Vacuum Recommendations

Updated on March 15, 2008
D.H. asks from Walnut Creek, CA
45 answers

My "Wind Tunnel" vacuum has been killed by long hair wrapping around the beater bar. Any recommendations on vacuums?

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C.C.

answers from Sacramento on

Dyson...it's more expensive, but I feel well worth it. They usually sell them now with a 5 year warranty as well.

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A.R.

answers from Fresno on

The Dyson. I bought a Dyson a few years ago, when old vacuum stopped working, and just love it. I have recommended it to family members looking for a new vacuum, they bought one and love theirs too. Great vacuum especially with kids and pets.

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J.C.

answers from San Francisco on

LOVE LOVE LOVE my Dyson. We got the pet specific model because we have a dog. I can vacuum my whole downstairs w/o emptying it or it clogging ( we have an 1800 sq foot house ).

http://www.dyson.com/about/technology/

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J.D.

answers from San Francisco on

I absloutely love the Dyson products. Check them out, my friend has the one made to handle animal fur and dander because of long hair problems & loves it.

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M.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi D.,

We bought a Dyson over a year ago and LOVE IT!!!! They are expensive but worth every penny. I am an Arbonne Consultant and feel very strongly about our Company and Products. When I find and use the very best it feels great to tell everyone. Dyson vacuums are in this same category.

Have a great day!

Warmly,

M. Binczewski
www.duplicate.myarbonne.com
____@____.com
###-###-####

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D.M.

answers from Merced on

Hi D. - First to possibly save you some money - can you remove the beater bar and cut the hair from it? I have to do this too. If the motor is dead and you need a new vacuum, then I highly recommend a Dyson vacuum. I know they are expensive, but they will last a loooonnnnggg time and best of all it works! It works better then any vacuum I've used. I've tested it by using my old vacuum and then using the Dyson and the Dyson picked up more dirt. In my new home there is a built-in central vac and I tested it too. The Dyson picked up more dirt. There is a new Dyson w/ a roller ball and I found it hard to move when playing w/ it at Best Buy. I think the traditional one is easier to move. Beware of ordering a cheap Dyson on-line. A friend of mine did this and turns out it was refurbished. There are different types of Dyson vacuums and I think the only difference between them are the accessories that come w/ it. So your basic model is the same as the most expensive one, the only difference being the number of tools that comes w/ it. Good luc. D.

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R.U.

answers from Sacramento on

This is not so much for the vacuum but a way to keep the beater bar clean. Every so often I turn my Dyson over and use a seam ripper (purchased anywhere you can buy sewing supplies)and just rip through the hair and strings. Hope this helps with at least one of your problems:-)

P.S. My husband laughed when I asked for my Dyson as a Christmas present but I truly love it more than the diamond necklace I received the next year! Dysons are the best!

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T.S.

answers from Chico on

HI D.,
As a former long hair and mother of two long haired maidens, I can tell you that no matter what you spend on a vacuum, if you don't regularly and often remove the hair that gets wound around the beater bar, your vacuum will die in short order. Hair is incredibly strong when it gets twisted up with hundreds of other strands, like a rope, and no vacuum motor is stronger than that.
By the way, I have a Dyson and like it very much.
Happy vacuum shopping!
T.

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R.S.

answers from Redding on

Dyson! Best vacuum ever! You never have to buy new filters (which was a problem with my old vacuum) and it's bagless. I love this vacuum. I bought it at Target when they were having a big sale and offering $100 gift cards with your purchase. Worth every penny!

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C.C.

answers from Sacramento on

Although expensive, get a Dysan. There are different kinds for different uses. We have the purple one for pet hair. We also have the "dust-buster" version. They are fabulous!

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M.N.

answers from San Francisco on

We bought a new vacuum last week. Before we bought I asked the same quetsion of my parents' email group and I had the exact same overwhelming response: Dyson. We bought the Animal and received it last Friday night (it had to be shipped from the warehouse).

My husband was suffering from buyer's remorse until he put it together and vacuumed about fifteen square feet. We spent Saturday moving furniture and vacuumed the entire house until we were only getting little tufts of fluff in each room.

