Our current Vax has all but expired and no longer available. So we are looking for a replacement. We only have a small bungalow, just the two of us now retired, with no pets or children, and carpeted throughout. Ease of use and lightness are priorities for us. My wife likes to do the vacuuming herself but finds heavy cumbersome machines too awkward to manage. Our current Vax is configured more like a traditional upright with the motor housing and dust collection section low down with just the handle extending upwards. I note that many modern alternatives have the motor/dust collection container mounted high up on the handle with just the brush head section extending downwards. My wife much prefers the traditional arrangement. Any suggestions welcome. Budget around say ÂŁ300 max but less would be very welcome!
Worth checking out the Shark range of cordless cleaners.
We have a Samsung Jet. Not sure if the same model is current but looking at the website they look like the same basic design. Ours is maybe 3 years old
It has the container and battery high up (which you said youâd prefer to avoid) but it is really nicely balanced in the hand, and we both find it very easy to use and pretty effective. The filters are washable and it sits in a stand for charging, or I think it can be wall mounted. Tough, reliable and easy to clean or unclog. I think you can get versions under ÂŁ300, although you get what you pay for in terms of power. The battery on ours would certainly do a bungalow on one charge.
I suspect most brands make models that are pretty similar, best perhaps to handle one in the shop to feel the weight and balance?
Weâve had x2 (upstairs and downstairs) Dysonâs for years. Theyâre now getting near the end time, and Iâm really fed up with battery replacement and other spares cost and the ridiculous cost of new replacements.
The kids have tried others and the overwhelming vote from them is for Shark.
So a move to Shark is the plan sometime in the next few months.
Gtech is another option, very happy with ours.
If you want a traditional cylinder type vacuum cleaner then thereâs a cordless version of the Henry.
Just looked at Gtech and they look really good with the configuration that we wanted, ie. motor and dust collection receptacle at floor level.
I bought a little G-tech hand held vac, mainly for getting cat hair off the sofa. I thought it might be useful for other small areas, but I was gobsmacked at just how feeble the suction is. It really is totally useless, so I hope you have more luck with a full sized one.
I have a Dyson V7 (now discontinued), itâs about 7 years old and has been pretty good, replaced the motorhead last year with an after market version from Amazon and itâs been fine. Having the drum etc on top makes it very maneuverable so itâs a plus in my view. Iâm not mad about the Dyson mains vacuums but their battery cleaners are pretty good imo.
The best corded ones were made by SEBO and they have finally moved into the cordless realm.
If their previous reputation is anything, trying one of their cordless is a must rated 4.9 of Feefo. Their spares, including batteries, appear to be reasonably priced.
YesâŚ..we have had dyson and gtechâŚâŚwe now have shark.
Yes we have the GTec hand held and itâs rubbish, however we have two cordless GTec up rights (one upstairs and one down) and they are great on both carpet and hard floors, very lightweight and good manoeuvre ability and they have sufficient suction to keep on top of general day to day cleaning requirements. Battery is removable for easy plug in charging with supplied adapter and charge is sufficient for a couple of cleans across the whole ground floor. Cylinder empties easily and internal filter (a spare was supplied with ours) in the cylinder is washable so no problem not having a clean one available.
The website is good as well with lots of spares readily available for all models even if they might be a little on the expensive side.
40 + years vacuum history - Electrolux cylinder, dearly beloved wanted an upright âcos thatâs what her mum had. She bought an Electrolux, then discovered she couldnât do the stairs. When that expired, bought Sebo because you could get a massively long hose and a âpoweredâ brush so the stairs became easy.
Rheumatoid arthritis arrived and she found it too heavy, after an afternoon in JL chose a Miele pet version.
Then decided she wanted cordless bought an original Gtech upright and handheld. Later on, the inconvenience of carrying up and down the stairs meant they were joined by a Dyson handheld and a Gtech K9.
Yes, the Dyson has more suck, but none of them are able to compete with a Miele. The downside of the Dyson, it needs recharging far more often. The Gtech handheld is quite OK for picking up coffee grounds, spider webs and tight into the skirting edge.
I havenât found one where there isnât a need to untangle hair and odd ends of cross-stitch threads from the rotating brush. Picking up cat treats that seems to travel round the house of their own accord might need a couple of passes.
The Gtechs satisfy mother in law and brother in law who purchased after a trial loan of ours.
YMMV
My corded Dyson is getting fairly long in the tooth; it will be the last Dyson I own. Not because I think the products are bad, but because I find James Dysonâs support for a certain event and his decision to move the company headquarters and production out of the UK.
Friends who have replaced vacuums in the last few years have all raved about their Shark or Gtech, so I will likely follow them when the time comes.
We bought a Dyson upright before the EU started meddling in how powerful they could be, probably twenty years now. Had it serviced, and the guy said the later models werenât allowed similar power motors, so stick with it.
We have a pair of the Gtech cordless vacuums. The handheld one isâŚmeh. The upright is very good. With all the building work thatâs gone on here is been through a lot but itâs still going strong.
Willy.
Weâve had a cordless Dyson. It started off amazing, but from about 6 months in it just became plagued with issues. Wouldnât buy another even if the boss wasnât a douche.
Weâve had a shark cordless the last 3 years. Not fancy, but it has been reliable so far
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Iâm particularly taken with the Gtech which seems to tick all the boxes, has good reviews and is not silly money. I suspect this is what weââll go for.
Iâm late to the thread but, for whatâs worth, the UNINELL HOME Cordless Vacuum Cleaner UV5 is great and priced to sell. Uninell make vacuums for other companies I believe and thought it was time to badge them up themselves. German Co I think.
A couple of decades old Miele drag around vacuums are great and a significant improvement on an old funky Dyson de Stijl upright which was highly overrated.
Got a Panasonic cordeless upright maybe 10 years ago - pretty so so and abysmal battery life. Still works.
Around the same time picke up a similar Vax cordless upright mainly as it was cheap and had 2 batteries. Far from refined - very heavy and clunky.
Another vote for Shark - got one for maybe half price (frequent Amazon pricing) around 18 months ago - reasonably good battery when you learn to adjust power settings, light and very manoeuvrable. Not great on stairs. Second battery would have been handy (probably not much more expensive to get another complete upright when on offer) and though Iâve not checked recently spares availability wasnât the best.
Try to take your wife to a store where she can get a feel for the weight and ergonomics of any models you might consider.
They seem to be getting better year on year.
Miele. End of thread.