Milwaukee Tool 8955 Upright Vacuum

Pros: Allergy filters, extension hose, Turbo mini vacuum, cleaner carpets and floor. Less allergies!
Cons: No "cons" I am absolutely satisfied with it.

After spending roughly $1,100 on 5 (3 Sears Kenmore, one Hoover and one Bissell) vacuums over 12 years we decided to find one that would last for at least 2 years. We have 4 kids, 2 dogs and 5 cats. We wanted one that would take care of all the dander, ...

Pros: Quality construction. Excellent Sucking.
Cons: Poor edge cleaning on one side.

I have had the vacuum almost two years and I am convinced it is a well engineered quality piece of equipment. Looks When evaluating a vacuum looks is not very high on the scale of importance, but my 3 year old loved the sleek black casing with ...

Pros: Durabilty and very powerful. Lots of others.
Cons: Style, it's not sexy. Very basic look.

After lots of online research and several trips to look at vacuums I decided on the Riccar 8955. Several reasons got me to this decision. 1. Durability - This vacuum should last a very long time. Lots of metal and quality built. 2. Made in the ...

Pros: Great at picking up pet hair on all floors and furniture.
Cons: Have not found any yet.

I recently went to the vacuum store to purchase a Dyson Animal. I went to their website and to Epinions to gather as much information about the vacuum before I purchased it. When I informed the salesman that I was looking at the Dyson Animal, he politely ...

Pros: Great Suction, and propels well. Long cord.
Cons: Cover that shows scratches easily

I purchased this vacuum after becoming frustrated with a Panasonic Canister vacuum. It was loosing its suction and was just wearing out. Since purchasing the Panasonic I have moved into a single level dwelling, no more stairs etc. So I was looking to ...

Pros: Great suction, long cord, vacs under the bed
Cons: Expensive $500.

I had looked around for quite sometime for a new vacuum. My house is the dustiest place on earth. I had decided that the Dyson Animal was the one for me. My mother has had a Riccar for about 10 years and just loved it. How can that be? It uses ...

Pros: Industrial quality, powerful suction. Unbelievable 5-year warranty and free annual service
Cons: Hose on the short side. External hose attachment mechanism is not good.

I must begin by pointing out that I'm writing this review after two years of owning this vacuum. So we've certainly been able to put it through its paces and learn of all its quirks. Prior to buying this machine we've gone through a string of vacuums ...

Pros: solid feel, probably, it is built well
Cons: cost, average performance

Well... this will be a bit of a story. I had Eureka WorldVac Vacuum cleaner (Model 9575BT) since 1993. Replaced a motor once after wife got the sock sucked in - Eureka is not a pass through model - hence the result. When the second motor started ...

Pros: Great suction, long cord, 4 year warranty
Cons: Heavier than other vacuums I've owned Expensive but worth every penney

I recently went looking for a new vacuum cleaner as my electrolux died and they wanted $200 to fix it. I went to a local vacuum cleaner shop and the salesman proceeded to ask me what type of floors I had. As I have approximately 60% carpeting and 40% ...

Pros: durable, high resale/trade in value, included 3year service, 5 yr. warranty, great suction
Cons: slightly heavy to carry upstairs,requires bags, upfront cost

My husband and I needed a new vacuum after moving into our first home in 1995. We found ourselves in a repair store that was also a Riccar dealer. We noticed all of the latest models of Bissel, Hoover,etc. lined up on the wall for repair and the ...

Pros: Quality construction. Excellent Sucking.
Cons: Poor edge cleaning on one side

Update Mar 22, 2005 - I have had the vacuum almost two years and I am very happy with it. I have a large shop vac that I use to vacuum my car but, it was not very good at picking up the sand that gets in the rear cargo area (the filter was clean). ...

Pros: Suction, attachments, low profile, and service.
Cons: Not sure on the longevity yet. Be careful not to suck up its own powercord!

I am 25 years old and recently bought a new house. My wife and I own 2 cats. For years (in our past apartments) we had been getting by on a Eureka whirlwind bagless vacuum. My wife and I would go to work covered in cat hair. It was embarrassing to ...

Pros: Did a good job for 1 year
Cons: Don't vacuum anything thats even damp, it will rust on the metal parts.

The product is ok as long as you don't have a dirty house to vacuum. It just can't take any abuse at all. I also have a $100 Panasonic (MC-6810) that was used in the same way and its 5 or so years old and still going strong while the Ricaar has turned into a semi useless tool.

I vacuumed a Damp rug, meaning a rug that had been cleaned with a RugDoctor about 4 hours prior to vacuuming and left the vacuum sitting on the rug. Riccar said that this was considered abuse, thus canceling their warrantee. What this caused was the axel between the rear wheels rusted (a $6.99 part). The axel then cut into the plastic body to the point that the wheels rubbed against the body making it almost impossible to push, the dealer said it would cost more to fix then it was worth but they would allow me $50 on a new one.

Pros: Well-built Excellent suction Great attachments including extension rods 5 year warranty
Cons: A little expensive, but worth the money

I bought this vacuum a couple of years ago. I went into a vacuum store to look at the Miele vacuum and the salesman convinced me to take this one home and try it. Its suction power is amazing. I ended up buying it. I never intended to spend this much for just a vacuum, but it is truly worth every penny. I especially like all the attachments and extension rods. I can even get to those cobwebs on my 20 foot high ceilings. Plus, the extension cord is extra long, so I can do at least two rooms from one outlet. Additionally, it is made in America and comes with a 5 year warranty.

Pros: Solid, strong, with onboard tools and an extendable wand.
Cons: A bit heavy. Attachment hose too short, need to buy the optional 15' hose.

