On Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:10:34 -0500, DerbyDad03 wrote:



On 12/30/10 6:28 PM, Eric wrote:
It's time to replace the ancient Electrolux (I think it's a model XXX
or model 60. Probably a collectors' item, but the hose has gotten
leaky.) I've seen good advice here on a diverse range of subjects, so
I thought maybe some of you could clarify the current jumble of
over-hyped vacuum cleaners.

Good luck with that. ;-)

Top concerns would be power, reliability, and ease of cleaning. The
old Electrolux wasn't so bad, but I figure there must be vast
improvements in construction and efficiency by now.

Don't count on that either. The newer ones will be lighter, but in all other
ways the older ones are likely better.

I don't need anything on an industrial scale, but I do volunteer
animal rescue work, which does result in way more shredded stuff on
the floor than the typical civilized household. And sawdust from
building stuff for the critters. Nice to have power and capacity for
that. And nice if it's not a nightmare to clean.

Sounds like you need more than one vacuum. A shop vac will be much better at
sawdust and stuff. An upright better at carpets. It depends on what you need.

I've heard mixed reviews of Dyson, so I'm not sure what the real story
is there. Miele seems to be well-regarded but expensive ($300?!). Just
heard someone talking about a low-cost brand called "Emer" but I'm not
familiar.

Any info would be appreciated.

....which brings me to the question, what types of floors?

There's a vacuum cleaner sales/repair shop near me.

I'm thinking of replacing my very old Hoover so I stopped by with the
model number and asked him what I should replace it with. He said there
are basically 3 classes of vacs:

The crap you get at Target & X-Mart for $100 - $200.

The pretty decent stuff in the $250 - $400 range.

The really good stuff at $600 plus.

Pretty much how I see things, except that some of the $600 stuff is just $400
class stuff with a lot of advertising (and I may be generous).

I told him that I really liked the quality of the old Hoover and that
I've tried the crap from Target, etc. He said he had a few uprights
between $250 and $300 that I'd probably be happy with. He carries
Sanitaire & Eureka, but I don't have any specific model numbers.

Eureka has a wide product line. Some of them are the crap you find in K-Mart.
As far as bag vs. bagless, I won't ever buy a bagless. I don't care
about the extra expense for the bags or even the possible loss of
suction as the bag fills up. I can't stand the mess a bagless unit makes
when you empty it. I've got 2 dogs and a cat, so there's lots of dust,
dander and hair that I don't want to see again once it's been sucked up.
We had a bagless min-vac for a while and we threw it out because of the
mess it made when we emptied it.

Funny. SWMBO is exactly the opposite. We have an Orec, but I got an
outstanding deal on it and only use it upstairs (only two bedrooms and a
hall). Since she got the first bagless she won't go back to a bag. She just
empties them out in the garage (into the can). They're *great* for animal
hair.

I'm sure I'll get all kinds of responses related to that issue...so be
it. We tried a bagless and will never buy another one.

We're tech opposite. Go figure.

Why not Google around for a sales/repair shop in your area and find out
what they recommend?