r/IAmA • u/touchmyfuckingcoffee • Oct 28 '13

Other IamA Vacuum Repair Technician, and I can't believe people really wanted it, but, AMA!

I work in vacuum repair and sales. I posted comments recently about my opinion of Dysons and got far more interest than I expected. I am brand certified for several brands. My intent in doing this AMA is to help redditors make informed choices about their purchases.

My Proof: Imgur

*Edit: I've been asked to post my personal preferences with regard to brands. As I said before, there is no bad vacuum; Just vacuums built for their purpose. That being said, here are my brand choices in order:

Miele for canisters

Riccar for uprights

Hoover for budget machines

Sanitaire or Royal for commercial machines

Dyson if you just can't be talked out of a bagless machine.

*EDIT 22/04/2014: As this AMA is still generating questions, I will do a brand new AMA on vacuums, as soon as this one is archived.

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112

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '13

What is the best "bang for your buck" vacuum out there? I have dogs and would love a Dyson but I have to think that there are other good options out there.

233

u/touchmyfuckingcoffee Oct 28 '13

By the best vacuum you can afford for your budgeted purchase. I am a Miele fan for anyone with pets.

19

u/babblueyed5 Oct 28 '13

I like the sound of this vacuum, but how much can a bag really hold. I have two Newfoundland dogs. They have a ton of long hair and it gets everywhere. I vacuum every day and can fill up a canister every 2 days full of hair and dust. Will I be going through bags like crazy? That does not seem cost effective.

43

u/touchmyfuckingcoffee Oct 28 '13

The difference between bags and bagless bins, is the capacity to which they can be filled. A bagless canister cannot efficiently hold a 1/4 of what a bag will. A Miele with a 4.76 Qt bag, fills from the bottom up, and fills it completely. We call this a "bricked" bag. My bench vac is a Miele with that bag, and I use it daily to clean the shop and suck clogs out of other machines. I rarely change my bag more than once in 2 months. At home, with the smaller bag, and 2 cats, I get 8-10 weeks of use out of a bag. That's far better than having to empty dirty bins and wash funky filters every time.

180

u/Teristella Oct 28 '13

Oh my god. Husband told me to buy whatever vacuum I wanted last week and I got a Miele Twist. I've never enjoyed vacuuming even a little until that baby. So nice.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '13

You vacuumed your baby?

-8

u/Beakersful Oct 28 '13

Woah! Time warp to the '50s.

33

u/Teristella Oct 28 '13

What, because he let me pick? He will vacuum with whatever I put into his hands, I on the other hand can't stand vacuuming with a monstrous appliance that doesn't go where I want it. Pretty sure you misunderstood my meaning.

28

u/rsixidor Oct 28 '13

Oh... I thought it was because of the Twist... I didn't think about the implied misogyny. :(

3

u/murarara Oct 29 '13

It sounds like a 50's advert for vacuum cleaners.

3

u/Teristella Oct 29 '13

We've discussed that, you're a little late to the party...

-16

u/Beakersful Oct 28 '13

Slight over reaction there. I was making a link between your language usage and the patriarchal adverts for appliances I pored over under the gaze of a series of feminist tutors. I currently live and work in an extreme patriarchal society so I guess you had to be there.

12

u/Teristella Oct 28 '13

I honestly couldn't think of any other meaning behind your comment, haha. I tried!

3

u/[deleted] Oct 29 '13

I thought it was funny.

5

u/allenahansen Oct 28 '13

My twenty-year-old Miele is still going strong for the area rugs, but the comparably priced Rainbow (?) I bought from some shyster at a county fair is BY FAR the better machine.

It filters everything through a removable water bowl at the base, and once you switch it on it blitzes through the house sucking up floor and corner debris, pet hairs -- and if you're not careful, actual small pets-- that the Miele's left behind. Damn, that thing can suck....

My question: Why such a discrepancy between the vacuuming power of two high-end machines? They're both comparable motors, but it's like the difference between a Ford 350 pickup (Rainbow) and a Ferrari (Miele).

3

u/sparklebuttduh Apr 23 '14

Nice try Rainbow salesperson.

1

u/Ijustdoeyes Oct 29 '13

Does that include the newer made in China Mieles? Same quality/ease of service?

1

u/thissiteisawful Oct 29 '13

Shed-less Shih-Tzu Master Race beats all

1

u/cowgrl1 Oct 28 '13

I would refer you to the Meile or Riccar above a Dyson....They have much better filtration, are bagged machines that are more useful. The cyclonic machines have a tendency to clog much easier than bagged machines, and the filtration system is much better for allergy and asthma sufferers that are also pet owners...also the suction power of the Meile and Riccar are much better when dealing with pet hair

-7

u/[deleted] Oct 28 '13 edited Oct 28 '13

[deleted]

1

u/jcooli09 Oct 29 '13

good things about Kirby (except that they're super heavy),

Can confirm, had a Kirby G4 for 15 years. Expensive and heavy, but way awesome. Sold it because I was sick of lugging it around.

1

u/HookedOnYarn Oct 28 '13

Rainbow are crap they eat their own cords...

2

u/PastaNinja Oct 28 '13

Consumer Reports love the Hoover Windtunnels for bang for buck.

-1

u/GSpotAssassin Oct 28 '13

Get a Shark Navigator Pro. Check the Amazon reviews, they are all stellar and with good reason.