Blow me! No wait.. suck.. uh.. Vacuum advice?

Magus`

I'm looking to get a new vacuum sometime in the future. While I'm more than happy to wait until Black Friday (which is on my birthday, so I think I should get stuff for free?) or using eBay, I'm not entirely sure what I should get.

Here's what you probably need to know:

I have cats, mostly short hair with one long hair (I think? I'm not sure what the cut off point is).

I have (non shag/deep(?)) carpets and tile floors. I also have a stair case.

I have some but not a ton of furniture, none of which is hard to move.

Dust is seemingly a constant problem, no matter what place in the apartment. Also while I have never seemingly had allergies, lately I've been sneezing like crazy which makes me think the problem is getting worse.

I'm tall (6' 7") which probably accounts for.. something.

Here is what I'd like in a vacuum:

To not sound like a jet engine. It doesn't have to be whisper quiet (and probably can't be if I want anything with good suction).

Bag-less since goddammit I don't want to have to keep paying for the thing years later, even indirectly.

Performance to match whatever the price ends up being (which basically means Dyson is out unless those things actually give "blow"jobs).

Has accessories I'd actually use and not a dozen I wouldn't. A vacuum adding clutter is a kind of irony I don't enjoy.

Does not strictly have to be new, but would be preferable over something refurbished cause that just adds potential complications. Saving like 50% on something that is 99.9% the same as new, however, is totes ok.

Anyhow! While I know that getting a good/long lasting vacuum won't be super cheap, at the same point I'm pretty sure I don't need to be spending 400+ dollars for that last extra oomph (or shininess, though I do appreciate aesthetics!). So anyhow, what should I look into? Remember, I'm in no super rush (I have a vacuum, it's just not great and apparently isn't doing much for the dust in the carpet) but having a list of things to keep an eye on would be super.

Thanks!

JRosey

I got a refurbished Dyson on Woot for $150. I've had it for over two years and it is still the best vacuum I've ever used. They tend to pop up once a month or so, if you're not in a hurry I highly recommend going that route.

Artereis

Yeah, you want a used or refurbished Dyson. They're still expensive, but they're damn useful, can be taken apart in a whole bunch of places to clear blockages, and have few if any parts you need to throw out. The website has a really detailed troubleshooting guide for just about every model, so maintaining it is super easy.

Magus`

What's a good model to keep aware of? Also what's the best place to watch for such things?

Artereis

My upright's a DC07, which is a pretty old model at this point and still runs like a champ.

Darkewolfe

The slim, rechargeable Dysons are fucking amazing.

My house is cleaner not just because it's a good vacuum, but because it's so stupidly easy to grab it off the charger, vacuum a bunch of areas, then throw it back up on the charger that I vacuum more.

Entriech

I too recommend a Dyson. We've got a DC-26 that's three or four years old now, and it still works great. It's one of the canister style vacuums, which means it's quite portable. With the right attachments, you can use it for dusting even high shelves and such.

Magus`

I'll look into it, I just need to figure out what model works best for me, then a good place (or places) to watch for deals.

Edit: Unlikely to do eBay unless it's a buy-it-now due to sniping, etc.

Edit 2: @Entriech Fry's has the DC-26 refurbed for 150 dollars. Thoughts?

Rderdall

My wife and I picked up this vacuum on boxing day about 4 years ago, and it's still works as well as the day we bought it. We have a lab/shepherd cross, who drops her coat like 3 times a year. We vacuum the entire main floor of our house at least 3x a week. I cannot overstate how good of a vacuum this is.

Xaquin

we have a dyson dc14 and it is gods gift to vacuum

we have a dog, a cat, and a rabbit that is constantly in a state of shedding

and an 8 year old and a 3 year old

that thing will clean floors like no ones business. plus, it is super easy to repair on your own. all parts are buyable online and there are tons of youtube videos on how to take it all apart, fix it, and put it back together.

that said, we've used it every third day for 4 years and have only had to fix it once. (the beater bar needed to be cleaned, so it wasn't really broken)

refurbished or used dyson all the way!

Magus`

So many suggestions for models! I don't know what to pick.

Xaviar

I think the takeaway from that is that no matter what model you get, you will probably be happy with it. It looks like everyone has a different model simply because they picked them up at different times and have been happy enough to not try to find something else since then.

Entriech

Magus` wrote: »

I'll look into it, I just need to figure out what model works best for me, then a good place (or places) to watch for deals.

Edit: Unlikely to do eBay unless it's a buy-it-now due to sniping, etc.

Edit 2: @Entriech Fry's has the DC-26 refurbed for 150 dollars. Thoughts?

Seems like a good deal to me. We paid something like 400$ for ours new, and I don't mind having bought one at that price. Like other people said, Dyson's have a lot of smart ways to disassemble to clean clogs and whatlike, and a lot of user replaceable parts. So even if a refurb has a problem, you might be able to fix it.

Magus`

Do you have carpets/pets? How does it work on those?