For the first time in years I'm not freaked out about the boys lying on the carpet. I actually feel that the carpets are getting CLEAN and my husband the engineer likes being able to SEE that the vacuum is sucking stuff up. We have two young boys and a lab and so you KNOW they really work over the house with dirt and hair.

Within half an hour of having the vacuum my husband decided that it was money well spent and I'm just so happy to have a vacuum that SUCKS. }:)

Also--we bought it at Best Buy and the guy said they don't even bother selling it with their extended warranty because Dyson's warranty is so much better--five years and everything.

My friend has a lab who loses lots of hair and she's had her Dyson for years and still loves it.

Some of the parents on my other email group suggested buying it from Linens and Things with their 20% coupon--it's an authorized dealer so you're not losing anything and keeping a little cash in your wallet. :)

Good luck--M.

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J.W.

answers from San Francisco on

We love our Dyson Animal. Its not cheep but worth every penny!

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L.K.

answers from Fresno on

Dyson, Dyson, Dyson! Expensive, yes, but great longevity. When we first bought ours we tried an experiment. We vacuumed the whole house with our previous vacuum, then went over it with the Dyson. We were grossed out by how much our other vacuum didn't get! We did the same thing at my brother's and he went out and bought one. I've never heard from a dissatisfied Dyson user :o) Try Costco...sometimes they are cheaper there b/c they generally don't go on sale other places.

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I recomend the dyson. When my wife purchased it we both ahd very long hair. We also have pets. More than 2yrs with the vaccum & no problems.

"bigg daddy"

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N.T.

answers from San Francisco on

I agree with Jeff and Debb. Dyson works really really good. They have one made especially for animal (its the purple one). We had it over 2 years. Its extremely light and you can see how much dust and fine pet hair it had vaccumm inside the container.

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W.M.

answers from Sacramento on

We own a dyson vacuum. It is absolutely wonderful, and very much worth the money. I used to spend the 100-150 every 18 months or so for a new cheap vacuum, and now
we have had the same vacuum for 5+ years. Truly awesome.
The warranty is everything it implies also. They even paid for the shipping to send it to them, and the shipping back. We had to send it to them twice. My son sucked up water the first time,( we did not know this when we sent it in, his sister told us later) and the second time the electrical cord went out. It is also bagless. Sears and kohls keep having them on sale, which is unheard of, and
wal mart has a version of it for 375 or so. We ordered it off line with them, it also has a tool kit with flexible
ends for your car, that you can order separate. Thats right now you can get junk out from in between the console and the seats, YEAH!!!

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K.I.

answers from San Francisco on

I had a Wind tunnel and it was also killed by hair (mine and pets) My new vacuum is a Dyson Animal. It came with a 5 year warrenty. I figured that is about as long as I have had my other two. SO the cost avereged out in my mind. I can not praise the Dyson enough. It picks up more in less time, has no filters to replace and has a one touch empty system which is great because my 15month old wants to be held the entire time I am vacuuming. It has helped with my allergies and even comes with some extra attachments for cleaning apholstry, and wood/tile floors. I love it.

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T.M.

answers from San Francisco on

DYSON. they are expensive but well worth it. wait til target or a store offers a $100 gift card with purchase.

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S.H.

answers from Stockton on

Dyson, Dyson, Dyson! Worth it's weight in gold!

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M.H.

answers from San Francisco on

I also LOVE my Dyson

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B.J.

answers from San Francisco on

We love our Dyson Animal. In fact, my husband wants to sell the one we have and get their newest version that's a little bit smaller (we have a small home). If you're interested, let me know. Otherwise, if you want a new one, just check out their website at www.dyson.com - they're amazing vacuums!

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S.S.

answers from San Francisco on

my recommendation would be that any vacuum you get will periodically need that beater bar taken off and the hair/string/etc cut/pulled out so the bar can do it's job instead of getting caught up with these fibers and then usually burning out the belt (which can also be replaced somewhat easily, usually) -
this coming from a long haired mama who checks her rotating bar regularly to make sure it's going fast and not getting slowed down with hair that needs to get pulled off!
good luck!

