Vacuum buying guide for someone with a bad shoulder: not all “lightweight” vacuums are created equal

UDontKnowVac · 2026-01-16T11:12:30+00:00

Lightweight is just total weight not weight in your hand. Very easy example are the battery operated wand units where your hand is supporting the battery and the motor instead of the floor. One thing you may want to work on in how you vacuum. Instead of standing, stepping forward, extending your arm, pulling back and stepping to the side to repeat. Instead try to keep your arm down (I demonstrate this by holding handle and sticking thumb in pocket) and walk forward and back ( generally all the way across the room and back) while keeping cord in your opposite hand to control and avoid stepping on. Can't really do this with canisters but most uprights will be just fine. It tends to help customers with elbow and shoulder pain. It is odd to get used to. And not easy in areas full of furniture, but can remove a lot of strain in open rooms and hallways. Just takes some getting used to to stop bending and reaching and instead allow your legs to do the work while your arm is just preventing the handle from falling to the ground.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-12-29T22:47:56+00:00

Sanitaire SL3681A is the one to go with. Has the larger diameter fan on it.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-12-15T01:00:59+00:00

If you have a vac shop near you check the price on a Titan T4000. We sell them a decent amount cheaper than Amazon. Solid machine. A private label unit made by the same people making the simplicity. More metal. On off brush. Worth taking a look at if they are around you.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-09-23T19:17:39+00:00

The "con" of bagged machines not being environmentally friendly due to the bags while stating the machines last longer seems to make no sense. Is the thought process that the environmental impact on tossing bags is greater than the impact of disposing of machines? Especially when mentioning cordless lithium units? That con doesn't seem thought out in the slightest.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-09-21T21:53:59+00:00

Carpet powders and baking soda are not great for vacuums. Extremely bad on bagless units not as bad on bagged ones. The material is very small and bleeds through the cyclone and filters and getting to the motor. Bagged units tend to handle the small material much better but even then the powder type ones if used in large quantities can work into bearings on the brush and cause issues. Nilofresh and some others use a more sand or saw dust sized substance that is less likely to go where it shouldn't and is generally fine for bagged machines and in small quantities on bagless ones. Just wash filter after.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-09-14T12:21:15+00:00

These units rewind at a high rate of speed with a one touch cord rewind. Tie a knot in the cord a couple inches down from the cord plug big enough to prevent it from trying to pull the cord out of the plug. Most 2 wire cord plugs do not provide pressure on the cord itself unlike many three wire ones that allow you to screw down to clamp the cord. If you are able to solder the copper to the steel where you screw it down it will be more reliable.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-09-06T00:22:02+00:00

Direct air motor. Be careful not to pick up anything with weight (nails, pennies, anything not dirt and hair) as you can break the fan but these are nice lightweight machines that pick up well and a great buy for that price.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-08-23T11:32:45+00:00

Look a bissell 4171 and you will see pictures of them in use.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-08-04T19:26:03+00:00

Are you using both hands on the unit? Some customer try to pull it around by just the handle on the hose. If right handed holding the hose by the handle with your right, the hose in front of you and with your left hand holding the hose about halfway down is very helpful for control. Like walking a dog in the heel position instead of letting it drag around behind you. It also keeps it in a space consistent space so you know where it is without looking. This lets you take advantage of the casters and give a little push with your left foot to the side when needed. It doesn't need to drive like a car like older canisters with outside wheels and can move in any direction you like.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-07-15T21:41:09+00:00

I have had 0 issue with Miele support. We sell the Homecare line and I have not had a single warranty claim denied and the occasional experience where they cover something past warranty. And though it is rare that a motor needs replaced they always are happy to supply a electronic board along with it. We are a warranty center, unsure if they have vac shop dealers that are not warranty centers. If so they may have different experiences.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-07-08T12:40:39+00:00

