Kirby - Upright Series

If you’re in Europe: a used Vorwerk If you’re in the US: a used Kirby Used kirbies can also be found in Europe but they’re a bit too big for European houses and while vorwerk is available in the US too, vorwerk parts may be hard to get in the US. Both these manufacturers make seriously capable machines that are almost eternally serviceable and are very well thought (unlike the marketing heavy Dysons). They get a bad rep for their aggressive sales techniques and exorbitant prices but you can get used or professionally refurbished ones for anything between 50-150$, which is unmatchable as value for money considering the power and capability of what you’re buying. Oh and I only ever go for corded uprights, no messing around with batteries that eventually fail and unmatchable suction due to them being upright.

Second hand Vorwerk or Kirby - I’ll die on this hill

I bought a broken Kirby for $50 on cl and fixed it up for $10 in parts. That thing is hands down the best vacuum for carpet. 

Not worth considering, Miele.   I spent a good sum for a Kirby.   The Miele does not compare.

Used Kirby

used kirby for pet hair

don't waste your money on those Dysons. if you want a quality vacuum cleaner just go on ebay and buy a used Kirby. You may have to do some slight reconditioning/cleaning (new belt, new roller) but if you do parts are easily available and cheap. and you can get them easily for under $200 shipped edit: downvote if you want.. My kirby will still be running long after your 5th dyson has died and it works better at sucking up dust and all much better too

yet my kirby keeps on working while the dyson's are overpriced gimmicks, much like Bose or Monster Cables.

yeah i am not sure. the last one i bought was like a 2008 or 9 model (wish i had never sold the one i had before).. thing is bulletproof and reliable as can be

Had a roommate who owned a Dyson. And I have always had a Kirby. We tested the two against each other. The Dyson doesn’t even come close to the Kirby. Better suction, cleans much better, not even comparable tbh. The Dyson was more lightweight, and easier to break because it’s all plastic, and bagless (no purchasing bags). But the Kirby out performed the Dyson on nearly every single task. It practically indestructible, and you will never need to buy another Kirby; it is definitely a Buy it for life brand. Absolutely! 👍🏻

# Kirby, Oreck, or Rainbow. If those are out of your price range then this: [https://www.walmart.com/ip/BISSELL-Power-Force-Bagged-Upright-Vacuum-1739/104757366](https://www.walmart.com/ip/BISSELL-Power-Force-Bagged-Upright-Vacuum-1739/104757366) I agree with Mr. Oreck in that "bagless" is a dirty word. Bagless vacuums are nasty to clean out. Rainbow being the exception because of the water being the filter.

Kirby G4 is correct. Steel like a WW2 battleship. After forty years the only replacement part was a fuse.

I have the Dyson V15 detect and totally love it but it's not a bifl vacuum by any means. It's just the best of the available cordless vacuums. Bifl is more like a kirby imo. They're overbuilt and made to be worked on. I've worked on plenty of them and always really impressed at the quality of its build.

So I have a rug similar to this and even my tuned Kirby G4 struggles on it. It’s high pile microfiber shag and air does not flow through it. The few machines I’ve found that do work on it are turbo nozzle canisters and surprisingly, Shark Navigator Lift-Away with the brush on and suction bleed valve open. My Miele H1 with an SEB-236 nozzle does not work, neither does my SEBO Felix or Oreck Classic or XL21 platform. Oreck Magnesium/Discover supposedly does work because it’s very light so the machine doesn’t burry the nozzle. I’ve found you’ll want a lightweight nozzle so it can float on top of the pile. My rug is so thick that height adjustment doesn’t really work. The best way to deep clean these rugs is to flip them over and vacuum the underside with a machine that has lots of agitation and vibration. That will cause the grit to fall onto the floor. Carefully remove the rug and clean up the grit.

The Kirby is a lot of fun - it’s like vacuuming your carpet with a jet engine. They do need tune-ups though. The silicone seal in the fan chamber eventually wears out, and the handle actuator sometimes needs adjustment. Vintage Electrolux machines are always a hit (they actually still make the same body style, just without the good smooth motor). Hoover constellation is fun: floats like a hovercraft. Zero-G uses the same technology in a modern machine. I miss mine. It was the reproduction model from the 2000s. Hoover fitted it with a beefy 1400w suction motor and it had gobs of power. I’m praying to the vacuum gods I can find a New Old Stock one. There’s of course the Hoover Convertible (decade 80 too) and eureka F&G machines. Hoover Concept I and II are excellent cleaners. There’s some really neat Kenmore cleaners too. Whirlpool was their manufacturer then they switched mainly to Panasonic.

