This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment. OtherIamA Vacuum Repair Technician, and I can't believe people really wanted it, but, AMA! IAmA)submitted by I work in vacuum repair and sales. I posted comments recently about my opinion of Dysons and got far more interest than I expected. I am brand certified for several brands. My intent in doing this AMA is to help redditors make informed choices about their purchases. *Edit: I've been asked to post my personal preferences with regard to brands. As I said before, there is no bad vacuum; Just vacuums built for their purpose. That being said, here are my brand choices in order: Hoover for budget machines Sanitaire or Royal for commercial machines Dyson if you just can't be talked out of a bagless machine. *EDIT 22/04/2014: As this AMA is still generating questions, I will do a brand new AMA on vacuums, as soon as this one is archived. π Rendered by PID 31229 on app-531 at 2016-08-29 09:32:08.700397+00:00 running e331ebd country code: US.

Show All ItemsSimple vacuum repairs can be performed at home, and knowing how to change a vacuum belt is a great way for any vacuum owner to save time and money at the shop.Because vacuum belts are made to stretch, wear out, and eventually break, every vacuum owner can save time and money by knowing the basics about vacuum belt replacement.Luckily, changing a vacuum belt is a very simple repair on most vacuum cleaners. Vacuum owners should never have to take their machine to a shop just for a belt replacement. The first step in this (and any) part replacement is to accurately order the needed part for the repair.For more information about the different kinds of vacuum belts available on the market and how to accurately order the correct belt for your vacuum, please read our "Vacuum Belt Buying Guide" article.Step 1: Access the Vacuum Belt and Brushroll AreaShow All ItemsVacuum Belt Replacement StepsEach specific vacuum style and model is different, so belt replacement steps can differ a little from one to the next.

Despite these differences, all vacuum belt replacements share similar qualities. This article's instructions are generalized so that they can help do-it-yourself vacuum owners with their belt change repairs, regardless of the vacuum type or model. We use a common upright style vacuum for our belt replacement demonstration, The Hoover U5458-900 WindTunnel Supreme.This repair can take less than five minutes on most vacuums, especially once an owner is familiar with their model. 1. Access the vacuum belt and brushroll area.Vacuum belts work to spin a vacuum's brush roller and/or, on some self-propelled models, to turn a vacuum's wheels.Whatever the style of vacuum, this repair will take placein the machine's brushroll area. For most vacuum cleaners, opening the brushroll area just means removing a bottom plate on the cleaner, one similar to the Hoover WindTunnel pictured below. In the case of our demonstration model, removing the bottom plate only involves unscrewing four Phillips screws.

« PreviousNext »View All Steps Download We service and repair all popular vacuum brands Free instore demonstrations of all products Trade in your old vacuum and save! Best Sellers Bagless Vacuums Steam Mops Hoover Handy Wonder Handstick Vacuum Hoover Pets Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Miele C2 Autumn Red Vacuum Cleaner Hoover Freejet 19.2V Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Pullman Advance Commander 900 Backpack Vacuum Hoover Allergy Powerhead Bagless VacuumFree Havanese Puppies Mn Hoover Action Powerhead Bagless Vacuum CleanerBeagle Puppies For Sale In Tyler Texas Philips PowerPro Active Bagless Vacuum CleanerShakespeare Fishing Rods Ebay Hoover Ultra Light Lithium 22.2v Handstick Vacuum

Hoover Smart R1 Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Hoover Steamy Wonder Steam Mop - Teal Black & Decker Smartech Lift & Reach Steam Mop Wertheim W500 R1 Steam Mop Hoover Heritage 5630 Steam Mop Hoover Floormate SteamScrub Touch Steam Mop Hoover Expert 9630 Dry Multi-Steamer When you choose Electrolux Laundry Systems you get an essential resource, a partner that is committed to providing support throughout every phase of your laundry operation. Electrolux Professional Laundry Solutions Electrolux Food Service makes life more enjoyable for consumers eating out of home, applying the most advanced technologies to guarantee always tasty food.Add to Shopping Cart Please confirm that you want to add the item(s) listed below to your cart. Djeco / Creanimaux Ferme 29-Piece Animal Stacking BlocksARTICLE: Ratings 101Vacuum Cleaner Ratings Now that you've educated yourself, you'll find the ratings as follows: POWER: Given as C.F.M's, higher is better

FILTER TYPE: listed as Sealed HEPA (best), or Other (prepare for disappointment) BELT TYPE: A 'geared' belt is best, as it will generally last for many years. 'Flat' belts will stretch, causing you to lose efficiency, and are prone to breakage. WARRANTY: Manufacturer's motor warranty, in years. PRICE RANGE: Advertised price range of these machines. NOTES: Miele's 200 series tend to give quality on a budget. The 200 Series Miele Plus does not have a HEPA filter, but because the machine design, even the standard filter tends to do better than junky brands which 'pretend' to have HEPA filtration (If you've read our filtration article, you already know this!). If you don't suffer from allergies, you'll get a nice machine with a seven year warranty at an affordable price. NOTES: Miele's top models are Sealed HEPA capable, and they have models in every price range from the $699 Miele Solaris Electro to the $1200 Miele Capricorn, depending on which bells and whistles you want.