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K.S.

answers from Sacramento on

Once a month I take the scissors and cut it all off. Its just part of maintenance I think....

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S.P.

answers from Sacramento on

We have a Kirby & a Rainbow, and I love my Rainbow
(http://www.rainbowsystems.com). It's a water vac, so none of what you vacuum gets blown back out. It can also circulate scents through the house, or suck out scents you don't want in the house... It can also deep clean your carpets (with soap & water) and even cleans the kitchen tile grout! It's light & most importantly it has the strongest suction. The other day I accidently caught the string to my blinds & within a second my vacuum was hanging upside down from the top of the blinds!! Lifetime warranty.

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E.L.

answers from San Francisco on

I personally hate bagless vacuums, after using one and getting frustrated with the filter, etc. also, removing the dirt from the canister would release a lot of dust, and i hated that. i was hopeful of the dyson, but friends who have it said it is overrated. while it does not clog, it's overall suction is fairly poor compared to other vacuums.

after reading about different models and going through reviews on consumer reports, i went with the kenmore progressive with intelliclean at sears. i generally don't like sears, but i'm glad i went with this vacuum. it is a bagged version, the bagless version reviews were not as good. i dunno, it just seems to work very well for $300. lots of attachments, the intelliclean function lets you know when an area is "green", where the dust level is fairly undetectable. i was surprised at how much dirt was embedded in our carpets, despite using our junky bagless vacuum.

anyway, just my 2 cents.

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N.L.

answers from San Francisco on

You have all the advice about Dyson, which is great! My recommendation is NOT to get and the Infinity--it is a cheaper Dyson knock-off. Don't be tempted--it "sucks" but not in a way that a good vacuum should!!:-)It is more complicated to empty and clean than any vaccum we've ever had--and doesn't compare with the power of either Oreck or Windtunnel, which we have used.

Good luck.
N.

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J.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Ditto on the Dyson! Absolutely love it. It picks up so much stuff and is so easy to empty. I use it in the house and the car.

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T.M.

answers from Sacramento on

Hi D.,

I have had several vacuums...and if they have a beater bar you really just need a "sewing seam ripper" it slides between the bar and the hair, cuts it and you can then remove the hair...unless you can find a way to get humans to stop shedding you will need to do a once or twice a month cleaning on your vacuum...and if you think your vacuum is a problem, just wait until your shower drains run slow...major hair wookies there...

Best of luck...mother of five...
T.

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J.O.

answers from San Francisco on

I can totally relate. I have a Dyson, I had recently removed the beater bar and removed the hair. I'm surprised I still have hair with all I removed! I love my Dyson and would suggest like the other person did and thats to remove it every so often.

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A.M.

answers from Stockton on

Hey this is my frist time to reply to this web site. But if i was you i would invest in a kurby. It s the best. My mother still has hers from 1980. lol.

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A.R.

answers from Sacramento on

If you can find an ORECK I highly recommend it! I got one from my daughter's dad when he passed away and it is FANTASTIC...you might be able to find a used one, but buying one new is totally worth it!

Even though it is light weight it is awesomely powerful-so much more than ANY other I have had and it truely goes from carpet to tile or wood floor without any effort--same great suction.

A.

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K.H.

answers from Fresno on

Hi D.! These ladies make me want to go get a Dyson! I have a Kenmore progressive with direct drive and a hepa filter. I have had it for over 4 years. I really like it. It has a taken a beating and is still going. I have long hair, 2 little girls with long hair, and 3 dogs. So, our vacuum doesn't have it easy!

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J.M.

answers from San Francisco on

The Dyson is great! Kinda pricey but worth it.

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D.D.

answers from Sacramento on

The Kirby! -- You can find one on ebay for a really great price -- these things are the best! -- BTW I also have a wind tunnel by Hoover -- and I've owned it for about 12 years -- it still does okay -- but nothing like it used to. A friend of mine has the Kirby and brought it over for a while for me to use -- I have fallen in love -- They generally retail for around $1200 -- you can find one on ebay for less than a third of that!

