What's Your Favorite Bagless Vacuum?

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ultimatevacman

ultimatevacman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2012
Messages
1,230
Location
Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Hello all,

I've just had a thought cross my mind. You see, I prefer bagged vacuums to bagless vacuums, but I don't mind certain bagless machines.

So I was wondering, what do you think in your opinion is your favorite bagless machine? Upright and cylinder.

For me, my favorite bagless upright has to be the Dyson DC04, and my Favorite bagless cylinder would have to be either the Dyson DC02, or the Dyson DC05.

I look forward to hearing your opinions!

Joe[this post was last edited: 8/14/2013-11:22]
 
Best at doing what?

These 'bagless' threads dont half get me.

Best at filtering?
Best at carpet cleaning?
Best at stair cleaning?
Best at ease of emptying without dust inhilation/dust clouds?

So far there is no perfect bagless.

Dyson cant clean deep dirt for toffee.
Morphy Richards of a certain era are 'chocolate teapots' for filtering.
Vax Bubbles dont do stairs for love nor money.

need I go on?
 
I've owned several bagless vac's over the years, The Morphy Richards Lift Away (Shark Navigator Lift Away) is by far my favourite so far. It's light, easy to manoeuvre, good at deep cleaning and the lift away canister is very useful.The turbo brush has two rows of red lint catchers.

It is by no means perfect. The hose is not very stretchy and the post canister foam filter gets dirty very quickly. I wash it once a week in soapy water and let dry overnight and so far I haven't had to clean the pre-motor felt filter or the HEPA one. I would not pay the full MRRP, but for £99 I think I got a great little vacuum. You can now pick them up really cheaply on Ebay.

paulc++8-14-2013-09-18-35.jpg
 
I chose the Fantom Thunder/ Original Fantom

Why?
Because not many more bagless vacuums will last more than 15 years. (If taken care of properly, and yes, I do know that the Dc01, and the Amways have lasted longer)
Also, this is the best bagless vacuum I have ever used for carpets Yes, this is a bit biased, but still, you have to admit that it will outclean most, if not all other bagless machines. The ages of mine are 13, 16, 18, and 18 years old. All still work well. Most new bagless models won't make it to 5-6 years. Also, the design of the fantom is simpler than dysons. Simple belt, simple tools, better carpet cleaning. Yes, I will admit, that the best thunders you see have only "average" suction power, and some of the tabs on the fantom's plastic is easy to break off, but, It has a good brushroll so it cleans great on carpet. Some don't like it, but I like the design of the fantom, as I like mechanical as opposed to eye catching. To me, looks don't decide how good the vacuum is. Yes, I think the Dc07 is better than I though it would be, but It is not the best. On hoover baglesses, I don't have any interest in the new hoover baglesses, I am not interested in them. Too much cheapness. The older hoover baglesses, such as the windtunnel, or empower, In my experience, clean great, but have the horrible tower filters. They are only good if you are willing to maintain them. Eureka whirlwinds are ok, but I hate all of those filters, and the poor design of the dust cup. That's just my opinion though.
 
I chose the Fantom Thunder/ Original Fantom

Why?
Because not many more bagless vacuums will last more than 15 years. (If taken care of properly, and yes, I do know that the Dc01, and the Amways have lasted longer)
Also, this is the best bagless vacuum I have ever used for carpets Yes, this is a bit biased, but still, you have to admit that it will outclean most, if not all other bagless machines. The ages of mine are 13, 16, 18, and 18 years old. All still work well. Most new bagless models won't make it to 5-6 years. Also, the design of the fantom is simpler than dysons. Simple belt, simple tools, better carpet cleaning. Yes, I will admit, that the best thunders you see have only "average" suction power, and some of the tabs on the fantom's plastic is easy to break off, but, It has a good brushroll so it cleans great on carpet. Some don't like it, but I like the design of the fantom, as I like mechanical as opposed to eye catching. To me, looks don't decide how good the vacuum is. Yes, I think the Dc07 is better than I though it would be, but It is not the best. On hoover baglesses, I don't have any interest in the new hoover baglesses, I am not interested in them. Too much cheapness. The older hoover baglesses, such as the windtunnel, or empower, In my experience, clean great, but have the horrible tower filters. They are only good if you are willing to maintain them. Eureka whirlwinds are ok, but I hate all of those filters, and the poor design of the dust cup. That's just my opinion though.
 
