4mo ago

Can someone give me advice on vacuum cleaners?

I know this might seem like an odd question, and this might be the wrong community (if it is, pls tell), but I'm currently looking for a reliable, but very cheap vacuum cleaners.

For years my family just bought the cheapest name brand vacuum that they could find in the nearest store, but they all suck (pun intended) these days. I think most of companies just whitelabel asian vacuums and sell them for as much profit as possible, and the end users end up with vacuums where random plastic clips break and the vacuum just not turning on, directly after the warranty expired.

Our new Philips one just kicked the bucket, and now we try to not repeat our mistakes. Is there any secret brand for our purposes?

We practically vacuum the whole house daily because of the dog hair. We've had bad experiences both with bagless and non-bagless, so that doesn't matter, as long as the bags are reasonably priced. The budget is pretty much what the cheapest supermarket vacuum would cost, and probably not much more.

The vacuum needs to be available in Germany.

I hope theres some good household tech out there anymore, god I love capitalism so much

If you have any questions, let me know

74 comments

We used to have the same problem. Years ago, a relative recommended a Miele canister-style. They were pretty pricey, but took a chance. It could practically pull the floorboards up (fortunately, the power level is adjustable). It lasted forever.
Replaced it with the same brand. Apparently, some models are now made overseas and use cheaper components, but the higher-end models are still made in Germany. Totally worth it.
- Seconding this, buy a miele. Here in europe they are not even that pricey. I paid an equivalent of about 200€ for mine three years ago and it was worth it. If you're in Germany you should be able to find an used one.
  
  Third Miele. Might be a bit more than the usual, but some things you have to pay more to avoid having to buy cheap two or three times. I love the adjustable power, so you can clean delicate things or stuff that would get sucked up easily. The full power isn't all that loud either compared to others we've had.
- I bought a Miele S8 off marketplace about 5 years ago. After I bought it, I did some research and found the same thing you did. The S8 was the most powerful vacuum that Miele ever made, and used a motor made in Germany. After that model they replaced it with the C3 that is almost identical except uses a Chinese motor.
- Miele C3 Complete
  /thread
  10x better than a dyson. Great attatchments, never clogs, very good particle filter, powerful as fuck, attachments have hair grabbing fabric used on old anti-lint brushes so scrubbing at spots matted with hair (dog on a welcome mat), everything is made of very thick plastic that won't break off, head is fully rotatable (as long as the head fits under furniture, you can completely vacuum under).
  We have even used it sucking up dust and stones in our renovation sometimes and it hasn't affected it at all.

How are they dying? The only issues I tend to run into are the belt wearing or people sucking up shit that gets them clogged. Every time one of our vacuums stops working, my wife is about to order a new one and I disassemble the broken one and find it's full of tape and bread ties and fabric scraps and, naturally, dog hair. I have to do this all the freaking time because neither my wife nor kids gives any fucks what they suck up.
I haven't had one actually break in years and we buy cheaper vacuums, so I would look into a full disassembly and cleaning out the guts and cutting hair off the roller before necessarily seeking a replacement. If you've already done that, then fair enough, but I've brought back dead vacuums at least a dozen times.
- Mostly little plastic clips and pieces. This includes: The connectors for the pipe, the wheels of both the hoover and the head, the opening mechanism, the wall plug, the mechanism for winding up the cable, the mechanism for adjusting the pipe length.
  All pretty minor, but at some point it's just a pain to continue using it, and we decide to retire it, for our own sanity
  
  That does sound annoying. Especially the cord winder, I forgot I did run into that and it wasn't worth messing with it. Idk why your experience is so different but good luck in your search!