Kirby. It’s not even close. I used to sell them back in the day in people’s homes. I pitted my machine against everything out there and absolutely nothing was as good. Like, other vacuum brands should be *ashamed* of how bad they really are.

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

I can vouch for this. My mom still has a Kirby from nearly 20 years ago and it runs like new still. Parts are still plentiful and there are still people who work on them.  While not a $1400 vacuum some brands can last a lifetime. 

We have a cheap used Kirby Sentria we got for $50 and it does well with hair on our carpets. Easy enough to diy maintain, last a long time (I think it's already like 15 years old). It's just somewhat heavy if you try to lift it from the wrong place: there's a handle down low on the machine where it's meant to be picked up from and it's easy enough then. It's heavier than most vacuums so it's a bit more important to lift it properly.

I think it depends on the needs of one’s home. I sold Kirby’s 20+ years ago and I will always believe they are the best. But that doesn’t mean it is the best for everyone.

I will die on the hill of my Kirby Heritage II being the best dang vacuum cleaner. What other vacuum will still work after 50 years and still have parts available? So worth it.

I inherited my grandmother’s 30+ year-old Kirby that was still going strong when I got an injury that prevented me from being able to lift it. Then I bought a Dyson DC07 (circa 2001-ish) and had it until 2017 when Hurricane Harvey flooded and ruined all of my household goods being stored (military) in TX. I now have the V11, and while it does a decent job, I won’t buy another cordless stick vacuum. The battery quite literally sucks. I’d get another corded Dyson in a heartbeat.

Exactly. For the same price as the Dyson you can get better vacuums that are more durable, better performance, and will last longer. My Grandmother bought a Kirby in 1969. I still have it and it outperforms 90% of vacuums on the market. I know people hate the weight of the Kirbys but you will be hard-pressed to beat the performance without spending over a thousand dollars. You can get a used Kirby for $150 or so.

The best vacuum is whatever vacuum is your favorite. Mine is (currently) my Kirby Ultimate G Diamond Edition. Is it a perfect vacuum? Absolutely not. It’s heavy, bulky, awkward to use, and they don’t clean as well as Kirby want you to believe. But it’s built to last a lifetime, cleans carpets very well, does above floor cleaning somewhat okay, and to me have a very pleasant sound.

Used Kirby. There are no good vacuums for under $100 bucks, but if you have to have new, get a Bissell CleanView and use aftermarket hepa cloth bags. They actually clean well and offer better filtration with the aftermarket hepa cloth bags than anything else at that price. Hoover makes a decent budget vacuum and sometimes it’s on sale for about $100. Hoover makes a good hepa cloth bag. If you buy bagless at that price, there are no sealed system bagless’ nor do they have hepa filters at <$100. Without both of those, it’s going to be a dust blower, indoor air polluter, etc. The best tool you can use to pump allergens and pathogens into your air. Both the Bissell CleanView and Hoover Windtunnel bagged vacuums are lighter in weight.

Kenmore Elite bagged upright, Kenmore 600 Series canister, Kenmore 200 Series canister. I’d personally use a Kirby Avalir with the firm brush roll. You can buy Kirby vacs for cheap on the used market. Get one, get it serviced at a Kirby store, and it will pull out a crap ton of embedded fur. It’s insane how much dirt they pull out after ordinary vacuums. If you have to buy new, though, Kenmore is like the only budget brand that has halfway decent quality.

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 bought a used working Kirby Sintria that was used by a professional cleaning company fot about 10 years. I paid $200 for it. It looked dirty and a little beat up but seemed to work fine. It came with a ton of accessories. It I replaced all the belts and a broken drive switch. I cleaned it really well and polished the scuffed metal. I've been using it for the last 5 years and it has worked flawlessly. They're really reliable and easy to fix when they break. There are tons of repair videos online for them. They're extremely expensive new, but you can get them in good shape used for less than $400. Or if you're lucky, a little less.

