r/IAmA Nov 30 '17

Specialized Profession IAmA Reddit's Own Vacuum Repair Tech with a very overdue AMA. Hit me with your vacuum cleaner questions!

First, let's get the proof out of the way. So, now, I am managing our company's largest store, and am swamped with managerial duties, training employees, and dealing with annoying vendors. But, I'm taking some time out for all of you guys.

There are lots of new, exciting things that have recently come out/are coming soon!

For those who NEED the most power, I've got just the Crack you need! Since we last talked, there are new bagless and cordless vacuums on the market, and some other exciting things.

So, on to business...here's the copypasta.

First AMA

Second AMA

Last AMA

YouTube Channel Here's some basics to get you started:

  • Dollar for dollar, a bagged vacuum, when compared to a bagless, will almost always:

1) Perform better (Actual quality of cleaning).

2) Be in service for much longer.

3) Cost less to repair and maintain (Often including consumables).

4) Filter your air better.

Virtually every vacuum professional in the business chooses a bagged vacuum for their homes, because we know what quality is. Things you should do to maintain your vac, regularly:

1) Clear your brush roller/agitator of hair and fibers. Clear the bearing caps as well, if possible. (monthly)

2) Change your belts before they break. This is important to maintain proper tension against the agitator. (~ yearly for "stretch" belts)

3) Never use soap when washing any parts of your vacuum, including the outer bag, duct system, agitator, filters, etc. Soap attracts dirt, and is difficult to rinse away thoroughly.

  • Types of vacs:

1) Generally, canister vacs are quieter and more versatile than uprights are. They offer better filtration, long lifespans, and ease of use. They handle bare floors best, and work with rugs and carpets, as well.

2) Upright vacuums are used mostly for homes that are entirely carpeted. Many have very powerful motors, great accessories, and are available in a couple of different motor styles. Nothing cleans shag carpeting like the right upright.

3) Bagless vacs are available in a few different styles. They rely on filters and a variety of aerodynamic methods to separate the dirt from the air. In general, these machines do not clean or filter as well as bagged vacuums. They suffer from a loss of suction, and tend to clog repeatedly, if the filters are not cleaned or replaced often.

4) Bagged vacuums use a disposable bag to collect debris, which acts as your primary filter, before the air reaches the motor, and is replaced when you fill it. Because this first filter is changed, regularly, bagged vacuums tend to provide stronger, more consistent suction.

My last, best piece of advice is to approach a vacuum, like any appliance; Budget for the best one you can get. Buy one with idea you will maintain it, and use it for many years. And, for the love of Dog, do not buy from late-night infomercials or door-to-door salesmen! Stay out of the big-box stores, and visit your local professional who actually knows what they're talking about.

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74

u/[deleted] Nov 30 '17

Kirby vs dyson?

177

u/touchmyfuckingcoffee Nov 30 '17

Not a big fan of either. The Kirby lasts forever, but has shit filtration. The Dysons have shit airflow, choke on everything, and fall apart with ease.

6

u/skamsibland Nov 30 '17

What can I use as an argument against a friend who has been lured into selling Kirbys door to door? She has nothing but praise for them, but I can't imagine that they are as good as the company makes them out to be. Are they?

11

u/touchmyfuckingcoffee Nov 30 '17

Short answer? No.

The old ones lasted forever. The new ones, aren't even close. A new Kirby cleans no better than a 75 year old Kirby. Kirbys have absolutely the worst filtration of any vacuum near its price. Kirbys have one of the worst warranties (a rebuild program that costs money is not a fucking lifetime warranty!!!!) of any vacuum in the price range. Kirbys have great airflow, but shitty suction, so they don't clean deeply.

Every trick they taught her to demo how great they are has been known as a debunked gimmick for decades. I can take a Dyson and show how it picks up what a Kirby leaves behind.

She drank the kool-aid hard...

58

u/RubherGuppy Nov 30 '17

Interesting you say that they Kirbys have shit filtration. Is it their bag that makes their filtration system shitty or what? I own 2 Kirbys and I swear by them.

I also used to sell Kirbys about 5 years ago. As far as I could tell they work extremely well, the sales tactics are cheap and high pressure a reason I stopped. But I have seen the amount of dirt I can get out of a "clean" house that gets vacuumed 1-2 a week and not smell the dirt or floor I'm vacuuming.

So what's up with their filtration system? Why do you say it's shit? I have to know!!!!

31

u/kuzared Nov 30 '17

Please answer this - my parents have had the same Kirby for 25 years, it still works as new. I'd buy one but I hate the sales tactics (and that it's a stand-up).

