Good vacuum cleaner

[bullacc]

Can anyone recommend a good vacuum cleaner ?
I know where to find vacuum cleaners in Helsinki, but i simply have no idea what to look for, they are all exactly the same to me - i'm... not very good when it comes to evaluating hardware, actually, i might say i'm disastrous...

I'm interested in something relatively powerful, so that it can remove dust & stuff even from carpets, easy to use, with a long power cord, and most importantly - as small as possible, without skimping on the other factors.

I bought a hand-held Electrolux 2 weeks ago, with the idea that it's small and convenient - problem was, it's only good to vacuum one room, fast, with one battery charge. Afterwards you have to recharge it again, and it takes 2 hours to do it.
It's perfect as an auxiliary vacuum cleaner, to clean small stuff, fast, but not as main.

So i need to buy a main one...

[raamv]

Buy one without needing bags..as it costs, and getting rid of bags is a pain..as well as without bags, some are tolerable to vacuum wet surfaces
If it comes with a HEPA filter, then good.
In terms of power, check the Suction force wattage or something equivalent to it.
get one with different attachments for different purpose. helps in the long run to clean hard to reach surfaces etc.
I had a US made Hoover vacuum cleaner with Hepa filter. but now we have a central vacuum cleaner.

[bullacc]

Buy one without needing bags..as it costs, and getting rid of bags is a pain..as well as without bags, some are tolerable to vacuum wet surfaces
If it comes with a HEPA filter, then good.
In terms of power, check the Suction force wattage or something equivalent to it.
get one with different attachments for different purpose. helps in the long run to clean hard to reach surfaces etc.
I had a US made Hoover vacuum cleaner with Hepa filter. but now we have a central vacuum cleaner.

How big is the one you have, and how much was it ?

[Rosamunda]

I have a Dyson (no bags) which costs circa 300 euro new (I bought it for 50 euro from an American who was heading home). It doesn't need bags. It is noisy, heavy and a pain in the butt to empty and clean out. They look "cool-design-engineering" when new but once they have been used for vacuuming a few times they just look filthy and disgusting (because they are transparent). In order to empty the contents of a Dyson you need to stick your hands into all the cr@p and pull it out which makes clouds of dust, so then you have to hoover again

I also have a Volta U3201 with a HEPA filter which I bought 2nd hand (maybe 40 euro???? I think it costs 90 euro new) and it is really good. Not too big, very light, and has a variable suck, so I can reduce the power to minimum and hoover the dog (which she just loooooves). On full power it can easily cope with thick wool carpets eg: in the bathroom <--- joke!
When the bag is full I lift it out and throw it in the bin: quick, easy, no mess.

Bags are expensive but you can order them on the internet cheaper.

[korppu]

I have a Nilfisk with the HEPA filter. Apparently a good machine even for dust allergics.

[bullacc]

I'm not allergic to dust, so no problem for that.

Also, would be a good idea to use a vacuum cleaner without bags - but only if there's a model that can be emptied easily...

[korppu]

I'm not allergic to dust, so no problem for that.

...just meaning it is very effective (powerful)

[sinikala]

I have a Dyson (no bags) which costs circa 300 euro new (I bought it for 50 euro from an American who was heading home). It doesn't need bags. It is noisy, heavy and a pain in the butt to empty and clean out. They look "cool-design-engineering" when new but once they have been used for vacuuming a few times they just look filthy and disgusting (because they are transparent). In order to empty the contents of a Dyson you need to stick your hands into all the cr@p and pull it out which makes clouds of dust, so then you have to hoover again

We have a Dyson, it is very effective, however, it needs to be emptied every time you vacuum, if you let it fill up, it loses the suction power. Animal hair (cat fur) slows it down, as does girly head hair.

It is easy to empty, you take the dust container out, open it carefully making sure any fluff / fur which is on the lid due to static goes into the rubbish bag, you put the whole container into a bin bag, upside down, give a few shakes and a sharp tap on the bottom. When the tranparent plastic container looks filthy, you wash it.

[Rosamunda]

Well, come over to my place and give me a demo, 'cos when I carefully unscrew the plastic drum, put it in a bag and shake, nothing happens. The rubbish (mostly flat-coated retriever) all stays in the drum. And even when I wash out the drum it still looks dirty.

[bullacc]

I was looking at these on netanttila :

Volta U7301, Pussiton U7301- imuri
Hoover, Pölynimuri Sensory TS2255
Miele, Pölynimuri s 291
Hoover, Sensory TS 2061-imuri
Volta, Pölynimuri u3301

Problem is, i still can't read finnish, and kaannos isn't particularly helpful with some words - i wish Google would implement finnish translation sometime
Anyway - i have no idea what the specs say - i just chose them because they look small, and that's what i'm looking for.

Also, i agree with "penelope", that there's some hassle with bag-less vacuums sometimes, especially when the garbage recipient is a plastic can, but i still would prefer a bag-less model, as i was never fond of hardware that needs consumable stuff to work.

Can anyone tell me, from what it says on the product pages - Does any of the models linked above come with a textile garbage bag ?
Also, might be helpful if you've had any experience with those models, and could recommend one of them.

[jamesyboy]

I bought a bagless one from Biltema, it was about 50ish euros. Im not sure if its as good as one that would cost alot more but it switches on and off, you can control the power and it clears up after our messy dog fine as far as I can see

[hanj]

here.....your best bets are

Electrolux
Miele
Philips
Siemens

i'd still go for the one with bag......the last electrolux i had (actually still have it..its retired to serve outdoor stuff) is abt 11 years old..and it still works...replaced it with another electrolux because it looks old..nothing more.

[Iseult]

I bought the LG V-CP963SDCG vacuum cleaner (specs on the Finnish LG website) for €69 at Tekniset near the Espoontie Ikea a few weeks ago. It's small, has a HEPA filter, you can use it with or without bags (I use without) and it comes with a brilliant parquette attachment that I now use exclusively. I am extremely happy with the purchase, especially for the money spent.

[simon]

Had the Hoover Sensory, broke after a year. Bought a cheaper Hoover model, cant remember the name bit is crap. Really noisy and dosnt suck. Trying to break it so I can take it back under the guarantee. Had a upright Dyson but found it too cumbersome for the wooden floors and that was really noisy too, that is wasting away at the summer cottage.

If you want quality then you should look at €150+ basically, its cheaper in the long run.

[bullacc]

Had the Hoover Sensory, broke after a year. Bought a cheaper Hoover model, cant remember the name bit is crap. Really noisy and dosnt suck. Trying to break it so I can take it back under the guarantee. Had a upright Dyson but found it too cumbersome for the wooden floors and that was really noisy too, that is wasting away at the summer cottage.

If you want quality then you should look at €150+ basically, its cheaper in the long run.

Price doesn't matter - size and quality does.