marilynn..'s Full Review: Kirby G6 Bagged Upright Vacuum
Kirby vacuum cleaner Gsix 2001 Limited Edition is the last vacuum cleaner I will buy because by the time I get it paid off, I will be retired. A little humor. The Kirby costs $1200.00 with a million attachments and a 10 year warranty. Kirby is an 85 year old company that specializes in home selling. Now, understand this, the warranty is what you are buying and of course the sales person's commission. Without that commission, those people wouldn't even be making minimum wage. I used to be a sales person for a different company, but the method of payment is generally the same.
Why I bought it
I have wanted a Kirby since 1985 when one of my girlfriends showed me hers. She cleaned her house, cleaned her walls, defrosted her freezer and showed me how to unplug a clog in a sink with her old Kirby. Wow! I wanted a machine that could do all that. What I didn't know was the price...that put the whole wish on hold until just last year.
The rest of the story
A sales team, group of 3, came to the door of a friend’s house. We were drinking coffee and playing Uno with our kids. She let them in...Ooops! They cleaned her furniture in the living room using these little attachments that show you how much goop is in your furniture. Of course you breathe this and sit on it...it can't be good for you, or your little ones, can it? Then they vacuum the walls and the blades of the ceiling fan. They even clean the wall ornaments. Wow! Finally the grand finale. The carpet shampoo. They first vacuumed the carpet and showed how much dirt was in it. By this time, Chris was so embarrassed that I was there that she was turning all red and getting a little weird. So when they pressed her for a purchase, she simply said she had to buy groceries instead. She really wanted one though. I could tell. I remember the look. The sales pitch took a while. They offered to call in her credit information and set up a payment for low interest...hahaha...etc. She had to say no several times. At that point I suggested they come to my house for an appointment next week. Then they offered to sell me the one they had just demonstrated. I said that was tacky, and they could come clean my living room for free. That broke the tension. The sales people are very pushy...be forewarned if you ever let one into your house, you'll be stuck for a good long while.
Features of the Kirby Gsix 2001 Limited Edition
There is the carpet attachment, the transmission drive system that makes it easier to push and pull, hose and other attachments that are made of a material that is very flexible yet does not compress when the vacuum is turned on, hepa-filter dust bags, (you can get regular bags at the Kirby dealer in your area for less money after the purchase), Carpet shampooing attachment, and shampoo, plant mister, sink unclogger, furniture brush, extension tubes.
Ease of Use
I'll be very honest. I used to have an Electrolux Genesis upright that I really loved. I used it at least 2 times a week or more depending on traffic. It was okay to use, and it did an okay job cleaning...until I saw what it left the day they came to my house and cleaned. We did one of those you use yours, and then I'll go over the area with mine demonstrations...Was I ever amazed...The dirt still came out of my carpet, like I had never vacuumed. Instructions
The Kirby requires a lot of attention, and there is ample hands on instruction by the sales rep as well as a book and a video that come with the machine. The instruction book has very well drawn illustrations that I prefer. The video is really great if you get stuck with a belt or an attachment that you seldom use. The Kirby is easy to use on carpet you just turn it on, click the head down to where the noise changes and one click more, then put the transmission in D and suck up the world of dirt from your carpet. The Kirby is heavy, and I notice that I don't vacuum as frequently as I used to, but it doesn't seem to need it quite as often either...funny. After I do the floors, then I take the carpet attachment off, (some assembly required) and reattach the hose. This is where some people get into trouble. The fans that drive the vacuum are between the hose and the bag, so you can't get coins and other hard objects like you can with a different type of vacuum. Besides, paying for this bugger causes me to do an all out search for stray coins just to buy groceries. (haha) I vacuum the furniture with a special attachment that has brushes and spins. Then I use a different attachment for the walls and ceiling. Finally, I go into the furnace room and clean the furnace fins with the brush. About 2 or 4 times per year, we get into some serious cleaning and shampoo the carpets. The Kirby carpet shampoo comes with the machine and can be purchased at a dealer, is really great stuff, it foams and then soaks into the carpet like dry cleaning fluid but without that nasty naphtha odor. The whole house is fresh smelling once you are done using the shampoo. While we were told we could do the furniture with it, we haven't tried it yet.
Durability
My friend (mentioned in the first paragraph) inherited her machine from her WWII bride mother when she bought a new Kirby in 1985. I think this machine will be an inheritance to one of my two daughters. 'nuf said. The warranty is sufficient and replaces defective manufacture and the motor wearing out before 10 years. Any other breakage, such and coins sucked up and breaking the fan will cost you. Although I haven't experienced any repair costs yet. I'm sure that time will come.
Personal reflections
I have what I wanted. I am very satisfied with the purchase even though I wanted one, I had to have a demo anyway. I felt sorry for the sales lady because she already had my business but had to go through the pitch anyway. I have a payment plan that maybe I should have avoided, but hey, I get to use this machine forever, and the payments will eventually come to an end. Can I use this machine as collateral on a car loan? Hmmmmm? I also felt bad for my friend Chris who really wanted one, yet couldn't fit it into her budget. She's not the "get out of my house, you've been here long enough" type. So the sales people played on that. I have noticed that we have had fewer colds and sinus problems over the past year. Nothing has changed except the Kirby. So maybe for that simple reason, fewer doctor and medicine bills, the Kirby is a worthwhile expense.
Additional information
The Kirby bags cost $11.00 at the dealer for 2 bags. They last a good while and hold a ton of dirt.
The Kirby Company
1920 West 114th St.
Cleveland, OH 44102
Parts and supplies 800-437-7170
Customer relations 800-494-8586
www.kirby.com
e-mail consumer@kirbywhq.com
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