Not sure what stock you put in consumer reports but they rank the Dyson VERY low without considering the price but after considering how exspensive they are, we ruled it out.

I have nothing BUT hardwoods and tile. I have a seven-year-old Miele Naturell. The bottom of Miele's line...and it works a treat.

I've given this much thought since we have a lot of hardwood floors plus tile or travertine in our bathrooms. People on one of these forums had been raving about the Pronto so I bought one. I like it for the tiled floors but I haven't used it on our hardwoods since our floor guy told me I should not use any kind of vacuum with wheels on the hardwood floors.

Sounds crazy but I've been using one of those short brooms that comes with a dusting pan on a stick. And I've been meaning to supplement it with a microfiber sweeper because our house is so dusty.

I've been thinking of getting a Swiffer Sweeper/vacuum but wasn't sure if it had wheels, and also hate the idea of buying the Swiffer pads. I was also looking at the Dirt Devil Broom Vac.

We have a central vac system too, but I haven't used it on the hardwoods. I may break down soon once I learn how to shut off the rotating head. Lugging the 30 foot hose is a pain.

I'd be interested in hearing others' advice.

I have a Dyson Animal (DC07). I hated it when I first got it, but it does do a great job on my hardwood, tile, wall to wall carpet and vinyl floors. It's great for sucking up dog fur and dust balls. I was amazed at how much dirt and dust came out of my carpets when I used the Dyson on them. I thought my old vacuum was doing a good job, but I was wrong. I leave the old vacuum in the basement for my kids to vacuum down there and use the Dyson on the main floor and 2nd floor.

The Dyson vacuum itself is very loud and I thought the attachments were hard to use at first. I have them figures out now. Also, at first, when I tried to vacuum my area rugs, the suction on the Dyson is so strong that it would lift the rug a little into the beater bar and cause a horrible loud noise. After a few months of use on wall to wall carpet, I guess the bristles on the beater bar have worn down and, it doesn't make that noise anymore.

I like the vacuum now, but I'm not sure it is actually worth the price. I'm sure there are good vacuums that are easier to use,and less expensive. If I had to do it again, I probably wouldn't buy a Dyson.

Meg - Don't bother with the Dirt Devil Broom Vac. My experience with it was that it picked up less than sweeping. Suction is very poor.

I'm considering Sears' Kenmore canister vacs ... they are on sale until 9/1. We don't move into our new construction until mid-October, but I'm considering purchasing it on sale now. I'm looking at the model that is regularly $499, but is on sale for $379 I believe. I've never heard no wheels on the hardwood ... no beater, yes, but not no wheels. With a canister vac, though, the wheels don't drag around as much as an upright, as the hose head doesn't have wheels and the canister (which has the wheels) moves minimally.

I have the Dyson and love it... Use to have the Sear's Kenmore canister and hated it, all plastic parts that do break...

We have a Bissel and like it alot. Had alot of reviews on Amazon that were more favorable than Dyson and less expensive. You can turn off the beater bar and the canister can be detached which is a nice feature (we use it this way alot) - also is hepa filtered.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bissel lift off vacuum

Since you need to have 2, one for each floor, look for the best canister that you can find for the price. Maybe see if you can find a used Miele or Sebo canister vac - they seem to last for a long time and aren't heavy. Check with a vacuum store - many times people will trade in older models that still work just great for this purpose or even ebay.

You'll need a canister to pick up the grit but you're still going to need a cleaning mop and spray. Everyone raves about the Bona hardwood floor cleaner. The kit comes with a flat head "mop" that you can rewash. The kits are available online or at a specialty flooring store.

Hope that helps!

