aleroluver's Full Review: Kirby G5 Bagged Upright Vacuum
Let me give you some perspective about from where this review comes. I collect vacuums (mostly antiques, some modern) as a hobby... I have about 30 machines in total. I sold vacuums for Sears for two years and sold Kirbys door to door for about three days, and that was 5 years ago. I know more about vacuums than many people care to... still not enough and not as much as some others, but I digress.
About this machine...
I did not buy this vacuum new for 1500 bucks. I got it on Craig's List for 200 bucks. The Kirby is AWESOME. Let me tell you why! It is very powerful. The suction is strong. The shape of the nozzle is part of the secret. It is shaped like a bell and is designed to lift the carpet up so air moves through it. The brushroll isn't too aggressive. It is gentle so it doesn't ruin the carpet. However, the brushroll in conjunction with the nozzle shape and tremendous suction deep clean any carpet.
I LOVE that ALL the controls are toe tap operated. That means that there is no bending or stooping for the switch.
The first thing you notice when operating the Kirby is that there is no annoying handle release pedal. The handle is spring loaded, so you just move it into the operating position and are ready to go. Then, step on the power pedal. Make sure that the height adjustment is raised all the way before starting the Kirby. Once it's on all you need to do is lower the nozzle one notch at a time until the pitch of the machine changes. Perfect height. No going around to the front and sliding sliders or turning knobs. No tipping the machine back or forward to make height adjustments. Then step on the DRIVE pedal and away you go. The Kirby in the drive position only takes two pounds of pressure to move in either direction. This is thanks to the Tech Drive transmission that all G series machines are equipped with. It makes pushing the (very heavy) Kirby on any kind of carpet effortless. It fluffs the nap, makes pet hair, ground in dirt and any other kind of debris disappear. The motor has a nice solid sound. It's not whiny or too loud like cheaper vacuums.
It also has a belt indicator light right on the nozzle so the user always knows if the belt is on and working right. Green means all systems go. If the green light isn't on, the belt needs to be changed.
The brushroll is wood not plastic, so it will last longer. Also, it can be "screwed down" as it wears so full life is achieved from the bristles.
The body is metal so it will last forever. That makes it heavy yes, but it has a transmission so pushing it isn't a big deal. If you need to lift it up and down stairs, you'll build your muscles. What's wrong with that? If you can't do that, maybe you should hire the housekeeping done anyway.
Changing attachments can be a bit of a pain for some people. The carpet nozzle has to be removed and the hose inserted in its place. The whole process takes about 15 seconds. Big deal... if people are too lazy to do that they can use an inferior machine and get inferior results.
The attachments could be better quality. The dusting brush sheds bristles. The straight suction nozzle is very poorly constructed. All plastic, loose seams and actually creaks while using. My crevice tool bent the first time I used it. Not what you'd expect from a 1500 dollar machine.
Bags/belts are not readily available... you must go to a dealer or get them online or at a vac shop. The supermarket or department store will not carry them. They are very good quality though. The bag has excellent filtration abilities. The belt is knurled (textured) on one side so it has more traction on the pulley and brushroll and transfers the power better.
The shampooer is nice because it doesn't soak floors like a traditional "steam" cleaner would. It is dry foam. It cleans well if used properly.
It DOES have a fan first design which is good and bad. That means all the dirt goes through the fan first before hitting the bag. Not a problem unless you enjoy sucking up pebbles, BBs, screws, nuts, bolts, and coins. The fan is made of lexan (a very strong plastic, but it's not metal) and can usually withstand the impact. However, if something does break you will have to take the machine in for service. HOWEVER, fan first vacuums have more suction than vacuums whos dirt path is from the hose to the bag. The Kirby is no exception.
This is a great machine that cleans very well and will last a long time if taken care of properly. You do NOT need to get a second mortgage to own one. They are always in the newspaper or on Ebay (because they are heavy and some people don't like that) for a few hundred dollars. That is how much you would spend on a new plastic machine. There's one difference though... You only have to buy the Kirby once instead of every few years!
BRAND NEW Factory In Retail Package! Genuine EnviroCare Technologies Micro Filtration bags Designed to fit Kirby Upright Generation Series Returns Pol...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.