Why canisters?

[davetranter]

@ Chad (reply #37)

At risk of hijacking the thread...... 'Compressed air quick-connects in every room'...

KUDOS!!!!!

AND a 5hp shop vac!! You obviously live in the bachelor pad that I dream of!!

I also live in a cross between a house and a machine shop, with a bit of Frankenstein's laboratory thrown in for good measure, but I've never thought to install piped air.... Next year's project, maybe??? Hmmmmm ;-)

All best

Dave T

 

[tolivac]

Are we referring to a REAL 5Hp "shop vacuum"?The ones touting this are LOCKED ROTOR "HP"That the shop vac makers love to advertise-not useful motor power!The power drawn in a lab just before it burns out.

 

[sebo_fan]

Another issue regarding "eco" vacs

One other little issue that seems to be saddling these eco vacuums in my opinion isn't just the lower motors that brands now have to fit by law, but heavier suction only floor heads. I can't abide the double pedal AirTeq pedal on my S8 Ecoline. Far too bulky and far too heavy to push around. I find using any one of Miele's standard suction only combi heads to be just as effective, but Miele are not alone here.

Brands are making adjustments to suction combi floor tools to meet the EU regulations, but without much thought to the owner. The separate farcical floor heads supplied with my Hoover stick vac reinforces that evidence. Difficult to push and not entirely practical when a combi suction floor tool would have been better.

I note that Hoover have already started to replace certain Enigma cylinder vacs with just a single combi floor tool to the nonsense of the carpet nozzle and hard floor rubber wheel nozzle floor heads that were originally supplied.

Meanwhile Miele have started to put out new models with 800 watts with their standard suction floor head as opposed to reliance on the double pedal heavy floor tool instead.

 

[chad]

As far as my shop vac goes.....I don't know if the motor will power a go cart or not. I just know it has a 2'id hose, and would probably suck start a harley. I'm sure the rating probably is at the point of failure. Any idears who makes Ridgids vacuums for them?

 

[calipilot227]

A canister works better for me, simply because a compact power nozzle can get to places (in my small, cluttered apartment) that a bulky upright cannot.

 

[sebo_fan]

There's a lot of usage in canister vacuums, not least hand held vacuums (corded) with many attachments that some buyers prefer because of the smaller sizes, lighter weight, easier accessibility. Also the prices are generally cheaper for a basic all rounder if you know what you are buying.

 

[charleskirby66]

Why canisters?

Simple... canisters for everything that is not wall-to-wall carpets, mattresses, and heavy rugs. Wall-to-wall carpets and heavy rugs benefit from having the suction source as close to the carpet and nozzle as possible, thus making an upright a better choice.

Anything that's not porous is easier to clean with a canister. Kirby's Zippbrush attachment gives you the triple-cushioned vibration in canister mode, which is a blessing for sofas, car carpets, comforters, even cleaning lint off of clothes!

I'm glad that I don't have to choose between upright and canister with my Kirbys. I have both units (and more!) in one!

 

[tolivac]

I seldom use my Kirbys as "canister" use the canisters in my collection instead.Put the Zipbrush on my NuTone central unit-that brush almost takes off!!!

 

[sebo_fan]

Also, canisters in my experience are great for cleaning the car out with. I've tried my Sebo uprights etc or others with hoses that then need extra length extension hoses, but a canister can simply be slotted into the front passenger footwell and then stretched or lifted over to other seats when cleaning close up. So much versatility there, or if leaving it in the boot etc.

 

[vacuumlad1650]

I never knew why i like canisters. I like the convenience of having just one unit with an upright buy a canister is easier to store, clean above floor with, and is overall more maneuverable. I do like uprights, but canisters have more features.

 

[suckolux]

Just cleaned for almost 2 hours with canister, extension wand, dusting brush, crevice tool and upholstery tool, all above floor or in cracks, just easier with the canister for me. Miele went to task this time, works fine, quiet too

 

[tolivac]

Car vacuums-for me its the NuTone 430 with a 40ft hose.The machine stays inside.Same with my newly acquired "Porta Vac" with a ProTeam FS 6 Backpack vacuum fastened to the cart.I use the Porta vac inside for many canister vac chores.Long cord and hose-it gets handier all the time.I dusted off an older ProTeam Backpack-PV100 and use it more now.Just have to avoid those "Bump into tragedies"!

 

[n0oxy]

canisters all the way for me

I use canisters, either portable or a central vacuum because of their flexibility. I don't have any carpet, but even if I did, having a canister with a power nozzle should clean as well as an upright, and in some way better since it's much easier to get under beds and other furniture. So far, I have not seen any uprights that will do above the floor cleaning as well as canisters. Canisters provide more suction and air flow through hoses, and will not tip over the way uprights can. Sometimes I will use one of my central vacuum power units, and sometimes I will pull out one of my portable canisters. As far as cleaning floors other than carpet, here is a link to the best nozzle in my opinion. It doesn't use a brush, but it gets the suction really close to the floor. I've tried several hard floor nozzles, and nothing even comes close to this one.

http://www.vacdepot.com/tools-acces...werk-rd285-quick-clean-brushless-floor-nozzle

 

[Mike81]

Wessel-Werk RD285 hard floor nozzle you had in the link looks excellent! I would love to try one.
My choice for hard floors is Twinner. Its design is from 90's and it's still in sale.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=acbM6vdIW00

 

[n0oxy]

twinner

The twinner sounds interesting, but it sounds like it still uses pads which may need to be cleaned or replaced. The wessel werk nozzle has nothing that really needs to be cleaned, although it is dishwasher safe. With the wessel werk nozzle, I can easily get in to corners and around edges. I would suggest anyone looking for a good hard floor nozzle to get one, I do have several other hard floor brushes in my collection but I have never used them since I got this. Apparently it won a design award, and I can definitely understand why.

