Our current vacuum is potentially the worst vacuum ever, so if it's not repairable, I won't cry. I did extensive research before buying it three years ago - reviews said it was comparable to a Dyson for less than $200, great on pet hair, etc - the reviews lied. It was great for about a month, but then it lost all of its power and gusto - which more recent reviews have mentioned.
So, I need your recommendations:
I know the Dyson DC25 Animal and Bissell Pet Hair Eraser are contenders, but that's where I've stopped. I haven't even done much research this time since my research three years ago was a bust - I'm feeling discouraged in the department I'm the best at: over-thinking a problem. So, good bad and ugly, tell me about your vacuum. I want to hear about them all, but if you found one that conquers the pet hair, PLEASE comment.
It was down to the Dyson Animal and the Bissel Pet Hair Eraser for us as well. We've got a Jack Russell mix who sheds constantly and a Boston Terrier who doesn't shed much but when she does they are tiny little black furs that are almost impossible to suck up with the vacuum.
ReplyDeleteWe ended up getting the Pet Hair Eraser, I just couldn't justify spending so much for the Dyson. It works great, we've had it for over 18 months now and is still going strong.
It was down to the Dyson Animal and the Bissel Pet Hair Eraser for us as well. We've got a Jack Russell mix who sheds constantly and a Boston Terrier who doesn't shed much but when she does they are tiny little black furs that are almost impossible to suck up with the vacuum.
ReplyDeleteWe ended up getting the Pet Hair Eraser, I just couldn't justify spending so much for the Dyson. It works great, we've had it for over 18 months now and is still going strong.
We had to replace our bagless a few weeks ago. My MIL and SIL both recommended this one http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/homecare/brandsforhomecare/eureka/PRD~365954/Eureka+Boss+Smart+Vac+Upright+Vacuum.jsp
ReplyDeleteWe have a German shorthair pointer, so we don't have as much pet hair to deal with. Anyway, we got it for $150 at one of the great Kohls sales. I love it! I found the bagless ones to be messy and a PITA.
we have a dirt devil and i love it. we don't have pet hair though. i love having bagless though
ReplyDeleteI have a Bissell Pet Hair Eraser and hate it. Like yours, it only worked great for about a month. We've had it repaired, we clean it consistently, but it's the worse vacuum we've had. I'm saving my pennies for the Dyson.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what happened to my link. Anyway it's the Eureka® Boss Smart Vac Upright Vacuum. =)
ReplyDeleteThe Dyson is definitely worth the money! (at least to me) We have a German Shepherd puppy and it works GREAT for pet hair. It also works wonderful on tile/wood floors. I would not get the ball one though. The regular Dyson has a bigger canister and I don't think the suction for the ball one is as strong. Be careful vacuuming rugs... I have ruined 2 rugs because the suction was so strong!
ReplyDeleteOne more thing... the animal Dyson comes with additional attachments that work great on the couch and stairs. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have the Dyson animal and love it. We have 2 cats and a dog and I am constantly amazed at how much it pulls up. We've had it about a year now and it's still going strong. You can turn off the spin-brush movement to use on wood floors. We recently cleaned the spin-brush piece and it was SO easy to do since the whole thing slides out. It is definitely worth the money, in my opinion.
ReplyDeletei have the regular dyson from a few years ago (i can't remember what it's called) that we luckily got with wedding giftcards (that sucker was expensive!) and it's worked great for the past few years. it still sucks just as well as it ever did. my only complaints would be that i've noticed it works better on carpet than on wood floors - for the wood floors i find if i just use the hose part to suck up the furballs that works a lot better than using the regular vaccum part. but the suction has always been great (so far!) it's pretty heavy which is annoying, but oh well. good luck with your search - i totally understand how much goldens shed!!
ReplyDeleteI have had a Bissell Pet Hair Eraser for about 18 months and do not like it very well. Like Kari said we clean ours constantly and it still doesn’t work like I think it should. The main pet hair attachment broke in the first month which worked really well on carpeted stairs for the month before it broke. The filter constantly gets clogged with dog hair, even when the dirt canister is not full and I have to take it all apart and get dusty and filthy cleaning it out and putting it back together. I have a Lab so I’m sure I do not have as much dog hair as you do. We also have about ¾ wood floors in our upstairs…so there really isn’t a whole lot to vacuum. My next vacuum will be a Dyson; I’ve heard nothing but good things about them!
ReplyDeleteWe just got this vacuum (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02035922000P?vName=Gifts&cName=GiftableItems&sName=All%20Giftable%20Items&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a) in June.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I really like it. We don't have pets, so I don't know how it would work with pet hair. I love the long cord. I also like the attachments and the long hose. Also, it is a bagged vac. I really like to be able to just toss out a bag rather than dealing with the mess of emptying the bagless variety. Good luck on your vacuum search!
