Kirby - Generation 3

You do NOT want a Kirby if you have stairs - trust me. Coming from a former Kirby collector/restorer.

Look, Kirby's are awesome, I used to collect and refurbish them to resell, but they've basically been the same machine since the G3 was released in 1993. More than likely, you won't really like it. They are extremely heavy and really annoying if you have a bunch of furniture and don't have wide open acres of wall-to-wall carpeting. If your house isn't enormous the best metaphor I can use is they're like trying to mow a tiny patch of grass with a tractor. Don't ever EVER buy one new. You can find nice, clean, complete units with all accessories for $100 or less used on Marketplace all day everyday. People (often older people - they prey on the elderly) buy them and then never use them. They are a straight scam if bought from the door-to-door salesman.

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.

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.

A rebuilt Kirby with TechDrive. They’re effortless to push/pull since they are self-propelled. They are known for their incredible carpet cleaning performance and durability. They are old-school, metal, heavy duty beastly uprights that will suck the color out of the carpet. They are sealed system HEPA vacuums with massive bags. I wish the attachments stored on-board, and I wish the suction was adjustable because it’s so powerful but I’d rather have too much power than not enough. They’re easy and inexpensive to maintain, but they’re very different from modern vacs. Again, they’re old school, and come with a brief learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, it’s second nature.

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.

A bagged eureka or sanitaire upright would be a good upright. Very easy to maintain and virtually no tools needed for most repairs. Parts of arby's available can I do a great job on Carpeting and floors ( Depending on the model). Try to find one that has a 7 Amp motor. Use Hepa type  bags. A Kirby would also be a good option.. The newer models have what's called Tech Drive which kind of compensates for the weight of the Kirby .

I love my sanitaire vacuum but I still use my Kirby as well. It mostly depends on the job i'm doing. 

Kirby. You can usually find them cheap second hand. The newer models will be self propelled. Though Kirby is a hefty built vacuum. Honestly anything with a bag should be good. You will have much less maintenance with a bag.

My husband bought a v15 Dyson with all the attachments. It's nice but emptying the bin after every other use is annoying. Cleaning the after filter is messy and annoying. Blowing out the cyclone part of the filter is messy AF. And for people who live in apartments or similar would be impossible. However my Kirby is self propelled and I get about 2-3 months on a bag. Belts last forever and it has huge amounts of suction. Like it lifts the carpet up kind of suction. And I don't have to worry about running out of battery or hurting the battery.

I don’t know if you’ve considered self propelled vacuums. The Kirby is the one I have, a professionally refurbished one so I paid around $200 (every part that could be replaced or repaired was and the machine was polished and sanitized), but it’s not the only one out there. It’s heavy, but the self propelled feature makes it very easy to use. Plus, it’s great for people with allergy and lung issues. I have a primary immunodeficiency that causes lung issues and an autoimmune condition that saps my energy. No fragrances needed, because the filtration in the OEM bags keeps the odors in that well. The only thing that’s a pain in the butt is if I have to carry it up or down the stairs, but the tech drive makes it very easy to push and pull. Maybe others on here can suggest other self propelled vacuums that also have great filtration. I don’t sell vacuums, so my knowledge on all the brands out there is limited.

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.