Kirby - G5 Basic

I'm using a Kirby g5 that is pushing 30 years old. Hepa filtration bags, self propelled, and works as good today as it did new. With a corgi and a German shepherd it gets the hair really well. It's had 3 new brush rolls over the years. Very robust. Most vac shops sell rebuilt used ones for 3 to 5 hundred dollars. My mom is still using a kirby from the early 80's.

Probably my 10 amp Royal 2000 or my 5.1 amp swapped Hoover Concept One. My Kirby g5's and Kirby Classic hold a lot of sentimental value to me, though.

For carpet, it’s hands down the best. It has the most of everything a vac needs to super clean carpet. Airflow, agitation, etc. 132 - 150 CFM is monstrously high, and that is measured where the carpet intake is. On other vacs, the airflow is about 1/4 - 1/3 of that at the carpet intake, and they don’t agitate as well. I keep a Kirby around for deep-cleaning carpet but daily a Miele C3. The Miele C3 with the SEB 228 nozzle is impressive on carpet, but it still isn’t like monstrously powerful.

The main benefit of a brand new one is that you can get it factory-remanufactured as many times as you want for a very low cost, so you basically get a new one essentially for that price every time it’s remanufactured, as long as you’re the original owner. Non-original owners can have a Kirby factory-remanufactured but it’s significantly more expensive. As far as buying new, you can get them for $600 - $900 cash on the last Sunday of each quarterly tax season from in-home demo, but they start very high at like $2500. You have to haggle. With that said, you can also buy a used one for like $50 bucks and rebuild one yourself. They’re ways to rebuild. I rebuilt a G5 to factory-reman standards and all in I paid about $700 grand total. I replaced a lot of things that were unnecessary but I wanted it to be a brand new G5. I did that when I could still get color-matching G5 parts. Now, all of the reman parts are black and gray.

I see the appeal of a stick. I have a V15. It’s about 3 yrs old. It’s primary role is for in-between cleans, small messes. Touch-ups. But, if I am going to vac our main living areas or the entire house, I can get the job done a lot faster with my Miele. If I am going to deep clean the carpet, I don’t pre-vac with my V15. I use my Kirby. If I am going to detail a vehicle, Miele. If I am going to use attachments for deep cleaning, Miele.

Kenmore canisters for carpet are very good. For hard floors, they’re awful. Obsolete. Deal breakers. Etc. Why not buy a refurbished Miele or Sebo, or if you have wall to wall carpet in most of your home and rarely use attachments, definitely go for a Kirby, or a Rainbow if you have a mix. Goodvac dot com for Kirby parts, Rainvac dot com for Rainbow parts. Miele parts and Sebo parts are easily accessible. Hyla parts are not, in contrast, but they too last a long time. I think they’re easier to use than the Rainbow but they don’t clean carpet very well at all. Kirby is about the best you can get for carpet.

Kirby is the only true BIFL vacuum cleaner. You can get parts for them all the way back to the 1950's. Get a used one from model G5 and newer. The older G series (G3/G4) has issues with the self propelled transmission to iron out and the units before those (pre 1990) are not self propelled.

I have two Kirby’s, one from the the mid 00’s and one from the 90’s. I also have a Dyson Ball animal from 2010-ish. All three of them are still going strong. The only drawback is the weight.

Get a used Kirby off marketplace, eBay or Craigslist... Any g series will function nearly identically... It is not a wet vac, dry only... No liquid should go in the tank when using the shampooer

My first choice is Kirby. I don't understand others' posts implying they aren't reliable. Mine is 40 years old and probably has another 60 years left. Plastic crap, Dyson and Shark, is just that. Crap. Panasonic commercial vacuums have been a standard for many years.

As well, a Kirby is probably the best carpet cleaning Vacuum made. It’s just antiquated.

I love kirby vacuums. You can get a used one for a steal.

Used Kirby