I usually find CR reviews spot-on, but your vacuum reviews have left me unsatisfied. In decreasing order of importance, I missed:

1. Rating for quality of build. Vacuums take bumps and hard knocks and are pushed and pulled for miles, but most today are flimsy plastic and way underbuilt. An important plastic bit can almost be guaranteed to break off within the first six months, requiring a duct-tape repair (if that is even possible). On/off switches break. Air-powered hand tools gum up and need to be disassembled and cleaned, but aren't designed for easy disassembly.

2. Indicate which are self-propelled. We boomers aren't getting any younger, and any physical therapist will tell you that pushing a vacuum is a great source of back pain. I want to be able to sort ratings to look only at self-propelled models.

3. Test on shag carpet. Shag is the downfall of many vacuums, as the beater bar stalls or the motor overheats. Shag happens, so this should be a test.

I agree with you,

I bought a Hoover Wind Tunnel almost 2 years ago based on CR's review, the build quality is terrible.

It has been THE worst vaccuum I've ever used. It had a recall, a part repair, 2 broken belts, and this week the suction stopped. This vaccuum is used only on 3 bedrooms once a week! If you go look at Target.com and read  consumer reviews, EVERYONE hates the Hoovers. I just took mine back to Costco and got my money back and bought the Kenmore Progressive, we'll see how this goes!

I agree.  There are vacuum brands Consumer's doesn't even review, such as the Rainbow brand.

Actually  CR DOES report on the Rainbows and has for at least 8 years.   They are listed under cannisters.    Also please read the user comments -  even though according to CR they are rated only FAIR on carpets, all the owners who wrote about them raved about the carpet cleaning ability ( except the one owner who didn't like anything about the system.). 

Self propelled should be one of the features of interest when looking at vacuum cleaners.  I recently bought a new vac and used it for 10 minutes, realized it was hard on my back and returned it.  I had a cheap Sharp brand for about 18 years, the bottom was rusted and leaving marks on the floor, but it is self propelled so I took it apart, cleaned the rust and cut off the parts too far gone to clean, put it back together and it works great. I'll just wait until I can find a self propelled model to start thinking about a new vac.

I agree with you!  CR always rates the Dysons low.. but both my enticing DYsons are wonderful.

My favorite is "the Ball" for maneuvarability. It now comes as a "Ball" "animal" with the best features of both.

The easy trigger release under the cup always keeps messes way down in the trash bag too.

With 5 long haired cats.. these vacs are worth every penny

I agree that CR should reevaluate the way they test vacuums. After reading their recommendations and then the consumer reviews I am completely confused. Of the top three choices listed, most only got a fair consumer review. In fact, many reviewers seemed disappointed that they had taken advice from CR because the unit they were left with had little to be desired.

I'm curious to know how and who tests the vacuums for CR. Are the tests done in the lab, or are they sent home with people to deal with real life situations? Are they tested for six months or a year, or run around a room once and declared worthy of the CR stamp of approval? It seems, after reading the remarks left by customers, that CR is not living up to it's own high standards in product rating.

Am I the only one feeling the lack of confidence?

I also agree.  I have bought two vac's over the last 10 years on the recommendation of CR -- and I am not too happy with either one.  After reading the posts, I think it IS the need for self propelled.  These uprights are HEAVY.  I first bought the Windtunnel, and it keeps going, but the door broke off almost as soon as I got it home (duct tape still works).  Next I bought the SmartBoss and it is just unweildy.  Hard to manuever, hard to lift and carry around the house.

My house cleaner LOVES Dyson, and even though they are very expensive she felt it was worth it to buy one for herself!  I keep resisting, because CR never rates it well, but it does seem that owners love them.   After reading these posts, it may be time to just go bite the bullet.

CR - time to revisit the testing criteria!

Also - where are the steam cleaners?

Lynn

Don't hesitate in buying a Dyson your house cleaner is spot on.  I have had rainbow, hoover and Kirby and I think the Dyson is the best vacuum around.   We bought ours after hearing other rave about the constant powerful suction and it's ability to clean up pet hair.

Try one out....

 

 

 

Bought a Dyson (DC07) animal when they first came out because the inventor bragged about how many years he worked on it to perfect it . He is still perfecting the perfect machine over and over again. We  paid over $500.for ours and have had nothing but problems.  The first few times it cleaned and picked up everything but the furnitire, but was very hard to push and pull, then parts started needing to be replaced, wrong parts were sent , then we had to pay for parts after warranty expired ( unable to use much during warranty time due to illness)  This perfect machine,so long in development, is now taped heavily to try and use until I can find someone to help me with what I need.

 Also have a cannister vac - Euro Pro X - not very helpful with dog hair and heavier traffic areas and always clogging up and fillling up the bags in minutes. Have an  Electrolux Intensity (bought for ease of use because my husband and I have back problems, I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis) that machine picks up very little of anything it is more of a electric broom in my opinion.  With all these complaints, I am just desperate to find a self propelled dog hair and dirt removing vaccuum that will make this problem a non-issue with all else that goes on in life.

That is why I signed on to Consumer Reports.org today and after printing the solution list for my vacuum needs, I came across all the messages of disappointment in CR testing and ratings.

I guess I'll keep buying vacuums to try, thank goodness I have a spare room for all my wrong choices,  but the expense is rediculous with no apparent resolution in sight .

Laure Dyksen (Not Dyson)

 

I have had a Royal Deluxe (similar in looks to a Kirby) for about 12 years.  I paid about $600 for it back then.  I have never had to have a repair, only belt changes.  This is a pretty darn good vacuum and I have never seen it reviewed. 

