Suggestions for a vacuum cleaner?

[bessy]

Hi everybody I am planning on gifting my sister with a new vacuum cleaner for her house warming party. I have already shortlisted a few from this site https://www.the-vacmaster.ca/ . I am not looking for any particular price range. I just want it to make it last in the long run. If anybody has got any suggestions on this, it would be great.

[Poorboy]

Is this for her house or for her car/garage?

[Accumulator]

bessy- Welcome to Autopia!

Be wary when it comes to Panasonic/Sears canisters. Mine have both had, uhm...issues...with the handle/controls going bad and especially not powering the powerheads (especially the little powerheads made for stairs/etc.). And the wheels on the regular powerheads are *VERY* fragile and once they break off they don`t stay on any more. I bought mine based on a CR recommendation and yeah they vacuum well but the whole finding/replacing parts thing got old fast and *oh man* are they a chore to disassemble for a thorough cleaning (not that I expect many people do that the way I do..).

That "finding replacement parts" has been a *huge* issue with all of my consumer-grade vacuums and extractors, they just aren`t available as little changes in design result in "sorry, can`t fix that any more". Gee, a cynic might think it`s intentional

[rlmccarty2000]

I got a Metro-Vac for Christmas from my wife and, so far, I am not very impressed with its suction or quality. I know you were asking for suggestions, but Metro-Vac at it`s price point should be better. I think they need to look at the new technology on the market. I`ve got a Shark lift-away in the house and the suction is outstanding (and you can get tools for cleaning vehicles for it). You can use the Metro-Vac as a blower so that may figure into the equation. I believe Shark sells a vac just for automotive cleaning.

[GearHead_1]

Ditto on the Sears canister vacuums. Not a good investment. If you are interested in an upright, Kirby makes a great vacuum, they are built like a tank and are made to be repaired and not replaced. They look the same as they did in the 60`s. These are pricey but the real issue is their door to door salesman. If you have a Kirby repair shop in your area and you buy one there you`ll avoid their sales people. I have both Dyson`s best and Kirby`s, the Kirby is a far superior machine though Dyson`s price for a good machine is a great value.

Good old reliable Kirby sweeps away most of the competition

[E-Jag]

Many moons ago I bought my wife a Hoover WindTunnel, which at the time was the highest rated vacuum cleaner among several rating services and the Consumer Reports mags. Problem free. Even now she would probably let me go before the WindTunnel. I believe it`s still the highest rated vacuum out there.

[Accumulator]

I got a Metro-Vac for Christmas from my wife and, so far, I am not very impressed with its suction or quality...

Thanks for posting that...kinda a "the King`s New Clothes" sort of thing since so many people think they`re All That.

And huh, sounds like the Shark Vacuums are a lot better than they were back in the day (I had one of their very first ones, not good).

[Accumulator]

Many moons ago I bought my wife a Hoover WindTunnel, which at the time was the highest rated vacuum cleaner among several rating services and the Consumer Reports mags. Problem free. Even now she would probably let me go before the WindTunnel. I believe it`s still the highest rated vacuum out there.

Huh, guess CR got it right for once! "Blind squirrel finds nut" comes to mind

[E-Jag]

With CR often times it`s "blind squirrel IS a nut" but yeah, they nailed that one.

[Mike lambert]

For the garage, garage vac pro. House I highly recommend Dyson, 20 cats and 2 dogs and my wife can`t kill it!

[ShakingHorizons]

I can`t stand bag-less vacuums, they fill to the brim instantly and ate disgusting to clean after every use! I`m in the market for a new BAGGED vacuum.

[Mike lambert]

I have had the garage vac pro for 3 years, used 7 days a week with no problems. Hepa bags keep all the dust in the vacuum. I use 3 bags a year.

[mustangmike]

Funny, my experience with the Sears canister vacuum has been opposite of what`s been posted so far. I`m on my second one, it`s been going great for over 10 years with no problems. I had another one before the one I have now, it didn`t wear out, I gave it to a relative who needed a vac and bought a new one. I also bought a Sears canister for my son who has been using it for years with no problems. Just saying.

[JBM]

Ive had tri star vacs, electolux, but my favorited for carpets is the oreck. I wouldnt buy anything else.

[RMD]

I was actually researching vacuums most of this evening before hitting autopia, so convenient timing on this post. There are a ton of review sites, some independent, some are basically ads. Recommendations and ratings vary depending on the type of surface you are cleaning, some are made for hard floors, uprights are usually designed for carpets, etc. Focus on what the predominant surfaces are in the house, and you can find the best performers in each price class. Some manufacturers make a range of models geared toward different surfaces, like Miele, which is the way I`m leaning, but that line can get pricey real fast.