# Horrible vacuum! Losing my mind!



## ladypeace82 (Feb 23, 2008)

If someone could point me in the right direction of a decently priced vacuum. I've been using bissel. I believe we are on our 3rd or 4th bissel in 8 years. I hate it. the area that holds the belt melts and the belt always pops off. The belt gets so hot that it becomes too big and pops off. Let's just say I'm very good at fixing vacuums now. But I can't fix the plastic or the crappy vacuum anyway. 

So, now we have a GPyr dog. I brush him ALLLLLL the time with a furinator. ALLLL the time. I vacuum 2 or 3 or 4 times a week. We temporarily live with MIL and she has *BLUE* carpets. So, the only room I vacuum is our bedroom. It takes about 45 minutes! Blue carpet, white long haired dog, horrible vacuum. It worked okay with cat hair but I just tossed it outside and have been threatening to toss it in the dumpster. 

I'm extremely fed up. We can't afford the lavishness of the dyson. But I'm tired of belt vacuum's melting itself. 
I'm tired of putting the belt back on a hot vacuum every 5 minutes. 
This just happened again and decided this was probably the best and most honest place I could get some ideas. Please don't mention dyson. It is my dream to own one someday but since they are ridiculously expensive I can't have one. 
Any ideas? PLease? As to new vacuum? Not tricks of brushing or how to vacuum. Vacuum suggestions please?

Thx soooo much. I'm at my wits end. 


A


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## lshean (Jan 6, 2009)

We use a Oreck, you can pick them up for about 199 if you don't take all those so called free things at any oreck store. They are self adjusting and they pick up any pet hair.


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## dansamy (May 15, 2007)

We have this one. I don't like it all that much. I don't like any vacuums I've used so far.


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## naturegeek (Feb 13, 2008)

We picked up a Bosch canister vac at Costco. So far so good. We have 2 cats, one dog, so some pretty good sized fur tumbleweeds.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I know you said you can't afford the Dyson, but if you are buying a new vacuum every few years, you will have paid for it anyway. I love my Dyson animal, and I got it on sale cheap. Kohl's has them, and so does Target. Watch for a sale. I got mine at Kohls, marked down 40%, and I put it on my Kohls card, when I had a coupon from them in the mail (which if you have a kohls card, you know you get them ALL the time) and got another 30% off..Great deal. 

As far as brushing goes, if all you are using is the furminator, that explains your hair problem. The Furminator is not the end all brushing/carding tool that its marketed to be, especially on long haired dogs. It does not get down to the skin, it is only taking out a tiny amount of what is really there in his coat. You need a good firm slicker brush, and a rake and comb. You need a brushing spray, like Showsheen, Cowboy Magic, Quicker Slicker, etc. You mist a small area, brush with the slicker, down to the skin, then go thru with the rake, and then comb. Until you can get the comb to slide thru the coat, all the way down to the SKIN (very important) then you still have a dog with tons of shedding undercoat in him. A Pyr. is tons of work to keep up, but will be easier with the right tools. If you haven't had him professionally groomed, I would recommend that to start you off, then you will be able to keep him up after that with regular brushing and combing. A good groomer can get that coat out, and give you a head start.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

We've got a hoover that we got at Target. It's been a WONDERFUL vacuum. Doesn't miss a thing.


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## DJsMom (Jun 6, 2008)

Great question & I'm glad you asked, as I'm in the market for a seriously good vacuum too. And I'm glad you mentioned the Bissell isn't working well for you, as the bissell animal one is one I was considering.


Graco22 said:


> I know you said you can't afford the Dyson, but if you are buying a new vacuum every few years, you will have paid for it anyway. I love my Dyson animal, and I got it on sale cheap.


Do you have the ball dyson, or the other without the ball? The Dyson animal is what I think I will end up buying, they have both types at Target,for the same price, but the 1 without the ball has a rebate right now, so I'm thinking about getting it.

I've gone thru all kinds of vacuums in the past, so have now decided to get something that's more pricey, but will hopefully last longer thus saving money in the long run.
My sister LOVES her oreck animal! It was very pricey but also has a 22 year warranty & free annual cleaning, which is excellent!


