We have a pug that sheds volumes of hair year around...I know what you mean about the swiffer not being able to keep up. I use a dirt devil bagless stick vac for quick pick ups. It works pretty well, but I don't like to empty the cup. I take it outside & bang it on the block wall or patio. Hair flys everywhere. It's just one of the joys of pet ownership I guess. I'm curious to see the responses to your post as this is a common issue I'm sure.

I have 2 shedding cats and a golden lab (lab temper, golden fur!). I bought a Dirt Devil stick vac that works very well in my kitchen and bathrooms. It's bag-less and has a lot of power. It's not cordless, but I always find that when I need it it's not charged so I prefer a cord.

So both of you have dirt devil bagless stick vacs--can you tell me what models they are please? My main concern was not having the hair wrap all around a brush and have to be cut off everytime.

My Aunt used to have a Dirt Devil stick vac that had a triangle shaped head on it. It was not cordless or bagless, but had good suction and was so lightweight and easy to use. I've looked for it on the Dirt Devil site, but guess that model has been discontinued. (And I don't remember if it had brushes or not)

The cord is not a problem for me, probably easier than having to have one plugged in to charge all the time. I much prefer bags to bagless, but those seem to be almost obsolete nowadays, don't they.

I love my dogs, but they do require daily maintenance, just glad we taught them to remain in the family room and so I don't get much hair in the rest of the house.

I appreciate your responses.

Luvs

I found one at Walmart. It's called the Dirt Devil Power Bagless Stick Vacuum. It's very inexpensive and has lasted a couple of years so far. The only thing you have to replace is the filter. I get them at Target for about $10.00 and replace about twice a year.

Here is the link: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2276042

You will find that most stick vacuums are bagless. There are some that use bags.

Miele makes the universal vacuum cleaners. They are powerful and use bags. The Mieles can be very expensive though, with the bottom of the line model priced at over a couple of hundred dollars. There are cheaper bagged stick vacs.

Take a look at the Riccar Omniclean or the Simplicity Quicksilver. These two are the same vacuum cleaner, but under different names, by the same corporation. They are available from vac shops only, so you will not find any at your neighborhood Walmart. They use paper bags. They have a lot of power, filter well, like the Miele, and are easy to use. The rug and floor attachment has a pedal which will lower or retract a set of brush strips, when stepped on. The Riccar and Simplicity will cost slightly over $100.

Getting into the cheap stick vacs, you will find that they are bagless. Look at the Douglas Readivac Model #36821 2 speed broom stick vac. It is a basic stick vac with a rug/floor attachment. It too is powerful. The filter is a cloth bonnet, that must be shaken to dislodge dust. I tend to like this better than a pleated filter. It is easier and quicker to clean. The dirt capacity is quite large for a bagless. It has a decent warranty. The handle folds, like the Simplicity and Riccar, so you can store it in a small place. I also like the attachment connection, because it is a regular 1 ¼" size. Any regular sized attachment would fit onto the Readivac. That means that you could even purchase a nice floor brush with wheels to go onto the vacuum. This can be found for around $40.

Another bagless stick vac would be the Hoover Flair S2200 with the basic rug and floor attachment. It will do well on floors. It does seem a little bit flimsy compared to the above Readivac broom. The Hoover can be found for around $45.

Some of these prices may seem high, but if you want to purchase a better quality vacuum cleaner, you will have to spend more.

For those who want to vacuum a large area, but have a short cord, you can always purchase an extension cord for small appliances(vacuum cleaners). This way, the user will not have to plug in the cord as often.

Here is a link that might be useful: Simplicity Quicksilver

Thanks Geguymw, you listed some I had not heard of. Didn't even know Simplicity made vacuums! I agree about those pleated filters. Funny how they design vacuums to save us time then stick something like those pleated filters on it that eats up all the time we just saved! LOL

With that said, I'm not as concerned over the filters, bags or bagless--what I really worry about is not having the dog hair wrap around a brush and have to be cut off. Do you know if any of the vacs you mentioned above are without brushes?

