Dyson...

"I also find the "no dust when changing bags" info about the Miele interesting."



The reason this works is that the bag and hose interface is very tight and there is a plastic mechanism that close the bag's opening when you lift the bag out. The bags are made of a soft plastic pliable material that let's air through but nothing else. It's really well designed. They switched from paper bags to plastic bags a few years ago. The motor and cabinet have been very durable and I get the feeling I could use the vac another 20 years. It seems to well on our hard floors also.



I might add another nice feature is how repairable everything is. You can take apart the floor suction head and clean them out which comes in handy after a couple of month's use. It's all designed to have easy to replace belt drives (ours have held up perfectly over the years) and to take out the threads and hairs that inevitably get wrapped around the roller head. Also, the HEPA filters are very effective and last 1-1.5 years. That keeps any nasty smells from being blown out of the vacuum. So you wind up with a quiet, stink free vacuum.
 
We bought a new vacuum about 6 months ago, I went in planning on spending $200 or so. We looked around in that range and found a Hoover that worked really well, had easy attatchments etc. Then, I saw the Dysons. I'd always wondered how they worked.



So the salesman now beaming that I might be interested in a Dyson set up a side by side test for me on the test carpet with coffee grinds and kitty litter ground in with his shoe and I used the Hoover we picked out for $150 and the $500 Dyson (the best one).



Was the Dyson better? Sure. They say it vacuums in one swipe and it does, push forward and the dirt is gone, pulling back isn't neccisary. The Hoover on the other hand got 85% of the dirt on the push forward and the rest on the pull back. I pull back anyways because thats what brings the nap in the carpet up. I bought the Hoover.



Sure its a great vacuum, but 3.3 times better? Not at all.
 
Steve,



You can find Dysons for $400 at Target and Home Depot. I suspect you tried the Animal edition that picks up pet hair. Still, I agree it is pricey.
 
Lowejackson said:
I remember reading some report which indicated vacuum cleaners tended to work better on carpets or hard floors but very few worked well on both
Click to expand...



This has been my experience. You shouldn't use a "beater" brush type of machine on hardwood. You should should use a true "vacuum". The problem is a true vacuum doesn't perform well on deep plush pile type carpets (this is where the "beater" brush type of vacuum comes into play). My house has a very high % of hardwood with very plush, deep pile carpet in the bedrooms. The solution...two "vacuum" cleaners. A dedicated higher end canister style specifically designed for hardwood floors with flat rubber coated wheels (no marring or indentions) made by Panasonic and a middle of the road upright bagless from hoover for the carpet. The canister is awesome for the hardwood. The hoover is marginal (when it dies I will get something different). The Dyson always looks interesting.



Oh yeah...completely agree about the consumer reports comment on audio equipment...their recommendations are notoriously horrible. Very limited manufacturers are reviewed and price point with the best manufacturer specs. always wins their approval. The best equipment for the money never wins (heck most of the better equipment isn't even reviewed).
 
SilverLexus- Thanks for posting that info on the Miele's bag changing. With my allergies I always wish I had a hazmat suit when I change the bags in some of our vacumes.
 
I bought a Dyson Animal to replace my defunct Kenmore cannister w/bag. It was too much money and hassle to repair the Kenmore. I feel it has superior cleaning and it is very flexible and easy to use for all surfaces. I also found that the 1 1/4" accesories from Ridgid (car nozzle and mini attachment kit for tight places etc) fit just fine to the Dyson and that I don't need to purchase a shop vac just to use these handy little tools. I suspect that these accessories might fit other vacuums as well. 1 1/4" might be an industry standard. For about 13 bucks, I was able to use my Dyson to really clean the car in all those tight little spaces on the dash etc. Although I mostly likely will get a shop vac in the future, I have found this to be an excellent adaptation for the money.
 
"This has been my experience. You shouldn't use a "beater" brush type of machine on hardwood. You should should use a true "vacuum"."



This is where the Miele excells - you take off the power brush and put on the hardwood floor brush. It takes seconds and works well.
 
I have the Dyson Animal, and I really like mine. It's amazing how much stuff gets picked up, when the carpet already looks clean! If I had to get bags for it, I'd be replacing the bag after every other use!



My Dyson also came with attachments, including a hardwood floor brush.



I got mine for $440, which isn't bad compared to the cost of a Kirby. Now THAT'S expensive! :eek:
 
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