what kind of vacuum cleaner should I get?

I am looking to get a vacuum cleaner, preferably baggless, and preferably under 200. I have hard wood floors, one area rug, a few fully carpeted areas, and some couches I would like to keep clean with it. Which brand and type of vacuum would you recommend?

3 COMMENTS

  1. I got a Bissell Healthy Home about a month ago and I’m very pleased with it. We have a house full of pets (4 cats and 3 dogs) and it is doing a wonderful job with the pet hair!

    It’s got a sealed HEPA filter and filters all kinds of nasties out of the air as it cleans. My middle son has some cat allergies and the last few times he has been here to visit, he’s not sneezed at all.

    It’s solidly built, the on board tools are handy and well designed and bag less. If you look around you may be able to find it for $200; I got mine at Lowe’s for that. It’s normally around $250. Comes with a 5 year warranty and a lifetime belt too.

  2. I repair vacuums for a living so I see the strengths and weaknesses of all types of vacuums. I highly recommend you go for the upper limit of your budget and not the lower. For example, I constantly am repairing $50-100 vacuums that are less then a year old. Of course, that’s not to say that all less-expensive vacuums will do that, especially if you care for them properly, but the chances are much higher.

    Having said that, for that price range I would look into a Hoover Wind Tunnel. Although Hoover is not the amazing brand it used to be, the Wind Tunnel seems to be a decent vacuum, having less problems then the rest. Also, after every vacuum I repair I test it on a strip of carpet by vacuuming up some deodorizer powder. The Wind Tunnel seems to pick up better then most vacuums.

    They also have an option to turn the roller off (for your hard wood) and have on-board tools. If you spend a little more money you can get it with a self-propel option though I wouldn’t recommend spending the extra cash unless you really need it (i.e. recent back surgery).

    Being a repairman, I would also highly suggest you buy a vacuum with bags. They really are not hard to change, are not as messy as most people think, and usually (if following the manufacturer’s recommendations for replacing filters) end up being cheaper.

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