Ode to my Shark Vacuum cleaner - how do I hate thee? Let me count the ways

[Belleende]

Is it because you block every time I use you. EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Is it because even after spending 20 minutes unblocking you, then vacuuming after, you block again and spew everything out all over the floor the moment I switch you off, and I then have to do the unblocking rigmarole all over again.

Is it because you block not in one place but in three places, which can take multiple implements and 20 minutes to unblock.

Is it because the brushes are so harsh they have considerably hastened the need to replace the hall and stairs carpet.

Do not do what I did last year on a mumsnet recommendation and get one in the sales, I nearly launched ours out my bedroom window this afternoon.

PS I did post earlier in the thread about how much I hate my shark. First thing I did after I finished swearing at it today was to come on here invent about it with my fellow haters. I knew you’d understand!

Haha @IDoAllMyOwnStunts you have more faith than me. I didn't even attempt pine needle cleaning with the sharky bastard.

This thread has disappointed me. I always assumed a shark was one of those robot cleaners and I imagined it cruising the carpet to the Jaws theme and snaffling bits of dirt in its maw. Now it is very clear that sharks are regular vacuums.

@mama4321 mines the one you've ordered. Just wait till it spits at you.

@nyenc I have been trying to cancel my order today before they even dispatch it! @WanderingHopefully and @NewYearNewTwatName Thanks for the info. I have decided I will send it straight back if it does turn up. It is truly amazing how polarized opinion is . @WanderingHopefully what sort of Sebo do you have? I fancied the Felix but have realised that it doesn't have a "wand" so you can't just reach up to get cobwebs.

My new rose gold Shark Liftaway is fab. Cordless vacuum cleaners are a bag of suction less shite.

I also hate it! Admittedly it's good on carpet. But hard floors? Forget it!!

Oh how I miss my faithful Henry. He's the building industry's favourite for good reason!

[quote mama4321]**@nyenc* I have been trying to cancel my order today before they even dispatch it! @WanderingHopefully and @NewYearNewTwatName Thanks for the info. I have decided I will send it straight back if it does turn up. It is truly amazing how polarized opinion is . @WanderingHopefully* what sort of Sebo do you have? I fancied the Felix but have realised that it doesn't have a "wand" so you can't just reach up to get cobwebs.[/quote]
I've got the X4 pet. Think the X7 is the current version of it. It's not a thing of beauty, it's solid and sturdy looking, and isn't flashy, but bloody hell it's good. We considered taking the Shark to the tip, but it's not very old, so have kept it for wafting around when there's not much to vacuum upstairs. DH, who's not known for having strong opinions on vacuum cleaners, hates the Shark, but actually likes to do the Seboing (result). If you do get one, the bags last forever, I have no idea where all the dog and cat hair goes. When you do empty it, the bags come with seals so no mess. Which certainly can't be said for emptying the teacup sized canister in the Shark

Ah I've found my people!

I've had two Dysons, a Vax, a cordless Bosch, and a Henry in 15 years. All but the Henry were shit.

And I fucking hate heavy Henry, he always twats me on the head when I try to carry him, gets stuck on corners and the break your back pole detaches periodically whilst in use (why doesn't it just clip in?!?) But he sucks like a good un, even when the bag is brimming, and admittedly does an excellent job every time.

The aforementioned more slinky bastards either die (just out of 2 year warranty Dyson), live forever but as a mere ornament- no suck (5 year warranty VAX), or actively make your life harder by allowing you do do the job, then vomitting up your hooverings just when you think you've finished (cordless, bagless Bosch).

I considered the Shark - but found some reviews that said it spat crap out (like the Bosch) and couldn't bear to go through it again.

I've been considering the eufy robovac, but I can't bring myself to fork out until the folks on here that say they're fab have had them a year or two. In the mean time I'll develop muscles like Popeye and keep plodding on with Henry.

My granny had an Electrolux hoover for around 30 yeas. It worked, didn't clog and did the job, why do they make such inferior crap these days? Surely after 100 years of vacuum cleaners they could get it right?

As the owner of two sharks, (corded and non corded) I have to say that you need to

CLEAN THE FILTERS REGULARLY

Otherwise they start to lose suction and when suction drops they block.

I had the blocking issue initially but now I know to keep on top of the filters everything is fine!

@gettingfedupagain I lovingly cleaned and dried the filters, unblocked every crevice possible before we took down the Christmas tree yesterday.

I was hoovering, the needles were being sucked up, but not appearing in the chamber. They were all stuck in the bend just after the head of the hoover. It took all of 30s for the fucker to block again.

This machine can be pimped and preened like a Kardashian, it doesnt matter, it is useless.

Oh I love my Shark, but it tips far too easily, one day it will smash through the TV or something.

I would love a proper old carpet sweeper though.

The thing with cleaning the filter regularly is that it's a revolting job, and I don't want to have to do it. What's wrong with bags? The other thing that bugs me is that the canister is always dirty. It's not like you put in a fresh clean bag, everything smells much better, and you can go again.