We have 2 cats (used to have 3) and have used shark for years. We've had many sharks over the years. Specifically the lift away, power lift away, navigator I think it's called and then a rocket. Rocket died in like 3 years but the lift away lasted almost a decade. the power lift away can't remember but I think it lasted a few years. Navigator I can't remember lmfao. Currently we have a dirt devil "endura reach" I think it's called and a Kirby avalir. Both are pretty good. Endura reach has a pretty short cord tho. But most sharks or some have anti hair wrap technology on their brush rolls. That's already worth every penny if you've got cats. So I'd look at a shark if you've got pets. Hope this helps.

Forget Amz, just get a thriftstore Kirby for about $30. It will outlive you.

Not sure if it’s been said, but Kirby is the only way. I melted three Dyson pet vacs and a shark. I cleaned the rollers constantly. Hair melts the plastic eventually. Kirby’s seem to have no plastic.

Where does reddit stand on kirby? Mine has already lasted forever.

Hotels use Kirby for their durability but they are heavy. I have had mine for 35 years.

They are pricey but I LOVE my Kirby. Shampoos, vacuums, everything. It's over 30 years old and still works better than any other.

We've had a Kirby for about 8 years or so. It works pretty good actually. There is an attachment with rubber teeth on it we use to vacuum the puppy. Once she got used to the sound, she pretty much lays there for us to brush/vacuum her.

We got a Kirby and it's been great. Built like a effing tank. Just keeps sucking its ass off.

Where's my Kirby? It's about forty years old and still sucks!

My 1956 Kirby I got from a flea market for 25$, 15 yrs ago. Seriously, look for a used Kirby or other higher end cleaner.

Get a Kirby, buy an old tired one on marketplace for cheap, rip it apart piece by piece, and bring it back to new. YouTube is your friend. Once you understand the machine, you’ve got something that’ll last you a lifetime. I had your exact same problem, and that’s what I did.

Get a Kirby and learn to fix it, they’re built to last and to be fixed by the owner Instead of tossed after a few years. They’re heavy, and stairs can be a haste, but that’s it. Nothing else has the power of one.

We bought a Kirby in our 20s. That thing WILL last us our entire lives. If you really only want to but it once and for life I'd recommend it. Pricey but honestly that's it, one and done, forever.

Kirby GOAT

My Kirby is 25 & going strong.

Kirby makes one vacuum and it's on there because it works. It will also last forever. I bought mine used off eBay 14 years ago and it hasn't missed a beat. But it for life in the mechanical flesh.

The bifl vacuum is Kirby, get a used one, definitely not from the salesman going door/door. They are both rugged and repairable. They can last 50+ years. This issue becomes qualities beyond bifl. They are also heavy as hell, large, difficult to get into many spaces, and generally difficult to use. …but it’s bifl.

I have a 52 year old Kirby my parents purchased from a door to door salesman. Do they still offer lifetime warranties?

What is available now to purchase new, may have been made without the same quality as the brand was years ago. I'm just saying that some brands may have changed for the worst. I have not needed to buy a vacuum since 1997 when I got a Kirby. I've treated it pretty rough and it just keeps going.

And also loud as hell. My grandma’s cleaning lady had one. I could hear it from outside of the house with all the windows closed, 50-some feet away on a dock.

Gonna be honest. Kirby’s have more suction than any other vacuum and I’ll die on that hill. They also are completely repairable. Sure they are heavy. And a handheld floor vacuum for easy stuff is nice, but trust me. If you want a clean carpet…..Kirby.

Any Kirby you buy will survive multiple years in a commercial restaurant.

My Kirby is 20 years old

I spent $1400 on a Kirby Diamond in 2004 and it’s still going strong.

I still have the Kirby my grandma bought brand new in 1970.

The Kirby would beat them all in a sand test

I have a Dyson cordless Animal and it’s perfect for me. I also have a really nice almost new Kirby ($800+ price tag) I picked up for $10 at a garage sale because the people didn’t understand you could replace the belts for a couple dollars. I use the Dyson all the time because it’s so much easier and less mental commitment for my ADHD brain to pick up and use a cordless vacuum whenever I need it. I can vacuum for three seconds and put it back before I get distracted. Easily worth the money because now I actually vacuum as opposed to getting stressed out about the whole process of plugging in, lifting, storing the giant Kirby and not vacuuming at all in the end.