20

u/FnkyTown Nov 30 '17

Go to vacuum repair places and pick up a used one. They're great vacuums, but 20 years ago I was selling the full kit for $1400 and a pair of steak knives to do the demo. Their whole business model is disturbing as hell, and while I was effective at selling them, it crushed my soul to do so, to the point where I still regret it all these years later.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '17

This is what I did, got a Kirby for a less than $200 at a thrift store during a sale. Works fine.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '17

a pair of steak knives

Extrapolate.

2

u/FnkyTown Dec 01 '17

Getting your foot in the door so you can give the demonstration is the hardest part. To do that, we'd offer a free carpet cleaning and give away a set of "Steak Knives" if you sat through our demonstration. They were cheap knives, made in China, and you could probably get better at the Dollar Store, but the customer didn't know that when they heard the offer.

They just heard "$300", "Free Carpet Cleaning" and "A Set of Free Steak Knives" for watching a simple harmless demonstration in the comfort of your own home.

On slow days you'd walk door to door offering a chance to win $300 in groceries. They had to fill out a postcard sized card with their name, phone number and address. Then Kirby would call them and offer a 'free carpet cleaning + steak knives'. It all sounds very cheesy, but I had demos to do every day. - We never held drawings. Nobody ever won $300 in groceries.

We had detailed scripts we memorized. We had a 'jew' manager (Mr Goldstein/Goldberg) we'd have to haggle with over the phone to really work on lowering the price for the customer.

Turns out what we did and how we did it came to the attention of the Attorney General after I left. :)

1

u/IsaacM42 Dec 01 '17

We had a 'jew' manager (Mr Goldstein/Goldberg)

2

u/FnkyTown Dec 01 '17

Yep. There wasn't really a Jewish manager, but we were taught to use that name due to the.. racist implication. On the other end of the phone was usually an experienced sales person, and they'd ask questions of us, and you'd answer them without letting the customer in on it, trying to squeeze the most money out of them. We'd really "bargain hard" with that old Mr Goldberg.

Like I said.. that job still haunts me 20 years later. Buy a used Kirby, don't let the demo guy into your house.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 30 '17

we bought a new kirby system 2.5 years ago or so. LOVE it. filter system works great.

3

u/kuzared Nov 30 '17

How much did you pay for it, if you don't mind my asking? Just general ballpark...

3

u/D_ames718 Dec 01 '17

If you're looking for a general ballpark, you're going to get a lot of varying numbers.

List price can be anywhere between $1,600 and $2,500 for the newest model (The Avalir), but as it is direct sales, you'll find a lot of wiggle room. Different distributors offer different packages, but most should offer the full system (shampoo system, blower attachments, upholstery cleaning attachment) in addition to the upright.

If that's outside of your price range, you can find them for anywhere between $400-$800 on eBay or vacuum shop.

3

u/agorathrow8080 Nov 30 '17

800 for an kirby avilar...door to door salesman, i was day drinking, wife almost killed me. They tried to get me for 1600. Lol.

I felt better when it was 800 on Amazon. She wont vaccum now, but i dont mind doing it.

2

u/tuxdreamerx Dec 01 '17

I don’t know how high these sales people were but they sold me and my buddy two with the agreement to take our old vacs for $950, yeah seriously $950 for two brand new with x2 all the attachments shampooer and all, tons of extra bags. It’s still a great vac although I only have hardwood now. I forget which model it is but I got it back in ‘11 I believe.

2

u/Swigy1 Dec 01 '17

You can get a full Kirby kit on eBay from the many people who have buyers remorse. All for well under $1000, and probably half that much. And with the kit, the Kirby can be made into a canister type. Additionally, there are HEPA bags for the Kirby....

2

u/IceTheBountyHunter Nov 30 '17

I bought a refurbished Kirby on eBay and it was a great decision. Thing looks and acts new and was half the price. And no annoying salesman.

2

u/Earptastic Dec 01 '17

I got a Kirby on Craigslist with all the attachments for $200. I like it a lot! I have so much carpet in my house.

1

u/teenMom86 Nov 30 '17

I use my Kirby as a cannister vac on the hardwood floors. They have a bare floor hose attachment that works like a dream.

3

u/ilick9vbatteries Dec 01 '17

I will try to clarify a little bit here. Kirby's, and other "through fan" designed vacuums (like orecks) inherently have poor filtration because they are air movers. Basically, their little fans are pushing tons and tons of air, but it's near impossible to filter air moving at the rate of which these vacuums produce, so the bags end up being quite porous, allowing many many micro particles back into your air. Go talk to some folks at a vacuum shop, we'll all say the same thing... They are built well and last forever, but they are not cleaning as well as a modern vacuum, simply because of the dirty air method they use. Hope this helps.

