Which is better? Bagged or Bagless

[scoots]

I'm sorry to ask a question that has probably been asked one too many times…

My mother died and I have recently acquired most of her household items, including two bagless vacuum cleaners of relatively recent vintage. I'm not a vacuum cleaner aficionado and have really not looked at the appliance objectively, however, with the number of vacuums I have on hand I need to cul the herd and decide which items I should keep and which I should rehome.

Now that the bagless vacuum cleaner has been on the market for many many years now, is it actually better than the older generation of vacuum cleaners that use filter bags? They were all the rage when they were introduced since the lack of a bag was seen as a novelty, however, is the nuisance of exposure to dust and dirt while cleaning the canister really worth it compared to simply removing the dust bag of an older unit and just throwing it out?

A little more specifically the units I've inherited are a Shark Pursuit and a Fantom FU760.

Between these two which would you consider the better?

Many thanks,

Bill

 

[gottahaveahoove]

First, sorry fot the loss of your mom.

Second, I'm bagged................ all the way!

 

[tseg]

Bagged. Period.

 

[justjunque]

Another vote for bagged here.

 

[human]

Bagged!

I will never comprehend why anyone thinks a bagless, plasticrap machine that is so labor intensive to keep clean and working properly is in any way superior to swapping out a filter bag in about 30 seconds without getting filthy from head to toe.

It appears the industry as a whole decided that it was more profitable to forego the revenue stream of consumable supplies (i.e., filter bags) and instead foist off inferior bagless machines with filters that would clog quickly and that consumers would never keep clean, thus creating an absurdly short lifespan and endless rapid replacement cycle. And you know what? The general public unquestioningly bought into it, leaving behind well made vintage machines designed to last decades for cheap plasticrap that would require replacing every two or three years, thus transforming the vacuum cleaner from a durable goods purchase to a short-term consumable. And don't even get me started on the circuit boards!

 

[myles_v]

Bagged all the way.

I am so sorry for your loss.

Bagless vacuums are generally less convenient to use than bagged machines, and it is more difficult for a manufacturer to make a good bagless machine than it is for them to make a good bagged machine. Both of the machines that you inherited will likely clog decently quickly, resulting in them requiring frequent maintenance. I used to own both of the machines, they are both decent enough for the time they were made relative to other bagless machines of the time (mid-2000s) but they are well past their prime. They were both made by a company that was then known as Euro-Pro. If you must keep one between those two then I would suggest keeping the Fantom, I believe they sold a few more of them than the Pursuit so filters and other parts should be relatively easy to source compare to the Pursuit.

I change my Miele bag every month or two, the pre motor filter after every four bags, and I change the HEPA filter once a year. If I used one of my Dysons more often then I would need to empty it after each use and clean both filters monthly. Bags cost money, but I save time (money) by not needing to perform maintenance so often. It also looks nicer to not see all of the dirt sitting in the vacuum cleaner.

Also, there are still many bagged machines on the market. Sebo and Miele are just a couple of examples of brands that primarily sell bagged machines.

 

[jo]

Bagged

I prefer a self sealing bagged vacuum like an Aerus/Electrolux. You don’t see, touch, or breath any dirt when changing. Only recently have bagless vacuums gotten somewhat better in their design to keep dirt away from the filter, otherwise, when the filter clogs with dirt suction is quickly lost. Dyson did a pretty good job of inventing a bagless design that keeps the dirt away from the filter but others have copied the design in recent years while making a modest change to prevent patent infringement. But there’s still the problem of dust going everywhere when it’s time to empty...plus the filters still have to be washed periodically which is a nasty messy job.

With self sealing bag s on bagged machines not only are you getting rid of the dirt in the cleanest way possible, but also you are changing the filter every time you install a new bag as they are called “filter bags” so with an advanced bag you get excellent filtration. Also, when you change the bag, suction is restored to full power, not so with a bagless machine unless you also wash the filter(s) too upon every dump of the dust bin, suction is not restored simply by emptying, in fact, emptying the bin doesn’t do much of anything to restore the suction on a bagless vacuum, only cleaning the filters does and often times, in these bagless machine there are two or 3 filters, some in different places and if you don’t clean all of them and a lot of consumers don’t know or remember where they all are, suction quality will be reduced.

This is coming from someone who gave up even on shop vacs and uses an old bagged Electrolux canister as a shop vac. I really hated cleaning the grime out of those shop vac filters, it was gross and none of my helpers on remodeling jobs would do it...sure they would dump the bin but never touch the filter and complain it doesn’t pick up very well and want me to buy a new shop vac. With the Electrolux canister, when the bag is full and suction dies off from that, I just change the bag in about 10 seconds and done, machine works perfectly and there’s no mess in changing the bag either.

Some people complain about the cost of buying bags, there’s plenty cheap enough on eBay for all sorts of machines. The small cost of bags to me by far outweighs the nasty job of cleaning the filters which also takes time. I can get 100 generic nice quality 4 ply Electrolux paper bags on eBay for $40. That’s 40 cents a piece. Cheap enough. I lucked out one time and found 3 packs at a dollar store for a buck. I bought all they had. That’s 36 cents a piece with tax. I ended up with 162 bags as they had 54 packages and I bought them all and I paid $58 including tax for them. Still working my way through that supply more than 10 years later and I think I have over 70 left and I’ve actually given away close to two dozen with Electrolux’s I’ve given away to friends.

Jon

 

[kirby519]

Sorry to hear of your loss. May she be in your heart and fond memories forever.

I vote bagged vacuum all the way.

 

[madman]

An unbiased opinion?

lol folks around here are mighty biased on the bagged vs. bagless debate. You're asking the wrong crowd.

