Tha vaccum cleaner

[Quetiepi]

We cleaned house this morning and the vacuum cleaner died. This is the second one I have killed in the last 12 months.

Any suggestions on a brand of vacuum cleaner that can withstand long hair? Reasonably priced?

[holothuroidea]

:eek: ! I don't have long hair yet so I don't really know but I'm going to be super pissed if my vacuum cleaner dies because in the future because of my hair. It's an Oreck and I don't like any other kind of vacuum and they are really expensive!!!

*subs and waits, hoping people suggest Orecks as good vacuums*

[EdG]

I have a Sears Kenmore that still works after 11 years. I have replaced the belt and beater brush twice.

I remove hairs from the beater brush after every 1-2 uses. I think that all vacuum cleaners will have difficulty with long hair, so you should shop for a model that is easy to disassemble and clean.

Raking the carpets with a shrub rake before vacuuming can reduce the number of hairs wrapped around the beater brush.
Ed

[Anje]

I've heard two suggestions around here that solve the dead vacuum problem. But first, make sure you didn't just break the belt that drives the brush. That's an easy fix.

1) Regularly cut the hair off the beater bar. How often, of course, depends on how much hair is on the carpet and how often you vacuum. A seam ripper works really well.

2) Get a vacuum without a beater bar, such as a shop vac. Then you don't have the moving part that most often breaks.

[Katze]

I don't know if you can get one where you live, but we have a 'Miele Cat and Dog' (designed to pick up pet hair) - and it helps in a household with two sheddy fine longhairs. :D

We've had it for about four years now and it is still running well. Miele is a good brand.

I do go in and regularly clean the 'beater brush' (the part you run along the carpet) and use scissors to cut all the long hair off of it so it doesn't get stuck and malfunction (it is an electronically-driven roller).

Good luck!

[luxepiggy]

Dyson.

DysonDysonDyson! (^(oo)^)v

Specifically, one of the Dyson "Ball" models, which come equipped with a completely detachable brush bar:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/hair/rockmeister_16.jpg

Genius ( ' (oo) ' )

I used to kill at least one vacuum cleaner per year, but I've had my Dyson since 2008 and it's still chugging along. Oh, and I had no idea how much dirt my old vacuums were leaving behind!! The first time I used the Dyson in my living room (which had been vacuumed weekly up to that point), I had to empty the canister three times. THREE! Ick!

[MandyBeth]

Second vote for Dyson. Pet hair is the killer here, but same idea.

Sorry Holo, I have murdered Orecks in the past. They are pissy about fixing also since I was abusing the stupid thing.

ETA - yes they are expensive. But I can kill a $99 vac in a few months and a mid line vac in a year. My $500 Dyson is at 6 years and is as good as the day I unpacked it. So I'm now under $100 a year so it is far cheaper.

[Ishje]

A dyson is so high on my wish list, my mum has one, and after 10 years it still works great!

[AnqeIicDemise]

remove the underside of the vacuum and clean the brush free off hair once every other month. buy spare belts in case one breaks. ive been using the same helix vac for six years. mom has had her hoover for 14.

ps the only reason I got rid of my 50 dollar hoover was because I couldn't move it with me. my helix was about... 150. I just keep some spare parts, like belts and filters.

[PrincessIdril]

another vote for Dyson here.
We've had ours for almost as long as I can remember and it's coped with 2 long haired people, and seems to be quite happy with 3 long haired people

[Kelikea]

I have a Eureka Airspeed, advertized to be better than Dyson at 1/3 the price. It is a bagless canister type. I vacuum once or twice a week, and have to empty the canister each time. Can you imagine how many bags I would have gone through by now, if I had kept my old vacuum? The only problem I have with it is that the canister opens from the top, by the filter, and at the bottom, and if I open the top part, it is next to impossible to reassemble properly. So, most of the time I just empty it from the bottom. But I will need to clean the filter at some point!

[spidermom]

Mine has held up well for 10 years, but it was expensive (Majestic Queen).

[Capybara]

We have a central vacuum system. It was here when we moved in, almost 15 years ago. The "bucket" part where all the dirt is collected was replaced once, and we purchased a new hose twice - the first time was just after we moved in, and the second time was purely for cosmetic reasons.

I think it's help up well over the years :) We don't have carpet, so dirt would definitely show and be easy to feel if the vacuum wasn't functioning properly. I think not having the beaters really helps. The brush needs to be cleaned fairly frequently, but it's a small price to pay to not have to worry about mechanical parts breaking.

[holothuroidea]

When I was a teenager I used to clean houses for spending money. One of the people I worked for had a central vacuum system.

It was the most awesomest thing ever in the history of floors.

[julya]

I love my dyson, it's the purple ball one with the removable beater bar.

[Maelyssa]

Dyson.

DysonDysonDyson! (^(oo)^)v

Specifically, one of the Dyson "Ball" models, which come equipped with a completely detachable brush bar:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/hair/rockmeister_16.jpg

Genius ( ' (oo) ' )

I used to kill at least one vacuum cleaner per year, but I've had my Dyson since 2008 and it's still chugging along. Oh, and I had no idea how much dirt my old vacuums were leaving behind!! The first time I used the Dyson in my living room (which had been vacuumed weekly up to that point), I had to empty the canister three times. THREE! Ick!

I'm currently in the market for a new vacuum cleaner myself...great recommendation, I'll check Dyson out for sure.

[jeanniet]

I have a Sebo, and it's a fantastic vacuum, but not inexpensive. I think the basic model is about $500 (HEPA filter, which really helps with all the dust around here). But it not only has a removeable beater bar, so hair is simple to remove, it also shuts itself down if the bar is so filled with hair the motor is in danger of overheating. I've had mine about six years so far and expect to have it for at least ten more years.

[BlazingHeart]

We have a dyson ball, too. Not only can you remove the beater, it has an auto shut off if it starts to jam, so it won't do itself in.

[jacqueline101]

The dyson seems good. I have hard wood so I sweep.

[Quetiepi]

I looked at Walmart today & the Dyson is like $400. Yikes. I am going to sic DH on that one. He loves to research products. It would definitely be on the shopping list if I had won that lottery last night. Maybe not, I would more likely be hiring some staff to handle that for me.

[Kaelee]

I have a Hoover Commercial Elite. I can't vouch for its long-lastingness but my mom can. She used to work for a house cleaning service and it's what they used. So far, the only complaint I have (and it's not really a complaint for me, but maybe my neighbors) is that it's LOUD.

[Amber_Maiden]

We've gone through 7 in the past 2 years... I even made one catch fire because of all my hair!

We now sweep, and threw out our carpet... :p

[lunalocks]

I have burned out a few motors. My DH, bless him, knows how to replace the motors, so we save some money that way. We have always had a sears Kenmore (recommended by Consumer Reports!) I do need to pay attention to removing hair from the rotating brush.

[IanB]

Yes, another fan of the Dyson. The brush bar is very easy to remove (and replace) and makes removing the hair wrapped around it easy!