Belasco32

http://www.groupon.com/goods
If you act quickly, that is a screaming deal. We LOVE our Dyson (it's the second one we've had, the other one we had to leave in Ireland when we moved back to the States), and just got this one to augment the astounding mess 3 teenagers, 2 dogs, and 2 cats can create. Also, I find the canister much easier to use on the stairs...and the handle telescopes so I can use it (I'm 5'2") and so can the tall people in the family without an issue. We have both carpet and hard flooring, the Dyson goes back and forth on those easily...it also sorts out cobwebs and I use it to do all of the dusting in the house (of which there is a lot).

edit: also, our kids fight over who gets to vacuum, so having a second one in the house will help tons...oh and the Dyson comes with a great warranty. We got ours fixed for free after our sons dismantled it and used the parts for sword fighting. Oh, AND, our daughter has asthma so the hepafilter is a must for us, and being able to take it out and clean it ourselves (rather than pay to replace it) makes it a good buy, as well.

Magus`

@Belasco32 Assuming it's the same one, that seems to be the least well-reviewed of the various Dyson vacuums. I can get a DC-26 for roughly the same price from Fry's (not counting shipping) and it reviews much better.

SO COMPLICATED.

Fry link: http://www.frys.com/product/7273373

schuss

I sprung for a Miele Quartz. Worth every damn penny. Good vacuums won't die very quickly, so definitely don't be afraid of spending money.

Magus`

schuss wrote: »

I sprung for a Miele Quartz. Worth every damn penny. Good vacuums won't die very quickly, so definitely don't be afraid of spending money.

Augh

schuss

In any case, Electrolux and Miele are always great, and I've heard good things about the newer Panasonic canisters.

Xaviar

@Magus`
Get the dyson in that fry's link. It will work well enough that you will be happy and not freak out over whether you made the right choice.
Also you will stop stressing over too many choices.

Get it. It will be good. You will like it. It is worth the money.

Creagan

A hepa filter will probably help with the sneezing. They make ones compatible with Dyson. It's a little extra but totally worth it.

Also, after using the carpet attachment check to see if the cat hair's getting wound around the brush. If so, the vacuum will be more effective if you snip it off every couple of weeks.

Belasco32

Meh, it's pretty easy: get a Dyson that does what you want it to and is in your budget. BTW, if you have a dog they make a cool pet brush attachment, the only downside is that now every time we turn on the vacuum our dog thinks it's time to get brushed and lays down in the way.

Side note: when I was growing up my mom was a maid and managed to put herself through college (and win a bunch of academic awards and what not) doing that work. I started working with her when I was 12 and stopped when she got her undergrad degree when I was 16. Mom always brought her own to a job and she tried just able everything over the years. In the end a few products won accolades in her strict view, and Dyson got top marks for being a vacuum (with a preference for the upright "animal" in recent years).

Entriech

Magus` wrote: »

Do you have carpets/pets? How does it work on those?

We've got low pile carpet in a few spots in the house, as well as a shag rug. We've also got a short hair domestic cat. The DC-26 does just fine on all of them. There's a vacuum like the DC-26 but with metal tines on the head instead of the soft ones on the DC-26. It has the word 'animal' in the name, too. We found the metal tines to be a little too hard on the carpet, but if you're concerned you might look into that too.

Magus`

Alright, I will get the DC26. If I am unhappy, all of you will pay. All of you.

an_alt

Darkewolfe wrote: »

The slim, rechargeable Dysons are fucking amazing.

My house is cleaner not just because it's a good vacuum, but because it's so stupidly easy to grab it off the charger, vacuum a bunch of areas, then throw it back up on the charger that I vacuum more.

You have sold me. Well, you and the reviews. Ordering one today.

spool32

Every vacuum thread on these forums should just get auto-renamed to "Thread in which I am convinced to buy a Dyson".

Because that's always what happens, because they are incredible.

@icyliquid surely we can do something about this.

TheCanMan

an_alt wrote: »

Darkewolfe wrote: »

The slim, rechargeable Dysons are fucking amazing.

My house is cleaner not just because it's a good vacuum, but because it's so stupidly easy to grab it off the charger, vacuum a bunch of areas, then throw it back up on the charger that I vacuum more.

You have sold me. Well, you and the reviews. Ordering one today.

We got my mother-in-law one of the rechargeables because she has a bad back. She loves it. I doubt that it works as good as our DC33, but she couldn't be happier with it.

IcyLiquid

I have a Hoover Linx for my small condo, love it.
I have no pets and no carpets though, so perhaps not a great fit for the OP.

@spool32 I'm keeping my eye on you.

spool32

IcyLiquid wrote: »

I have a Hoover Linx for my small condo, love it.
@spool32 I'm keeping my eye on you.

This is not going to look good on your resume...

bowen

http://hoover.com/products/details/uh70210/t-series-windtunnel-pet-rewind-bagless-upright/

This is what I use, obviously dyson will still be superior, but not bad for <$200.

schuss

Dyson isn't the be-all/end-all, as things like Electrolux and miele often beat it in tests. Its just the most available "good" brand