Kenmore - 81714 Pet Friendly Canister Vacuum with Ultra Plush Nozzle

Bought exactly this Kenmore for a shag rug i got in 2020. Im in this sub because 15 minutes ago the joint that connects the stick to the brush bottom part broke. Like others have said it is a very highly reviewed canister vacuum so I’m a little surprised the plastic just snapped. I’m gonna call around and see how much it’ll cost to get repaired but I’m a little concerned It’s not gonna be worth it. That being said it’s been flawless for five years and is great at vacuuming the shag rug as well as my hardwood floors.

These guys are gonna chew you up. They hate stick vaccums. They’re disposable. Hard if not impossible to repair. Basically anything widely available at Walmart/Target etc is no good. Stay away from Shark and Dyson bagless vacs. They will likely steer you towards a Sebo or Meile or a Kenmore bagged variety if you’re a poor like me lol. I’m coming from a Shark. Went with a Kenmore 81714 for my use case. Not a huge fan, but adapting. Works great on my couch ( biggest let down of my shark) but takes insanely long on tile floor with the super small floor tool. I ordered an aftermarket floor tool and it should be here soon. Bagged will loose less suction. Last longer. And pretty much most of the vacs they recommend will be repairable. The shark had no OEM support. All the parts I bought for it were aftermarket. Loved the dual roller and anti-tangle technology. Worked really well on the floors, but the rollers wore pretty fast. Take the time to read up a bit and make an informed decision. I see why these featherweight vacs are popular, but just because they’re popular, doesn’t make them the best.

Nope. Bagged canister vacs are superior in every way. This is what I use: https://kenmorefloorcare.com/products/kenmore-elite-ultraplush-bagged-canister-vacuum.html?srsltid=AfmBOopMXzc0hPQZI10lXAmuzdeN3rj2JA93rOe4CSUVZvNv91Wzfs0-

I think both vacuums are very capable. Is your carpet long and plush and can it stall the brushroll on other vacuums? If so I would get the Kenmore Elite Ultra Plush, in addition to the regular height adjustment it has an extra vent on the top of the powerhead to keep the powerhead from getting stuck and stalling on high plush carpets.

In this price range (sub $500) the [Elite canister](https://www.ebay.com/itm/133599231685?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=kybo-n08r2-&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ihh0miwltii&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY) does have a swivel head and a few extra features like a lighted wand. Also a very good cleaner, just more expensive at $380.

Personally, I actually like to use one of my shop vacs for cat litter! I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as some of the others on this sub, but cat litter can damage most vacuums. Shop vacs can be kinda loud is the only issue, but I do have a smaller one that runs great and is a bit quieter than my big one. And you can get a decent one for rather cheap. For normal vacuums, I'd check out Kenmore! I have a Kenmore bagged cannister, the 81714 and it's holding up good! I got it on sale for about $300, but they do have some other models under that price point.

Kenmore elite canister... Plenty of attachments and costs less than the German brands

There's no "consensus" because it's marketing and competition and the two best companies don't market (they don't have to) so the zeitgeist is full of noise. Our current economic system disincentives industries rallying around gold standard practices, ya know. It should but it currently doesn't. At your price point, you'll want the Kenmore bagged elite canisters. Basically all of the same nominal features as the Sebo or Miele, with some perks like the let powermate, crossover tool, and lights everywhere. But they're louder, worse built, and weaker than sebos. And even more so than Mieles, but the price is fair for what's offered. With care these Kenmore can easily last over a decade. Mieles, the vacuums, are the best. Sebo, the company that makes these products, is also the best. Miele is currently reacting to market demands and has changed the way their company has operated in the last 2 decades. Sebo is off responding as well, but not as harshly as Miele. Equally, they're diametrically opposite brands. Miele is a lifestyle luxury brand that ~happens to have the best or one of the best offerings in every category they compete in. Sebo is an industrial cleaning company, and it shows. It's frankly no competition and it's why Dyson and shark don't compete on numbers (other than price & sales numbers) because they cannot compete with Miele/Sebo on sustained suction/airflow, loudness, weight, or extended performance tests. Miele and Sebo and have factories of robots testing their products. Every Miele product made in their German factories are tested by people and computers before being packaged and delivered. On TOP of the 20 year stress tests they conduct on their machines. Dyson & shark hire marketing firms and Malaysian sweatshops, very different. Also Mieles Chinese build quality is impeccable, much like everything else of value made in China (DJI, Roborock, apple, etc). It frankly should be concerning Dysons aren't made in China, the country with the globally superior production capacity. Also how you know Miele and Sebo are the best: they make one flagship product that works for everyone, no matter the use. They certainly iterate, but in the scale of decades, not quarters. There is certainly consensus on who makes the best vacuums, and the only answers are Miele, Sebo, and Nacecare and between those it's mostly preference and fandom (and henry is adorable!) and let's be honest the best vacuum company is Sebo. Sorry Miele, xoxo, love you, but facts are facts. Edit: frankly I didn't read what your use case was because it's irrelevant to the answer. A bagged electro canister is always the best, no questions asked. Look around for used Miele (or Sebo, rarer) deals on marketplace. Vacuum stores sell them lower than their MSRP. Miele is currently having somewhat of a blowout sale before their new machine and we're about to never have Mieles with lights or fingertip controls 😭😭 scoop up somebody's used brilliant if you're really lucky. Or again, buy the Kenmore new. I got my Miele s8 uniq on marketplace for $300($1800msrp). Now I'm gonna make sure it lasts until I die because of the fingertip controls, lights, and (I know this is dumb) the velvet.

