apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I just bought that little vacuum last night after giving up on replacing my lost and loved shop-vac. An added perk is that it fits nicely on a bike rack. Haven't tried it yet, but will let you know how it handles.

My fiance and I were in the same predicament. Went through a few Hoovers...good for like the first month...then just got really loud and lost suction. He did some research online and found the Electrolux Pronto. It is the best-ever "electrical applicance-thing" we've ever bought. Our apartment has only hardwood floors throughout and it's absolutely perfect for it. It's lightweight, isn't ugly. And the design is insane. It works like a rechargeable stick broom. But when you want to get into tight corners, you just pop out the "heart" of the stick vac which is one of those hand-held vacs...so smart. Best of all, it's quiet and to recharge, you just pop it back on it's stand. It's not completely hideous, so we don't have to find a place to house it in our non-existent closet space. It sits in a corner of our livingroom, ready to use--which I do (an enjoy way too much, even now, months after we first bought it.) We have two cats, so the litter tracks EVERYWHERE, and this had totally helped.

I could go on and on. But check it out. It's like $100...great for a vac that actually DOES something. We got it at Sears on sale for like $80.

http://www.electroluxusa.com/node35.asp?ProdID=27948

Oh, P.S. Not recommended for carpeting. But on hardwood floors...awesome.

That flyinglimeweirdo woman is obviously out of her gourd.

No, she's my fiance and she speaks the truth! We actually tried the Shark and found it to be complete crap. The electrolux has been perfect for those wretched cat hair balls that roam the open plains of our living room.

I'll second (third?) the recommendation for that Electrolux unit. It works wonderfully on my wooden floors--it's quick and easy to use, has sufficient suction (just keep an eye on the dustbin--you can't expect it to work as well when the darn thing's full!), and can squeeze under the tightest areas. The removable handvac is genius and works great. I actually enjoy vacuuming my loft--it's so darned quick, easy and effective!

Not for carpeted floors, though...

I agree, I didn't like the shark I had at all.
So I gave in and bought a heavy duty Kenmore vaccumm. And its amazing. Though its not small at all. I sacrificed and cleared out some space for it in the closet.
Its similar to this
www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=APPL&pid=02025812000

I haven't used this model of the Shark, but I have to tell people not to purchase any kind of rechargeable Shark becuase they suck (though not literally, which is a problem if you are a vacuum). We got one for our wedding and within 6 months it would no longer hold a charge. You got about 2 seconds worth of suction, just enough to get a bug. And we know others who had the same problems.

We've had one of the plug-in bagless Shark models for a couple months now. Good features: light-weight, extra-long cord, comes with shoulder strap, lots of attachments, stores small, does suck the cat hair from the rug efficiently. Weakness: vacuuming four area rugs and the hardwood floor, with help from one small cat, often requires stopping midway through the job to clean out the chamber where the debris goes. Anyway, for around $30, it's at least worth what you pay for it.

Another vote for the Electrolux Pronto for hardwood floors. So easy.

While the Shark is no Dyson, the ability to tuck it under a kitchen cabinet is unmatched.

Not sure why it's *not* considered to be bagless... mine just had a cup you emptied, although there is a filter they recommend wet-cleaning after each use.

But please, oh please, gods (and godesses) of the vacuum worlds... retractable cords, PLEASE!!

I have a small Black and Decker which is bagless...I believe all of their hand-vacs are, anyway it works like a charm and I don't have to deal with bags.

In terms of Electrolux products I just thought I'd add that imho they've really gone downhill since their heyday...my family used they're vacs for generations. These days I'd rate Miele as the best out there...I wonder if they make a hand-vac?

I have a rechargeable shark (a couple years old.) It holds a charge for maybe 60 or 90 seconds if i am lucky, then back in the charger. And when it is on it doesn't suck up anything, it just sucks.

we used to have that shark. it worked as a glorified dust buster but not as a vacuum. it made a lot of noise but the suction was very weak.

I now recant my prior positive comments about the Shark -- ours died shortly after this posting. We now have a cheap vacuum from Target for major cat-hair emergencies and a Roomba, for routine cleaning and entertainment. Ours is obsessed with one of the cats and chases her about the house.

Necrothread.

