10 Points to Consider When Buying an All-Purpose Vacuum CleanerMay 13 '04 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Buying a vacuum cleaner can be a tough job in itself. Here are some pointers to consider.
Review of Buying an All Purpose Vacuum Cleaner (May 12, 2004) I have owned LOTS of vacuum cleaners! Having rental property, often tenants will leave behind vacuum cleaners upon leaving the premises. These become the property of the landlord afterwards. I also like to purchase the best tools available to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. I tend to get a new vacuum cleaner every 5 years or so. The task of buying a new vacuum cleaner could be cumbersome, if you do not know exactly what to look for. Just one look at the multitude of choices in almost any department store can be mind-boggling. Recently, a friend of mine told me he was looking to buy a new vacuum cleaner. He called me to ask me for some pointers, knowing that I would give him a good Epinion! : -) Here are some of the tips I provided to him: 1. Shop for the Dust Bags First! You can expect to change lots of dust bags over the life of your vacuum cleaner. Depending on the model you choose, these bags could be relatively cheap or very expensive. I remember finding a left behind canister vacuum cleaner in one of my rental properties. It was a Sears Kenmore model that worked perfectly. All it needed was dust bags. When I went to Sears to purchase the dust bags, I found that they cost over $1 each. By comparison, I have an old Hoover stand-up that uses a standard A type bag that can be purchased in multi-packs for $1 at our local dollar store. Yes, there are vacuum cleaners that are made with a dust bucket that do not require a dust bag. However, I find that these tend to be very messy and a chore to keep clean. Furthermore, if the dust bucket is not closed properly or seated correctly, dust blows back out and into the room you are cleaning. Stick with the dust bag models. 2. Stand up or canister? There are loads of pros and cons for both types. Which one do you choose? My answer is choosing both of them in one package! I have a Bissell stand-up model that has a detachable canister on it. It is the greatest innovation I can think of in vacuum cleaner design. When I want to clean the carpets and floors, I leave the canister in place within the stand and push it across the floors and carpets. When I want to clean the steps and furniture, I pull the lightweight canister off and tote it around. It has a short hose that attaches to the base that detaches and accepts extension tubes and various attachments. I’ve had this model for a while and it is one of my favorite vacuums. I have also seen similar designs produced by other manufacturers in the stores. 3. Size Matters. There are many different sized vacuum cleaners ranging from hand held models to huge 30-gallon shop vacs. I prefer something in between. The vacuum cleaner should be light enough in weight to be easily carried from one room to the next, yet heavy enough to carry the substance needed to do a quality job. I prefer a slimmer body, opposed to one of the bulky contraptions that take up a lot of wasted space. Choose a vacuum cleaner with a covering just large enough to cover the dust bag and motor compartments. Anything else is wasted space. Also, on stand up models, the head should be slim enough to slide under furniture when using. Some designs are thick on top and will not fit under a couch when vacuuming. Keep in mind that even if the vacuum cleaner has wheels, you will need to be able to lift the machine up from time to time to put it away or carry up stairways. 4. Features. The vacuum cleaner does not need to have a lot of bells and whistles to be good. However, it should have at least these quality features: a. HEPA filter – helps eliminate dust borne particles from the air. b. Attachments such as crevice tool, brushes, etc. c. Lighted head to see small objects on the floor d. Easy access to dust bag compartment e. Easy power cord storage – I prefer the kind the automatically winds itself when not in use. f. Easy access power switch either on the head unit or handle. g. Easy access tilt switch – allows the vacuum to stand upright when not in use. h. Detachable canister section to allow for cleaning stairs, furniture, car, etc. i. High quality metal handle – I’ve seen many plastic handles break where they attach to the base portion of the unit. The replacement handles can be very expensive! j. Rotating brushes underneath to kick up dirt particles in carpeting. 5. Take a test drive. Almost every modern department store I’ve been in has a vacuum cleaner display with many varieties set up for comparison. Ask a salesman to take one down so you can push it around. Better yet, have the salesman demonstrate it for you. Look for the features listed above and listen to the noise level. Notice if it easy to push around on the wheels and if it is lightweight. 6. What’s in a name? In the case of vacuum cleaners, more than you would believe. There are lots of makes to choose from, and some of the imports look pretty good. However, all mechanical devises eventually require servicing. Unless you are buying a disposable vacuum cleaner, you may need to obtain parts that are difficult to find. I have experienced this with my current Bissell vacuum cleaner. Even though Bissell has been around for some time, their replacement parts are not always readily available in department stores (such as dust bags, belts, attachments, etc.) Also, the well known brands have been around a long time because they build quality products. Otherwise why would people buy them? Not to say there are not quality “no-name” brands out there – buy why take a chance? 7. Buy from a store with a great return policy. Vacuum cleaners are not always as good as they appear to be on the store display. Many times you will make a purchase only to find the unit does not work well for you. It is nice to know that you can return it if it does not meet your expectations. The most important part of making a vacuum cleaner purchase is that it does the job you want it to do: suck up dirt. If it doesn’t, what is the point in getting one? 8. Where will the vacuum cleaner be used? I live in a multi-story house, so hauling a canister vacuum around to clean up is too cumbersome. A stand-up model is easier to lug around. We also have carpeting in our house, so the stand up model is easier to use on this type of flooring. However, if we lived in a ranch house with no carpeting, a canister vacuum would be nice. I found that canister vacuum cleaners are a bit more powerful (usually having a larger motor). A stick vac is good for quick clean-ups, but should be nothing more than a second vacuum as they do not do as good a job deep cleaning as a stand up or canister model. A shop vac is great for using to clean up all sorts of messes, but is better suited for workshops, cleaning out cars, and out doors messes. Hand held models are generally pretty much useless (in my opinion), except for minor spot cleaning. 9. Prices. Always something to consider, but not a very good indicator of quality. There are some vacuums on the market that cost a lot of money, but compared with less expensive vacuums, they suck! (he, he, he…). Do not let price be your guide! 10. Quality Construction. One look at machine can pretty much help you determine something about the way the machine was constructed. As mentioned above, plastic handles tend to break (I’ve had this happen many times before!) Anything that looks flimsy will probably break off over time: Thin springs holding parts from vibrating, plastic wheels, little plastic hangers designed to hold accessories to the machine or the power cord, cheap switches, plastic flaps, etc. A thorough test-drive, as also stated above, will help flush out how well the machine really is constructed. I personally would look to see if there are a lot of plastic pieces within the motor compartment too (gears, drives, wheels, etc.). Over several years of use, these pieces will most likely break. I look for metal construction as much as possible, although it seems many manufacturers are using more and more plastic wherever possible to lower manufacturing costs. Well, there you have. These are simply some of my checkpoints. I doubt you will find a machine that meets all of them. I personally have not. I currently have a vacuum cleaner manufactured by Bissell that does a pretty nice job (I wrote a review about it a while ago…). I had to weigh the benefits of each of the above points before deciding to buy it. I found that the bags were VERY difficult to find in stores and it had a plastic handle that eventually broke. However, I found a similar shaped bag that fit the machine and substituted it for the original. As for the handle, I contacted the company and they sent me a new one free of charge! It is also largely built of plastic and it is now badly nicked and scratched. However, it does a great job sucking up dirt and the biggest plus is that although it is a stand up vacuum cleaner, the canister detaches so that I can use it to clean stairs and furniture with the included attachments! My Sears canister vacuum cleaner is built like a tank. It is largely made of metal and takes a licking. Although it is about 20 years old already, it will probably last forever. It still looks and works great! Thanks for reading my review and best of luck finding the right vacuum cleaner for your needs! Mike  |
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