 

[Mike81]

Those pads will wear down over time, but they sell replacement pad package when they do.
When you go to the shop where twinner is for sale there is always pad package next to it. One way to keep the profit coming for twinner company. That is something I don't like.
I got to mention that when twinner first came out in the 90's it changed the whole canister vacuuming experience for Finnish (and for other north coyntry) people.
I remember when my parents got their first twinner. They praised it to heaven, but over time they got a bit frustrated replacing pads. They also used it for the rugs.
Wessel-Werk RD285 seems better and there is one nozzle what look quite similiar.

 

[sebo_fan]

As far as I know, Menalux are a trader company who sell a lot of Electrolux based tools. It might be different elsewhere. I like the Twinner but I'm less of a fan of the Wessel Werk RD285. Hoover sent me one to try when I moaned about the awful hard floor tool I got with my Hoover stick vac. It is marginally better but it is no way a good combination tool as the marketing suggests. I sent it back.

It is just about fit for hard floors.
Much prefer the older Parquet brush nozzle without advancing waves set into the design.

Interestingly though both SEBO's Deluxe Parquet floor tool and their Kombi Deluxe tools have almost four way air flow channels, so they suck the dust in from a bit more than just the front. I have also used my Kombi floor tool many a time without adjusting from carpet to hard floor and it rolls with no damage on hard floors.

 

[n0oxy]

wessel werk nozzle on carpet

I have not tried my wessel werk rd 285 on carpets, since I only have hard floors and it works great for that. Actually, even if I had carpets, I would not use that nozzle, for carpets, I would only use a power nozzle with a spinning brush, for carpets, nothing else would do nearly as well probably.

 

[KIRBYDOG]

Upright for Older Wool Carpeting

Who would believe that such a simple question would produce such a large number of responses!

I recently learned that for vacuuming "Persian" carpets and Wool wall to wall carpeting, a vacuum that had strong suction ONLY was to be used. So, I have not done right by my wool bedroom carpeting or the living room "Persian" 9' x 12' rug!! I was using a less powerful Eureka canister (with the power head "on"), so some damage was done. I switched to a "new" Hoover Windtunnel upright with the ability to turn off the brush and just "suck" up dirt. My, my! What a difference. The "Persian" nap just came right up; "fluffy", so to speak. BUT, the canister design would allow me to have an easier to use hose and/or head arrangement. So, I agree that having at least one of each is effective.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a "vintage" vacuum that is strong enough to refresh the nap on wool, but avoid pulling the carpet off the floor? My inherited Rainbow DID lift the fancy non-wool carpet and left me with wrinkles in two places. Kicking the carpet got me nowhere!!

 

[durango159]

I love canister vacs!!

I have 1 upright and about 8 canisters to my personal collection. But I have 3 other uprights that I'll be selling and 2 other canister vacs that I'll be selling. All of my canister vacuums are electric power nozzle equipped. I don't do straight suction only machines because my favorite part of a vacuum cleaner is the brush roll!!

I usually vacuum a room moving backwards towards the entrance. Therefore, I've just gotten very accustomed to wheeling the suction unit back with my foot while concentrating on deep cleaning with power nozzle. With a good designed cleaning head and system I've never had a problem with cleaning power. I used to live in a home that 2 Kirby G4's in addition to some others. I took care of her vacuums for her. The Kirby brush rolls were adjusted properly for wear according to numbers on end caps, belts were in good shape, bags were genuine Kirby and in good shape and machine was clean. I've watched Kirby videos about going one position deeper after hearing brush roll touch carpet as well. But several times after doing a room with her Kirby, I went back over it later with one of my Hoover power team canisters. The room didn't look groomed enough by the Kirby and I felt the Hoover left it cleaner! I also didn't appreciate the Kirby self propel sending my arm back so rapidly into filing cabinets and doors many a time.

I love carpet lines and grooming patterns although the rake like pattern from a baseplate of a Shark doesn't excite me as much! I'd rather see the agitator pattern than the base plate rake.

A primary reason why I prefer a power nozzle canister vacuum to an upright is that when maneuvering around furniture and behind things the only thing I have to push around is the power head that is at maximum about 3.5" high and then the wand is less than 1.75" with the pigtail cord and connectors. I don't like the bulk being pushed around with a heavy upright. I find the bulky upright always getting caught on various things or rubbing along furniture and with a soft bag machine that rubbing can cause a dust cloud emission. Just look at the pictures below- all you have to maneuver into tight obstacles is that super thin wand and it can be used with handle at numerous angles to make fitting into really tight areas fairly possible!

In addition to less bulk and easier maneuvering around obstacles a canister vac makes vacuuming under beds possible under the reclining sofas- cause I always open those out while vacuuming around sofa and many other areas. I can change from power nozzle to attachment mode in just a few seconds to grab something along a wall or cobweb up high, etc. Stairs are tremendously easier to do with a canister vac. Generally I use the upholstery nozzle on my steps but I've also just used the power nozzle on the stairs and then went back over the edges with crevice tool.

Just many options on a canister that I prefer over an upright. Now I do still like uprights and can see why many like them but for me my preference is canister. For every one time my upright gets used I've probably used a canister with power nozzle about 20 other times!!

Also big hefty Kirbys have a built in self propelled system in addition to self propelled Windtunnel and Eureka had one years back. Well every good power nozzle I've ever used the brush roll is the self propel system!!

That's just my 2 cents!