You know, I think the reason I mind the term "necrothread" is the images it conjures in my head. Well, that's the main reason. Ew ew ew.

Yeah, it should say on the box or something that it's not for carpets. I tried it just once and the thing died on me. Before that it worked great on wood, and for sucking up dust.

After reading more about the Electrolux Pronto, I was sold. I found it online here with free shipping for $79.95:

http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/from-froogle.asp?id=964597360&rf=froogle&dfdate=7_10_2007

MrGreen, enough with the necrothread crap.

This site frequently welcomes new readers who missed stuff first time around, not to mention two of the three editors are away on vacation (they are entitled), so the show goes on with fewer hands.

Big DEAL if some of this stuff is recycled (for efficiency's sake, or otherwise).

Recycling... GREEN.

The reused posts aren't tired at all. The content still applies. Your jabs and criticisms, and "necrothread" crap... now that's TIRED.

Today, the new dictionary came out; maybe the next one will include necrothread if we're lucky. I kind of love it, because this site probably isn't the only one to have one.

Anyway... I have a larger shark, and I like it just fine, although the truth is, I use it only every couple of months, so I don't know it as well as I really should.

I have a corder Shark, (bought from Target on clearance, I believe originally $79.99, all the way down to $29.99.

It works incredibly well, (my little dog sheds like crazy), my only complaint is that it is difficult to put the filter and plastic cap back on the machine after emptying. They don't seem to want to click back on with any ease at all. It is now chipped from my trying to force it back on, and while I still love it, I have to be careful not to turn it a certain way when it's full, or the back will fall off, and debris will be right back on the carpet.

We also have a teeeeeny apartment with hardwood floors and two rugs (one shaggy). We tried using a handheld vacuum, but it never worked well enough, so we finally bought a canister vacuum. We love it. It comes with a hose attachments that gets into all the corner. At first we were worried we wouldn't have the room for it, but it fits nicely in the corner behind the sofa, and even if it didn't, it has a nice eggshell shape and neutral color that wouldn't be the worst design feature of our apartment. (I had originally wanted a cute colorful Miele, but they were too expensive.) We got this for $250 at a vacuum store on 14th between 6th and 7th.

http://totalvac.com/accessory/parts/905014U.html

what do people think about the Kone? i've been considering buying it for slurpin' up those kitty hair tumbleweeds and litter tracks and for keeping handy as opposed to in the closet.


i currently have this commercial canister vac, and it's AWESOME. i've taken up pennies (yes, i know), nails (eh, too lazy), dustbunnies the size of uranus (darn cats), and it's never gone weird on me or stopped suckin' like a pro.

got it for $150 and have had it for 4 years. rockin! it also fits in a surprisingly small space in the closet. i totally recommend it!

http://www.sanitairecommercial.com/products/canister/index.jsp

oh, and as a P.S. - i've got mainly hardwoods but the bedroom is carpeted...that sucker picks up tons of accumulated carpet-entrenched cat hair (plus, i shed too!)

I still use my Mom's old Hoover she got new in something like 1983 or so. Still works, no it's not bagless and it still does a halfway decent job on carpets and such. :-P

However, I'll be replacing it eventually with a decent bagless.

I've have the Shark stick vac. Still takes up no space and with a little manipulation it converts to a hand vac with a hose attachment. It plugs in so I don't have the issue of it not holding a charge, it's got a decent amount of sucking power and it's bagless. I've had it for two years and it still functions like new plus it was only $40.

kdkaboom, i was tempted by the kone because of its neat design, but then did a little research and found that it apparently didn't have the greatest sucking power, and, perhaps more importantly, was a pain to hold onto. tho i've never actually handled one myself, so that's just "buzz."

We have this Shark. My husband got it as a stocking stuffer last year from my parents (yes, he has a big stocking, yes, my parents still do stockings even though we're in our 30's). We have an Electrolux vaccuum, and it SUCKS, in the bad way. Granted, it's a couple of decades old. But I spend more time unclogging it than actually successfully vaccuuming. We have two young children, and eat in the dining room. It's nice to be able to pull the Shark out after meals and do an under-the-table clean up.

