Riccar - Tandem Air Premium Pet Upright Vacuum

I'm shocked in /r/buyitforlife, that the Riccar brand isn't mentioned once.  This list feels like a list of well marketed applicances, not lifetime purchases.  As others point out, most of these are pretty, throwaway, plastic devices that will perform okay for a few years.   Hands down my Riccar Tandem Premium vacuum is once of the finest appliances I've ever owned.  The unit rattles my house when I run it to shake the dirt out of carpet.  It's designed to be entered disassembled and rebuilt with sourceable parts for any repairs that might be needed.

Riccar uses tandem motors in the RD 30 and RD 40. Best vacs you can buy today.

No cordless, no bag less. Riccar makes the best. All with warranty over a year. Great quality. Last forever plus decades.

The Riccar R40 with do the best job. It has two motor, Tandem Air technology and will out clean anything mentioned here. It will do great on hard floors on it's own, but will absolutely kill it if you add the hard floor tool. We usually throw it in with the purchase. You can also get a hose extension that will get you 30' total with the 17' factory hose. Its easily repairable, features a lifetime belt and it's made in the USA.

Sorry for the delayed response! The have LED lights, yep! Id take a trip to your local vacuum shop and check one out!

Not a bad machine for the money. Better than the shark you're using for sure. And parts are available. the vac shop I work for is a dealer/service center for Sebo, Miele, Tacony, Kirby, and Bissell cause not everyone can afford,(or would spend that much on a vacuum) the higher end machines. Tacony makes Riccar, Simplicity, Maytag, Fuller Brush, Powerflite, Cleanmax, and I'm probably missing one or two. If you like the X7 take a look at the Riccar R30D or R40P. Same quality and price point just slightly different features. The Sebo comes out ahead because of the 10 year warranty. Hard to beat that. I think the Riccars are 5 years on those two models.

If you go with a Miele cannister with electric cleanerhead they recommend the SEB228 for your type of carpet. pretty much any of the Sebo's can be switched to a soft bristle roller. The Felix upright uses the same ET1 head as the cannisters and has a swivel neck if you prefer uprights. Also you don't HAVE to switch to the parquet tool for bare floors. You can turn the roller off, drop the height, and use suction only when you need to. Some (if not all) Riccars can also be fitted with soft nylon or natural hair bristles. Any of them will do a good job if properly set up. My suggestion would be to go into a vac shop and try the different models. If you have any carpet pieces handy, take it in with you.

I got the deal of a lifetime on a riccar 40p at my local vacuum store and I love it! Had multiple sharks before and the difference is astonishing

Depends on the needs. I’ve owned many premium vacs. Kirby, Rainbow, Hyla, Riccar, Sebo, Miele, and several cheaper vacs like Dyson, Shark, Kenmore, etc. This includes Riccar Tandem Air upright, Kirby Avalir, Rainbow E2 & SRX, Hyla N and EST Defender, Miele C3, Miele CX1 Blizzard, Sebo E3 and D4 Premium canisters. Canister - Miele Complete C3 Brilliant - easiest canister to use - best-filtering - most suction and airflow out of all canisters I’ve used - best-cleaning power nozzles - comes with my favorite hard floor tool - don’t have to bend over to do things with it Upright - Kirby Avalir - best-cleaning vac for carpet that I have used/ owned - highest airflow available (higher airflow = better carpet cleaning) - most aggressive power nozzle with firm brush roll - this is my heavy-hitter for maximum dirt removal from carpet - can do a ton of other things but carpet is where they shine - I do feel it does a better job cleaning than my Riccar Tandem Air did on our carpet. Water-based Filtration Vac - Rainbow E2 - when paired with the SRX PN3 v1 power nozzle, it cleans carpet very well. - like the Miele C3, it is H13-rated HEPA - parts availability is awesome - super easy to service - The Hyla is a little easier to use and pull around but it doesn’t have as much suction as the Rainbow E2.

I love mine, got it about 2 months ago and it’s the best vac I’ve ever used. I now prefer it over my bagged Riccar which I bought years ago, after going down a Reddit rabbit hole on vacuums.

A bagged vacuum will typically clean better and last longer than bagless vacuums. I have a Riccar upright and I am pretty happy with it. A lot of people swear by Miele but I have also heard Miele parts can be harder to come by. YMMV. If you have carpeted area, you must get a model with rotating brushroll.

Not surprised about the rug. You need raw power to effectively clean a rug like that. Sebo G-series upright. Riccar upright. Etc. Almost any premium level upright will accomplish this task without issue. I prefer Sebo’s quick change rollers for dog hair homes though. Makes cleaning the brush extremely easy. Canisters will work too but most folks don’t want to deal with dragging or carrying a canister around. You tend to get a little more filtration this way. If you want cheaper box store brand, a Shark Navigator/Apex type with duoclean and powerfins. Know these are more plastic and prob won’t last as long as more premium brands. Find a vacuum dealer near you. My local shop markets with the brand name Oreck. They have lots of floor models you can try before you buy. One of the important aspects to check out is weight. Is it comfortable to whomever will be operating it?

Mine imploded in less than a year. The motor died and it ate its own belt. Come to find out Most major brands in big box stores are owned by the same Chinese company and do not offer repairs. Just got a Riccar and am very happy with it

Riccar has been the best vacuum of all these manufacturers. If not myself I have seen my work go through tens of big box store vacuums and nothing comes close to the Riccar quality, effectiveness and lifespan.

I have a Riccar and also got the stick vac on Black Friday. Went with the self empty model and the way that thing is just easy to use has me grabbing it more often than not.

I repaired vacuums for a few years. The oldest and best models we worked on were Miele and Riccar. They are easily serviceable as a tech, and worked far better than any Dyson or Shark. The cheap molded plastics on Dyson specifically taught me to never trust advertising and to do my own research. Also for people with allergies and pets, I also learned if you use a bagless vacuum that you're doing yourself more harm than good. Tons of videos and I've seen it in person, bagless vacs not only leak a lot after minimal use but throw more dust/particles in the air than even the worst bagged vacs. I traded my Dyson for a Riccar on Craigslist, and kept an old trade in Miele built in the 80s. They both are far better and easier to work on than the heap I traded out.

Maybe I missed it but in your links is the only place I’ve seen Riccar referenced. High quality vacuum- not sure how it’s not in OP’s data

I have Miele that I love but I once managed an apartment building that had a garbage vacuum cleaner so I found a used Riccar vacuum for $150. That thing was a beast. I turned it on and it felt like the floor was vibrating. I could see the dirt and dust coming up out of the carpet like they were running for their lives. I kinda wish I’d kept it.

I love my Riccar.

Riccar, expensive, 100% repairable, their beater bar on carpet is hard to beat. My mom still has hers from decades ago. It is on my “some day” list.

Bought a Riccar in 2016 because of him and that thing is still amazing.

Seriously I remember back when that vacuum guy used to post amazing threads about vacuums and I bought a Riccar from his recommendation. I LOVE it. 8 years going strong.

I saw a comment above that said probably because you can’t buy them on Amazon. You gotta go to one of those vacuum stores people usually pass by and go who buys vacuums there? People that want awesome vacuums that’s who! Love my Riccar BTW.

I absolutely love my Riccar.

I’m just here 5 months late. I received a Riccar for my wedding five years ago. Literally one of the best household tools I’ve ever used. QOL improvement over the vacuums I grew up with was night and day. 

really. i have one for 4 years and it is is a powerhouse. just make sure it does catch onto other things like cords, rugs, etc