Home use upright vacuum cleaner? RECOMMENDATIONS? Not Dyson.

[the_benjamin_effect]

Throwing this question to TheSamba members...

I'm about due for a new home vacuum cleaner. The one we have... I have disliked (hated) since first month of ownership about a decade ago.

2000 SgFt home 90% carpet, 2 cats.

Currently owned is the "Dyson Ball Animal". Dyson... Dyson... Dyson...Where do I begin? How have they become so popular?

***Marketing > Product development***

Hold my beer, let me get to the dislikes, and let me get this off my chest...
Suction is REALLY good, like they engineered it to be good, however, the rest of the unit appears to be have been engineered by FisherPrice Toy Co.

CONS:
-Flimsy plastic all over
-"Bagless" catch container, that you have to empty outdoors, because it can create so much dust when emptying in your home. I'd prefer one use "Bags".
-Claim: "No filters to replace, ever". Lies. I had to replace them for the vacuum to work correctly.
-Claim: "The only vacuum that doesn't lose suction". Read claim above. I had to replace the filters to restore lost suction.
-Working hose assembly for nooks & crannies is stiff and kinks easily.
-Electric cord is stiff and always kinks easily, as if it were made of solid copper.
-Did I mention that it is a mess to empty the container, and a "hook" of some sort is needed to empty the container completely?

PROS:
Suction is pretty good. Cleans well. FisherPrice approved plastic all over.

After a year of ownership of this Dyson Animal Ball, I decided to leave a professional, well written review on Dyson's website of what my opinion was. It was reviewed, and I got an email back disclosing it was "not within compony guidelines/policy/blah/blah/etc", and my review would not be posted. Huh? Only post the +4.0 ratings? Got it. (I think I gave it a 2.0 or 2.5 honest review).

So...

What do you recommend?

My needs:
Upright cordered (120v standard cord)
Light residential use, 90% carpet, 2 cats
I like useful "attachments"
No gimmicks
_________________
-1967 Sundial Camper 1914cc "Sunny"
-1978 Deluxe Westfalia Jake Raby built PowerStroke 2109cc "Westy"
-1987 SYNCRO Westfalia GoWesty 2400cc "Ruby"
-2000 Subaru Impreza Sport EJ22 ¼ million miles "Trusty"

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. I.A.M. 751
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U.S. NAVY Retired; Senior Chief Flight Engineer, P-3 Orion and EP-3E Aries II
U.S.S. Carl Vinson, VFA-22, VQ-2, VQ-1, VP-30

[finster]

I would suggest a good condition used kirby vacuum cleaner. solid, powerful, bagged waste and made in usa. I'm saying used rather than new as they are expensive (in uk).

dyson was flavour all the rage a few years ago but they seem to have been replaced by shark as the one to have.

'dyson vacuums suck' should have been their tag line
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[Abscate]

We were a Dyson family for years with 10 kids plus animals, no wait, thst was 11, we must have sucked one or two up. They were great for pet hair s,d long girl hair, but when the battery ones came out we had a $500 one break in year one, and couldn’t get it serviced

We’ve switched to Shark and been happy. We did get a killer atomic deal on a Dyson stick for light pick up in the kitchen last fall and have been happy with it.

I have a Inse in the office that has been good
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[Xevin]

You didn’t mention budget but excellent description of your needs. Judging by the toys in your tagline you probably like having high end tools here are a couple different brands to research. My other advice is go to a real vacuum store and play with the different models. Support your local business. If you are not worried about that. You could support a local business in Portland, and save on sales tax (if you happen to be near by) regardless, usually higher end vacuums have Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) keeping prices fairly regulated across the internet retail landscape. Doesn’t hurt to search. I would be regarded as a pro in this industry. One other tip. Find a retailer that guarantees satisfaction if you can. Meaning you can try it in your environment, carpet pile, pet hair, ergonomics, and etc. There is no one size fits all, if you dig.

https://www.riccar.com/

https://www.sebo.us/
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Keep on Busin'

[my59]

I'd be looking at commercial grade equipment.

We had to get a hepa vac back in '96, to do lead abatement in our house, and there were damn few on the market. A Nilfisk canister unit fit the bill, for something like $750, and I added a gross of bags, having no idea how much you could pack into a bag.
My wife hates it, and I have been beating the snot out of it for decades, using it during renovation projects like a shop vac to suck up plaster chunks, dust, nails, screws, whatever fits. The bag can take about 5 lbs of crap.

We've run thru a variety of cheap uprights, and when they break the Nikfisk comes outta the barn or basement. The only downside is the upholstery brush attachment brush is worn to nubs and wrapped with electrical tape.
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my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget.

[Cusser]

Stay away from Shark !!! Shark doesn't sell replacement parts ! You've been warned.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[iowegian]

You can spray paint your car using a Kirby.

[zerotofifty]

Kirby is the bomb. cast aluminum body, powerful get the type with the paper bag

P3 ... did you fly from Moffatt Field?
Id watch them all the time. Worked at Ames building 244, next to the NASA hanger back in the day

[calvinater]

also you can unclog your drain, keep a supply of belts on hand, kirbies are hungry critters.
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"Albatross"!

[Xevin]

[Abscate]

I had a Sebo someone threw out as it needed recording. It’s an impressive line of kit. I sent it to one of the kids when we downsized
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[Xevin]

[zerotofifty]

Many an old Kirby can be found cheap on Craigslist. they are robust units, readily repairable. I have my moms old kirby, she got it used some 61 years ago. It however does not have the paper bag within the cloth bag, only the cloth bag. get the better ones with the paper bag within the cloth bag, thus better for dust removal, and you wont have to empty it outside. The paper bagless kirby's need to be emptied oitside.
they are very pricey new, nut used ones, even ones mamy decades old can be found, and they still work fine. I think people die and their old kirby still runs so the next of kin sells it. these are lifetime tools. The sherman tank of vacuums,.

[Xevin]

[chrisflstf]

$2100 for a new Kirby

[Xevin]

Many of my customers got rid of their Kirbys because they were too heavy and a pain in the ass to use. A client of my dad, gave us a new Kirby in the 80s. I think mom used it once and went back to her Electrolux vac. Vacuuming was my job in the house and that Kirby was a SOB nobody wanted to use. I think it weighed more than me as a kid
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Keep on Busin'

[dodger tom]

not sure why you want an upright.

my miele canister is well over 20-years old, and runs like it’s new. easy to use. replacement parts readily available.

can’t beat german, air-cooled engineering.
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1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[Xevin]

[OldSchoolVW's]

We have the earlier version of this one:

https://kenmorefloorcare.com/products/vacuums/upright-vacuums/pet-friendly-bagged-upright-vacuum

Excellent suction and filtration. Solidly built. Kenmore now sold by most major retailers ... Home Depot, Lowes, Kohls, etc.
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Tom

"Following distance is proportional to IQ."

"It's okay to think."

"If you don't do it this year, you'll be one year older when you do." Warren Miller

'63 Beetle Sedan
'69 Beetle Sunroof
'70 Beetle Sedan
'73 Type 3 Fastback

[zerotofifty]