Don't Get Suckered
Jul 26 '00
Depending upon your point of view, I'm either a great person to give advice about buying a vacuum, or a lousy one. Because I've bought so many of them through the years -- I'm never satisfied.
In my basement, I could have a Vacuum Cleaner Museum. I sort of do have one. For some silly reason, getting a new vacuum cleaner is a major point of contention for my husband and me. He doesn't want to invest any significant money in a model that will satisfy me.
Okay, let me be more honest. He's too cheap to buy any vacuum, because he is still under the delusion that the Eureka tank model he bought in 1974 works perfectly well, and that he can fix anything that goes wrong with it with -- you guessed it -- DUCK TAPE! It's not that he's cheap all the time, to the contrary. He just has this unnatural attachment to this old dust-spewing tank that's too awkward for me to tote around. It also has one of those retractable cords that has a mind of it's own and likes to pull out of the wall and go back into it's "shell" while I'm using it.
My first piece of advice -- if you have a special vacuum in mind that you think will make your life easier, don't give your spouse a vote if you are the one who vacuums the most often. Buy what you want.
Second, I don't think those bagless models are all they're cracked up to be. One of my current vacuums, the Dirt Devil Stick is bagless, and while I really love this little wonder for stairs, my car and quick pickups in the kitchen, emptying the dirt out of it usually requires my touching the dust and junk. That's not a worry if you have a bag, and most of the dust stays where it belongs instead of mushrooming out of a plastic canister.
The vacuum I use the most for heavy cleaning is my Eureka "Boss" upright, 8 amps of cleaning power with on-board attachments. I bought the model without the headlight, which was a mistake, in 1994. The light would be nice for darker corners, and under furniture. I should have spent the extra $20. But it is powerful, and it does do a fine cleaning job. Most of my carpeting is deep emerald green, so I can see it suck up little lint pieces and I know it's working.
To me, the uprights are better than the tank models, because you have more steering control. I do like my little Dirt Devil for steps, so I think anyone who has steps in their home would do well to have an upright for large areas and floors, and a small one for lightweight and powerful cleaning on steps or for touch-ups.
Be sure you get at least 8 amps of power, and try to investigate how easy it will be for you to replace a belt or make minor repairs yourself. It's pretty simple on my Eureka, which has a little diagram on the bottom.
Test all kinds of floor surfaces if you're able to see a display in the store. If not, take it home and try it in various rooms of your house before you throw out the box and the receipt. Because if it doesn't deliver the expected cleaning power and portability, take it back.
Some of the new models have HEPA filtration. That's a nice selling point, but I'm skeptical about how well these really work. I have several air cleaners in my home, one of them a top-notch model by Oreck, and I can't say I notice much of a difference. It's difficult for me to imagine that a vacuum would filter out more contaminants than a countertop cleaning unit.
Avoid any frills you aren't certain will improve the quality of your life, and help you spend less time doing floors.
Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a vacuum, it doesn't always mean a lifetime of service. Check the nearest repair center to make sure you won't have to travel if you must have a professional repair. Be sure you won't be spending more on a repair than a replacement.
Seriously consider getting an upright model with on-board attachments, and a small, powerful portable unit. The combination will provide much more versatility than any single, large expensive vacuum.
And if anyone collects antique vacuums, I'll send you a Eureka Tank Model, circa 1974, light green with lovely gunmetal duck tape accents.
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MsHooterville
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Member: Ms Hooterville
Location: Hooterville Green Acres USA
Reviews written: 596
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About Me:
News and feature writer, graphic designer and artist, wife and mother, small business owner.
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