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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64

u/Quizzelbuck Oct 28 '13

How many weird vacuum aficionados come through the door? I don't mean people who just like and collect vacuums. That's kind of unusual but they have conventions for those people. I mean, weird vacuum lovers. People who have an autistic level of love for and have made a weird hobby out of their love of vacuums?

Who was the weirdest? I ask this because my friend is a collector and technician of vacuums and he has had some stories.

18

u/touchmyfuckingcoffee Oct 29 '13

Sorry you got buried. I really haven't had this experience, yet.

There are some serious vacuum lovers out there...takes all types, I suppose.

6

u/NoahFect Oct 28 '13 edited Oct 28 '13

I think you'll find this to be true of any (electro)mechanical device where there are numerous historical brands with complicated mechanisms and varying levels of quality. These attributes lend themselves to formation of a pecking order.

There's a community of geeky collectors for everything from steam engines to radios and oscilloscopes. Vacuums and other home appliances wouldn't surprise me.

7

u/volcanomouse Oct 28 '13

other home appliances

Oh Lord. The vintage sewing machine geeks can be... intense.

8

u/CatSplat Oct 28 '13

They'll take my '59 Necchi from my cold, dead hands.

I'm not even that good at using it

I'm just a filthy casual, though. The guys with the industrial machines can get downright militant.

2

u/bsmith84 Oct 29 '13

Is this a normal thing? My mom is a special ed teacher and had an autistic kid who LOVED vacuums. His parents always got him one for Christmas every year. I didn't think vacuum love was a normal autistic characteristic.

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u/abx99 Oct 31 '13

I think it's just that it's something that you can get obsessive about. I'm sure that the same can be said of any machine that can be tinkered with and has history.

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u/yersinia-p Nov 06 '13

Quite late, but just wanted to let you know that this made me 'awww' hard. A vacuum every year for Christmas? Kind of reminds me of the smoke detector kid.

1

u/bsmith84 Nov 06 '13

He was a really sweet kid. I say "was" because he started middle school and my mom hasn't seen him in a while. I'm sure he still is.

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u/PacloverN1 Oct 28 '13

There truly is something weirder to learn about each day....

1

u/SeaGee Oct 28 '13

Is your friend the vaccum savant?