Barb (but I do like to see the dirt flying around in circles in the canister - I know "Get a life", huh??!!!)

I tried to use it for a couple of weeks, then discovered what a pain it was to empty. I also discovered that it does not do well with pet hair (I've got three big dogs).

I did call Bissell and ask them if I was doing something wrong, no I wasn't.

HD has a 90 day return policy, I called first to tell them what the problem was, they told me to bring it back for a refund. I did. Now I'm back to using a regular bag vacuum.

SG

Gloria

When I brought the vac home, I first vacuumed sections with my old, but very respected brand, canister vacuum and a newer bagged upright (both had new empty bags), then I went over the same areas with my new upright ... WHAT a difference!

Maybe it does come in under the "get a life" category, lol, but I, too, love to see the dirt and dog hairs swirling around in the canister!

Bottom line, though, as I see it, is that whoever does the cleaning should get to pick the tools he/she feels most comfortable with.

Diane

I cannot believe the amount of suction that is lost when the filter needs cleaned. I assume that when using a bag, that the bag itself is the filter, and once they bag has been used, that it will continue to loose suction until it is full and replaced.

Sue

We have a central vac with a gigantic metal canister (we got the heavy duty commercial one) and it is big and heavy to empty, so of course I have my husband do it! :-)
Seriously, even with our big canister, you just take a huge black garbage bag, go outside, set the canister down, put the bag over it so it covers it, then kind of hold it around the edges, and dump upside down. Then walk briskly away and don't come back for a few seconds, till the dust has settled. Then very gently close the top.

Yes it's more trouble, but we have really good suction.

Went back to using a Hoover windtunnel upright with a BAG (I LOVE THE BAGS). I'll never go back. BTW - I love Hoover too.

If they stop manufacturing the bags, I will give up vacuming altogether.

Other bagless vacuums I've had slight experience with:

- Kenmore progressive bagless - #2 on the CR list and at $300 it's cheaper than both of the kings of bagless, but after a few years of ownership and replacing that stupid tower filter you probably would have bought two Rainbows. And what happens with the beltless direct drive system fails...yeah

- Hoover Windtunnel 2 - When people asked if someone coul biuld a vacuum that was uglier than a Dyson the execs at Hoover must have been listening in and saw the opportunity to rise to the occasion with the Windtunnel 2. The niffty thing about this vacuum is that it's really easy to take the dust cup off. All you have to do is move the vacuum when it's standing straight up and before you know it the dust cup is lying on the floor.

- Bissel Healthy Home - It looks sort of like a Dyson but for less money. So what do you get for roughly 130 bucks less? A lot less power and a hose that won't stay wraped up on the machine. The reason this vacuum won't exhaust harmful particles into your home is because it can't pick any up in the first place.

- Vax - I once dumped the contents of a vax dust cup onto a carpet and attempted to pick it back up again. I'm still not sure how anyone got the dirt that was there in the vacuum in the first place. It does come with an amuzing flexible hose and a three foot hose...very convenient for those easy-to-reach places.

- Dirt Devil Twin Turbo - I still can't hear out of my right ear because of this machine. The good news is that this machine never gets dirty inside; the bad news is this is true because it won't pick anything up.

- Hoover Empower - It has an overboost switch! You can also fold the handle down for storage! Oh and it costs less than 100 bucks! And if you are buying it to clean anything but a 10 x 10 dorm room you'll need a new one in six months!

As for canisters...

- Kenmore Bagless Canister - The motor is placed awkwardly making it feel really heavy. It takes two hands to empty the dust cup making it virtually impossible to do and not make a mess.

- Electrolux Twin Clean - I actually like this vacuum, but the powerhead will make your ears bleed and the dust cup empties from the top...messy...

Oh btw...

- Dyson DC21 - A canister vacuum from Dyson! Short cord, none of the additional accessories Dyson makes will fit on it, and you have take the dust cup apart to empty it...boooo! Not to mention that any attatchments you put on it have to stick out about two feet because you can only collapse and not remove the wand. Oh and the DC21 doesn't get a brushless motor like the DC12 allegedly has...WTF Dyson? WTF?

Now have a "Dyson Animal Vac" and I absolutely love it. I have 4 dogs and need a lot of vacuuming power. It cost maybe a third more than that Hoover which never worked as good as my Dyson. My Dyson empties right over the garbage can outside and is easy to clean. Can you tell I love it???

bloominganne

Dysons are cheap? LOL!!! Compared to what? Bosch appliances? I just can't justify spending any more than $300 for a vacuum cleaner - and that's pushing it - especially with most manufacturer warranties that are only one year. The only thing worse in price is the Kirby.

I've been frustrated with vacuum cleaners too, and I think they all have their good and bad points. I don't care if a vacuum cleaner is ugly. It's picking up dirt, what do I care what it looks like? I'm not displaying it for my guests when they come to visit. My, what a beautiful vacuum cleaner you have....Nancy, have you seen the beautiful vacuum cleaner Jane has? I'll just have to get me one of those....I have the perfect spot in my living room to put it on display. It will be such a conversation piece. I will be the envy of all my friends... LOL

Seriously, I've looked at the Dyson's in the store, and it took me a good five minutes just to figure out how to turn the darn thing on. There are so many gadgets and nooks and crannies - it looks so complicated I thought I'd never want to use it. It didn't seem easy to maneuver either. I can't rate its performance since I've never actually used it, but I'd never pay the price tag either.

