Vacuum Recommendations??

[Laura_A]

We need a new vacuum and I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation. I would like a light-weight model that works VERY well on pet hair. We have a German Shepherd and she leaves hair everywhere. I don't want to spend a fortune, but I'll pay if it's worth it. TIA!

[terrab]

I have a German Shepherd mix and after buying several cheaper vacuums we finally splurged on the Dyson one specifically for pets. It even has a brush attachment that we use every once and a while. Dyson's are pricey... but IMO worth it. Wish we wouldn't have bothered with all of the cheaper ones we bought before.

[kelley]

I'm no help since I don't have pets, but I definitely would have to second Terra in that Dyson's are worth the extra - I've went through SOOO many cheap vacuums.

[farrijc]

I have a dyson, too - it's not the one specifically for pets. I am definitely happy with how it picks up the dog hair, I bought it when I replaced a lot of our carpet with wood floors. I will say that I'm not in love with the hose... it doesn't want to extend the way I want it to, it's just awkward.

[MamaBee]

I have an Oreck... the same as my mom - they have a chocolate lab and this is the only vacuum that my mom will use... it has a 20 year warranty or something, and every year we take it in to get a once over, they replace the bag - all for free.

[FireWolf]

I also reccommend a Dyson...but it is NOT lightweight. With 4 cats, a wolf-hybrid and a Bernese Mountain dog I needed the best I could get. We tried different, cheaper and more lightweight vacuums for many years and finally just invested in the Dyson because we were having to replace the others every year practically. My Dyson is almost 4 years old and still going strong.

[luckyme]

I have a Dyson animal vacuum and it does a great job!
http://www.english.dysoncanada.ca/st...uct=DC43-IRSPU

I have the one with the ball, like this:


I also keep a Bissell pet-hair hand vac at the ready and tucked behind my end table at all times so that I can quickly go over my sofas. I have a black cat AND a white cat so everything shows! This little vac does a GREAT job on sofas!
http://canada.bissell.com/Products/c...c/Product.aspx

[Arual]

Originally Posted by iciclelady

I have a Dyson animal vacuum and it does a great job!
http://www.english.dysoncanada.ca/st...uct=DC43-IRSPU

I have the one with the ball, like this:


I also keep a Bissell pet-hair hand vac at the ready and tucked behind my end table at all times so that I can quickly go over my sofas. I have a black cat AND a white cat so everything shows! This little vac does a GREAT job on sofas!
http://canada.bissell.com/Products/c...c/Product.aspx

I too am a Dyson lover. I have the same Dyson animal vac as the one above! It works beautifully really, and I love that the hose is so easily accessible, as I use it daily. I also love that it's so easy to turn off the brush bar. The only thing I don't really like about it, is the short cord length. With my prior vacuum, I could do a large area without having to unplug and relocate.

I will say however that I had/have a vacuum that I LOVED LOVED LOVED *except* for the MESS factor... and that was the Bissell Pet vac! It was about 200 bucks or so and it was the best vac EVER as far as suckin up what it was suppose to, leaving my carpets and floors lookin' so perry and clean - HOWEVER, the *ONLY* reason I got rid of it (it's now being used at my daughters apartment) is because I HATED the way it made a dusty mess every single time you emptied the container!!! It is what I call an 'open top' container - you flip a lever to unlock it and then pull out the container, pretty simple stuff, but then once you pull that container out, there is no lid so the dust n whatever goes all over ... AND then to clean out the top container (it's a double container thingy, which is why it works so very very very well) you encountered another mess!!! My friend loved mine so much though that she went and bought one, mess and all, because really it is worth enduring the mess - if you take it outside to empty it. But, I wasn't willing, anymore, to take it outside and I can't do it inside as I have two people here who have severe health issues and the dust etc being put back into the home wasn't an option either.


So.... if your willing to endure a little bit of a mess... and want a pet vac that is cheaper than the dyson.... well, the Bissell is awesome. I also LOVED that it has a VERY long cord!

[jessica31876]

No clue what mine is....I think a Bissel? Oh heck I dont know. It works pretty well but it also was not what I would call cheap. Not nearly as much as a Dyson but also not bottom of the line either.

[lingovise]

i've had the Dyson Animal for 4 years and have never had any issues with it. without a doubt, absolutely worth every penny. i'd never own anything else and highly recommend it

[emmasmommy]

we have a dyson as well. I <3 her

[DoodleBop]

I don't have any pets unless you count my kiddos, but I do love my Dyson! 6 years and going strong! <3

[SmallMoments]

We have had our Panasonic vacuum for almost 11 years and it's going strong. It's been through a golden retriever, a shepherd mix, and our current dog (who is low-shedding, but he still tears paper up all the time!). They don't make our model anymore- a Panasonic Performance Plus Platinum, but there are other models out there with great reviews.

