Vacuum cleaner blew up!

[Jim Scott]

Any recommendations prior me going to the library to read the latest 'Which' review? Victorian terrace house - lots of stairs - lots of carpets. Upright vs cylinder : bagless vs bagged.

[ben]

why go the library?

[Set Square]

there will be lots of pressure to continue into the not-free future - and you will be black-listed if you decline.

[ben]

If you can get your hands on a Kirby...buy it. :-)

've had one for 12 years which I bought in a car boot and the only thing that's took the knock in that time is the belt, however it's now needing new brushes. :-)

[Huge]

[ben]

I just use a blouse email addy regards to sites like this, then delete the addy and create another one if spam is evident from them. :-)

[ben]

I don't, He does?

[Derek ^]

Yes, but don't whatever you do call Kirby, and let them send a salesman round.

In our Office we've had a "Henry" cylinder-oid vac that has done sterling service over 15 years.

Huge (in this group) heartily recomends the SEBO, which every day, you don't see.

SWMBO saw an OREC on QVC she fancied, and I said EUREKA, that's it ! "That's that Vac with the funny name I've forgotten" so we ended up with an OREC. 8-(

However, no complaints. It's very powerful and very light, and came with a free minivac, but quite noisy.

DG

[Huge]

We've the builders in at the moment. He reckons a Henry lasts about a year - which given the use they make of it is a bloody good reccomendation.

I certainly do. John Lewis sell them.

[zaax]

Most cleaning companies use a Numatic because they make some of the cheapest and longest lasting vacum cleaner.

[zaax]

Most cleaning companies use a Numatic because they make some of the cheapest and longest lasting vacum cleaner.

[dave stanton]

But if you do, make sure your better half/spouse/partner is there as well otherwise they go ape shit, throw their teddy out of the pram and snatch the free gift back Great Fun !!!

Dave

[Bob Eager]

And then, arrange the seating so that, with salesman as S, husband as H, and wife as W, the angle subtended by H-S-W is a nice obtuse one (say about 140 degrees). Puts them off wonderfully.

[Andy Hall]

Diversions are good as well. If you have a small mobile phone, set it up to call the home landline with one button dialling. Secrete phone in pocket. Press the button and go and answer the phone at key moments.

[Ian Stirling]

"Hello Dad" "No, we've just got a Kirby salesman in". "I diddn't know you had one" "It did what!" "And how many were killed?"

[Peter Parry]

Only GBP1,500 for an old fashioned quite unreliable heavy vacuum cleaner with indifferent performance. Only someone who is seriously demented or vulnerable to their dire sales technique would do this.

I do enjoy Kirby salesdroids though, I've had several and had them vacuum my car and several rooms. They tended to target my elderly neighbours so I usually invited the neighbours over for tea and went to their house to deal with the Kirbys myself. There is nothing more satisfying than having a plastic suited junior Kirby Dellboy salestoad and his "area manageress" sweating as you tell them they have missed a bit on the carpet for the fourth time and you are really interested in what they have to sell.

My record is keeping a pair of them for 6 hours and having half a house cleaned by the junior salesdroid whilst the "manager" made ever more desperate offers to do complex deals.

They go through their whole sorry scare story about bugs about to eat you and then you can say you are really impressed - and will buy one from the USA for $500 the next day.

Well you might, but it isn't even worth $50 never mind $500.

Unfortunately the whole close and adjoining streets no longer seem to get their attention, it seems to have become a kirbyfree zone. Most disappointing.

[david lang]

: bagless vs bagged.

Hi Jim

Uprights are 100% better at cleaning carpet than tubs (cylinder) vacs, but they are a one trick pony. They excell in open areas but can't cope with stairs, the sofa, the car etc. The SEBO is without doubt the best - forget Kirby or VK - overpriced s**te which is pressure sold.

A tub or cylinder vac is hugely versatile; carpet, hard floor, stairs, walls, upholstery, the car, DIY etc. Numatic is far and away the best deal - contract cleaners use nothing else because they just go on and on, withstand all sorts of abuse and are very cheap & easy to repair.

You can buy a powered floor tool for a Numatic either driven by the airflow or a separate motor - then you have the best of both worlds - the cleaning ability of an upright and the versatility of a cylinder.

Don't fall for the 'bagless, no reduction in suction' cobblers. True, bagless cyclone vacs don't lose suction as they fill, but they have a suction level so low that a nearly full bagged Numatic still has better suction.

Also, a bag is an additional filter, so less dust escapes into the atmosphere, easy & clean to empty as well and the cost of bags is very low. Best of all go for a Numatic with HEPA filtration (high efficiency particulate air). Virtually nothing gets through these filters so after a few weeks you can completely forget having to do any dusting.

Something like the Henry Xtra HVX200-22 with its air driven brush or the Henry Micro HVR200M-22 with 99% efficient at 0.8 of a micron. Henry Turbo HVR200T-2 has a power brush.

No commercial connection with SEBO or Numatic. Just 30 years in the game.

Dave

[Jim Scott]

Excellent. Thanks.

[Owain]

If it takes 6 hours to clean half a house it must be a crap vacuum cleaner anyway.

Owain

[Matt]

To eliminate the possibility of confusion on the merits of the various cleaners could you quote the minimum pressure achieved at the nozzle and the corresponding air flow for:

a) a bagless cyclone b) a nearly full bagged Numatic c) an empty Numatic