FIXED!!!
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We ended up getting a Shark Ion Robot Vacuum (R85) over the holidays. It’s not as fancy on the mapping front as an iRobot but it does an amazing job getting all the dirt and pet hair up even off our rugs. The best part is how it trains us humans in the house to keep junk like dirty clothes off the floor by getting stuck on them. The part where you just empty it once a day and don’t care about vacuuming on your own is pretty good too.
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High-end, sure. Dyson, avoid. Terrible vacuums.
For real though, the Wirecutter’s top pick of a Shark Navigator has served me well for the past several years. My only problem with it is that it fills quickly with dog hair.
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Same with mine and cat hair. It’s honestly kind of astonishing with that see-through canister how quickly it fills up.
We got a Miele 5-6 (?) years ago best vac we ever had. Thing f’n rocks. Yes, pricey at $700 (when we got it) but damn if it wasn’t worth it. Ironically the dyson/clone we had gotten just before lasted only a few months.
A regular ol’ Dyson is pretty good, but my Dyson Animal Ball is the best at getting up tons of dog hair.
I just had the Miele I inherited from my parents (when they moved into a house with no carpeting) repaired. It’s close to 20 years old, and I remember it cost an arm and a leg when they bought it. $90 repair at a local independent shop and it’ll probably run another decade at least.
We actually use a roomba for day-to-day vacuuming because we’re supremely lazy, and then cruise the Miele around once a month or so when our allergies start acting up because it has a radically better filter. A good filter system represents a $100-200 difference in price, but if you’re dealing with allergies or respiratory problems you really can’t skimp on it… cheap models are worse than nothing, with the junk they suck out of the carpet getting dispersed straight into the air. I think my mom bought the Miele originally because it was one of the first on the market with a HEPA-grade filter, and my dad has both terrible allergies and asthma (in a house with a dog and full carpeting, at the time).
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We’ve had good luck with a Simplicity consumer model. Easy to repair, dustless HEPA bags. Even a bit cheaper than the useless Dysons.
Eh, i’m fine with my crappy vacuum. It does the work pretty well, it might matter more with people with allergies or several pets but it fits my current needs.
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I have a Miele C2 hard floor edition and it is a dream. I bought it after we had the floors refinished a year ago. I still use the old Simplicity upright for the rugs.
An advantage to buying a premium vacuum not mentioned is the fact that they are sold by dealers, so you get service after the sale. A vacuum cleaner needs periodic maintenance and cleaning.
eta: Like vacuums, sewing machines should never be bought online, but through a local dealer. Usually the same one that sells you the vacuum!
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About 20 years ago my mom insisted that we buy a Riccar. And we did. Great decision, up there with my late 80s, early 90s Calphalon pots and pans.
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Yeah, I remember a lot of belt replacements and time in the shop. To me the greatest feature was the anthropomorphic version in The Brave Little Toaster.
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Almost twenty years ago, bought a Hoover Windtunnel when it was top of the Consumer Reports charts. Today, Hoover Windtunnels inhabit the opposite end of those ratings. I don’t know if other brands just outperformed them over time, or the performance of newer models was so much worse. Either way, aside from a handle repair recently, I’m thankful I have no pressing need to drop $400 bucks on a new vacuum (or $1000 if I want the C3!).
I have one that I scrounged from an alley decades ago. I was planning to cut off the cord to use in a DIY project, but I plugged it in and it really sucked.
You can still get the filters and even HEPA filters for the exhaust.
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I did some business related to household health threats and the go to vacuum was the Nilfisk GD930 which, while expensive, is cheaper than the Miehle model and will suck dust mites out of pillows. I’ve had it for over 17 years. It has hepa filtration (99.97% / .3 microns). The lid is one giant filter, plus very effective filtration in the collection bags which are $26 for 10. The cord is long enough that I can cover two rooms and a hallway from one outlet. I put strain on the plug and ultimately decided to replace it (inner wires were starting to show but their insulation was still intact). It was a very easy job to cut, strip and attach these into a sturdier plug end.
I don’t believe I’ve ever needed to replace the pricey lid filter. If you’re doing a heavy job in an area where extreme hepa isn’t necessary, you can temporarily remove it.
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Get a Henry. There’s a reason all the professional cleaners use 'em!
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20 years ago I bought a cheap central vac, and installed it myself. It was less than twice the cost of a canister type (about $600). It’s been the greatest vacuum ever! All the noise and dirt is in the garage and it exhausts outside, so no need for fancy HEPA bags or filters. Has way more power than any stick or canister vac. I only have to carry the hose and head, which is much less to lug around than a canister. And I only have to empty the tank twice a year. To make it extra easy, I mounted it directly over the garbage can’s spot in the garage.
Anyone who can cut and glue PVC tubing can install one in about a day. If you own a house, I would recommend nothing else.
EDIT I just checked online, and found you can buy a whole-house central vac installation kit for under $1000 today. That’s not much more than a canister you’ll still have to replace every few years.
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I have similar types of pots and pans but its by a competing brand (can’t think of it right now), but construction is very close and i love them. Really great purchase. If i were to splurge again on an upgrade for the home it’d probably be better knives.
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I don’t know that I’d be comfortable using one of those without putting on a full face of makeup and high heels. It would feel wrong.
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