Dyson is overpriced trash.
- I have a v8 Animal for casual stuff that’s like seven years old or something and I love it very much. It was 300USD on sale and I wouldn’t vacuum anywhere near as much if I didn’t have it.
  That said, for a corded vacuum, I 100% would go for a canister bag vacuum. They’re infinitely better than bagless and last forever.
- I agree. I maintained a dyson (I think it was a V6) for a couple of years. They are generally designed so well, it literally pokes your eye where they made the materials extra thin to break earlier (for example the pipe connection mechanism and the electrical connectors)
  I gave up when the main body started to break. Using a Philips now. Better in many ways but still far from perfect.
  The availability of spare parts is really good though for dysons. Lot of cheap stuff on Amazon and eBay. Buying a spare battery for the Philips for example is much harder.

If you’re planning to use it every day, I suggest you consider investing a bit more and get a good one! Spend your money where you spend your time
- The term my husband uses is, “Buy it nice, or buy it twice!”

I got a Miele a few years ago and love it it's a little pricy, but they are well made and have good warranties. A vacuum repair person recommended the brand to me saying that when they do finally break, they are much easier repair.
- But are their current models still good, or have they also gone down the profit maximising route?
  
  Looks like they are still very good. I have the C1 which is still made in Germany. I wouldn't buy a model made in China, regardless of manufacturer, but to each their own.
  https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/comments/1cban91/miele_vacuum_worth_the_cost/
  https://www.rtings.com/vacuum/reviews/miele
  The biggest knock Rtings has us the cost of operation (filter and bag replacements) but you can get reusable options for both. I have two very sheddy dogs and one reusable bag has worked fine as long as I've owned the vacuum.
  Advice for any purchase really that I learned far to late, cheap is expensive. A $400 vacuum that is made well, repairable, and will run for 20+ years is better than a new $120 vacuum every 5 years.
  
  Sebo is more reliable these days, I'm really happy with mine.

I remember seeing a post on Reddit from some vacuum repair guy and the overall takeaway I'm pretty sure was get a miele
I don't have strong opinions on vacuums in general, we don't have much carpet in our house, I have a roborock s7 on our first floor to clean and mop, but that's all tile and hardwood and an s6 that runs in our basement that is the thinnest cheapest carpet known to man. For our second floor and stairs, we have a shark lift away. It seems to work well enough, I like it being cordless, and the lift away setup is nice for the stairs. Had it for a couple years now and we've been happy so far. If you have a bigger house or more carpet than we do though, the batter life way disappoint you.
- I asked him (the vacuum repair guy) about a specific model for ellergic people and got the same answer, Miele. Got one and it's the best vacuum I ever had, still works perfectly well, it's just a bit scratched after some 10 years.
  Lightweight and with all the filters for allergies too btw.
  On a side note, he said keep away from dyson because it's crap.
- I think his name was /u/donttouchmyfuckingcoffee. His occasional vacuum AMAs were pretty interesting.

We went to a little shop that repairs vacuums and such and found an old Electrolux cannister vacuum from the 70s or 80s for relatively cheap. Apparently they are quite popular with people who clean houses professionally as they last a long time and are repairable. It's a bit of a pain to drag around the cannister but really not too bad over all and works very well.
- Not the OP, but that's a great idea.
  Like the OP, my spouse and I have become quite tired of those (overpriced) full-plastic pseudo brands that are worth shit, and we're also not that interested in connected robotic battery-powered vacuums either. I will check around if I can find some good old school wired vacuum, and also ask my local thrift store owner if they have any idea where I could find some around here.
  
  This was a few years ago but I was able to google something like "vacuum repair" to find this place where we got ours. They had lots of used repaired ones but we had to hunt around the shop a bit til we found the one we liked

They all suck.

Vacuum cleaners suck.

Try a Henry. I'm in the US, where getting one for cheap seems quite difficult. Within Europe, though? You'll probably have better luck. Henry's known for reliability and longevity, while also being easy on budget. Some of the most expensive ones are just £200. They're even on sale right now.
They're also just cute.

