Dan Bergman has been repairing vacuums for 35 years. And he's seen plenty of customers get really angry over their broken-down vacuums. "Some people freak out. They say I need a vacuum right now. Can you repair it for me now or can you sell me something else?"
Consumer Reports, which tests close to 100 vacuums a year, has a good idea of how well vacuums hold up. "We surveyed nearly 120,000 of our readers who had bought a vacuum in the past five years to see how many had been repaired." Bob Markovich said.
Although Hoovers do well in the cleaning tests, based on the repair survey Consumer Reports is no longer recommending Hoover uprights.
Markovich said, "Our survey shows that among upright vacuums, there are many more reliable brands than Hoover. That's why we think there are better choices."
One of those more reliable brands is Kenmore. Consumer Reports named this 260-dollar Kenmore Intuition a Best Buy. It does a very good job of cleaning.
If you prefer a canister, Consumer Reports vacuum reliability survey found Electrolux has been the least reliable brand. One in six needed repairs. However, Consumer Reports says Hoover canisters aren't a bad way to go.
Markovich said, "Only Rainbow and Dyson have been more reliable than Hoover among canisters. And they're more expensive and don't always perform as well."
Consumer Reports recommends this Hoover Platinum Bagless Canister. At 365 dollars, it's a Best Buy.
And with both the recommended vacuums there's good news for pet owners. The Hoover Platinum Bagless canister and the Kenmore Intuition aced Consumer Reports' new tough pet-hair tests.
