. The quality of the motors is the same grade as your average Bissell or Hoover from WalMart. The metal brushrolls, although good, are known to warp over time over the years, & tend to require replacement rather than just install new brush strips or bearings. That Panasonic commercial upright would be a MUCH BETTER choice than ANYTHING under the Fuller Brush name. If you did decide to go the Tacony route, a entry-level Riccar Vibrance or Simplicity Symmetry would be better options for a clean-air upright.

However, you say you're thinking of putting in hardwood floors & want something that would perform well on both? Well, then how about a nice entry-level Riccar Supralite & straight suction canister? This base model Riccar is all you need....it can take either paper or HEPA bags, & the dealer could order the squeegee found on the other models & install it for you. It would perform great on both carpet & floors, & the canister would take care of the rest. The only thing I would do with regards to the canister is change out the dusting brush & replace it with a nice Kenmore horsehair dusting brush from Sears.

http://riccar.com/supralite-entry-r10e
http://riccar.com/sunburst-canister-vacuum-cleaner

Rob

 

[dysonman1]

Rob is correct. A Riccar SupraLite with the two speed switch would be ideal as it will clean hard floors as well as carpets. The suction is amazing, and the bags hold a TON of dirt. The bags are fairly inexpensive and they have HEPA bags available as well. Renters will never use the attachments so there's no reason to get a machine with attachments on it. I recommend the R10S model, it's a beautiful purple color and it's a durable cleaner. If you would like any more information, you can call me at the Tacony Factory Outlet Store, 573-265-0680, located at the Tacony Factory where the Riccar (and Simplicity) vacuums are made.

 

[panofan]

Thanks all!

I should have clarified - the idea is that the vacuum (and other supplies) would be locked up - and only used by us and the cleaning person -- we just aren't at the point of needing a regular cleaner yet so we don't have that worked out to ask his/her preference.

At least, when we have stayed at places, this is how they were setup.

So in that vein, i would actually prefer a vac with tools onboard.

 

[human]

That's a good point. just how much cleaning are you going to expect the renters to do before they vacate the premises? If you and the cleaning person are the only ones who will be using it, then get whatever serves your collective needs. It's also possible the cleaning person may prefer to use his or her own equipment. My sister recently got a Miele for her home and took their old Dyson up to their vacation home in the mountains. She and her husband don't rent the place out but they do let friends use it occasionally with the stipulation that the place gets a thorough vacuuming before you leave.