My parents purchased it for us for our wedding. The guy at the vacuum shop said everyone wants a Dyson but this one is much better than a Dyson. It's convinced me!

[Julie Billingsley]

Originally Posted by SmallMoments

The guy at the vacuum shop said everyone wants a Dyson but this one is much better than a Dyson. It's convinced me!

I have a Dyson, and it's alright. It's about 7 years old, so maybe they've improved since then. However, I went to a vacuum store with a friend about a year ago, and they demonstrated several vacs and compared it to the Dyson (which they also sold). There are several vacs that are so much better than the Dyson for about the same price. When it's time for a new vac (which might be soon, because mine is running really rough) I will be looking at other brands as well. I do say I love the fact it doesn't need bags. I have a dog that sheds and I would fill a bag a week. So whatever I get in the future must be bagless!

[maryinaz]

We have a new puppy and I just bought a new vacuum.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_386714-73823...roduct_price|0 It works on carpet and floors.

So far it works great - one of my must-haves on a vacuum is automatic rewind and there aren't that many that have it. On the box it says it beats a couple of Dysons for half the price.

[Laura_A]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. I had heard so many people say Dyson was the way to go. Unfortunately, I can't justify the cost if I can find something that works as well for less...and I think I have.

My Aunt has a Dyson and hates it. lol She did some research and purchased a Shark Navigator and said it works BETTER than her Dyson. I had another friend recommend the Shark, so I did some research. I didn't find one negative review and my Aunt's opinion carries a lot of weight with me so I decided on the Shark Navigator Lift Away Pro. I have three levels with carpet and 2 sets of stairs, so lightweight was important as well as maneuverablilty. The Shark is MUCH lighter than my old vacuum but not as light as some. However, it has a really cool "lift away" feature...the canister comes off and can attach to either a bare floor attachment to which you can connect a washable, microfiber dust pad that works like a swiffer after the vacuum has sucked up all the bigger stuff or to the pet hair power head that you can use on furniture and stairs. That sold me. It also has a switch to turn off the beater bar (is that what it's called?) so you can run over hard surfaces without using the bare floor attachment.



Even better, I found it at Walmart for $178 with a $20 Gift Card with purchase. Score! I got it home and put it together (super easy, no tools needed) and immediately did my kitchen and living room floors...LOVE! The suction is ridiculously strong, but adjustable and it was so easy to get under my coffee table and around other furniture. Today I tackle the stairs which will be the deciding factor on whether I adore this vacuum or just like it.

Thanks again for all your recommendations and for reading my novel here. lol

[Sarah8914]

ohh, thanks for this post! My hubby just asked if I wanted a dyson because there are some black friday deals but I still don't want to spend that much. I have a cheap bissell which has been okay, but it seems to be failing me lately and I'm not really super happy with it. I'll probably keep it a little longer, but I'm happy to see other options. That vacuum looks pretty great! I hope it works wells!!

[meganmecrazy]

Not sure how much the dyson is but Miele canister vacuums are amazing!!!

[Tree City]

That Shark does look lightweight, and if you have stairs, you need that! We have a Dyson and I love it. LOVE IT! (But we don't have pets and we don't have stairs.) My parents have had cats in their home every single one of the 29 years they've lived in their house. You can't get away from the cat hair. Anyway, she's been saying she needs a vacuum (and they have stairs--but her knees are bad), so I'm definitely going to recommend this to her. So thanks for posting this--I think I've found what my dad can surprise my mom with in January (because if he bought it for her for Christmas instead of the usual jewelry he gets her, I think she might scream at him. And then at me for suggesting it!)

[Laura_A]

Originally Posted by Tree City

That Shark does look lightweight, and if you have stairs, you need that! We have a Dyson and I love it. LOVE IT! (But we don't have pets and we don't have stairs.) My parents have had cats in their home every single one of the 29 years they've lived in their house. You can't get away from the cat hair. Anyway, she's been saying she needs a vacuum (and they have stairs--but her knees are bad), so I'm definitely going to recommend this to her. So thanks for posting this--I think I've found what my dad can surprise my mom with in January (because if he bought it for her for Christmas instead of the usual jewelry he gets her, I think she might scream at him. And then at me for suggesting it!)

HEHE, yes...no cleaning tools for Christmas! lol Glad I could help!