I need a vacuum cleaner, but don't want to spend a fortune

[Silock]

Must be able to handle gigantic amounts of pet hair.

Recommendations?

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by CrazyHorse

Impossible.

You're saying that after 5 years theres 0% wear.

Very, very little brush wear, but half of our house is hardwood, while the rest is carpet. Someone with a fully carpeted home may see different results.

Like I said, it works just as well as the day we bought it, as far as I can tell.

[joemama]

Have had good luck with our Dyson Ball Animal.

[jrowe]

Eureka the Boss. Higher rated than the Dysons without the trendy, high expense. I researched consumer reports and several other ratings, and it came out on top in terms of performance and value.

[RedandGold]

Originally Posted by doomy3

BTW, Target has the Dyson Animal for 50% ff right now, for $274.50 if you can get there before they sell out.

Here's an inventory tracker:

http://www.target.com/gp/store-info/...sin=B000I5REVA

We bought the same model at Target several months ago at the same price when they were allocating the shelf space to a newer version. At that price, it was a steal, and it's much better at picking up dog hair (German Shepherd) than the Hoover it replaced.

My only complaint is that the small holes at the top of the cone section clog frequently (resulting in loss of power), and I have to use an air compressor to clear them out. Other than that minor nuisance, it's a great machine, and I would still recommend it to anyone as long as they didn't pay full retail.

[crispystl]

Buy a kirby. Talk the salesman way down. They have a lifetime warranty. so you will never have to buy a vacuum again.

[CrazyHorse]

Originally Posted by crispystl420

Buy a kirby. Talk the salesman way down. They have a lifetime warranty. so you will never have to buy a vacuum again.

One of the worst ever made. No motor bypass. Who wants a shitty vacuum forever?

[Braincase]

Dyson. I'll never own anything else.

[Steron]

I just got a Shark Multivac. I love it. It is a lot better than the Hoover it replaced. I love the Back Saver feature. Just push a button and the handle collapses and allows you to vacuum under furniture without bending. The thin head on it slides right under just about everything. I wanted a Dyson ball but for 1/5 the price I'll stick with the Shark.

[Abba-Dabba]

Was really unimpressed with the Dyson. The money you spend on it just isn't worth it IMO. Just didn't seem to pickup as much to warrant the price. Replaced it with a Bissell Pet Eraser for 1/3 the price and it has better performance than the Dyson.

[HonestChieffan]

Dyson. Keep the pets away from it.

[crispystl]

Originally Posted by CrazyHorse

One of the worst ever made. No motor bypass. Who wants a shitty vacuum forever?

They have a motor bypass now.

[Stewie]

Originally Posted by CrazyHorse

Im certainly not Consumer reports. However, I have tested several vacuums over several years. I dont take into consideration, weight, price, inches of lift.

I take into consideration, durabilty for the dollar. For example, if I use a vacuum for 5 years and paid 500 for it, I spent 100 a year. In that sense the Ricaar lasted 4 or 5 years in the field before I retired it to my house. Where I still use it. The second best machine I ever had for durability lasted 6 months in the field and had too be thrown out. That's a difference thats hard to argue with. The vacuum lasting 6 months would have to cost me 50 bucks brand new before it would be competetive with the Ricaar. 50X2=100 bucks a year. This is something that Consumer reports doesn't value. They look at weight, cost and how well the machine does when you take it out of the box.

Im telling you that 10 years down the road the Ricaar will still be working as well as the day you took it out of the box as long as you dont throw it down the stairs and stuff like that. You wont beat it for bang for the buck. You wont beat it for durability. They are tanks.

I also recommend that you always get the commercial version of vacuums. The difference is simply a different color and a 50 foot power cord. The longer cord is nice. But they are no more durable, just a longer cord.

I defer to your expertise. CR is all I really have to go by on things like this.