Vorwerk Kobolds are great. Find a used one. I have a 20 year old one. I took it apart an was pleasantly surprised at the quality and design. Vorwerk makes the Thermomix, so you know they are quality stuff. I'm also a Miele fan. In my old house my entire kitchen was Miele. Never a problem, not one in years. Pricy, yes. Worth it definitely.
- There's also the Vorwerk Tiger. That's a whole nother beast of a vacuum cleaner

We hada Philips and a Dyson, which were in our opinion trash. We now have a Nilfisk for the last five/six years, holds really well.

Since you are in Germany, buy a sebo. Great power and supposedly inexpensive since they are made in Germany. Some of them come with 10 year warranties and replacement parts are readily available.
Also if you want repairability, do not buy a Shark. They have 900 models and getting replacement parts can be extremely hard because they don't make the same model for very long. Dyson is slightly better in that regard but not much.
- I second this, OP. I have a sebo, I'm very happy with it.

Get on eBay and pick up a used Miele canister vac. The C1 is underpowered but C2 and 3 are good
You can get brand new but scratched items for €70 or so.
They haven't gone downhill, they're still excellent quality
Henry also makes incredibly reliable vacs, but they're a horrible design and fall over constantly, as well as catching on every corner
- Gotta second the Miele. We have the C3 and it is fantastic. Our friend who is allergic to cats barely had any trouble when she comes over because of that vacuum, she even ended up buying one too.
  They are expensive so hopefully you can find a used one. There are also places that will repair them, so you don’t need to trash them if something breaks.

These very well could be out of your price range, but I really encourage you to consider a robot vacuum. https://valetudo.cloud/pages/general/supported-robots.html
I got my first one back in 2017 and they're wonderful.
- Yes this.
  Check out the don't vacuum me site and pick a 'hackable' robot. Add Valetudo and you're set.
  Using a Roborock S6 here, started by home assistant when no one is home.
  For the occasional jobs/accidents, we use a Hyundai cordless. Really robust, easy to clean and properly designed.
- And here I thought someone was just going to say they all suck. My brain is just wired for terrible jokes...
- Third. Love my roomba, works well to keep the dog hair to a minimum. We've also got a Shark which is also great. Both were quite expensive but I'd say worth it. I love not having to hoover regularly but having the shark for spot jobs and upstairs now and then really helps too.
- Wish that was an option, but the animals wouldn't want to share they're space with robots I'm afraid.
  
  I have to say I never use my I robot vacuum...it's terrible loud and goes over the same place constantly. I'm very meh over the 2023 model.
- I second this. Have a Roomba that goes a couple times a week and it is great for picking up cat hair!

They come in two power settings: high, and low. And both of them will rip your dick off.
- What a wierd way to describe the power settings of a vacuum cleaner...
  Is there like a different vacuum cleaner?

I previously had the Roborock S4, and upgraded to a Roborock S8 with the auto-emptying dock last year. I have a husky mix, and so my home gets quite hairy. Having a robot vacuum that can empty itself without me having to really do much is a lifesaver. Roborock also offers spare parts, and you can take these machines apart to fix them, if the need arises; none of my machines have ever broken down though.
You don't need to connect the robot to the app, but I don't think you get the scheduling functionality without it. You can of course always just press the button to start it manually, and that's what I've been doing most of the time since I want it running when I'm out and that time window tends to shift a bit.
Yesterday I also learned that there's OSS you can flash onto the machine to decouple it from Xiaomi's stuff, which I think is great.
- Is it Valetudo?
  
  Aye. I didn’t look deeply into it but it’s nice that it exists.

I don't have a specific vacuum recommendation, but here is a trustworthy ratings site that covers them.
https://www.rtings.com/vacuum
Also, look at Amazon bestsellers rankings. There are different types of vacuums (upright, canister, stick, etc.).
I have a Dyson v8 and a Dyson v11 and have no complaints except for long term battery life.
I also have a shark little portable shop vac, the messmaster. It's also very handy.

Honestly, they all suck.. I'll see myself out
- New riddle unlocked:
  What sucks, when it doesn't suck?

Sebo Felix is always a good option.

