frustrated with my vacuum

[Blue-EyedLady]

We used wedding money and splurged on an expensive (imo) Eureka vacuum cleaner. I hate it.

DH says that using it is like walking a Great Dane - sometimes it pulls you along, and sometimes it's a huge pain to push.
It has a "power paw" - a cleaning attachment with a beater brush that I thought was a great idea - but it clogs up with my long hair all the time, and fixing it requires disassembling the thing.
I think the final straw may be the self-cleaning duster. I thought the idea of it was super cool, but I've never been able to make that thing work, at all. I've been googling for a half-hour, and can't find anything to help me fix it. I'm trying to get on top of my cleaning, and a self-cleaning electrostatic duster thingy would really help.



Does anyone else have a vacuum like this and actually make it work for their family? Or should I try to get a new one?

[April G]

Thanks for the heads up as we will in the market for a new vacuum in the next year or so... Sorry your vacuum sucks... :giggle I mean doesn't suck? :duck

[Blue-EyedLady]

It picks up dirt off the carpet pretty well - as long as the filters are cleaned.

Oh - and it overheats and shuts itself off before I'm done vacuuming. :mad

[ThreeKids]

Get something cheap until you get it figured out. It's nice to have two vacuums anyhow because, if you vacuum the filters with another vacuum, it works better.

I always go for a cheap vacuum on the premise a cheap vacuum works better in its first year than an expensive one does in its second and I don't feel as bad about throwing it out when I'm not happy with it anymore.

[tigerlily]

I have the yellow Eureka vacuum, except w/o the duster. My power paw attachment doesn't seem to be working at all (it barely spins). If I try to pick up anything of any size, like rice or dry beans, I can feel it spitting pieces back at me. I've seen it blow sand out the back when I've shut it off.:rolleyes If the machine is off I can't push or barely pull it across carpet. Lately it won't pick up anything unless it's minuscule. I had it the other day when it wouldn't clean Goldfish crumbs off my dd's carpet.:hunh

We sound like the black and white part of an infomercial where the lady struggles with whatever tool she is trying to use.:giggle

[Close2MyHeart]

We had an Eureka too. DH hated it ... it just didn't work well. We just bought an electrolux versatility about a month ago & so far we like it. :tu

[Close2MyHeart]

We had an Eureka too. DH hated it ... it just didn't work well. We just bought an electrolux versatility about a month ago & so far we like it. :tu

[klpmommy]

I always go for a cheap vacuum on the premise a cheap vacuum works better in its first year than an expensive one does in its second and I don't feel as bad about throwing it out when I'm not happy with it anymore.

that is what we do-- buy one on sale or clearance and use the bejeebers out of it. B/w three of us with long hair & two dogs that shed we give vacuums a workout. (But don't buy the cheapest ones, they don't work well at all, I find a midline one around $100 on sale works great for us for about 18-24 months)

[Blue-EyedLady]

I thought vacuum cleaners were supposed to last for years and years? :scratch Mom had hers forever. I disappointed that after less than 4 years of infrequent use, I'm looking at replacing ours... :mad

[klpmommy]

things *used* to be built to last forever, now they are being built to outlast an acceptable warranty. :mad

[tigerlily]

Things are made to break, so that you have to get a new one. Otherwise, they wouldn't have your repeat business for 10 or 20 years. The trick is getting it to last just long enough that you are willing to replace it with the same brand.

[ThreeKids]

There used to be a chance to pay out some money and get a great brand, but I've been burned doing that. Expensive items can just as easily break down early or, worse, just not work well, but not be broken enough to kick in the warranty.

Even when I happen on a great item that lasts for a long time, I've found that you can still get burned buying that brand again since the companies change so much by the time you need a new one.

[Mother of Sons]

I'm done with buying cheap vacuum cleaners. I've been doing that for years and all I end up with is a pile of broken vacuums that eventually go live in a landfill. I just bought a pretty spendy one but it has a great warranty, belts are cheap, it's made in the US and the reviews are great and the store I bought it from is close and can service it if needed. So far so good.

[Quiteria]

I read online that they are also built to be inefficient on purpose, so that they can write on the box a higher horsepower (or maybe it was wattage?). Literally, they are made to leak air so they will drain more power so the numbers will make you think they're stronger, but really they're just more wasteful.

[klpmommy]

I read online that they are also built to be inefficient on purpose, so that they can write on the box a higher horsepower (or maybe it was wattage?). Literally, they are made to leak air so they will drain more power so the numbers will make you think they're stronger, but really they're just more wasteful.

that wouldn't surprise me at all.

[Peridot]

We have a Bissel Healthy Home. the one with a Hepa filter. It had a turbo brush attachment that never really worked. :shrug3 But all the filters are washable, and it's a bagless.

That thing is quieter, has better suction, and is easier to maneuver than any vacuum I've ever used. I love it. The canister is clear, so you can SEE what it picks up. It is flat out amazing. We paid a pretty penny for it, maybe $325? But we've had it for 3 years, and I find excuses to vacuum b/c I like it so well. DH was impressed, too. :rockon

My tiny friend says its too big and heavy. I don't. :giggle

I had a Eureka that I paid at least $350 for and it was horrible. It never cleaned well, made lots of noise, and somehow the bag never filled up. :-/ It was junk.