I stopped subscribing to Consumer Reports for several years because their vacuum reviews were so far off the mark. I'm mystified as to how they test the vacuums. I started out with a Hoover Windtunnel. It seemed OK until I got my 2 dogs and a cat. It simply vacuumed over the pet hair without picking anything up. After vacuuming I would take the heal of my shoe and scrape up large balls of pet hair.

My husband and I were going crazy with all the pet hair so I looked at Consumer Reports reviews to find a replacement. I was surprised to see that they rated my Hoover very high. I had been thinking about the Dyson, but decided against it when I saw that it was rated below the Windtunnel.  I didn't want to spend $500 on a vacuum that was worse than what I had.

We actually started buying cheap area rugs to put over our wall to wall carpet because the pet hair had become so embedded in the carpet. Finally, a friend with 2 dogs told me how wonderful the Dyson was, so I spent the $500 and bought the Dyson Animal. It truly changed our life. Finally we have a vacuum that actually picks up the pet hair and it has attachments to vacuum hair off our furniture.

I simply cannot understand why Consumer Reports vacuum recommendations continue to be so wrong. They continue to rate the Windtunnel high and the Dyson low. When you have pets, a good vacuum is very important. Although I have now subscribed to the online reports, I am still skeptical of their opinions.

We had almost exactly the same experience. Bought a Hoover Windtunnel about two years ago, largely on the strength of CR's review, and it proved to be a total dog: lost its 'self-propelled' feature after less than a year, kept throwing belts, choked on shag carpet, cheap plastic parts always breaking off, and very weak vacuuming. Shortly after I posted the first message in this thread we bought a Dyson...ignoring CR's fairly uninspiring review...and months later we continue to be extremely impressed. Very easy to handle (easier than a 'self-propelled' Hoover), light, strong, and death to pet hair.

Really, CR, its time to re-think your vacuum reviewing. It is simply not helpful; you're just going through the motions.

I am 73 years old and my windtunnel (not self propelled) is abou 10 years old.  It does a fantastic job of cleaning......and I have to vacuum often because I have forest green carpeting.plus a dog and cat.

I vacuum every other day and for days I don't I use a Oreck Restauranteur....it's a great little push thing .Quick and Easy!


I use the attachments often too and have nerer had a problem with the door.
I think Consumer reports did a great job of rating vacuums......and my vacuum is a testatment to their opinion.

If it's too hard to push for some, they have a self propelled version....personally, I know that the more exercise you give your back the stronger it becomes and you end up with less pain....so I have no desire for a self propelled.

Wow! I can't believe that someone made the same mistake that I did with buying the Hoover Wind Tunnel self propeled. What a terrible buy! Just like yours ours is two years old, no more self propeled, power switch (plastic) broken, filter always clogs and looses suction, ect, ect. This was the last Hoover (Whirlpool/Maytag) appliance we will ever own. Just bought a Dyson DC17 animal and can't beleive what we have been missing. I did'nt think I would ever spend this much on a vacum, but I would recomend this unit to anyone!

I just subscribed to CR specifically because I am interested in purchasing a new vacuum cleaner.  More specifically, I am interested in the claims of the Halo vacuum...with its ultra-violet light of sorts that claims to kill germs and dust mites etc.  This one is not even listed in CR's list, let alone tested.  Is this just another one of America's great institutions off-shoring its long list of banner-flying services it has so long been aclaimed for and yet continues to solicit subscribers for less and less in return.

Sincerely,

Dana Winter

I've just finished vacuuming, and I had to write....

Perhaps a year ago, a friend convinced me of the need to purchase a newer home vacuum.  I read about vacuums in 'Consumer Reports' and did some in-store shopping.  Eventually, in spite of my unfamiliarity with the brand, I decided on an upright from Eureka because of the outstanding rating CR had given it..

The vacuum I selected has been -- and continues to be -- the single most disappointing purchase of my entire adult life.  The vacuum is awkward, it is noisy, it's inconvenient to use, some of its features actually interfere with its use, and I honestly cannot see that it cleans any better than the 30-year-old Kenmore canister that it replaced.  Using it is an aggravation and a hassle; lately, I've found myself postponing cleaning chores just because of the irritation the vacuum causes.  I very much regret my decisions about which machine to buy, and about whose advice to follow.

In the future, I will rely much less on Consumer Reports, and I certainly will not purchase any more Eureka products.

Dave

WE LOVE OUR DYSON ANIMAL.  I truly hesitated buying it due to ratings by CR, but after 3 vacuums in 3 years (gee about $500 worth of vacuum cleaners)  (the top rated everytime) we bit the bullet when we got new carpet.  I have only good things to say about our Dyson, took it to the in-laws house to help clean, they have 3 large long-haired dogs, the dyson got ALL the dog hair.  I will never buy any other vacuum.

CR seems biased on rating upright vacuums with energy consuming options (self propelled, tool attachments) higher than those vacuums without.  I have a Hoover Decade 80, circa early 1980's, that is finally nearing the end.  Does anyone have data how plane jane commercial vacuums test against all the plastic of consumer models?  Check out http://www.hoover.com/product.aspx?model=C1431&ds=false on the Hover site.  It seems like CR should report on all categories of vacuums that exist and let the consumer decide what will work best for them.

I just subscribed to CR just to check on vacuum cleaners.  I'm disappointed that Oreck is not even rated.  I am looking for lightweight but powerful cleaner, which is why I am leaning towards Oreck.