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
You must log in or register to comment.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sebo Felix is always a good option.
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 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.
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
Vacuum cleaners suck.
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 know it’s going to sound counterintuitive, but look for one that really sucks.
If you don’t mind bags get an oreck vacuum.
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.
And here I thought someone was just going to say they all suck. My brain is just wired for terrible jokes…
I second this. Have a Roomba that goes a couple times a week and it is great for picking up cat hair!
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.
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.
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.
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
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?
Dyson, Kirby are great if you can find one secondhand. (They’re also great new, but very expensive).
In Europe, Miele are supposed to be very good.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!”
