Do you love your vacuum? Please tell me what it is...

[CoddledAsAMommet]

I need a new vacuum but don't know where to start. Our house is a good size but tall and narrow, so lots and lots of stairs! I have a cleaner who says she'd prefer an upright but I've not had one before. What do you think of Dyson? We had one 15 years ago which broke really quickly but I've heard good things since.... Any recommendations welcome!
Thanks

[kimlo]

I've just bought that one from.currys it is much better than the dyson i had before

[ILikeToClean]

Echo Miele cat and dog - I have both a cat and a dog and use it every day! It literally lifts the carpet up it's so powerful - first time I have had a cylinder rather than upright and it has taken some getting used to with manoeuvering but I love the results. Mine came with a special carpet attachment which is fab, we have carpet in the lounge, hall and upstairs, wooden floors everywhere else so I just use the nozzle for the uncarpeted areas. Get one - it's so much better than my previous hoover (Dyson).

[Chocrock]

SEBO - they are the best! I have had it for 5 years which is more than double any of my previous Dyson's ever lasted.

[Matildathecat]

Dyson here, it's fine. Had Miele last time and thought the bags were very expensive even thou I tried to reuse them. Do factor that in.

I also have a GTech for whizzing round quickly. It's light, cordless and absolutely amazing!

[FrigideBarjot]

I have Miele cylinder and I love it almost as much as The DC and definitely more than DH

[Ledkr]

After years of cheap hovers I bought a Miele and have never looked back.
I even slightly enjoy hoovering now.

[PipkinsPal]

I've had my miele for years. When deciding on a new vacuum I read that miele would last the average German family 10 years. I'm not German nor average (just me and the cats) and I've had it for 15+ years. I've buggered up the cable recoil (I changed the plug and it the cable shot back so fast the plug came off and I had to use my tiny hands to retrieve the cable). I buy the bags from a stall in our local market. They are not the originals but do a fab job and are quite reasonable. Next vacuum cleaner I will get - a miele. No contest.

[Ledkr]

Yes to expensive Miele bags though. Am I the only loon who stand there pulling out the dirt from the hole over the wheelie bin yuck.
Wilko do cheap copies that are ok though

[SueFlaysAgainstTheDaleks]

Miele cat and dog here too (for a similar price as the offer on at Currys). Dc have allergies and we have a long haired cat prone to mega shedding.

Much better than any other vacuum we've had previously, though I have to remember to turn it down a couple of notches when I hoover my bedroom or else it lifts some of the parquet flooring up

[SamPull]

We have a Dyson pull-about one (a cyclinder?) A DC-08 I think. I've had it 10 years or so and it is faultless.

I have replaced the filters twice, and have taken the cyclone bit apart three times to clear it out - when you do that it's like a new vacuum - the beauty of Dyson is that there isn't much to go wrong: it's just a motor, some filters and a lot of plastic ducting that you can put in the sink and wash.

It was preposterously expensive but at 10 years old it is still as good as new. I think I had three vacuums in the preceding 10 years that all ended up being scrapped, so it was worth it.

[IceCreamForCrow]

I had a DYSON upright for yhears it was sooo heavy, didn't pick up too well and I hated the look of the see through dust bucket which was chokingly messy to empty. I also think all that filter washing is a faff and I never did it.

After much research bought SEBO X4 Pet and it's everything the Dyson isn't. I love love my SEBO. The only slight criticism I have is that it does topple over sometimes but that could be the payoff for being lighter than the Dyson tank I used to lug about.

I was worried the bags would be expensive (they're not) but they last AGES anyway and I have a pretty big house to keep clean. Because it uses a bag it's cleaner and easier to empty and suction is brilliant. 10/10.

[NanTheWiser]

Another SEBO lover here...

[CoddledAsAMommet]

Ok, so I went for the Miele cat and dog from Currys as it was so discounted. No pets but three kids= 1 dog in mess terms, surely? Was very excited to get it home and had a lovely time vacuuming (must be getting old.)
I had a bit of a poke about in the bag and it's picked up loads, so am very happy. Thanks all!

[Talkinpeace]

Sebo.
My childminders both had them
as did the people from an allergy medical research project who came round
as do the cleaners at my gym
nuff said

[Fluffycloudland77]

I have a miele cat & dog. I buy genuine bags off eBay for £8.

You need to replace the internal filter once a year. I do all the dusting with it too using the little round brush. Love it.

[pmgkt]

One of my clients has a melie cylinder. It is so heavy to use cos the suction is so good!

[Twiddlebum]

I have a hetty! (Would have had a Henry but they ran out)
We have abused the hell out if this Hoover and she keeps going!!! If I'm being lazy I'll Hoover out the ashes from the wood burner! My old dyson wound have rolled over and died aring the thought of that!! Lol most workplaces/builders use Henry's because they are so simple yet brilliant!!! And yes agree that you can do the whole stairs with them!

[VeryStressedMum]

Just got the dyson animal again, I've tried just about every other one under the sun and they were all great in the beginning but quite quickly lost suction and was generally crap so I went back to dyson and I love it.

We have an old one which is about 11 years old and dh uses it when he does work around the house (he does loads, e.g. taking walls down not just putting a shelf up..) and uses the old dyson to Hoover up the plaster dust and all other manner of stuff and it's still going strong.

Finally the stairs and landing are free of dog hair...

[TheDietStartsTomorrow]

I've had a Miele, Dyson, Henry and a Vax and without doubt the Miele was the best one. Even with the cost of the bags it's a lot cheaper than a Dyson. Great suction, sturdy, compact, light and very powerful.

The Dyson was a disappointment. Such a load of hype and an anticlimax. Even now, my mum has a Dyson and when using it, I can feel its suction is significantly less superior than the Miele.

[PigletJohn]

I can get (non-genuine) Miele bags for about £15.50 per ten, including new filter (I have several filters now, which I wash, and swap each time I change the bag) from an online supplier.

I prefer the white or silvery "fleece" ones which work better than the brown paper bags.

For the price, no point it trying to shake out and re-use them. When you first start using a more effective vac, you will collect a lot of fluff and dirt the first time you use it, that the old cleaner left behind, then the amount will reduce dramatically. The bags do also clog from fine dust eventually (or immediately if builders get their hands on them)

[PigletJohn]

p.s.

I am not a great admirer of Currys because their customer service is so awful, but i just had a look on Which and there are several Miele and Bosch best buys in the £160-£170 range, so perhaps Currys were optimistic when they offered it for sale at £299.99 from 18/07/13 to 07/08/13. I don't know if they sold any many at that price.

I should think £170 is a fair price.

[midwifeandmum]

I had a dyson, imo it wasnt worth 299.00
I have got a Vax air 3 - fantastic much better than dyson. It was 250.00 reduced to 169.00 well worth the money and a 6 year guarantee. It can swivel when hoovering round furniture

[OverWintered]

one thing I love about my dyson as opposed to a hover that use bags is "lego retrieval". When I hover up a tiny bit of lego it is easy to have a quick rummage and get it back.

[Bakingnovice]

Piglet can you pm me details if your filter supplier?

Sebo and miele bags of ten seem to be about ten quid on amazon.

[ChrisTheSheep]

We have a Henry too: we love him and he takes a lot of punishment. I've tried other vacuums, but always came back to Henry. My mum has a Dyson, and would probably second the "Emperor's New Clothes" sentiments above: it's good, but it's not that good.