This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment. Specialized ProfessionI am a vacuum repair technician and subject of the latest Upvoted podcast, "The Surprisingly Complex Life Of A Vacuum Repairman", here with a special Spring Cleaning edition. IAmA)submitted by It’s spring cleaning time, and I’m here to help you get it done. It’s been a very exciting time for me, of late. I am so very honored and thankful to reddit and Upvoted for the Upvoted podcast. The Wall Street Journal is doing a piece on me and my tips for buying vacs. I am going to have my own branded custom, limited edition Riccar R20 Vibrance! I have picked just one the best vacuums in the world for you guys. If you want to sign up for info on my new Riccar model you can do that here. So, on to business...here's the copypasta. Here's some basics to get you started: Dollar for dollar, a bagged vacuum, when compared to a bagless, will almost always: 1) Perform better (Actual quality of cleaning).

2) Be in service for much longer. 3) Cost less to repair and maintain (Often including consumables). 4) Filter your air better. Virtually every vacuum professional in the business chooses a bagged vacuum for their homes, because we know what quality is. Things you should do to maintain your vac, regularly: 1) Clear your brush roller/agitator of hair and fibers. Clear the bearing caps as well, if possible. 2) Change your belts before they break. This is important to maintain proper tension against the agitator. (~ yearly for "stretch" belts) 3) Never use soap when washing any parts of your vacuum, including the outer bag, duct system, agitator, filters, etc. Soap attracts dirt, and is difficult to rinse away thoroughly. 1) Generally, canister vacs are quieter and more versatile than uprights are. They offer better filtration, long lifespans, and ease of use. They handle bare floors best, and work with rugs and carpets, as well. 2) Upright vacuums are used mostly for homes that are entirely carpeted.

Many have very powerful motors, great accessories, and are available in a couple of different motor styles. Nothing cleans shag carpeting like the right upright. 3) Bagless vacs are available in a few different styles. They rely on filters and a variety of aerodynamic methods to separate the dirt from the air. In general, these machines do not clean or filter as well as bagged vacuums. They suffer from a loss of suction, and tend to clog repeatedly, if the filters are not cleaned or replaced often. 4) Bagged vacuums use a disposable bag to collect debris, which acts as your primary filter, before the air reaches the motor, and is replaced when you fill it. Because this first filter is changed, regularly, bagged vacuums tend to provide stronger, more consistent suction. My last, best piece of advice is to approach a vacuum, like any appliance; Budget for the best one you can get. Buy one with idea you will maintain it, and use it for many years. And, for the love of Dog, do not buy from late-night infomercials or door-to-door salesmen!

Stay out of the big-box stores, and visit your local professional who actually knows what they're talking about.With the holidays right around the corner, you know you're going to need a reliable vacuum cleaner to pick up after guests who make a mess!best steam cleaner for engineered wood floors Consumer Reports has a new tally that covers many popular canister vacuums (both bagged and bagless). best canister vacuum cleaners 2015The real lesson from their findings is you'll have to shell out at least in the mid $200 range to get quality. cleaning a laptop fan with compressed airNo sub-$100 vacuum for you! Before we get into the best and worst, here are the seven criteria the magazine looked at to determine these rankings: How the vacuum performs on carpet, bare floors, tool airflow, noise, emissions, handling and pet hair.

Read more: Online Shopping Guide: How to get the best price possible Consumer Reports tested vacuums in a wide range of prices, everywhere from $150 for a Hoover Multi-Cyclonic SH40060 to $1,500 for an Aerus Lux Guardian Ultra. What they found is that their recommended models were all clustered from the mid $200 range to the mid the $300 range. Among bagged canister vacuums, the magazine like two brands in particular: Panasonic and Kenmore. Here are the individual models they called recommended buys: When it comes to bagless models, the same two brands dominated, with an honorable third place mention to Hoover. Again, all of these models are recommended buys: One big surprise in the findings: Dyson. The ultra-chic vacuum maker's Cinetic Animal ($550) and Ball Compact Animal ($450) models got the two lowest scores in the entire tally! Read more: High quality toilet paper comes cheap! Want more money-saving advice for your home? See our Homes & Real Estate section.

Panasonic “OptiFlow” Vacuum Cleaner Review Great Canister Vac for People on a Budget The Panasonic vacuum model MC-CG917 in my considered opinion is the vacuum for homes with different levels of carpeting. If you have both low pile and high pile carpets in the house then you need to constantly make adjustments to your vacuum or use different extensions for each kind of floor surface. This Panasonic comes with just about every tool you might need. I also like the fact that it within my price range. I don’t really have the luxury of spending a lot of money on a cleaning appliance. It’s an inexpensive tool that does the job as advertised. Who is It Suited For? This vacuum cleaner is suited for people who are on a budget but need a vacuum that has a full range of tools. You don’t need to purchase any other extra tool or attachment. The only thing you need are replacement bags. NO PROBLEM TRANSITIONING FROM BARE FLOOR TO CARPETED SURFACES: This Panasonic vacuum  cleaner easily transitions from one type of floor surface to another.

I can easily move it  from carpeted floors, hardwood, tile, then to rugs without any difficulty. It’s great for homes that have different floor surfaces. DOES A GREAT JOB ON HIGH PILE CARPETING: Not all vacuum cleaners can do a good job with high pile carpeting. This vacuum uses a rotary brush that is driven by a motor. The brush and suction work hand in hand to get rid of any dirt stuck in the carpet fibers. CONVENIENT CONTROLS: I love the controls on this Panasonic vacuum cleaner. I have a little problem with my back and I don’t really like bending over that much. The controls on this vacuum are located on the handle; you basically use your thumb to push the button to the desired settings. The power head on the other hand can be adjusted by using your foot so you don’t really have to duck down to make adjustments. Click here for the Panasonic Canister Vacuum product specifications This vacuum cleaner is equipped with a 12 amp motor. It features the unique OptiFlow cleaning technology.

It has a vented double wall design for better suction. This canister vacuum is equipped with a pair of soft wheels for better mobility. Attachments and accessories included in the package are as follows: upholstery and dusting brush, floor brush, crevice tool, telescopic wand, and turbine mini brush. This Panasonic unit measures 21.5” x 12” x 8.8” ( H x L x W). It only weighs 12.3 pounds. It comes with a one year limited warranty which covers both parts and labor. Panasonic canister vacuum comes with a telescopic wand, floor brush, per hair turbine, and a dusting and upholstery brush. Click here to see more product features In my opinion, getting this canister vacuum cleaner is really worth the money. The only downside I can mention about it that it’s kind of weak at picking up dirt near the walls. I have noticed this same flaw with other canister vacuum cleaners that have side suction pickup. I think it’s a design flaw with all vacuums of this type.