A Kenmore canister would easily fall under your budget and have a lot of the ergonomic features you need, like lightweight, cord reel, foot pedals, and fingertip controls. Tbh any canister these days have foot pedals and cord rewinds. I'm a Miele fan, but sebos are a better value. If you can get the Sebo k3 from a dealer (usually for under $700) that would be your best bet. You'd use your dominant hand to maneuver the floor head while using your non dominant to pull at the hose to reposition the canister as you go. If you don't have two hands at your disposal pulling the canister and working in sections while surrounding the canister also works. Bonus points if your place is the perfect size for the canister to use only one plug centrally. These canisters tend to have less weight in hand than even stick models (other than the upright style stick models). These canisters will also last 20 years, with each bag filling up every 3-9 months depending on if you have pets and how many people you have at home. Bagless vacuums require deep cleaning and filter maintenance that will aggravate allergies with the aerosolization of fine dust. with bagged models, you simply toss and replace the bag every few months, and replace the filter every 4ish bags (which works out to 2-3 years for a smaller home/family). Sure it's a disposable, but they're made from recycled fibers already and it's a better prospect than buying a subpar machine every few years. It is also just more hygienic. And are the only option for folks with the worst allergies. Sebos work excellently and have good filtration, however Mieles, with their HEPA filter do filter slightly better and function better and more quietly, however they are more expensive. Any Miele with the parquet twister floor tool and seb217 would be right for you. I recommend buying it from a dealer as you can mix and match the floor heads. From a dealer you can get the c3 Kona with the seb217 (instead of the 228 bc it's lighter) for under $850 on sale, and there are sales. You might be able to get the c1 homecare model for cheaper, so ask about that. The cat & dog model is cheaper but you'll want the HEPA filter. Also Miele bags & filters are cheaper than sebos, even if youre using Miele HEPA with the full size machines. Sebo parts are only sold by dealers and they're very expenny. The Miele allergy pack is 8 bags and a heap filter for $55 (~retail for the Miele HEPA or Sebo filters alone). Other than that, I'd say lookout on the used marketplaces for good deals. I got my $1800 Miele for $300, so it's possible. Good luck.

I have been selling Vacuums for 35 years. I believe the best Vacuum I have seen out there is the Kenmore elite albeit bulky and heavy you will only find a Chinese made product with poor parts availability for less than 400, people wonder why we always push the SEBO product I had two people last fall trade in their X 4 SEBO after having it for 27 years

you own all the inexpesive stuff lol, kenmore elite is more of a real vacuum for 250

My research got me to a kenmore elite. Ive used it for about a year with 3 kids and 2 dogs 2200 sq ft vacuuming every week or two (and shampooing) and only gone through 3-4 bags. Great for carpet, mid at hard floors, probably better off sweeping crumbs. I only needed it to effectively clean carpets, which more than half of my house is covered in. If you want a wireless one, makita sells stick vacuums that are amazing. The brushless stick vac is expensive and has a small filter but is fine for household cleaning if you're alright with emptying out the small tank. Great for hard floors, okay on carpets but I wouldn't use it for daily cleaning. The brushed one is great too, it just needs the cyclone attachment. I was really happy with the kenmore elite, but if you really need it for hard floors I wouldn't settle on it. The problem is that when the bristles wear out, they are very expensive because they are integrated into the seperate motors. I believe ≈$120 if I remember, cheaper than a new vacuum but insane for a brush. Bottom line was corded is cheaper & better than cordless 9/10 times, bagged is more efficient, powerful, and easy to clean, while being cheaper. Not having a tiny filter allows the vacuum to breathe. If you have stairs, or carpet, or hard floors, take that into account.