[jtwrace]

I'm in the market for a new one and thought I'd ask here before I spend some dough.  I'm torn between the lightweight Riccar, Orec and the top of the line Riccar (22 lbs) but it has suction and drives incredibly well.  I'm a total sucker for quality and this thing is amazing.  The lightweight units are $600 with the external vacuum for attachments whereas the big Riccar is $850 but has attachments.  40' cord and 17' hose which is awesome.  I asked the house keeper and she said she doesn't care about the weight. 

I've had a Dyson for the last 12 yrs but not again. 

Here is the Oreck 
http://www.oreck.com/oreck-magnesium-sp-vacuum-cleaner/545.html?cgid=Oreck-Upright-Vacuum-Cleaners&start=6

Here is the lightweight Riccar
http://riccar.com/supralite-premium-r10p

Here is the big daddy Riccar
http://riccar.com/brilliance-deluxe-r30d

[mav52]

The wife and I have owned so many vac's in our 35 years together and what we still have after 23 years is a Oreck.  We had a Dyson animal but it died 4 months after we got it.  The Electrolux crapped after 2 years but that old Oreck keeps working.  So we bought  the same Oreck listed in your link.  And we use the old Oreck for the porch and a backup.  So far no issues with the new Oreck and we have about 1700sqft of tile, 1200 sqft of hardwood and 800 sqft  is carpet. This vac is great on all floors.  Not to mention we get free service tuneups.   The canister vacs like the Dyson, I just got tired and having to empty that clean trash collector , with dust going everywhere and with the Oreck or any bag vac its just change the bag, old school and I like it. .

PS: the Oreck is the  Magnesium® RS

[jtwrace]

The canister vacs like the Dyson, I just got tired and having to empty that clean trash collector , with dust going everywhere and with the Oreck or any bag vac its just change the bag, old school and I like it. .

Yes!  I'm done with bag less for that reason.  The concept is great but it's nasty. 

[Mark Korda]

Hi JT, I have an array of vacuum cleaners that some of have been passed down by family. One was the stand up Oreck.
   The Orecks build is very good, reeks quality. Here are some things I noticed.
   The Oreck has trouble with suction on the sides of the floor and the corners. To clean the rug I have to first go around with a stiff bristled broom to pull out what I just mentioned.
    This one sucks. Underneath the Oreck someone built in a spare belt holder molded into the housing of the vac. Last week my Oreck made a sound like it was ready for Daytona and then a burning smell. I shut it down. The motorized spinning brush looked unharmed and was spinning ok so it had to be a belt or something inside.
   I have almost every tool in the book but to get the bottom of the Oreck off to make a quick repair requires some long shafted screw driver of which kind your blind to, I still can't make out what fitting is required, that I bet only Oreck sells for megabucks. I still have not fixed it yet and run it for short spurts which might be good points for its duribility. I know I could fix it if I had the cost of admission.
   Maybe this model is out dated (OreckXL 2400RS).
   I have an Electrolux with chrome skids and a reuseable bag from the early 40's from my grandmother that still works great and can be serviced. I have no clue about the other vac you mentioned. I hope this helps...Mark Korda

[richidoo]

Once you go Miele you never go back.

http://www.mieleusa.com/

We have a canister, and it really sucks... in a good way!

They make uprights too. German engineering, very quiet, very powerful, thick filtered bags plus separate HEPA filter.


You know you want it... 
http://www.mieleusa.com/MieleMedia/img/products/1147.jpg

[jtwrace]

Once you go Miele you never go back.

http://www.mieleusa.com/

We have a canister, and it really sucks... in a good way!

They make uprights too. German engineering, very quiet, very powerful, thick filtered bags plus separate HEPA filter.


You know you want it... 
http://www.mieleusa.com/MieleMedia/img/products/1147.jpg

Yep, the store I went to has them but he said he wouldn't recommend their upright and I only want an upright. 

[jk@home]

We have a Miele upright, great vac, but it is a monster. Reminds me of the vac in the Mr. Mom movie. Prefer the Oreck myself (which is now the spare vac). For quick jobs, we grab the Hoover Linx cordless, amazing performance from a cordless and easy to navigate around.

[JLM]

UPS tells me that tons of Oreck vacuums are returned.  (I asked after seeing a stack of them when I visited the UPS distribution center.)  Appliances all irk me, as the industry feels that a 10 year lifetime is "good".  At that rate (if you include roofing, windows, carpet, garage door openers, garbage deposals, and the like) you'd be replacing 1 - 2 every year.  The honeymoon is over for our 12 year old house: have replaced exterior garage door opener pad, washer, dryer, string trimmer, and now shopping for a small freezer.

We have a central vacuum system, $1300 when I built the 3500 s.f. house.  All the dust and debris leaves the house, period.  Filters on portable vacuums pass the smallest particles through (those that go deepest into your lungs).  Those particles include bacteria and viruses, the most dangerous to your health.  Worse yet, the vacuum is throwing those small particles back into the air, after they had settled down fairly harmlessly into your carpet.