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K.D.

answers from Sacramento on

Mine is pretty pricey, but I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE my Dyson. It has cleaned up the air and carpet so well in our house. I used to have the Hoover Hepa Filter and that did ok for a while, but it died the same way yours did. My husband's allergies have cleared up a bit too. I have the Dyson Animal due to our pets and I would recommend it to anyone. Just look for sales as they are pretty pricey.

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G.V.

answers from San Francisco on

The Rainbow brand vacuum cleaner is the BEST. I have had mine for over 10 years and it is still running strong - I would never buy a different vacuum cleaner! It uses a tub with water that traps all of the dirt and dust, so it does not get re-circulated into the air. Great for homes with allergic family members; works great on both hard floors and carpet. I cannot say enough!! Worth every penny, as it truly is an "investment"! Do a google search for your local rep., as they are not sold in stores.

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G.P.

answers from San Francisco on

hi D....i've always loved the hoover vac that i've had for years but this past valentine's day, my hubby bought me the irobot roomba and i absolutely love it. it does all the vacuuming for me and really cleans well...takes a lot out of my chore time and energy...and you can even program it to start vacuuming at a certain time even when you're not home...you gotta try it!!! you won't be sorry!!

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K.B.

answers from San Francisco on

I bought my vacuum 7 years ago. It is still awesome. It is a Simplicity 7300. It cost me about $500.00 but it is a quality machine. It had a 4 year warranty, which I only used to get a few "free" tune ups before it expired. You can purchase one new or used at Mohler and Sons Vacuums on Soquel Drive in Santa Cruz. Their phone # is ###-###-####. This is their favorite vacuum. They specialize in this type. Ask them about "other" vacuums and they will give you the info on the ones they service all day!!!

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M.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi. I don't have a recommendation, because I have the WindTunnel too, but you have to check under it every couple of vacuumings. Turn off the vacuum, unplug it, and get your scissors out and give that beater bar a hair cut. It's a pain, but it seems to keep my vacuum going and going.

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A.L.

answers from San Francisco on

We have an Oreck XL and love it! I would not buy anything else. I grew up with an Oreck, my parents love it too. I use my vacuum every other day on all my floors-carpet, tile, hardwood. It is easy and lightweight and works great!

I also think right now Oreck is have a Spring Sale.

www.oreck.com

Happy Cleaning!

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E.Y.

answers from San Francisco on

I also have a Dyson and LOVE IT. It is so much better than any other vacuum I've had in the past. I vacuumed my house the day before I bought it and then vacuumed with it right after I brought it home. It picked up so much more stuff than my old Hoover. I was shocked. They are expensive but well worth the price. Pick a model and then wait for it to go on sale.

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N.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Miele is the best, very quiet and superb performance

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S.U.

answers from San Francisco on

I love love love my miele vacuum. They are expensive but well worh it.

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C.W.

answers from San Francisco on

I absolutely LOVE my Oreck. I know it's pricey ($700), but we have had it for 4 years now and love it. You get free annual tune ups where they change the belt, clean it, etc. It is very light weight -- so easy to use. AND, you get the small canister vac for free as well as a car cleaning kit (that's when we purchased it). Good luck.

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C.R.

answers from San Francisco on

We bit the bullet & bought a Dyson. We actually asked for help from Grandparents at Christmas and asked for giftcards for Target. We paid the rest. After 4 vacuums and with many dogs, 2 sons, and a dust-sensitive husband, I wonder why it took so long to get one of these. And I thought the WindTunnel was good. I hate cleaning but I actually like using the Dyson as I truly see how well it works and it's effortless.

I recommend going to Target and getting their exclusive model with the many different attachments. Those attachments are expensive and they add up. With one attachment, I can vacuum the dust from the curtains without sucking in the fabric. Plus, the filters are great and there are no bags required. I can go from vacuuming the floor to dusting the ceiling fan in a flash. It is truly an amazing product.

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