I think I'd say Filter Queen (and of Filter Queens, either the 31 or the 95X), though some would claim that it's not really bagless since there is a disposable filter. This same standard would probably exclude Silver King. If not for those, then probably the Dyson DC04.

I really want to like the Fantom Lightning, but its utter lack of durability in my experience kinda hoses the deal. Unfortunately, none of Dyson's canisters ever really wowed me (which is a shame, because I actually rather like Dyson uprights, and I generally prefer canisters overall).
 
I have to agree with Rob - The first thing I read was "Whats the best bagless vacuum ever," in so far as what has been the best ever produced. Trouble is, in my mind there is no "best bagless vacuum ever," that I can think of. Some come close like Vax Mach Air - "at last, a multicyclonic like Dyson that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to buy..."

Frankly as a collector, I don't think there is even the most perfect vacuum cleaner because there are so many variables that would have to be taken on in the first place before a machine can be called "perfect." Bagged vacuums have few downsides compared to bagless. Sadly the market has become so heavily infiltrated with the old Dual Cyclone copies that it impossible to tell the good from the bad. I'm not even referring to the hoses, tools and carpet performance but rather the filter system itself and how brands have chosen to produce them on the machines themselves.

If an owner has to take apart more than two filters to clean the machine, it's not moving on.
 
The first and best is the ...

The first and best bagless is the amazing Rainbow. After all, wet dust can't fly, unless of course it's not wettable. The latest version is the most refined. If only the price and sales pitch weren't so ridiculous....
 
Fantom, All the way!

Owning models DC07,DC14 & DC17, I'd take my Fantom Thunder over any Dyson ANY day!


The DC07 I had was ABSOLUTE Rubbish- The carry handle snapped off, the suction tube is falling apart, The wand release has snapped off, And I've used it no more than 5-7 times! That's Ridiculous.


However, The Thunder has been going STRONG. Sure, It may not have all the power of others, But how said you needed all that power, just to clean a rug! Look at the hoover Convertibles, 3 Amps sure does clean that rug!


 


One plus I can see in bagless is that you suck in things you wouldn't with a bagged cleaner, Like say your bag of jelly beans have exploded all over the floor- You don't blow-trough bags cleaning it up.


 


The Fantom Fury is also an All-right performer, and both machines are EXCELLANT on dog hair!


 


-Alex.
 
My favorite...

AND the "Best" bagless vacuum ever made - my mother's Rainbow model D. Purchased 18 days before I was born. It's 51 years old and still runs perfectly. It smells like 'nothing' when you use it, because the dirt never was stored in the vacuum. I can empty THIS bagless inside the house, pouring the dirty water down the commode, so I never have to touch it, breath it, or see it ever again. For those on the other side of the pond, we had the World's First bagless vacuum that doesn't lose suction, way back in 1936 when the Rexair (now the Rainbow) was first sold.

dysonman1++8-14-2013-13-31-46.jpg
 
A New Dawn...

The brown model A was the world's first bagless vacuum (1936). The black model B followed in April, 1940. It's pictured with the optional commercial water pan that holds a gallon and a half of water. Any non-wettable dust (like coal dust or fireplace ashes) were caught by the 'muffler' (a sort of Hepa filter) under the lid. Ironic that this filter was washable. James Dyson invented NOTHING.

dysonman1++8-14-2013-13-36-9.jpg
 
Well, I cannot abide bagless and don't own one. But I have owned and used many over the years, so putting my personal preferences aside, here is my 2 penneth...