We have had the Dyson Animal for a few years and it works great. I think it is definitely worth the money. I also got it from Bed Bath & Beyond and used a 20% off coupon to save a good bit. It hasn't lost suction, works on all floor types, and does wonders on dog hair. I liked the Animal over the regular Dyson b/c the handle easily detaches in one step to vacuum hard to reach corners or along baseboards, etc. I recommend it...
ReplyDeleteI'm in love with my Dyson - but I do not have a pet. Kids, yes, pets, no. I buy them (I've bought 2) at Costco and when the first one had issues, Costco took it back without even questioning. I didn't bring the box or the attachments - just the vacuum. Gotta love Costco.
ReplyDeleteWe have the Bissell Pet hair eraser and so far so good. I'm sure it's not as great as a dyson, but if it breaks, you can buy almost three more before spending as much as you would on a dyson.
ReplyDeleteDon't get the Bissell!! I would say vacuums are one of the few purchases that the adage 'you get what you pay for' holds true. I don't know if Electrolux has a specific pet hair model, but I would look into those because they are amazing and last forever (my mom has had hers for 29 years and I borrow it all the time because it still works leaps and bounds better than any vacuum we've ever had)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me but we had the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser and we hated it. I didn't think it did a good job removing hair from furniture or the carpet. We'd vacuum twice and still see hair in the carpet. It died a few months ago (who knew cleaning the filters was important?) and we replaced it with a Shark. Much smaller but a lot more powerful and the pet hair attachment is awesome. Although, if I got my way we'd have a Dyson Animal...
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you posted this!! We have shedding problems from our Beagle mix. I was going to put the Bissel on our wedding registry but now I am rethinking that. We currently have an Oreck.. which is okay.. but it can't keep up with the constant shedding!!
ReplyDeleteget the dyson, get the dyson, get the dyson! i can not say it enough. we don't have the animal, we opted for the ball instead. we have two dogs, a toy fox terrier who has annoying little hairs and a black lab mix who sheds enough to make new stuffed animals daily. we've had the dyson for about 5 years now and have not had a single issue and it is still going as strong as it was on day one. it is worth every single penny and if it were even more expensive i would still buy it.
ReplyDeletei guess i'll be different than everyone else... we have the bissel and really like it. we've had it for at least 2 years and have never had any problems with it. we have 2 goldens and 2 long hair cats - so lots and lots of pet fur. we do have to take it apart and clean it every couple of months, but it's not a huge deal. i just couldn't see spending that much money on a dyson.
ReplyDeleteWe have the Dyson Animal Ball and we love it. (Bonus: it's purple!) Montana sheds a fair amount, though probably not as much as Casco, and so far the vacuum has had no issues. And we got it last summer, I believe.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we got it at Macy's on major sale. No matter what vacuum you decide on, it's worth lookin gat Macy's. Definitely check their website and call the store because sometimes they have different prices (the store had it for $100 cheaper than the website). Macy's was the only place where we could find it for anything other than list price.
I am ALL ABOUT my Dirt Devil Featherlite bagless vacuum. It was under $50 at Target and is an amazing steal! My parents actually own two of these - one for upstairs and one for downstairs. Also, Consumer Reports rated it higher than the Dyson, so that doesn't hurt!
ReplyDeleteI have two cats who shed CONSTANTLY so I vacuum quite often. This thing will pick up anything you put in its path and it is super easy to clean. I highly recommend it!!
I love it so much I even blogged about it last month :)
http://pleasecarrieon.blogspot.com/2010/01/this-thing-sucks.html.
Good luck!
See this post.
ReplyDeletehttp://pandagentry.blogspot.com/2010/01/caution-these-images-may-be.html
So the Dyson- but not the animal one. My parents had the animal one and it really wasn't worth the extra $. But the Dyson is worth it. Totally.
ReplyDeleteSo, I did the same research a few years ago since I HATED our stupid, over-priced, actually fell for the door to door salesman speech, canister vac... I looked on consumer reports (this was 2006) and the dyson's were ranked way low. A sear's kenmore vacuum was ranked top in all categories and it was only $200. I love it still. you can come borrow it to try it out if you want - because I don't vacuum as much as I should!
ReplyDeleteI love Miele vacuums, but they can be pretty pricey. They're so worth it though! Especially if you have mixed floors, like some wood, carpet, and rugs, because you can adjust the suction so it doesn't suck your rugs up. You can even use the lightest suction to vacuum blinds and curtains. Their canister vacs are the good ones. I've found that uprights like the Dysons are really heavy and difficult to maneuver, especially on stairs. Also, while with the bagless vac, you don't have to buy new bags, but they are so messy to empty. The Mieles are bagged vacuums.
ReplyDeleteGo with the Bissell!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have two indoor dogs - a weimaraner/lab mix and a miniature schnauzer. The Bissell vacuumm I purchased at WalMart (gasp, it's true!) works MUCH better than the $300 Hoover WindTunnel OR the Kirby I had before. I also have horrible allergies and swear this vacuum's HEPA filter works incredibly good! I'm a serious vacuum-aholic - trust me, the Bissell (bagless) will suck up things that you never imagined were hiding in your carpet!