I thought a stick broom would be the quickest easiest way to quickly suck up the dog hair, but on the Simplicity site they also had a little four pound canister that you carry with a shoulder strap--that might be quick and easy too. I'll have to keep that in mind too.

I probably need to go look at some of the stick vacs to find one with no brush rollers--not something they normally list on the descriptions. I did see that one of the Dirt Devil models said you could "turn the brush roller off" for bare floors. Wonder if that would work in my case?

I'm off to the Hoover website now to check out the Flair you mentioned.

Thanks, Luvs

I'm interested in the responses to that question as I fight the same battle. Currently have way too many vacs, and none seem to solve the problem. Bought a Shark when the previous house was on the market and needed a quick pick up before buyers came. It didn't work very well. Gave it to a friend and it totally quit working after about 6 months. Have a canister vac from Sanitaire that isn't bad. It's light weight and easy to haul around. Has a HEPA filter, and a bag. It has the same tool for smooth floors mentioned above (so no brush or beater bar).

The stick vacuum cleaners, that I mentioned, do not have a rotating brushroll. What they do have is a combination rug/floor attachment. When you want to vacuum the floor, you step on a pedal which lowers brush strips. These are different from a rotating brushroll. When you want to vacuum the rug, just step on the pedal again and the brush strips will retract.

That Simplicity Sport would pick up the dog hair and dirt also. It would be lighter than their stick vac. The Riccar twin is called the SupraQuik. If this is what you wanted, then I would suggest that you find it as the Fast Vac FV500. It will be cheaper under this name instead of the Riccar or Simplicity name.

I have a Peke that sheds and the Diet Devil Stick does the job. It is bagless and the hair just balls up in the cup and does not get into the filter. The filter is pleated but only dust gets in there and I bang it on the side of the garbage can to get rid of it. I replace them twice a year. I also have a Roomba but the dog hair gets stuck on the brushes and it is a pain to get off. It does do a good job of cleaning otherwise.

geguy - have they done anything about the noise levels on stick vacs? I had one some years ago that worked pretty well, but for the hearing discomfort it caused. Of the ones you listed above, which makes the least noise?

geguymw, I seem to recall that you listed the Sebo Felix on another post. (You are a tremendous resource!) Would it be a good option here? It has a brush - but it looks so easy to clean! It's quite a cool little vac! Do you know what it costs? I have 4 vacs (2 upright and 2 canisters) and I'm still in search of the perfect one...

Most stick vacuums are not quiet. There is not a lot of money and thought put into producing them. If there was, then they would cost more. Look at the Miele. It would be the quietest, but you are going to pay more for it though.

Melindy,
The Sebo Felix is closer to a regular upright, eventhough it looks like a stick vac. I think I remember the thread where a Felix was a recommendation, but the circumstances are different here. If you read the original poster, the person said, "Some days I just don't feel like dragging that vacuum in there and would love to just have something that would quickly suck up the dog hair". This person wants something small and quick, for one room. This person can purchase the Sebo if s/he wanted to, but there are other choices like I said. The Sebo is going to cost alot more than the highest priced "stick vac", which is the Miele. The cheapest model Felix Kombi will run around $360. This will have the combination(Kombi) rug/floor nozzle.

You said "I'm still in search of the perfect one...".
You are going to have to keep looking, because there is no perfect vacuum cleaner. Each will have its advantages and disadvantages. You will have to look for features that matter to you the most. You also said that you have a Sanitaire. I am wondering if you have the Mighty Mite? This does fine on floors. What is it you do not like about it?

Hi geguymw, sorry for the delayed response, was out of town. I do have the Mighty Mite, and I like it fairly well. I have dogs and one likes to roll in the flower beds and drags the mulch into the house. I bought the vac to have something light weight to carry around and get this, plus the hair that collected in corners and on baseboards. In this house the floors are scraped hardwoods, so there is a slight ripple and it's very dusty. I just don't feel like it picks up the dust well. Actually the best solution is a damp microfiber mop, but I'd rather vac than mop!