Anyone care to advise on vacuum cleaners? Not the most riveting subject I know :)

I agree phoenix and they are a lot heavier than the ordinary Miele cylinders which I think do a great job.

I have had both for several years and they are going well. I have recently inherited a G Ram but it will not recharge so I will have to get that repaired.

I would say the Miele cat and dog, just a shame they are so expensive!

Although it's a cylinder, the head bit has brushes that go round like an upright. I wish I gone the extra money when I bought mine, which is a Miele, but a bit more basic.

My vote goes for the Henry with its attachments. Does carpets, hard wood floors and stairs. Hated the Dyson - very heavy and always breaking. We have a GTech that ooks like an old fashioned carpet sweeper but runs on a rechargeable battery which we keep downstairs for sucking up crumbs etc. when the grand children have finished eating.

Cordless all the way..

Some great suggestions, thanks folks. Interesting comment re Die-soon Nannygoat as it's my Dyson that needs replacing

Elegran I'd forgotten your thread about your little robot . I haven't heard of Miele cleaners or Sebo so I'll go off and see what Mr Google has to say.

Thanks for the info. x

I am always intrigued by the fact that the Roomba knows when it is running out of charge and takes itself off to its charging dock.

We never us it when the GC are here as they are very nervous of it for some reason!

Just a dustbuster for the stairs J52. - or as my OH calls it a bustduster.

Miele cylinders are great, suction is brilliant and I've been through many vacuum cleaners in my time. Dyson too heavy and not as good.

I like the sound of the Roomba, presumably you have to have a hand held vacuum for the stairs? x

That was it Elegran !
Absolutely hilarious, I'm giggling just reading this!

Thank you x

That was probably mine, loopylou I forgot to open all the downstairs doors wide so that it could buzz round everywhere early in the morning. It nudged the study door enough to get in, then knocked into it from inside on its way around and shut itself in. When I came down it was almost out of power and couldn't get out to its docking station in the hall. It was still moving weakly and aimlessly about looking for an exit. On its maneouvres it has bumped over an extension socket lying on the floor and switched off the phone base. We thought maybe it had been trying to phone for help!

Another time it pushed into a big tray that I kept leaning against the kitchen wall and knocked it over, and was trying to vacuum with it perched on its back, like a turtle shell.

Was it your Roomba Mishap that featured on a hilarious thread some months ago? I wish I could find it again, just thinking about it makes me grin!

The slightly less basic one can be set to vacuum on a timer. It is so nice to hear it whirring around while you are still in bed.

nina - the Roomba misses nothing. It is circular - a bit like a flying saucer - and sticking out from it is a tiny little brush that whirrs round, grubs the dirt out of the edges of the carpet and corners of the room, and then vacs it up. The other wonderful thing is that it goes under beds, cupboards etc. It is very thorough, and we were startled my the amount of stuff it filled with the first time we used it!

We got the basic cheapest model and shopped around for a good price. It is a bsic model but does everything we need it to do, including kitchen floor.

GTech RAM has been an absolute blessing! (Think I said this on the last thread on this topic, a few months ago) the old Vax is consigned to the garage, for what I don't know.

I have the GTech carpet sweeper thingy upstairs, and the RAM goes up when my cleaner is here. She thinks it is superb too.

J52, I just hate the ones that give up the ghost with a bang and a cloud of dust!

NanaDenise - l like the image of the burning vacuum! Maybe we should have a thread on how vacuum cleaners have met their demise.

Years ago DH ran over our Vax wet and dry, in the garage. It wasn't much good after that! x

I have a very elderly Dyson which I use on the door mat, vet bed and one rug I have downstairs as well as my office. Apart from being able to see all the sand and dog hair it sucks up, it is very good, but heavy. I have a lightweight but powerful small cylinder vacuum for the stairs and caravan (depending where I am) which is light enough to carry around. I also have a Vax which is pretty useless for standard vacuuming, but I use for the car and cleaning the wood burning range(DBH managed to set fire to the bag when the ashes were a bit hotter than he thought ). My favourite Hoover was the one I inherited from MIL which had a DC motor and would suck up everything including small lego pieces with no difficulty. I don't think I would have the muscle power to lug it around these days.

I have a Miele cylinder for downstairs and a Miele Cat and Dog cylinder for upstairs. I have a variety of floors, laminate, tiles, cushion flooring in kitchen and r. The ordinary cylinder is marginally lighter than the Cat and Dog one.

Mishap does the 'Roomba' ever miss bits?

I would have agreed on a Miele, had one for 13 years and had it refurbished, by Miele after about 6 years. The suction problem started again several years later. Couldn't decide whether to go for another refurb or buy a new one.
DS2 had a Henry! What a wonderful machine, so we bought one in JL, great price. No complications and sucks up everything in sight. Cheap, lightweight and cheerful! X

I love my Henry. Very simple, not a lot to go wrong, bag less. Very efficient on all surfaces. It comes with an extension hose for the stairs.

If you empty it frequently it's not very heavy.

Why push around a cleaner when you can sit down with a cup of tea and watch it perform by itself!?

Go for a Miele every time..... I have one, it's not heavy and the cord rewinds at the touch of a foot button.... brilliant! Cannot recommend them highly enough.

My worst choice would be a Dyson (or Die-soon) as I call them - I have owned many who have died. They get clogged, they stop suction (despite their adverts) and the 'wands' get twisted and won't go back onto the handle where they should go! You only have to go to the local tip to see how many end up there, it's like a Dyson graveyard.