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## myminpins (Dec 20, 2008)

I have a central vac by VacuFlow and I love it. I've taken it with me whenever I moved. I'll never go back to a conventional vacuum again.


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## goldenmnm (Sep 13, 2008)

I'm with Gracco as well. I know it's a very pricey vacuum, but it's worth every penny and you'll wonder why you bought any vacuum before that. I've had the animal dyson for about 5 yrs now and it's still in tip top shape! I have an oreck, but it doesn't get that keep down dirt that gets into the bottom of the carpet and you have to go over the same places more often. When researching the Dyson vacuum before we bought it, we read that when James Dyson invented this vacuum it was so powerful it was sucking up nails out of the flooring, of course he toned it down, but that just shows it's powerfulness. 

My mom bought the hoover and bissel version of the Dyson and it didn't last six months and she has 1 golden retriever and a dachshund. So, I doubt either one of those will help out with Great Pyr hair!

You might want to look at Walmart they carry the yellow one, the only difference that I've been able to tell between that one and the animal is the color and the animal comes with all the attachments they make for the vacuum. If you can live without the hardwood attachment and a special one for your car then get that one. The Yellow and Purple one have the same capabilities and at Walmart it's about $349ish for the yellow one. If nothing else look at Best Buy, they have a credit line and you might be able to do 90 same as cash or a year of no interest. Then just make the monthly payments. 

I'd look into how you can get a dyson vs. trying out another vacuum in my opinion. I belong to several dog groups and everyone that I know uses them and swears by it, that's why I bought mine, now I'm one of those people too!

Good luck in whatever you decide though! Happy shopping!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

DJsMom said:


> Do you have the ball dyson, or the other without the ball? The Dyson animal is what I think I will end up buying, they have both types at Target,for the same price, but the 1 without the ball has a rebate right now, so I'm thinking about getting it.



I have the one without the ball. I actually have the red and gray one..its not called the animal, but the Dyson rep I called said its the EXACT same vacuum as the animal, just not marketed as it. It was a little cheaper than the animal. I love it. I have lots of kitties, and am vacuuming up pet litter daily....lots of it..I have basically non shedding dogs, so I don't have alot of hair per se, but trust me, right now with 8 kittens and 6 adult cats...they make a really big mess, and this vacuum goes thru it all. It was a bit awkward at first to figure out the best way to pull out the hose attachment, but now that I have it down, its really fast and easy. I love how easy it is to empty, never get clogged, and I can vacuum up marbles, pennies, etc...never damages it, and sucks em right up..(yes, I know, I really _shouldn't_ be doing that..lol) I can use it on my hardwood floors, and it has never left a mark, and sucks everything up. LOVE IT. I have a Kirby too.....it sits in the closet...and IT was expensive...


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## DJsMom (Jun 6, 2008)

Graco22 said:


> I have the one without the ball. I actually have the red and gray one..its not called the animal, but the Dyson rep I called said its the EXACT same vacuum as the animal, just not marketed as it. It was a little cheaper than the animal. I love it. I have lots of kitties, and am vacuuming up pet litter daily....lots of it..I have basically non shedding dogs, so I don't have alot of hair per se, but trust me, right now with 8 kittens and 6 adult cats...they make a really big mess, and this vacuum goes thru it all. It was a bit awkward at first to figure out the best way to pull out the hose attachment, but now that I have it down, its really fast and easy. I love how easy it is to empty, never get clogged, and I can vacuum up marbles, pennies, etc...never damages it, and sucks em right up..(yes, I know, I really _shouldn't_ be doing that..lol) I can use it on my hardwood floors, and it has never left a mark, and sucks everything up. LOVE IT. I have a Kirby too.....it sits in the closet...and IT was expensive...


Good! Thanks for the info! I'm going out this eve to get one!
I've got 4 birds at home (along with 2 cats & 2 dogs) that leave LOTS of messes on the floors, including seed hulls & even large nut shells, so sounds like just what I need!


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## babysweet (Dec 11, 2008)

DJsMom said:


> Good! Thanks for the info! I'm going out this eve to get one!
> I've got 4 birds at home (along with 2 cats & 2 dogs) that leave LOTS of messes on the floors, including seed hulls & even large nut shells, so sounds like just what I need!


