What's Your Favorite Bagless Vacuum?

[dysonman1]

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.

 

[turbo500]

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!

 

[thekirbylover]

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

 

[turbo500]

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.

 

[ultraperformer]

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.

 

[sebo_fan]

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.

 

[parwaz786]

My fav is all Dysons

 

[turbo500]

Dan, I completely forgot about the Twin Clean. They were great cleaners, thanks for bringing that up!

 

[alexhoovers94]

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.

 

[dysonman1]

@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.

 

[thekirbylover]

yes but to James dyson a guy who spent 5 hard years designing a vacuum cleaner was hardly going to look into the American history of vacuum cleaners, for Britain this was the first bag less vacuum with a clear bin, and a rainbow makes mud and if it tips over your done for.

 

[myles_v]

I used to have an old Thermax that was great. Great power nozzle (until the clip that held it on the wand broke), good filtration and no mess when emptying. I'm sure Rainbow vacs and many of the other water filtration vacs are good as well (I used to have an H2O vac which I wired a power nozzle into that cleaned very well but it was a poorly designed vacuum).

In terms of cyclonic bagless vacs that I have used in the past I would say Dyson, older Fantoms (at least I know the Lightning and Thunder were good, not sure about the others but I assume they worked well too) and the Shark Navigator vacs. I'm only referring to the dust separation efficiency, not the cleaning efficiency.

 

[dysonman1]

Wrong again, Kirbylover. Rainbows don't tend to tip over. The separator keeps the water out of the motor. I turned thousands of Rainbows completely upside down during the demonstration.

James may have spent 5 years designing a bagless vacuum, the engineers at Rexair have spent 75 years perfecting their system. Again, just because you don't know something exists, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Had he been able to buy a Rainbow instead of that Hoover Junior (which he claimed was "permanently clogged"), he wouldn't have had to waste 5 years trying to invent something that had already been invented.

As much as I admire James for what he's done and how he's changed the landscape of vacuum cleaners, I wish he would learn to stop trying to reinvent the wheel - and actually make an extremely durable vacuum. A steel brush roller with replaceable brushes would be great. A real height adjustment would be nice too. A hose you don't have to 'fight' when you use would be a dream. A real dusting brush would be nice too. The ever growing desire to make his machine for less and less money, and shortening the overall life expectancy doesn't sit well with me. Will there be 50 year old Dyson vacuums still running? I doubt it. There are millions of 50 year old Rainbows still running and cleaning people's homes.

 

[williamr1248]

What's Your Favorite Bagless Vacuum?

Tom,
Thanks for posting your pictures of the old Rexair A and Rexair B.
I do agree with your post in that it would SEEM the Rexair would be a short lived machine but they seem to last and last. I noticed on the web site where people give their opinions of the products, many, many people would talk about using a Rainbow that was 20-30 years old and still working perfectly.
I am so blown away with the performance of the new machine and the quality that I have lost a lot of interest in the other machines. I do appreciate the work put into the Dyson designs but I have no other vacuum that never smells, leaks or loses air flow and suction like my Rainbow. You never save or store filth and germs and not a trace of any odor.
It has been a blessing for my allergies.

 

[thekirbylover]

dysonman1

considering you know james so well im surprised he you haven't mentioned this to him before

 

[sebo_fan]

Well the answer is.. Black and Decker!

 

[cap10323]

Old Rexair

I volunteered at a church for about a year and a half.. First doing landscaping (What I do Currently for a living), Then Snow Removal.. Then finally Indoor stuff when they hired a plow service instead of me and an aging tractor with old Belt driven blower...

They had What I now see were Either Rexair A or B's (Maybe Slightly later?) And some Rainbows I think..

All I can say is.. They were built Like tanks.. They Rivaled a Commercial Lawn Boy Mower for their ability to be abused and keep going.. They had spliced cords.. Wrong hoses (I can tell from your picture) And cobbled up power nozzles from other vacuums..

And Yet.. Every time you bashed the switch.. they roared to life again....

I've never seen a vacuum that durable.... Ever..

Ian

 

[dwl93]

Favorite Bagless

My favorite (out of all the bagless vacuums I've owned) was my Fantom fury with my Eureka whirlwind lite at a close second. My Bissell Powertrak was good, but I felt the filtration on it was poor and the hose clogged very easily on it. My self propelled windtunnel was good to, I just wish the power switch hadn't broke. I also hated the filtration on that to.

 

[dressur]

I would say, that my favorite is a Dyson canister for dry filter. You rainbow guys are cheating!!! just teasing. cause my favorite bagless vacuum is my Grandma's Rainbow I have.

 

[tolivac]

I am not a fan of bagless vacuums-at least not newer ones-the ones I do like are Water Matic canisters,Rainbows,Filter Queens.For uprights -would have to be Kirbys,Royals that use dump bags.