I love my Bona cleaner. And the Bona Hardwood refresher has kept my hardwoods looking almost new for 10 years. I re-apply annually.

melanie

Thanks everyone. I have never heard of the bona, but I will check it out. The wheel thing makes sense. I have a lot less hdwd floors now and I actually like the swiffer sweeper vacume, but you have to keep it plugged in and then the energy last just long enough to do my kitchen, a hallway, and my dining room. There is no way it would work on a 4,200 sq' house with all tile and hardwood. I may just keep it around to do my kitchen or a quick clean up. Is this bona a vacume or a cleaning thing? I will google it. Thanks

I see that your last post was a while ago. The best vacuum I have found is of course the central vac. Not beam. It uses an electrical outlet plus plug for the hose. I like the turbo cat best for home use and you can have one installed in the garage to clean your car. I also like the back pack vacuum cleaner by pro vac. It takes some getting used to but it works great. I also like the simplicity vacuum. I bet you thought they just make sewing machines and lawn mowers. If you can find a dealer in your area it would be well worth your time, one dealer should have all of these for you to check out. The carpet attachements and the hardwood floor attachments on the turbo cat are much easier to switch than the beam vacuum.

Swiffer cordless sweeper vac.

Here is a link that might be useful: Swiffer vac

I just bought the Hoover Commercial Portapower Lightweight Vacuum Model C2094 from a merchant I found on the web (can post the name of the merchant if this would be useful). I cut heavy-duty adhesive-backed felt strips and applied them to the entire outline of the bottom of the floor tool and this works super great!! Just glides over my newly installed floor. Most smaller portable vacuums don't have enough power but this one does. And, it comes with a super long cord and a shoulder strap so it is easy to move around the house while vacuuming. Note that I only use this for my hardwood floors (my entire first floor) and don't use it on carpet upstairs because the felt doesn't glide for carpet. The vacuum also comes with other handtools.

The Sears vacuum is decent, it's actually an Electrolux Oxygen model. I grabbed one on sale last year and with some coupons, a gift card, and the fact that the vacuum the lady rang up was under the $279.99 tag on the shelf, I wound up paying $150 for the white one. It's quiet, lightweight, with easy, inexpensive filter changes.

It's quite expensive but the guy who finished my floors used a Pro-team back-pack vac. These are professional vacs. Proteam also makes a model that you can wear around your waist. Miele makes a highly rated stick vac: S163 or S168. They are both highly rated as are all Miele vacuums. (This is probably what I am going to get). I also came across a few models by Emer (Emer 908015U Donnatello Power Plus Upright HEPA Vacuum) which are even more expensive then the Mieles. I couldn't find much on them but the one or two reviews rated them highly

hardwood flooring refinisher here with all the tips necessary to keep your hardwood floors in perfect condition

1. never use a vaccum with wheels
2. put rugs at entrance for all exterior doors. dirt tracked in from outside is what scratches/dulls floors.
3. use a microfiber pad for the dirt and dust http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1277711
4. never mop a hardwood floor with water
5. use 50/50 mix white vinegar/water in a spray bottle and lightly mist the floor. wipe with clean microfiber pad.
6. never use any "hardwood floor cleaners" that contain wax.(if your not sure use water/vinegar mix)
7. all hardwood floors (prefinished or custom finished) have to be screened and recoated every 5-7 years depending on amount of foot traffic over the floor. if the finish wears through to the wood then you have to sand and refinish the whole floor.

p.s. IMO dysons are worth every penny for carpet!

Just a followup to my previous post. I ended up going with the Emer Donnatello and am very happy with it. It's a good quality vac and does a great job (I use the brush attachment which is specifically for hardwood floors). It's also surprisingly quiet. I got it through ebay and saved $100 over the Miele.

Central vac is the best, used with the hard floor tool of course (no wheels, no rotating brush, just soft bristles.)

Swiffer sweeper does not have wheels. I have four of them that I keep plugged in, and that way no matter if it runs out of juice. I go over the floor sometimes afterwards with a moistened Quickie cotton mop (with removeable head htat can be washed in the machine). If someone is really a stickler about not using swiffer pads, is it possible to put a washable pad on there instead? -- a microfibre cloth?

I currently have low end Miele. It works great on carpets with its rotating brush, but IMO the bare floor tool stinks. I'm also ticked that they made it a different size than normal USA attachments, so you're also stuck with their small brush, which also is not good. Either that, or use the attachment which allows you to go to the other size. Except this (a) keeps falling off, and (b) makes the transition between hose end and brush too long.

I really miss my central vac, and that 30 foot hose is not hard once you learn how to handle it. Always sweep AHEAD of yourself, so you're not dragging dirt around with the hose, and you'll be just fine, no need to carry it.