One great thing about their product line (although it does get confusing) is the number of different floor attachments available, meaning you can get the perfect setup for almost any home layout. If you don't have a lot of carpet, less expensive models than those listed are available. NOTES: Water doesn't catch all the dust (in fact, their instruction manual warns against picking up fireplace soot, Carpet fresh, talcum powder, drywall dust, etc. It does have a good quality HEPA filter, however, the price is very high in relation to the actual power and performance of machines. Another consideration is the amount of work it takes to disassemble and clean the machine after each and every use (according to the manufacturer recommendations) - failure to do so can lead to some VERY expensive (and non-warrantied) repairs. Still, some people swear by water filtration, and if this is what you want, there are companies that offer reconditioned Rainbow vacuums. NOTES: Another door to door brand, these machines use a series of specialized filters (non HEPA) to do an adequate filtration job.

They are overall well built, but better filtration and performance can be found for less money elsewhere. NOTES: Company has recently changed name to 'Aerus'. High quality, but very expensive. The Guardian ranks with Miele as the best filtering machine, but be aware that the replacment filter cost is also very high (about $70 annually). While the 25 year motor warranty is impressive, keep in mind that over that span you'll be forced to spend about $2000 on replacement filters!Note also that cheaper Electrolux models are available, but have only average filtration (a.k.a. - they are not sealed), in which case better choices are available. NOTES: Only sold by in-home dealers, this company now also owns Electrolux, and shares the same powerhead design. The canister is metal and of high quality, but steep in price, and suffers from very high filter costs (about $70 bucks a pop!). NOTES: We've grouped these common brands together, because power and filtration are virtually identical.

These companies are better at advertising than in building machines, and for the educated consumer, there are much better choices available (such as Samsung or Miele) in the same price range. NOTES: Excellent power for it's price range. Uses a 3M Filtrete final filter, which does an above average job in filtration. A good choice for those who do not suffer from allergies. NOTES: These brands are all 'water trap' vacuums similar in design to the Rainbow'. We've grouped these together because these are all brands which are sold by in-home demonstrations. While any of these are decent machines, better units (such as Miele) are available for about half the price. Also, these brands have a very small market share, so if your local distributor goes out of business, you may not be able to find anyone to service your machine. Our advice: avoid them. NOTES: Sebo has features such as a geared belt and a circuit breaker (which are not generally found in uprights). It gets outstanding power from a very efficient motor, and the filter cost is about half of what other companies charge.

An onboard computer even monitors the height adjustment (setting it automatically) and system status at all times. Winner of numerous design awards, it's hard to find much not to like about this machine. NOTES: While we're not crazy about the looks of the machine, it has outstanding quality, great power, and wonderful filtration. One of the best you can buy.Be advised that they also make a cheaper model (called Aptiva), which cannot be purchased online. The Aptiva models are a large step down in quality, and for the few dollars difference, the Healthcare Pro models are the better buy. NOTES: Miele's uprights are not as of high quality as their canisters, and do not have sealed HEPA filtration. They are a decent buy in their price range for those who don't suffer from allergies, and you get a 2-year warranty. NOTES: We've grouped Sharp and Panasonic together because they are similar in design, power, and filtration. While these brands we not have 'real' HEPA filters, they are made of higher quality components than other common 'store brands'.

If you are on a tight budget, these are the best machines available in the $200 price range. NOTES: We've grouped these common brands together, because power and poor filtration are virtually identical. These companies are better at advertising than in building machines, and for the educated consumer, there are much better choices available (such as Sharp or Panasonic) in the same price range. NOTES: Once you take away the 'free' canister (which doesn't even have wheels!!) and the 'free' iron (which you can buy anywhere for $19 bucks), you're left with a cheap upright with a tiny motor and poor power when compared to other machines.It's important to not fool yourself: Lightweight = small motor = low power. An 8-pound machine simply cannot do what a full size upright will do. If you can live with that fact, then an Oreck may be a good choice for you. NOTES: Built like a tank (and weighing almost as much), these are sold by in-home dealers. They don't use a HEPA filter, but the new Kirby HEPA Bag seems to filter well.

The entire head of the machine must be removed to attach a hose or attachments, which can get tedious quickly. NOTES: Using the same 'recycled' design for about 15 years, technology has left their uprights behind, and they do not have a sealed HEPA filter. On the positive side, they do tend to hold up well over time. However, there are better choices (such as Lindhaus or Sebo) in this pricing range.NOTE: Keep in mind that the Electrolux models you see in retail stores are not the Electrolux of old (that your parents had), but simply rebadged Eurekas, which now own the name. NOTES: Fantom has gone out of business, and their assets bought by another company. While you may still find these on store shelves, we suggest avoiding them, as you will probably never find anyone to service your machine.Filtration was always lacking on these machines - the filters were simply not rated high enough for what the machine was capable of. More Vacuum Cleaner related classes... Vacschool: Vacuum cleaner Ratings