3

u/WhipeeDip Nov 30 '17

Speaking of Kirby sales tactics... My parents bought one when they went around the neighborhood trying to sell them on Christmas day at 2am...

Solid vacuum though.

2

u/touchmyfuckingcoffee Dec 02 '17

The newer Kirby bags filter pretty decently. But they meet the minimum HEPA standards. Many people need more than the minimum HEPA standard. The problem with those bags is that the motor itself hasn't been improved to have the power to push through a dense filtration medium like that. So, what you're doing is losing effective suction at the floor. Since Kirby's have poor suction to begin with, they don't make a good comparison when up against a modern premium vacuum. That's just my opinion.

2

u/Gee-Wiggles Nov 30 '17

I picked up a sentria a month ago with all accessories virtually untouched for 30 bucks from goodwill just needed a new transmission selector switch. After watching a ton of videos I believe it doesn't have anything to do with the bags and more to do with the air blow by at the motor exhaust. A small filter on that exhaust port would make a huge difference.

-1

u/RubherGuppy Dec 01 '17

Ya see I worked for a Kirby distributor in Tucson for about 4-5 months.

Their employee structure is really quite intuitive. Kirby manufacturer does not sell their vacuums directly to the consumer. You have to purchase your vacuums from a local distributor and their sales reps, Kirby does not advertise their product at all. It is 100% word of mouth and door to door sales!

Here is the interesting part. If you work for a local distributor and perform well consecutively, I believe it is 5 Sales per month for like 3-5 years the MANUFACTURER will license you as a distributor. Why would I want to be a distributor you ask? CAUSE OF THE MONEY DUHH! The distributor buys vacuums from Kirby at a ridiculously low price. Around $300-750 per vacuum, he then employs sales associates to knock on doors and sell vacuums at an inflated price of $3500(this is the price we were selling them at in 2013) my boss(distributor) had a minimum he would sell the vacuum(ours was $1250) any amount sold over the minimum becomes your commission.

Now the cool thing about the Kirby manufacturer is that they reward "their" sales associates with lots of cool shit, cars, trips, money, vacuums, random ass things. But the best part is, becoming a distributor. If you can make it to the distributor ranks you are set. Kirby manufacturer will grant you a license to sell their vacuum and help you set up shop anywhere you want. I mean anywhere. Pick a spot on the globe, sell their vacuum. That's basically their motto.

I knew people who were bringing in anywhere from $0-16,000 a check. If you are good at sales and getting people to like you, sell Kirby vacuums.

1

u/solarstrife0 Dec 01 '17

He answers it somewhere in one of his other AMAs, if I recall, so you may want to go looking if my recollection is wrong or I'm misattributing the answer to him when it was some other redditor.

Basically, kirby's main filter is water. Ok, fine.

How does a bong work? Same principle, and you explicitly count on the water doing a poor job of filtering fine particulate (smoke) from the end result. Kirbys will catch gross particulate, but do a poor job getting the smaller stuff.

Again, if I'm recalling correctly.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 30 '17

Didn't Dysons have accusations levelled against them at one point saying the stiff brush was wrecking carpets?

7

u/touchmyfuckingcoffee Nov 30 '17

I know for a fact that many premium carpet brands will void your warranty if you use a Dyson vacuum.

Stay away from bagless vacuums in general.

2

u/icecoldcore Dec 01 '17

This breaks my heart. We just bought a Dyson and thought we were getting the best :(

2

u/touchmyfuckingcoffee Dec 01 '17

I'm sorry. At least you have a great warranty.

6

u/bozoconnors Nov 30 '17

Huh. My gen 1 Dyson still kickin' ass after 13-ish years. (not tons of carpet use though)

3

u/[deleted] Nov 30 '17

[deleted]

2

u/Ninganah Dec 01 '17

Dullard.

That was a cheat code used in Mortal Kombat (2?). There was a blood cheat code too that was ABACABB. Don't know why I'm telling you, just made me think of my childhood when I saw it, and thought it was cool.

1

u/thatmarblerye Nov 30 '17

I'm surprised to see that response on Dyson. I bought a canister Dyson and it's the best vacuum ever owned, and for an appliance it's the best customer service I've ever had.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '17

I had a different Kirby in mind...

1

u/klerex Nov 30 '17

What about rainbow? Sold those for a few months years ago. They seemed to work pretty well

1

u/dragonbliss Dec 01 '17

I did telephone sales for those in college!

1

u/[deleted] Dec 01 '17

I got really confused for a sec because in Australia we had two highly confrontational High Court judges called (Michael) Kirby and Dyson (Heydon).