We've got three dogs, two cats and however many foster dogs are with us at the time (generally a handful but we've had as many as a dozen)... and I have to say the six parrots are the WORST of all of them. I vacuum their area a few times a day to ensure we don't get mice or bugs...

My Amazons seem to glean GREAT pleasure in whipping food out of their cages... <grumble>

One day, we shall own a Dyson, but at the moment we've got mostly laminate flooring and I plan on putting laminate through the whole upstairs as well, which eliminates the need for such a pricey piece of machinery. I will admit though, the dog hair was the reason for ditching the carpet downstairs!


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## DJsMom (Jun 6, 2008)

babysweet said:


> ... and I have to say the six parrots are the WORST of all of them. I vacuum their area a few times a day to ensure we don't get mice or bugs...
> 
> My Amazons seem to glean GREAT pleasure in whipping food out of their cages... <grumble>
> 
> One day, we shall own a Dyson, but at the moment we've got mostly laminate flooring and I plan on putting laminate through the whole upstairs as well, which eliminates the need for such a pricey piece of machinery. I will admit though, the dog hair was the reason for ditching the carpet downstairs!


LoL! It's a riot picking up all the pelleted bird food & such, isn't it?! Or, even better ... walking across it barefoot!
I have laminate floor in the bird room & kitchen & BRs, but I am trying hard to convince my hubby wo replace ALL the carpet with laminate too, it's so old anyway & we need to be pulling it up & replacing it soon. I think that would make life a lot easier. And it comes in a lot of real nice styles.


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## Booster (Feb 4, 2009)

+1 on the Dyson.

I never thought I would buy a $400+ vacuum, but boy am I glad I did.

I just kept getting fed up with the performance of my Hoover. I live in a 3 story townhome, and with 1800+ sq.ft. of carpet, a good vaccuum is a must.

I bought the Dyson slim since it was on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond. Plus, I had one of those 20% off mailers that I get at least once a week, lol. 

The day I got it, I did the whole house with the old Hoover (wind tunnel). Then I used the Dyson. I had to empty the Dyson 4 friggin times.


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## alphadoginthehouse (Jun 7, 2008)

I bought an Orek and have been pretty happy with it, but hearing all the good things about the Dyson I may have to invest in one. Best Buy is great with the no interest no payments thing...do it all the time. Just remember to pay it off by the due date or all the interest is tacked on.


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## harrise (Jan 9, 2008)

Holy crap! I vacuum 1-2 times a day and the only time the belt melts on mine is when I get a sheet corner stuck in it and I stare instead of turning it off. My last Bissell is still functioning good to this day, almost three years now I think. I can't remember what model it was, but I did "review" a cheap Bissell ($25-$30) that was an absolute turd. I even debated not taking it back to take pleasure in it's destruction. The newer one I've been using is a Bissell pet hair eraser, it works better than any vacuum I've owned (until I receive a better one free of charge, cuz I'm not droppin dyson coin on anything any time soon). I received it as a gift so I can't help on what the thing goes for.


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## Rowdy (Sep 2, 2007)

2+ on the Dyson. I have the 2 dogs and 2 cats AND wall-to-wall carpeting. Ouch! The Dyson has held up very well for over 4 years. It was definitely worth the money. I have the Dyson animal. I would go for the cheaper one that is exactly the same, but not called "animal". The only difference is one attachment, which never worked well for me anyway.

I think the best thing about it is how easy it is to empty. You just push a button and take off the canister. I have to empty it about 8 times just doing my living room and dining room (which are pretty small, but it's where we all hang out the most). If I had to empty bags that many times I'd scream.


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## DJsMom (Jun 6, 2008)

3+ on the Dyson! But I've only had mine for a few weeks now, if that long. But I gotta say I'm loving it so far!! I did the Dyson animal model & I'm amazed at the job it's done so far!


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## Moker (Feb 5, 2009)

get a roomba?!

i have a kirby, have had it for over 10 years, i've only had to replace the belt once.


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## ladypeace82 (Feb 23, 2008)

Hmmm. I'm gonna have to throw out more hints about dyson to the hubby. He did just get a little bonus.................


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