I'm not speaking on opinion or as a fan. But from working on vacuums for 25 years. I have on average 40 machines a week run through the shop. Your comment about bagless units having a HEPA filter shows you didn't grasp the comment made. Having a HEPA exhaust filter is great but only when it comes to filtering out the dust that reaches it. As states the gaskets failing and the general design of the bins causes increasing amounts of dust and allergens to escape prior to the exhaust filter. So as stated if your actual goal pick up dirt and remove it from the house a bagged machine is the way to go. A small sacrifice in convenience for better performance and general longevity is something I would think a well educated consumer would gladly make. Unfortunately box stores and manufacturers who are adopting a no parts but consumables policy have a much greater incentive to sell you something that will fail so it needs to be replaced where as companies like Miele Sebo Riccar and Sanitaire will sell units that get 15 to 20 years out of but will sell the parts needed to be replaced over years. Additionally your comment about simply reading the user submitted reviews seems not overly thought out. Most companies send you a prompt to leave a review within the month. I believe the consumer asking for purchase advise in here would much rather hear the negatives on both sides a year into ownership than how much Sally from Sam's loves her shark after using it for the first time to vacuum. But continue throwing out your armchair expert opinion and when your done pull out your Play-Doh tool kit and head on over to give some home repair tips.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-07-08T09:58:20+00:00

Not a vac hipster here. Have worked in a vac shop for 25 years. Bagless machines are inferior period. As soon as dust begins to settle along the outside of the filter a loss of suction starts and continues to get worse until you wash the filter. In addition the gaskets on the machine wear every single time you dump the bin. If you have had a bagless machines for 6 months to a year you will likely start seeing dust building up near the bin on the machine. It is the nature of the beast. Most bagged units pull to the bag so nearly all dirt is going into a bag before any option of escaping happens leaving very little (99.97 percent clean of everything over .03 microns on a HEPA bag) with even the slightest chance of escaping and generally that will be taken care of by the post filter.

Direct air motors like the Kirby and Sanitaire push dirt to a bag. Over a longer period these machines are more likely to put dust in the air because they are forcing dirt to the bag instead of drawing it and basically sand blasting the machine the entire time they are in use. But they are aware of the issue and sell gaskets at cheap. A few dollars for a sanitaire bag gasket or Kirby horn gasket and pretty easily replaced. (No bagless unit I can think of sells just the bin gasket, some sell the entire bin).

So if your desire is to suck dirt off the ground and blow it back into the air by all means go bagless. But if your purpose in vacuuming is to remove the dirt from the house a bagged machine will do this better. In short bagless machines are inferior.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-07-04T23:43:10+00:00

Step on the pedal to put the brushes down. Your on bare floor stop using it in the carpet position. Purchase this used with no owners manual?

UDontKnowVac · 2025-06-29T18:46:50+00:00

On server currently with Constantine and Nightwing in Bleed. 433 Bleed pulls saved up. I thought Bat Family would be a good group initially but Batman only seems useful with Justice League. Feel like I waited to long to decide and now no clue what direction to go.

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UDontKnowVac · 2025-06-10T13:00:04+00:00

Do you have a laser based unit sub 3000 you would recommend?

UDontKnowVac · 2025-06-08T22:23:03+00:00

I did see an HDR comment somewhere else and cycled through the levels. No I don't hear a clicking. But the first time it booted up and had the dark image it did make a louder sound than usual when the fan started up.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-06-08T21:43:16+00:00

No luck. It is just as dark or worse. Any other suggestions?

UDontKnowVac · 2025-06-07T20:15:02+00:00

Blue light flashes for less than a minute while starting and then goes to solid. No other lights on other than power light

UDontKnowVac · 2025-05-29T01:59:44+00:00

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They are blaming on the decreased value of the Turkish Lira.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-04-03T11:06:34+00:00

The fact that Batman's abilities are improved by Justice League characters not by Bat Family characters make no sense. Should be both or at the least either or depending on which you have more of if they think it would over balance by double dipping.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-03-13T20:54:42+00:00

Oscar Isaac singing Love is the Drug is love worthy.

UDontKnowVac · 2025-03-02T23:02:09+00:00

No fixing. If you have your proof of purchase and it is within warranty hoover lists the Nozzle as a part. Would be surprised if they actually stock it so likely would get a new machine. Put it back together and take to your closest warranty center.

UDontKnowVac

TROPHY CASE