I saw this article on AOL about vacuums; the article itself isn't so interesting as the comments. I learned a lot from the comment section. I found out that many people hate their Dysons.
Now, bear in mind I have a Dyson, and have loved it for, I believe, three years now; this is good, since I paid a lot for it. However, I probably wouldn't buy another one, especially after reading these comments.
Here's the comment that did it for me, from a man who owns a vacuum shop and has worked on all makes and models... keep in mind this is not the actual article, but a comment left in response to the article:
"I own and operate a vacuum shop. I repair ALL brands, so when I give my advice it comes from actual firsthand knowledge.
ANY BAGLESS SWEEPER, INCLUDING DYSON, IS A POOR DESIGN AND WILL SUFFER FROM SUCTION PROBLEMS AND PREMATURE MOTOR FAILURE. It doesn't matter if you paid $50, or $500, bagless is a poor design. Bagless sweepers are NOT A SOLUTION FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM ALLERGIES. They clog almost immediately and the debris, looking for a path of least resistance, blows out of every available crack. I actually charge extra to work on bagless sweepers due to the increased health risk to myself and my employees and the need for extra cleanup...They're just plain gross. When a Dyson comes in for service, the complaint is invariably the same, "It isn't sucking like it used to". Don't be fooled by the clever marketing, or the Brittish accent,...Dyson vacs are completely reliant on filtration.
Also note; Dyson is notorious for having insufficient parts supplies. Depending on what it is, I sometimes wait months for certain Dyson parts.
ANY vac that has the name DIRT DEVIL on it, particularly Bagless models like the one above, are absolute junk. Buy one today and you'll be shopping for another before the year is out.
Electrolux is made by Eureka, which is owned by Electrolux. When you purchase an Electrolux, you are buying a Eureka at double the price...This is a no-brainer.
Hoover products are still good, so long as they aren't bagless.
Kirby makes a solid vac...VERY SOLID, and heavy to boot. I love Kirby customers, because they've already paid through the nose for their vac and therefore don't mind paying me to repair it. I get Kirby vac in for repair daily. Lots of shattered fans and fired switches. Both parts and labor are expensive, so bear that in mind. Bags for the Kirby are also pricey.
For my money, the very most dependable vacs that I sell are Panasonic and Simplicity(the latter is Made In USA). I have sold Panasonic for over 20 years and during that time I have had only 3 warranty failures. That tells it all. Simplicity's 8lb Freedom Upright Series beats the tar out of Oreck, hands down, with 40% more suction and much more durable construction than Oreck. Oreck's reputation is solely due to the enormous amounts of money that Oreck throws into its ad campaign. Oreck sweepers are extremely fragile and easily broken under normal use.
Also, it is a good practice to avoid any vacuum cleaner that seems to have a lot of electronic gadgets/switches/displays. These involve fragile circuit boards that are easily fried by power surges and coming into contact with debris...Simple is better.
You can take or leave my advice, but bear in mind the fact that I repaired over 1000 vacs in 2009 and many more in years previous."