Let us know which you pick!
This may be a little bit old-school, and definitely not cheap, but I inherited a Rainbow vacuum cleaner from my mom a few years ago and i LOOOOOOOVE it! We have two dogs and a cat, and it works fantastic. All of the little dust particles and hairs get trapped in the water. It's kinda gross in a way, because you can really see how dirty your house is, but you also know that it's WORKING and that the dust isn't being spat back out into the air. You can buy all kinds of awesome attachments for Rainbows, too. I seriously think that I will have this vacuum for life. It's an investment, but SO worth it!
ReplyDeleteWe have a Dyson, but not the pet hair one. We have the pink breast cancer awareness one. We love it. We have a dog and a cat and the vacuum picks up all of the pet hair. I truly have no complaints about the vacuum other than it fills up quickly.
ReplyDeleteMy vacuum isn't the best pet hair picker-uppers. The basket fills too quickly, and occasionally dust shoots out the back end if you use the hose attachment. Gross. I am lusting over the Bissel Pet Hair Eraser, but I don't know much about it other than it sounds fabulous.
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for the Dyson animal! I almost threw up when we were buying it because I could not believe we were spending that much money on a stupid vacuum. Worth.Every.Penny. We have two very furry dogs and two years later I still want to vacuum because I love to see how much that vacuum can suck up. Good luck with your choice!
ReplyDeleteWe have a bissell pet something or other. It isn't bad but not great either. When it dies I think I'll suck it up and spend the money on a dyson. I keep promising Chester the world if he would just stop shedding. I wish there was a shot we could give them to control it.
ReplyDeleteWe went through the same thing several months ago, when the wheels (both of them) fell off of our Eureka Optima. We considered the Pet Hair Eraser, but we had a couple of friends that hated theirs. I was very frustrated by the lack of brushroll on/off switch at the <$200 price point, though I hear that the new Hoover T-series has it. One of the common complaints with the Pet Hair Eraser is that it burned or wore carpet while standing still (e.g. while using attachments).
ReplyDeleteWith pets, bagless is key, as well as a good upholstery attachment and good suction when using the hose/attachments.
We went with the Hoover Windtunnel Bagless, which I like a lot. You can clear clogs from the pleated filter with a hand-crank without removing the filter. It came with a brushroll attachment similar to the Pet Hair Eraser, which is totally ineffective. The upholstery and brush attachments work well, though.
dyson pet hair vac, no contest. i fill the entire canister every. single. day. in my living room alone with my two dogs. it picks up dirt i didn't even know was there. we've had it for about a year and it was worth every penny.
ReplyDeleteif you're wondering whether or not you should listen to me, consider that i have worn my target zebra flats to shreds as well ;)
we have the Dyson ball, but the one with the bigger canister (there are 2 sizes- always opt for the bigger, more expensive! haha). We have 2 dogs, one sheds a lot and the other is a medium shedder. I fill the canister up with one vacuum of the entire house. My only issue is this one couch we have (that we allow them on...)that no matter what I can't get the fur off of. I think it has more to do with the couch than the vacuum. I like having the canister so that I can see when it's full and say "wow, look at all that dirt and fur that was around our house!" Makes me feel accomplished.
ReplyDeleteWOW, apparently I like to talk about my vacuum? Sorry!
We bought the Shark Navigator from BB&B last January. It works really well for us and I have more pet hair than most would believe could come out of two little dogs. I was planning to get the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser, but it was kinda clunky in my opinion. The Navigator is a bit smaller and still much more affordable than the Dyson. Plus, it came with the pet attachments, so I went for it.
ReplyDeleteThe only downside to the Navigator is that the dust cup is pretty small. I have to empty it more than I would like if I do the entire house. But, I usually just do a room or two at a time, so it doesn't bother me. Good luck!
We have a Dyson DC14 - not the pet hair version - just a regular Dyson. We also considered the Bissel Pet Hair Eraser before purchasing the Dyson. I don't know how I can say it more clearly - the Dyson is AMAZING. My mom has the Bissel and I have used hers and there is no comparison. We have a lab and a sheltie/golden retriever mix and there is no shortage of dog hair in our house. The Dyson has a ridiculous suction and get's hair up from the tile, carpet, under furniture, etc. and the attachments work great for furniture, drapes, etc. We purchased our Dyson on closeout from Macy's and were able to apply a coupon and ended up getting a great deal. I may have had a difficult time paying full-price, but there are always sales and would purchase it again with no reservations.
ReplyDeleteI have the Bissell Lift Off and it works well, but probably not as well as a pricey Dyson. It worked fantastic the first couple months and now it just takes a couple more passes to get as clean as it used to but I just attribute it to not having a thorough cleaning. I have 2 border collies so it definitely puts it to the test. One thing I don't enjoy is that it's on the heavy side so I hate carrying it upstairs and can't really justify buying a vacuum for the upstairs.
ReplyDelete