Objectively speaking, it entirely depends on the particular machine and your personal preference. Some bagless machines are objectively terrible, and others are quite good. Though I don't have much experience with bagged machines, I think most of them tend to be good in the performance category. But that's down to two things: simplicity of design (it's hard to screw up a bagged vac) and the fact that most bagged vacs are either super expensive high-end machines or older, but well engineered machines (from the days of yore when stuff was still made in the USA).

Personally, if the machine is well designed, I would prefer bagless. While most here will complain about how hard it is to dump dust in the garbage can after vacuuming, I think it's quite easy. Then I don't have to worry about dust staying in my machine for weeks. And this nonsense of putting the dust back in the air when you dump it in the garbage can, is literally NO different than handling a vacuum bag that will belch its stored dust upon removal (which is worse in my opinion). Granted, there are some bags designed to self-seal upon removal, so those get a pass.

But, you know, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

 

[myvacsrock]

Belch dust upon removal...

Unless you’re buying the single remaining Bissell bagged vacuum left at Walmart, every major manufacturer has inherited the seal upon disconnecting method. Consider dust belching a thing of the past!
However, in a Bagless vacuum, unless you wash the canister between every use, you can guarantee some kind of dust poof every time you turn it on. When you empty it, there WILL be dust on the outside of the container. You must wipe it off on the outside, and should wipe out the inside as well. This is just a warning after over ten years of correcting Bagless machine woes.

 

[myles_v]

MadMan...

My boyfriend and I have four pets, bagless vacuums end up smelling like dog after using one for a while without washing out the bin and the filters very frequently. Meanwhile my bagged vacuums can be deodorized in seconds by changing the bag. No poof of dust, I don't know of any current bagged vacuums that don't self seal besides the two bagged Bissell options.

I don't think it is fair to call us biased. Most of us have no financial involvement in the vacuum industry so it doesn't matter to us one way or the other if a stranger on the internet buys a bagged or a bagless vacuum. I personally own a good mix of bagged and bagless machines, it's likely about equal actually. But I only have two vacuums that are not either in my storage unit or in the attic above my garage, they are both bagged simply because they are easier to use and require less maintenance. That's a perfectly reasonable and fair opinion, and many of us share that opinion for good reason. I have nothing personal against bagless vacuums, but I wouldn't want to use one as a daily driver because I know from experience that I don't like using them for that purpose.

 

[vacuumdevil]

Definitely bags are better. There is a reason the majority of commercial vacuums use vacuum bags.
Here's a quick video on the subject not made by me.

 

[kirby519]

I have had the good fortune of using bag less vacuums a few times. These of course where used by the average american that doesn't know of the possible short comings we do here.

The fact that over time the cyclones do become clogged with dust and there is a post filter or two that do in fact need to be cleaned just like any other filter or replaced like any bag on a vacuum. There by reducing the performance of the machine in spite of the claim "no loss of suction". Hmmmmmmm. I have cleaned up a few of those machines myself. NO THANK YOU!!

They were unimpressive in the performance department in my book. And took more effort to release and then re attach the dirt cup depending on the design.

Pull the old bag out and pop in a new bag done.

 

[KirbyCollector01]

Bagged

All the way

 

[tolivac]

I vote for BAGGED machines,too!Even the "vacuum cleaner" that vacuumed out the old attic insulation the other day was "basgged"A HUGE filtrate style cloth disposable bag that holds a few hundred gallons of debris-so large they are filled in a small dump truck.The vacuum is a Kendl 13Hp direct air machine that blew the stuff into the bags-used two!And the delightful clanking of the stuff thru the HUGE metal fan turned by the 13 Hp B&S Vanguard motor.Over the years the insulation packs hard,also nails,and possible hard raccoon poop!All gone and new insulation installed by another Kendl machine-a blower that has a vacuum motor inside and a hopper on top the insulation guy fed the new insulation into-then blown out thru a 2" hose.The vacuum hose was 5".

 

[n0oxy]

I vote for bags as well

Bagged machines all the way for me. With bagless vacuums, the filters clog very quickly and when you dump them out, dust goes everywhere. With a bagged vacuum, remove the bag and install a new one, very simple and no dust everywhere. This debate will probably continue as long as vacuums are around.
Mike

 

[madman]

I mean, I did say up front it was a matter of personal opinion.

 

[mariotron]

As person who suffers from dust allergies...

Bagged all the way.

The only exception is I have for are my quick pick up vacuums (dont really have choice except for the Oreck pod) like my Bissell Ion Adapt which I just use for picking small messes like snack spills. No matter the dust cup size you vaccum up dust its gonna come back at you when you dump it out.

 

[eurekaprince]

Bagged for me.

When I vacuum up dirt from the floor, and hair from the bathroom, and dust from my bookshelves and chairs, I don’t want to ever see it again. I want it to disappear! I don’t mind cleaning the little filter and bin in my wonderful cordless Swiffer bare floor vac, but that’s as far as I will go. I can’t see the logic in burning up hours of my valuable time every month cleaning and washing bagless vac bins and filters and waiting for them to dry, let alone dealing with the clouds of fine dust every time I drop the dirt in a garbage bin. As the saying goes: time is money.

With the availability of disposable bags on the internet, it is a breeze to order the correct replacement bags without even leaving my apartment. So the bagless vac sales pitch of “you can never find the correct bags” is no longer is valid. My favourite vac store already knows what I need, and if there is some odd part (Hoover belt, Miele filter, etc) that I need, I just email them a photo of the vacuum and the ratings plate and they know exactly which part or bag or filter I need to buy.

Call me a crazy vac nut, but there is nothing more satisfying than dumping a heavy, dirt laden dust bag in the garbage bin! Bye, bye dirt!!!