Kirby - Generation 3
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 31, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
71
12
"I like the bag. Our bagless vacuums always made a MESS cloud of dust when trying to empty them in the kitchen. I'd have to go outside, and it would still make a cloud all over me. This was easy, close the lid on the bag, lift it out, toss it in the trash, put a new one in. It holds more than I'd typically think, because unlike our bagless, the dirt all gets packed into the bag, it gets more dense. So it holds more than you would expect."
"We've neglected the hell out of it. It has 1555 hours on it with minimal maintenance. Ran it every night for 4 years or so. So I always thought these things were tanks. It still works"
"All the parts that will have tangled hair (like rollers, empty bin, rotating brushes, and wheels) are extremely easy to remove and clean, almost with no tools needed. I literally take only ten minutes to remove every dog hair inside the system."
1938
566
"Been using them for about four years working out in my gym, and cycling daily (45+ minutes on a bicycle outdoors)."
"I even washed them accidentally and still worked perfectly fine afterwards."
"I still have the Kirby my grandma bought brand new in 1970."
55
14
"it's a dream/works so well. ... I am shocked (kinda disgusted at times!) at how much it picks up."
"The other head without the spinner is fucking ridiculously strong. ... I cannot vacuum a rug with it because it sucks so hard. I have to hold one side down with my foot and pull away and it's still hard haha."
"3 dog's and 3 cats with all carpet. ... that thing fuckin rips. ... it works too good and everytime I use it I have to take scissors and cut the hair that's caught around the head in the brushes but it's not the vacuums fault I have a fucking hobby farm on a carpet sooo."
5
1
"this is my heavy-hitter for maximum dirt removal from carpet"
"best-cleaning vac for carpet that I have used/ owned"
"I do feel it does a better job cleaning than my Riccar Tandem Air did on our carpet."
2
0
"Pinguinos and suchlike, used a few times selling for 75 quid on t'ebay"
"I bought second hand. People sell them when they get splits."
Disliked most:
49
78
"sounded like a loud squeaky balloon. ... Every time I shifted weight or switched sides it was loud. ... Even someone walking by looked at me and said “that’s really noisy”."
"The fan that circulates the air is so ridiculous it sounds like an airplane is idling inside my house, and it literally changes the air pressure in my kitchen and hurts my ears"
"It ’s super loud ... Noise at least on hardwood is easily double the qrevo"
2
6
"Q990F is overpriced at launch and not worth your money untill it drops in the 800 range that it usually does within a short period. ... it is insanely overpriced at the MSRP price for what it is."
"price of replacement parts is a huge reason i recommend sebo vacuums. ... every time i have to look up a part for a miele vacuum i already know it ’s going to cost 3x-4x what it should."
"unless you’re getting the EPP discount they are north of $1000."
2
22
"getting stressed out about the whole process of plugging in, lifting, storing the giant Kirby and not vacuuming at all in the end."
"You do NOT want a Kirby if you have stairs - trust me."
"very heavy and cumbersome"
0
6
"Gosh the felix system is SO annoying. ... To use a wand/atachment you need to bend down almost to the floor, take out the hose then figure out where you left the wand (closet? Last place you used it?) attach the wand find the attachment (they love to fall of that @ss holder on the felix) then tear t e whole thing apart when you are done."
"parquet head might be great but who on earth bothers with swapping it on Felix?"
"I'm often hesitant to recommend it to people who have a lot of mixed flooring and would be swapping out the heads often."
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.
r/BuyItForLife • Best vacuum cleaner currently? ->As well, a Kirby is probably the best carpet cleaning Vacuum made. It’s just antiquated.
r/VacuumCleaners • Kirby vs Sebo D4 ->Buy a used kirby off marketplace , heavy but self propeled and super hi high hight adjustment
r/VacuumCleaners • What is a good vacuum that lasts ->I love kirby vacuums. You can get a used one for a steal.
r/BuyItForLife • Which vacuum should I go with for an apartment that’s mostly medium pile carpet? ->Are we talking upright or canister vacuum? If upright and mostly carpets, I'd go with a second hand Kirby machine. Something from the later Generation series up to the Avalir (they are all fundamentally the same machine) If a canister, then yeah probably a Shop Vac. Although if he has no patience for being able to fix the vacuums I don't like his chances of dealing with the Kirby, as far as maintenance goes. Also, sounds like the bf needs to do some growing up, if he's breaking stuff regularly because it doesn't work I think he needs to learn some emotional regulation. Sounds like a spoiled child to be honest. If he's breaking them he should be paying for them, and if he doesn't have a job, well you guessed it, he should be working if he wants to break shit. Sure he may have some mental illness or problems, and I can relate, but that doesn't excuse him from acting like an idiot? This is not cute behaviour and it only gets worse if validated. EDIT: Just went through your post history.....get rid of this fucking deadbeat. I'm sorry he had a rough upbringing but he's still alive and he's fucking 33. It's time for him to take responsibility for his own life and stop blaming his past. None of this behaviour is endearing or worthy of any sort of coddling or admiration, it's just plain toxic. You DO NOT owe him a thing and it's time to move him on and find someone more aligned with you, and the fact that HE gave you an ultimatum some time back about moving in or he would leave, I'd have called his bluff and taken that opportunity to leave.
r/VacuumCleaners • Looking to buy my boyfriend an INDESTRUCTIBLE vacuum ->Bought my Kirby in 1987....still use it today. Well, not today.
r/VacuumCleaners • It is time for a new vacuum cleaner, and now that I am almost 40 I will not be buying it from Walmart. Suggestions?! ->my Kirby works well with pet hair. used it for years with my dogs. i got mine off ebay for cheap ($140)
r/BuyItForLife • Best Vacuum for heavy pet hair. ->yeah. my kirby too.
r/BuyItForLife • Best Vacuum for heavy pet hair. ->They have a predatory sales model and they're nowhere near worth the price they sell new for. They're a pain in the ass to do anything with but carpet vacuuming, they need belt replacements once or twice a year, and the filtration is subpar.
r/VacuumCleaners • The reason brands like Sebo and Miele get recommended ->Kirbys are great at cleaning carpet but thats it. Its just an overpriced upright that can be found used for 20 bucks all day long. No money to be made by vac shops when kirbys are a dime a dozen - many vac stores have dozens upon dozens of used kirbys in the basement. Money is made by selling something rare like sebo, miele. Vacs that are not resold by the thousands for pennies.
r/VacuumCleaners • Why no Kirby’s? ->Did any royals have powerdrive? Admittedly kirbys tech drive does allow for easy, effortless vacuuming on all types of carpets.
r/VacuumCleaners • Why no Kirby’s? ->Kenmores are a dime a dozen on marketplace. Likewise, a light use kirby can be had for 60 bucks.
r/VacuumCleaners • I cannot afford a SEBO ->I use my Kirby to vacuum my mattress
r/VacuumCleaners • Ranvoo dust mite vacuum ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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