Is there a good vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost $800??

[ShiroKuro]

We need a new vacuum cleaner. Our current one was purchased in 2008 and it’s nearing its last days. But I really don’t want to pay $800 for the Cadillac of vacuum cleaners…

We have hard wood floors and fairly thick/deep carpet as well, so that’s the part that makes it tricky, because it would need to work well on both surfaces. Upright or canister would be fine (although I prefer canister). And I don’t think we want cordless, they don’t seem to last long enough or have enough power.

Oh, and no, we don’t want or need a robot vacuum.

Does anyone have a good vacuum cleaner that won’t break the bank, that you would recommend?

[AndyD]

https://www.myhenry.com/machines

Henry are excellent. We've had others including eg.Vax but I'd buy another Henry Xtra without hesitation

If storage space is minimal, check out Miele which a daughter has.
https://www.miele.co.uk/category/1016466/vacuum-cleaners?origin=serp_auto

[wtg]

OMG, the Henry is so cute! I've never heard of the brand before, but they are available in the US. Apparently made by Numatic.

I thought Miele products were through the stratosphere price-wise, but I see on Abt's website that there are some affordable models available.

As for a recommendation....we have a couple of ancient Dysons but I wouldn't recommend their current crop. I bought one at Costco a few years ago and returned it because it had some pretty basic design flaws, especially when it comes to pet hair. I just keep using the ones we have.

[Rontuner]

Some years back it was time to buy a new vacuum and we asked our cleaning person what she liked to use most in client homes. She recommended the Shark Professional and it is still going strong. Upright with lots of options. I see CNN also has Shark as one of the top options: https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-upright-vacuum-cleaner Their top pick is around $150 on Amazon right now.

Ours comes apart to use similar to a canister too.

[wtg]

@Rontuner said in Is there a good vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost $800??:

Their top pick is around $150 on Amazon right now.

camelcamelcamel confirms that's a great price!

https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B0091JG0LY

[ShiroKuro]

Thanks for the recommendations, I’ll take a look!!

[ShiroKuro]

Mr SK agrees that Henry is the cutest!

[Big_Al]

I would second Rontuner's suggestion of a Shark. We've been relatively happy with the two we've owned. Be sure to register the 5-year warranty, though. A latch broke on our first one and couldn't be replaced/repaired so it was replaced with the new model under the warranty. It cleans very well on carpets and hard floors .

Big Al

[ShiroKuro]

I’ll check out Shark for sure. I was hoping to buy from a physical store but the options are quite limited. It looks like BB carries Shark, and Walmart may as well. They also carry Kenmore, which I note no one here has recommended!

[wtg]

@ShiroKuro said in Is there a good vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost $800??:

They also carry Kenmore, which I note no one here has recommended!

Guides to who makes Kenmore appliances:

https://reviewed.usatoday.com/home-outdoors/features/ask-the-experts-who-makes-kenmore

Kenmore vacuums are made by Cleva, an American company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Cleva was founded in 2007 and the company sells wet and dry vacuum cleaners for homes and gardens and also supplies them to other brands like Kenmore.

Before 2016, Kenmore had a contract with Panasonic, which ended that year. Since then, Cleva has been making the Kenmore vacuums.

https://whomakethis.com/where-are-kenmore-appliances-made/#Where_are_Kenmore_Vacuums_Made

[Mik]

Our cleaning ladies always bought Simplicity. We have one and it's good, but a little heavy. We now mostly use this Dyson and love it. Very light, very versatile. On sale now for $500.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1PX36JB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Big_Al]

@ShiroKuro said in Is there a good vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost $800??:

I’ll check out Shark for sure. I was hoping to buy from a physical store but the options are quite limited. It looks like BB carries Shark, and Walmart may as well. They also carry Kenmore, which I note no one here has recommended!

Are you looking for a bagged or bagless vacuum cleaner? I noted that the four highest-rated bagged models in the current Consumer Reports tests are all Kenmores, while among bagless models the top rated models are a Dyson, a Kenmore, and then five Shark models.

Big Al

[Daniel]

The base model canister Miele goes as low as $279 sometimes on Amazon.

[ShiroKuro]

@Big_Al i think bagged is better for air quality.

@Daniel I’ll take a look, thanks.

[Big_Al]

After I posted, I noticed your preference for a canister type. Going back to Consumer Reports, their top rated model is a very expensive Miele, followed by seven Kenmore models in the bagged category and a Miele, Kenmore, and another Miele in the bagless category. Beyond those, the ratings decline quite a bit.

It could be worth your while to get the reviews, given the large number of models available and the mixture of features.

Big Al

[AndyD]

I wouldn't buy another Dyson. The push pull one we had needed unblocking attention; and didn't cope with pet hair that well. Also disliked emptying the canister, much preferring a well designed change bag.
Vax were quite heavy, paper bags ok, but I know of two where the flex pipes broke including ours... due to pulling the heavy orange bit; and our turbo attachment broke. Changing it to suck water was a pain.

Shame Henry varieties are not widely available for you. Used widely by professional cleaners and the trades in the UK. Light, small, reliable, excellent design including the bag.
We have two HXtras and an Hwash!

[Mik]

By the way, our Dyson is WONDERFUL for stairs.

[Rontuner]

Bagged is the way to go if you aren't willing to clean the filters on those bagless machines.
Our Oreck was light and worked great, but was LOUD!
We had a Riccar bagged canister with a natural brush add-on that was great on wood floors. Don't think they make it anymore...
We have a Dyson that we use for daily light cleaning, but really miss the brush option that the Riccar had for the smooth floors.

More reading - https://www.realsimple.com/best-canister-vacuums-7558430

[AdagioM]

I bought a new vacuum earlier this year at Costco. It’s a Shark Navigator. It has a setting for hardwoods and a setting for carpet. The first time I used it, I was amazed/horrified by how much it picked up. There’s a lot of cat hair at our house.

It’s a bagless canister. I like that because I empty it every time I use it. I can ignore a hidden bag for way too long!

I don’t know how durable it’s going to be, but at $150 or so, I’ll be happy with it for long enough.

[Big_Al]

The Shark Navigator Professional NV360 model is currently on sale for $99.99 at Target.

Big Al