The best bagless cyclone is Dyson. To give Dyson their due, they do put a LOT of time, effort, funding and thought into ways to make the cyclone more efficient and ways to keep the suction maintained as best as possible. So for that, Mr. D, I applaud you. However, you get a Dyson on a thick pile carpet and it'll either shred the carpet fibres or skim the surface. The DC07 and DC14 were DREADFUL for that.

The best bagless cleaner, in terms of carpet performance that I've used would probably be the old bagless Panasonic Icon. Although the cyclone wasn't particularly great, that direct drive brushroll REALLY lifted the carpet and agitated it well. Something that no Dyson I have ever used has ever come close to doing. For a modern bagless upright, the AEG Nimble probably has the best carpet pick up/grooming, but it wasn't the greatest design in the world. I think Electrolux must have been being ironic when they named it "Nimble".

The Morphy Richards above I have not had a great deal of experience with, but from what I used, I was midly impressed with it's performance and the price is right, so they seem like a good option.

For me, as long as the cleaner has a proper No Loss Of Suction cyclone, then you're safe. It's these horrid, cheap, low efficiency, direct filter cyclones that I hate - nasty, clogging messes!
 
James Dyson invented NOTHING

well I dont think Britain had that rexair also he did invent a clear bin and quite frankly that rexair looks like a plant pot I know which one I would of bought
 
James Dyson invented NOTHING.

That's quite true. The cyclone design he originally nicked his idea from was one used for years as a dust extraction method in saw mills, all he did was take that and shoved it on a vacuum cleaner.

I strongly object to his claims of being "the first bagless vacuum" or even "the first cyclonic vacuum". You take an Electrolux 345, open the bag door and turn it on, and watch the dust cyclone around inside the bag, creating a clear steam of air through the middle of the bag.
 
Chris I agree with you about the Nimble I have put salt on the floor to test the agitation and the salt did bounce about, it also lifts the carpet pile nicely but after a few months I don't think the cyclone is too great as the filter is getting a good covering every month but overall I like it a great deal.

However my favourite bagless was my old Electrolux TwinClean, it was quiet, compact, the motorized head automatically adjusted to carpet or hard floor (very nifty!) and it seemed well made I wish they where still on sale I'd get another in a heart beat. It was only single cyclone but all you did was swap the filters round and turn the knob to clean them.

The bagless that lasted the longest was the DC04 we had that years and nothing went wrong with it despite daily use, my parents only got rid as they wanted a change.
 
Actually I do take back what I said about bagless - in so far as the ONLY brand that has stood the test of time and my favourite all time brand. Anyone want to hazard a guess from the following statements?

They were one of the first who offered bagless design.
They are mostly light in the hand.
They are usually well built, last for ages and do the job as promised.
They are cost effective and a great American brand.
 
James Dyson invented Nothing...

Well, regarding the cyclone, he didn't invent that, he adapted it to work in a vacuum cleaner and then worked around it and all these nifty little things that the Dysons have now, he probably didn't "invent" it would probably be his designers, take the ball technology for e.g, I am sure I read or heard on a video somewhere that his designers came up with the idea of that and then brought the idea to James Dyson and he finallised it.


However, regarding the washable filter, the Hoover Purepower Lifetime had (you will never guess) life time washable filters, pre and post, it also had a permabag type thing...The Hoover Vortex also had lifetime filters.
 
@thekirbyluver

James didn't even invent the clear bin. Rexair did that too - in 1948. First as a bin to use when demonstrating the machine, and then as standard equipment with the 1955 model D.

Just because Europe didn't have the Rainbow, doesn't mean it didn't exist. We've had it for more than 75 years.

The Rainbow will outlast a Dyson, that's a given. A Rainbow is dustless to empty. Also a given. It's very light to push and is an extremely high quality machine. In fact, the motor doesn't have carbon brushes, so no emissions. And it's certified as an air purifier, something the Dyson most certainly is not.
 

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