Companies that advertise HEPA filtrations should all be sued because they just can't be HEPA rated.  I've worked around HEPA filters.  Real HEPA filters must be certified after installation to insure tight fit and that the element didn't rip being installed.  Real HEPA filters have pressure loss gauges and alarms to ensure proper function is maintained.  And real HEPA filters get re-certified annually.  And the size a HEPA filter needed to serve a vacuum cleaner would be the size of closet.

But more important than the vacuum filter is your furnace filter, because air is running through it much more of the time.  Look for the highest possible MERV rating that will fit.  We have a 6 inch thick pleated filter that I change every two years.

[TomS]

Beam central vac here with a Miele canister as a supplement. Great combo 

[jtwrace]

Beam central vac here with a Miele canister as a supplement. Great combo 

You don't find storing a canister vac awkward?  Also, going around furniture and constantly having to position the canister make me 

[TJHUB]

Once you go Miele you never go back.

http://www.mieleusa.com/

We have a canister, and it really sucks... in a good way!

They make uprights too. German engineering, very quiet, very powerful, thick filtered bags plus separate HEPA filter.


You know you want it... 
http://www.mieleusa.com/MieleMedia/img/products/1147.jpg

I bought a Salsa 2 years ago, and it's been awesome in every way.  My only complaint is that it's a little heavy to haul up and down steps (I have a tri-level home), but it has a great handle to use.  I don't miss the central vacs in my last 2 homes at all.  Very nicely made upright, and a great design.

[bummrush]

Our Shark is good.

[S Clark]

Panasonic makes a pretty good unit. First one lasted about 25+ years, now working on the second one.  12A motor yet moderately light weight, repairable. 

[mav52]

Just like in anything,  nothing it perfect and they all break and there are lemons in all products.  .  We replaced out central vacuum system, (what a waste of money on that) with an Oreck.   Like I noted Electrolux  it just didn't suck on tile floors.  The Miele, the wife didn't like dragging a canister around like a dog.  The Miele Dynamic U1, nice vac a little weak on tile when compared to the Oreck but the dealer would not come off his price.  Do what we did, we bought based on warranty and in town service and free vac tunes ups including belts.  Try before you buy just like speakers.

[macrojack]

Another Miele advocate here. We are on our second unit but that is just because we upgraded to a model with a motorized "power head". The old one, originally purchased in 1997, still works fine for cleaning our cars and our rental properties, and could still step up and serve as our primary. As stated above, they are powerful, quiet, reliable and generally user friendly. Both of mine are canisters and the storage consideration is valid but not fatal. A creative guy with engineering chops, like you, should certainly be able to modify a closet space to store a Miele conveniently. Your cleaning lady will thank you. Bags are a little pricey but beautifully made and clean and easy to change. Will definitely caress your quality fetish.

[Don_S]

Last time I purchased a vacuum I went to the Oreck store.  I thought they were very noisy and sounded like they were coming apart.  The reviews I read were not good.

I have a Dyson Animal and I would not recommend it or purchase one again. They are over hyped and over priced. I purchased a Soniclean later.  I vacuumed part of my carpet three times with the Dyson and then once with the Soniclean.  I was disgusted with how much more dirt the Soniclean picked up in just a small area. 

Also the 18' hose on the Dyson is a joke.  After just a few feet it takes two people to use it.  A linebacker to hold the Dyson in place and a second one to stretch the hose. Many times I have pulled the Dyson into furniture or tipped it over trying to reach a spider web on the ceiling or in a corner.

Downside of the Soniclean is there are no attachments so I am forced to keep the Dyson around. I miss my old Hoover Advantage canister with a motorized head.  It was not that great of a vacuum cleaner but I liked the ease of using attachments and how well the slim head fit under the edges of beds and toe-kicks under cabinets.  I also give the Soniclean high marks for reaching places the Dyson won't.

The Soniclean is so cheap when purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon that I find it a worthwhile backup cleaner for when I don't need attachments.  It is lightweight and also god for stairs.

[mresseguie]

We've had a Miele canister for going on three years now. It's got a thick/heavy duty bag that fits/snaps in place which is hassle free. This is easily the best vac we've ever owned. It cleans really well. Two cons: the canister sometimes gets caught on furniture if I am careless, and vacuuming stairs isn't fun. Both cons exist for all canister vacs I have used.

I've never tried their upright models.   

[thunderbrick]

Kirby G4 upright.  Heavy, but built like it should last 100 years.   Love it.

[richidoo]

My Miele canister has swivel casters on all 4 wheels, so it can slide sideways, it's easy to kick it around. It flips over occasionally but much less often than other canisters with non steering rear wheels and single front caster.

For vacuuming stairs (or the whole house for that matter) it is helpful to have several teenagers who need money hanging around at any given moment. 

I did repair it once, when the resident property destroyers somehow made the floor wand fall apart by smashing it into the powerhead socket too hard, probably in revolt of having to do work. Easy permanent repair, no new parts. I've taken the power head apart a few times to get the long hair and girl cooties out. I think we're going on about 10 years. Iirc it cost ~$1k from local dealer.

[jtwrace]

Will definitely caress your quality fetish.