The R500 model is a nice combo of several features from a number of their other models. It has 10amp power, is pretty quiet, and has onboard tools. It is a solid machine with a feel of obvious quality, and this model is designed to be price competitive. We bought it because we have several floor surfaces in our 1895 restored townhome...hardwood floors with oriental rugs, tile, and some fully-carpeted areas. We found the self-adjusting surface height feature very helpful in making the transition from floor to rug. The suction power can be adjusted using a window dial on the attachment hose, and that is a "must" when you try to vacuum a light throw rug!

The headlight is quite bright, and the suction power is impressive. We paid $299 at a vacuum cleaner specialty store, and got a real education on "bagless" models (which is what we originally wanted). Though we've only had it a month, I think we made a good buy.

Pros: -Tremendous suction -Extra long cord included -Built to last
Cons: -Expensive (but worth it)

Shopping online for a new upright discovered that my selected retailer was just a few miles away.

Arrived at the store, but the intended vacuum was not in stock, but could easily be ordered and delivered in a few days.

Sales rep began asking questions about the conditions in place - type of flooring (carpet vs. hardwood), pets, etc.

Saw the sales pitch coming but listened anyway.

Riccar is the best upright I have ever had.

It's construction is much more durable (more metal in the motor vs. plastic), comes loaded with features (auto-carpet height adjustment), extra long cord, and tremendous suction (adjustable).

Having both hardwood and carpet (both berber and plush pile) with a short-haired pet that sheds, this does a GREAT job.

Yes it's more expensive, but it is a quality product that's built to last. Powerful suction that's easily adjustable when needed.

Pros: Superior cleaning, easy to push, sturdy, 5-year warranty.
Cons: A bit pricey.

After doing a lot of research to explain the inadequacy of my top of the line Eureka, I recently bought the 8955 model Riccar. It has proven equal to all the reviews on Epinions: Pushes easily; sturdy but not heavy; better than average suction and brush function for carpets and laminated floors; well designed in many ways for ease of use; great on cat hair; 5-year warranty; modestly priced bags and parts. Department store vacuums are a lot like today's fishing lures, built flashy to catch the consumer's eye. Riccar vacuums are built for function, not style (much like myself). The 8955 is a bit pricey at $559 after trade-in, but I would have spent that much in 5 years replacing department store models that don't hold up--and not gotten the good cleaning I get with the Riccar. I got excellent advice from the owner at Dewey's Vacuum Store in Forest Lake, MN. The owner gave me an honest and patient appraisal of the major brands and their limitations, including the Riccar. I highly recommend this store along with the Riccar 8955.

Pros: superior cleaning, easy to use, American made
Cons: None. Truly worth it.

We have a German shepherd mix and a cat who seem to shed year round. Their fur presents no problem for the Riccar 8955. That was always a problem for other vacuums, although I admit I have never had one as nice as this!

I am particularly impressed with how well it gets the areas around the baseboards. The onboard attachments are easy to use and you can quickly interchange them. The full bag indicator is also great to have. This vacuum has every feature to make vacuuming as quick and effective as possible.

If you are in the Northern VA area, I recommend the Vacuum Store in Winchester, VA. www.winchestervacuumstore.com Just an all around good buying experience.

Pros: Solid well built machine with a filter that really cleans the air.
Cons: The handle could be designed better.

As with most people here, we did not intend on buying something so expensive. We looked at almost every major brand...Hoovers, Eurekas, and Dysons. We hated the bagless vacuums, plus the Hoovers and Eurekas just felt cheap but extremely heavy. Everybody we talked to hated their Dysons, so we upgraded our search to the Orecks, Mieles, and then Ricarr. The first group of vacuums ranged between $350 so we upgrading our search was not a big stretch. We selected the Ricarr because it was a great buy overall..and we love it. The 15ft hose w/turbo stair attachment cleans the stairs beautifully. You would think that with such a long hose, the suction would not be as good, but not true at all. We have 3 dogs and the carpet is hairless! Its only been a few months, but we can tell that the vacuum is definitely doing its job. With 3 dogs running around, I was constantly dusting and vacuuming. Now, with just vacuuming, we've reduced the amount of dust in the air.

Pros: Fantastic suction power
Cons: None

We previously owned a Riccar-had it at least 10 years. We were just going to replace the extension hose but my husband loved the vacuum so much that he decided to spring for a new one! The product is made of high quality materials and superior workmanship. Has many desirable features such as the large capacity disposable filter bag. Works great on both carpets and bare floors. Love the on-board tools. We have been in our home since 1986 and everyone who visits either asks if we clean our carpets professionally on a regular basis or if we recently installed new carpeting. Our carpeting looks like new! I change the bag at least once a month - maybe more since we have a dog and a cat but that's a testimony to the cleaning power of the vacuum.

Pros: Cleaning power, Design, Durability, American made, Warranty
Cons: None

I recently purchased a Riccar 8955 and love this vacuum! I have never owned a vacuum that has the cleaning power of the Riccar. In fact I had never heard of Riccar and was looking to purchase a Dyson or Oreck before doing some research online. I'm glad that I did my homework before rushing out to buy the Dyson or Oreck. They just don't compare to the Riccar. Great marketing for them though. I'm really tough on vacuums and found myself having to purchase a new one just about every year because they'd break or just stop working period. They didn't really clean that great either. Oh what a difference with the Riccar!!! The Riccar is extremely powerful, beautiful, durable, and in my opinion the price is not bad at all considering it comes with a five year warranty but will most likely last ten years or more. Riccar is a finely crafted American made work of art! Worth every penny!

Pros: Heavy duty machine with a 5 year parts and labor warranty.
Cons: Wife says its a little heavy, but she is a small woman(105lbs).

Just picked this up for my wife and it does seem like it will do the job it was made for. I will have to give the Riccar an A+ on this machine