Vacuum Cleaner Buying Guide

I bought a Eureka Boss vacuum cleaner about three years ago. It was extremely cheap. I was impressed with the power and how well that it cleaned for the price. I think we paid around $45 for it at Wal-mart. Well, I'm looking for a new one, why? Not because it died from natural causes; no. My three year old thought it was a piggy bank and decided to insert coins inside the slots to the motor. It was still working fine for about a year after his deposits, with a few sparks flying here and there but nothing dangerous. Until one day, I thought it had died for good. The suction just wasn't working and dirt remained behind. I checked the hose for clogs and sure enough there was two little tikes cars stuck inside. Well, I'm on a search for a new one...

The highest amperage will not provide the most cleaning power. The three most important factors that indicate cleaning power are:

• Suction - indicates the pulling power of a vacuums motor. This is important when you have thick or plush carpeting.
• Airflow - used to pull dirt from your carpet and carry it away. This is measured in cubic feet per minute.
• Brushroll Action - helps your vacuum to pick up pet and human hair. If hair becomes stuck in your unit it can burn out and cause you to replace it every year. Important for mostly carpeted areas.

Upright - For wall-to-wall carpet, an upright vacuum is ideal because it offers more suction than a canister vacuum. Also, their motors are stronger, cleaning paths are wider, and they are more durable overall.

Canister - For a mix of carpet and hard floors, a canister vacuum may be more reasonable. These vacuums generally come with attachments that are ideal for cleaning stairs, upholstery, and curtains.

Bags - Vacuum cleaners which use bags tend to hold more dirt. Also, when emptying the vacuum cleaner the bag releases less dirt back into your home than a unit with a filter. An indicator is made available which will alert you when the bag is full so that you can change it before cleaning is impaired. Some bags are not easy to find and may become out of stock when newer models are available.

Filters (or Bagless)- With a bagless vacuum, all the dirt is collected into a dust cup. The cup fills up extremely quickly. You might have to empty the dust cup going from one room to the next. Some people avoid buying bags by purchasing a vacuum with filters. However, note that filters require cleaning or changing every three months to one year, depending on your use. Replacing a filter in a bagless vacuum cleaner is significantly more expensive than buying bags. It's recommended that you empty these types of filters outside into a trash can. The reason is because cleaning the filter can be messy. Dirt, dust, and allergens can go all over your house. Consider that this will cause multiple trips to empty the dirt cup and this may be an inconvenience if the weather is bad outside.

• Bissell PowerForce Helix is an example of a bagless vacuum. Watch this video from Bissell to see how complicated it is to clean this thing! Holy crap! There are 5 pieces to clean! And you need to wait 24 hours for the parts to dry. Can you imagine having to do this after vacuuming each room?!? This is one of Wal-Mart's top selling vacuum cleaners, but make sure to read people's 1 & 2 star negative reviews mainly on the belt breaking, vacuum filters becoming clogged, height adjustment being locked in place, & the ridiculous 5 pieces that need to be cleaned.

The gentlemen in the right video, with 15 years of experience, says to look for the below three elements in a vacuum cleaner: serpentine style belt, chevron roller, and a manual height adjustment. He recommends the Miele brand from Germany.

Belts - spins the roller bar on your vacuum cleaner. There are old style rubber round belts, flat rubber stretch belt, tooth belt, and the serpentine style belt. The best type of belt is the serpentine style belt. If your vacuum cleaner bar stops working, chances are that the belt has broken. Vacuum cleaner belts do not come standardized. Therefore, you will need to find out what kind of belt your machine has to replace it.

Rollers - located beneath the vacuum's power head which spins to sweep up dust and debris into the machine. There are rollers with the old style rubber beater bar which can come in plastic or metal. While metal is better than plastic, both types when including a beater bar can tear your carpet up. Also, pay attention to where the brushes channel the dirt. Optimally, you want the brushes to channel the dirt to the center of the roller and not to the side. For this reason, the chevron roller is the best type of roller.

Height adjustments - allows the vacuum to be adjusted to the right level depending on the type of carpet or flooring that you are cleaning. The height adjustment can be either a manual or automatic feature. With manual height adjustment, a lever or knob is included which can be raised or lowered. Automatic height adjustments will raise or lower on their own. The best vacuum cleaners have a manual height adjustment feature.

What brands are available in vacuums?

• Bissell
• Dirt Devil
• Dyson
• Eureka
• Hoover
• Kenmore
• LG
• Miele
• Panasonic
• Sebo

How much do you want to spend? The Miele brand above is a bit on pricey side! Vacuum cleaners can range between $50 to upwards of $1000 or more for the newest most advanced models. According to expert village, a vacuum cleaner in the price range of $100 or less will last you about two years at the most. A vacuum in upwards of $300-400 would last between 7-10 years. Upright vacuum cleaners are generally less expensive than canister vacuums. The newer features can increase the cost.

Lower Price Upright Vacuum ($100 or less): includes a suction hose, crevice tool, stair brush, extended wand piece, manual adjustment. Bagless models may include an added feature like a bag indicator light. Some may also include headlamps or bumper protection. They are lacking in advanced filtration systems.

Higher Price Upright Vacuum ($200 to $500): may be true HEPA vacuums, include every available feature, wider cleaning path, dirt sensors, self-propelled, pre-motor filters, sturdier crush resistant suction hoses. Even though they include a lot of gadgets, they may not necessarily be more powerful.

Highest Price Upright Vacuum ($800 & up): vacuum cleaners in this price range can even cost well over $1000 dollars. They can run extremely expensive. Although these vacuum cleaners are so expensive, they may not even perform at the same standard as a much less expensive upright vacuum cleaner.

How does the Canister Vacuum cleaner compare? - ($150 to $1500) When considering price for this type of vacuum cleaner, look for features like HEPA filtration, wheels that won't scuff your floor, onboard tool storage, on & off brushroll. The higher end models will include a power nozzle and suction control switch. Consider things like versatility, warranty, customer service reputation, and bonus features. As with the upright vacuum cleaners, the higher priced canister models do not necessarily provide better cleaning power.

When buying a vacuum cleaner, base your purchasing decision on the features that you need most and this will help to keep your costs down.

The Eureka AirSpeed vacuum is PROVEN to clean carpets BETTER than DYSON! Can your vacuum cleaner hold a 3000 lb. Mazda Miata OFF THE FLOOR?!? Can your vacuum cleaner pick up animal hair and food off the floor? Mine even picks up cereal like cheerios! Dyson can't even do that!! The Eureka with patented AirSpeed technology is perfect for people with pets and kids. The cost of a Eureka AirSpeed is between $98 - $169 versus Dyson which is $500 or more! The choice is SIMPLE! Get a Eureka with AirSpeed Technology!

Read my full review of the Eureka AirSpeed Vacuum cleaner at the following link:

• Best Upright Vacuum Cleaner to Buy - Eureka AirSpeed Technology Review

There are OVER 17 different models of Eureka AirSpeed upright vacuum models to choose from. Here is an example of a great one! Learn about the other Eureka AirSpeed models on my product review page by clicking HERE.

Eureka SuctionSeal Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum AS1104A

• SuctionSeal® Technology
• AirSpeed® Technology
• Never Loses Suction
• Color: Red

This is K-Mart's highest customer satisfaction rated Eureka AirSpeed Vacuum model. Buy it from Eureka on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Please leave your comments below...

What brand and model of vacuum cleaner do you own? Are you happy with it? Does it have bags or filters? What are the negatives about it? Would you recommend it to your friends?