The manufacturers need to get smart and custom design vacuum cleaners based on each individual consumer's needs. We can all buy cars with options, so why not customize a vacuum cleaner? Do I want a long hose or a short one? Do I want a bag or bagless? Do I want suction so strong that it is pulling the threads of material from my carpeting (i.e. the Dirt Devil), or do I want something easier on my persian rugs?

And what genius invented the filters that are supposed to reduce allergens, and yet they don't address the fact that the only way to clean the filter is to physically remove it, but don't forget to put your breathing mask on beforehand because all of those wonderful micro-particles that you just sucked into the canister and kept from flying around your house with that expensive allergen reducing filter are now essentially being released back into the air again, and into your lungs, eyes, and further creating more dust in your home.

So now, I have to take the canister outside just to empty it in an effort to keep those dust particles from my home, and again, I can't forget to put my dust mask on first so the neighbors can see me walking around with my protective"breathing" gear and think that I'm close to living in a bubble. I can see the logic in breathing these now ever-so-concentrated allergens as I'm removing the contents of the canister and praying that the direction of the wind doesn't change while I'm shaking the filter against my tree for future re-use, which I have to do, because if I buy a new one it’s going to cost me another $60.00. This is so much better than removing and replacing a bag that cost me less than $2.00, with minimal dust particles being released in the process. So, not only have I just exposed myself to more allergens cleaning the thing than I would have if I had just used a bag, but I also spent about $60 more than I would have for a bag that can be disposed of without the mess. But, whatever, money is not an issue for me. I love giving my money away towards marketing ploys.

I don't think filters have any advantage over a bag, and manufacturers are making a killing on them! Unless you are a severe asthmatic who has someone else to change the filters out for you, I don't see the point. When I had a filter, I had to use my non-filter vacuum to clean out the filter on the other one every time I sucked up pet hair. Can you say not practical????

Average cost Rainbow c. 2600 dollars

Dysons are cheap bagless vacuums ;)

I always feel a sense of cleaning satisfaction dumping out all the filthy water.

I have lots of wood and tile in my home and my vacuum just spits things to the side. What brand do you all like on your bare floors?

I got a "teaser" for a subscription for Consumer Reports the other day. On the cover it said guess which vacuum is the worse for picking up pet hair? Inside it said the Dyson was the worse (I have no idea what model). It gave thumbs up to some Eureka $150 vacuum.

In addition to CR, calling a reputable vacuum store or two should also be on your vacuum research list. Most posters seem to distrust dealers but I and many others in the business pride ourselves on trying to find the right vacuum for the right customer. There is no secret conspiracy to rip you off. LOL. If a dealer doesn't recommend the vacuum you like, there probably is some reason he has that opinion, usually his experience with that brand not that he can't make any money on it or can't sell you bags, besides you can go somewhere else if you disagree. The very worst place to buy a vac is on the internet or lumber store unless you only want a cheap vacuum. Believe it or not, on a quality vacuum, go to a dealer that is an authorized repair facility, if purchased in store, they can sell you a vac lower than the internet price! They just cannot advertise it.

I received my new Dyson Animal yesterday, which I was able to purchase with my Visa rewards points, luckily! It is completely in a different league from other bagged/bagless vacuums. (Fortunately the Rainbow vaccumm is completely out of the question for me, so I have no way to compare it! Although it sounds amazing.)

After vacuuming my bedroom carpet, you would have thought that I had never vaccuumed it before. I have a dog and a cat and it picks up the hair beautifully. Most of my house is hardwood and it was a pleasure to use on the hard floors as well and without fear of damaging the floor that I had with my previous upright.

I completely chose to ignore all negative reports on the Dyson and take a chance on it simply because nothing else worked well! I am thrilled with it. What a beautiful piece of engineering! (and a five year warranty)

Every allergy site that talks about vacuuming will tell you so.

Florabelle1

Rainbows aren't a bad vacuum but they're not the greatest either. They're well built but too expensive for most peoples budget. Plus you have to dispose of all that dirty water riddled with debris down the toilet each and every use and then wash out the container and let it completely dry before you can put it back together and store it away.
They don't capture all the dust either that's why they've had to resort to adding a HEPA filter on the latest models exhaust because believe it or not some types of dust just repel water and continue to blow around and out the exhaust

Four years and four cats later, sometimes you have to re-seat the collection bin, and I¡¦m occasionally frustrated with the hose/wand that you can¡¦t access as easily as I¡¦d like, or without dumping that lovely cord that reaches from one end of my house to the other¡K

But I¡¦m happy with it ¡V and my sinuses are thrilled ƒº

By the way ¡V the problem with dust ¡¥bouncing¡¦ off the water in a Rainbow can be addressed by changing the surface tension ¡V half an ounce of alcohol (rubbing, or cheap vodka) or two drops (and I mean two drops) of dish soap seemed to work pretty well.

My other vac was an air way. It was soooo darn heavy. I hated dragging that vac from the basement to the main level to the second level. It was a workout.

Bags are good. Bought a Bissell at WalMart that takes bags and I am so much happier.

I thought I was so old fashioned for not liking the new bagless vacs.

LOL, I'm raving about a vacuum cleaner. Speaking of needing to get a life....

Cj

Lori