I don’t know whether it’s available in Germany but the Oreck XL is a reliable bagged upright. No fancy tubes or attachments. No adjusting for carpet height or bare floors. Just a simple straightforward light, reliable vacuum.
My folks have had one for years, they have a dog. My sibling got one that had been used daily in a small business for years, works great for their pets. I picked one up at an estate sale, replaced the brush roller and it works like new. We have a long haired cat that leaves tumbleweeds in its wake.

Miele is always a safe bet. We bought a Bosch modular vacuum with a wall mounted charging station. It's battery powered and you can swap the battery with your power drill. A little pricey but worth the quality. Especially the rug brush that used to be exclusive to Vorwerk vacuums.
- Yup, just get Miele it's not gonna be cheap, but chances are you are not going to need to buy another one.

If you don't mind bags get an oreck vacuum.

Unfortunately may be out of your budget, but I have a Dyson V10 "animal" (this includes all kind of accessories for dog hairs) and it is super powerful, light, etc. but may be too expensive for you. There's all kind of new version like V15 etc.
Else the Shark one are not that bad and cheaper.
- I've heard good things about Dyson, but no way a normal family is able to afford such a thing
  
  I have a Dyson. It's really quite terrible with weak suction. I got it free from my sister-in-law when it "broke". It took me an hour to disassemble it and clear out all the clogged sections. In order to keep it working it needs a full disassemble and cleaning around once a year. It's an excellent example of a shitty design.
  My other vacuum is one I got 18 years ago that still works well. The brand has since gone to shit so I can't recommend them now.
  What to look for:
  First look at the amps on the bottom. Amps = suction power. The more amps it draws the stronger the motor is.
  Second you want a beater bar. This is the belt driven part that spins. This makes the vacuum much more effective on carpet. It gets pet hair a lot better.
  Third you want something with common easily replaced air filters. These clog easily and need to be replaced constantly. Look for machines with oversized filters.
  And last, look for something simple to break apart and fix that you can find affordable replacement parts for online. Fixing a broken vacuum is generally pretty simple.
  These are generally midrange machines not the cheapest but not the most expensive. In the long-term these tend to be the most economical in terms of performance/cost.
  
  We have a Dyson rechargeable for small pickups. It's nice, but nowhere near worth the hype. Lots of ABS and technology that is legit, but hardly revolutionary like they claim. I also had to replace the power-tool style battery after about three years, which is fair but unremarkable for a plastic box full of 18650 cells.
  
  Dyson's are overpriced pieces of shit. They are about gimmicks and often perform worse than other brands. What they lack in performance they make up in their advertising budget.
  I personally have a Shark vacuum that I got on sale at Costco. It was $200 cheaper than the Dyson and much lighter.

I was never satisfied with home vacuum cleaners. At some point I needed a shop vac for sludge and I bought a kärcher Wd3. It's big and loud but cost/effectiveness ratio is unreachable by any home vac.

I know it’s going to sound counterintuitive, but look for one that really sucks.

It's not a full size vacuum, but I just picked up a Roomie Tec Stick Vacuum during Prime days for $45. I just looked on amazon.de, and there's only one Roomie Tec vacuum, not the same as above, but it's been good enough for a 500+sqft basement with a few throw rugs and 2 cats worth of fur.

Have you tried used vacuums from op shops/ thrift stores/ flea markets?
New vacuums in the budget category are not built to stand up to daily use. It may be worthwhile to look for a secondhand premium brand.
- What used options would be good to keep an eye out for?
  
  In Europe, Miele are supposed to be very good.
  
  Dyson, Kirby are great if you can find one secondhand. (They’re also great new, but very expensive).

Take one from Bosch-Siemens. Medium price, excellent quality, long life.
- I think Bosch is really a mixed bag. They probably have some good ones, but they seem to also follow the plastic china vacuum route
  
  they seem to also follow the plastic china vacuum route
  Tell me one such model please?

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