I've had loads of vacuum cleaners. The best is the Sebo, then a Panasonic which lasted about 20 years until I lent it to my inlaws who weren't big on cleaning and it died, next a Dyson from the very early days which to be fair lasted well but fainted at the mere thought of a Christmas tree needle. Bottom of the table are the Shark LiftAway and the original GTech Ram, both of which are very flash but utterly useless, especially if you have pets.

@TheGreatWave

Oh I love my Shark, but it tips far too easily, one day it will smash through the TV or something.

I would love a proper old carpet sweeper though.

You can still buy Ewbanks

www.chums.co.uk/Products/AV108/ewbank-carpet-sweeper?SKU=AV108BLAONE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5NGynsT_7QIVbIBQBh0uXA-rEAQYBSABEgICcvD_BwE

But Christmas tree needles are practically designed to block any hoover cord with an angle especially if there's lots of them... I brushed them up from our tree then hoovered afterwards to get any I missed.

I think we have different expectations of what a hoover can do based on that.

I got one last month and have to say not that impressed. It has anti-wrap and hasn't tangled yet but the suction isn't as good as my Miele Hoover and it's heavy.

I think we have different expectations of what a hoover can do based on that

That's right my expectations are based on vacuum cleaners being able to do the job that vacuum cleaners having been doing before baggless cleaners came along. expectations were higher.

I don't and shouldn't have to use extra tools (dust pan and brush/broom) or be covered in crap everytime I empty it every 10 mins, wash filters constantly all just to help a vacuum do its job.

TBH I only every got on with the Dyson MK1 even then though, they couldn't cope with dust the way bagged hovers could as it clogged the filter.

I will only buy bagged hoovers from now on. If something isn't broke don't try and fix it.

We bought a Shark two years ago on the advice of posters on MN. Its the pet hair liftaway one.

Its bloody brilliant. Admittedly DH vacuums far more than I do, but when I do use it I'm always really impressed. Much better than our old Dyson.

The only drawback is it has a tendency to fall over quite often.

NewYearNewTwatName but you have a Christmas tree once a year, it's not like it's a weekly chore of brushing up the needles.

We've no pets and the children have to tidy their floors or at least help before I hoover them so there's nothing to suck up except the dust and the odd Lego brick or similar.

My DGM had a Henry and my DM had a different bagged hoover so I've used them before and I still think the suction on the shark is better. The bags weren't any handier than flipping a switch to empty the dust chamber.

Thanks again @WanderingHopefully

All you cordless shark people - lovers and haters - how do you get on when using it as a handheld ? I have found that there is just about no suction and soon as I try - put on the crevice tool and there's even less. And yes, I do regularly clean the filters.

My old Dyson - one of the early ones that lasted years would suck up anything - which is kind of what I expect from a vaccuum cleaner.

My shark experience is mixed. I have a corded upright which is the actual dogs bollocks, it picks up everything. But it's heavy and cumbersome and falls over a lot.
So to replace the dyson cordless which also sucks like a ninja but lasts about 3 seconds I got a shark cordless.
Well. The battery lasts for a good 20 minutes. Unfortunately the suction on it is appalling. I have to go over a bit on the carpet 3 or 4 times to get it to pick up.
No blockage, clean filters etc, it just doesn't have enough "ooomph".
The motor sounds like a very crap hairdryer.
So, I use the upright Shark for a good clean, the Dyson for a quick clear up and the Shark cordless for cleaning skirting boards, corners etc as the battery lasts so long.
3 bloody appliances!!!! 😲

I’d swept my pine needles up first with a broom (hard floor) as I had a feeling the shark would stage a protest.
The filters were clean, it really had no excuse not to suck up the very few I’d missed. Oh but it did. Like a pp I spotted no dust/needles were in the canister, stopped it and there they all were in a blockage just at the entrance behind the brush head. Wanker!!!! Considering a Henry but wondering if I’ll just get pissed off dragging it around, tripping over the cord whilst it grins at me.

I’ve had the pink shark cordless for a good 3/4 years and whilst it’s been a lil shit for not lasting long and demanding the filters to be cleaned at the most inappropriate times.... I do love it. I agree they do take more caring to get the most out them.

But, I decided to buy a new corded stick one in the sales today and the suction on that one is insane!

The cord is a pain in the arse to wind up at the end but it’s better than waiting over 3 hours charging for a 15 min vacuum.

Happy with my purchase all over again.

I've given in and bought a Harry...it arrives tomorrow and I'm ridiculously excited by this. Can't work out whether to drop kick the fucking shark or try and sell it for spares.

I have a Sebo It's heavy but it has awesome suction. I love cordless but they always break in me after a few years and they are so expensive to keep replacing.

I have sebo upstairs and vax downstairs but the sebo is by far the better one.

I thinking if upgrading the vax to a Henry industrial. We have had builders in the they bring one. The dust that bad boy copes with is remarkable.