I was amazed by the power of this thing. My single complaint is that it doesn't have a retractable cord. It has a ridiculously long cord for the size of the little vaccuum, and it'd be lovely if there were a place to stash the cord.

I AM in the market for a decent, bagless vaccuum that can handle kid messes. The little Shark doesn't really suffice for vaccuuming the entire apartment. But it's great for spot cleaning.

I've not tried this vacuum but I can tell just by looking at it that I wouldn't get it. The shape prevents it from getting under anything, even a toekick. I need something with a narrow nose.

I was told by a vacuum salesman (a trusted lot!) at Desco Vacuums that all hand-helds are no good and die quickly. He gave me a free Dirt Devil when I bought my mega gorgeous Riccar (American-made Miele-type). That was a 1 1/2 yrs ago. The Dirt Devil still sucks, in a good way. I don't use it that much but for small jobs and quick pick ups around the kittly litter area.

Anne--
The nozzles go into the front. This pic shows it without any attachments.

It's less of a necrothread, and more of a zombie thread. The thread was dead, but now it's shambling forward looking for braaaaiiiins.

I have that Shark and I absolutely hate it. I got it to replace a 14 volt Dust Buster I had for 5 years that was no longer charging well. It's true that the Shark has more suction power than the Dust Buster but it is SO LOUD. And I hate having to plug it in. If I'm going to plug it in I might as well haul out the big vacuum. I'm getting another Dust Buster soon and giving the Shark away. Sadly, I've heard the Kone has poor suction (only 7 volts of power) or I'd try that.

so, are there any good chargeable/nonpluggable quik-e-vacs out there in the world? one that looks as good as the kone??

Having to fuss with an attachment? Oh yeah, that makes it more appealing!

I had a Shark and it died after no more than 3 uses. I do not recommend it.

Agreed on the shark being worthless. Ours lasted about 3 months.

Ironically, I just accidentally tipped over an open jar of computer screws, and now they're all over the floor in my office, and I was just vacillating whether to get down on my hands and knees and pick them up by hand, or just vacuuming them up with my Shark... I bought one without the HEPA filter -- the thing is so LOUD that it makes me not want to use it. Now every time I go to Target I look at that Dyson handheld and drool...

I've used one of these small Shark vacs and they have absolutely no performance. I've also recently purchased a goClean Wet/Dry Vac from Target. It is amazing. It's made by the same people that make Craftsman and Ridgid wet/dry vacs, so you know it will be powerful enough to pick up whatever you spill inside the house. It's small enough to store under the kitchen sink, and it has a HEPA filter. Yall should really check it out. I got mine online, so i'm not sure if you can get it in the store or not. The good thing is, it was only $49. Anyway, i highly recommend it over any of the Shark products.

Also, i've heard that the Dyson handheld is a bust. A friend has one and even though it may never lose suction, the suction isn't that good to start with.

Here's the link for the goClean.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1184249676/ref=sr_1_1/601-2062787-1452919?ie=UTF8&asin=B000EU015A

Have had two handheld-cordless Sharks, and -- though they worked well -- I can’t recommend them:

GOOD POINTS:
-- They held a charge well.
-- The attachments were a major selling point, since I needed something for small areas/crevices.
-- Performance was OK without hose/attachments, but excellent when hose/attachments were used: much more suction than other cordless handhelds I’d had, and good with pet hair, carpets and crevices, not just with random crumb-vacuuming.

REALLY BAD POINTS:
-- The charging cradles were awkward ... so much so that other family members wouldn’t use the Sharks.
-- Cheesy accessories. Attachments broke in significant places, making them unuseable, and one hose tore halfway through after a year. (It seemed to be planned obsolescence, since I wasn’t “abusing” the vac: Things broke just from normal use and from standing in the charging cradle.)
Without accessories, the Sharks were just somewhat-bulky wide-mouth dustbusters. But replacing the accessories would cost almost as much as the whole vac itself.

After two Shark experiences, I’m again seeking a decent cordless handheld. In the interim, I’m using my ancient handheld Dirt Devil Plus. I don’t know how its current incarnation (“Dirt Devil Classic”) rates, but the old DDP is a terrific little thing -- a legit, powerful vacuum with sturdy hose, extension, and attachments. But it’s corded -- which is why I got the Sharks (though I won’t get them again).