So a Kirby is what I have. Yes, I know they are heavy. They are simple and bulletproof and literally last forever. do what I did. I went on offer up and find the one generation back from the newest model. I got it complete with all attachments for the price of a Dyson. And it has better hepa filtration.

Workhorses are relatively durable and the bagless design shows all the dirt which is great for videos and showing off to the customers. I would not use a Kirby commercially, they're too heavy and their fan is susceptible to damage. The Sanitaire Tradition is a similar vacuum to Kirby while being lighter and much easier to repair. But both Kirbys and Sanitaire Traditions have low water lift so they can leave a lot of heavy particles behind. Also the dump-out and dump-cup Traditions have terrible filtration. The Workhorse isn't popular here because the pre-motor filtration is poor and they don't have brushroll shutoff or on-board tool storage so they aren't well rounded vacuums. Cool vacuums, but too niche to recommend to most people.

Kirbys and Sanitiare Traditions have very similar very high cfm due to their direct air design but low water lift. The Workhorse and other clean air vacuums will have lower cfm but higher water lift. I think the Workhorse makes better videos because you can dump out all the dirt and show the viewers. Are you thinking about getting a new vacuum for yourself? I think there are a lot of other specs and features to consider if you want a vacuum for your home such as filtration, weight, built in hose and tools, etc.

I agree with u/J3ttf, for high pile carpets you want a powered brushroll and carpet height adjustment. The Ovente canister vacuum has no brushroll so it won't clean carpets very well at all. Besides the super affordable [Bissell 1739](https://www.walmart.com/ip/BISSELL-Power-Force-Bagged-Upright-Vacuum-1739/104757366?wl13=2094&selectedSellerId=0&wmlspartner=wlpa) $58 you can look at the [Hoover Complete Performance](https://www.amazon.com/Hoover-Upright-UH30651-Complete-Performance/dp/B09D4R6DHG/ref=asc_df_B09D4R6DHG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8210609054788334284&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031320&hvtargid=pla-2281435178618&mcid=42f6ccec61153f52890268f38988f0de&hvocijid=8210609054788334284-B09D4R6DHG-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1&th=1) $137. The Hoover has hepa bags available, carpet height adjustment, and it's a step up from the Bissell 1739. The Hoover is still a budget machine but it has a nicer hose, longer cord, metal wand, etc. Another option is if you ever wanted a Kirby vacuum, used Kirbys are very cheap and widely available. You can find a good condition Kirby with all the attachments from $50-100. They are heavy and inconvenient to attach the hose but Kirbys are good on carpets and last forever.

I agree with the weight issue but you can't beat the quality. Just picked up another Sentria II. I keep one on each floor of my two story house. 

I've had them all, Kirby and Miele bags, Dyson ball, and now the Dyson v10 animal. The v10 is just the easiest. Sure you're probably not doing as great of a job HEPA filtering as you would with a a bag, but it's just so convenient.

I have a Kirby and a sebo both are bullet proof but I love my sebo if a vacuum can be considered refined it a sebo

Same here. Cordless for quick pickups, Kirby when the carpets need a good once over...

All wrong. Get yourself a Kirby Vacuum Cleaner from a door to door salesman. That thing will last 30 years easy

I’d agree with a Kirby, great machines that will last and you can find dirt cheap if you’re okay with pre owned. You can also look into a Kenmore Upright 31150 or 31140, both are excellent carpet machines that can do hard surface such as tile.

I’d recommend a Kirby. There are plenty of gently used machines out there. Main reason in recommending a Kirby is due to the height adjustment built into the machine. Simple to operate and does a fantastic job on carpet. It also won’t void your Karastan Warranty.

I like a Kirby too! They’re especially good in a house with carpet… the machine will Pickup what ever is thrown at it.

In another life I was a Kirby service tech and I serviced machines on a number of occasions > 40-50 years old. At the time they had parts available for all machines. They ARE expensive (and the sales process leaves a lot to be desired) but are generally built like tanks. If there's a weak point, it's the fan. Even if it is Lexan, hard/heavy enough debris (eg bolts) can shatter the blades. The nice thing about the design is that instead of putting the bag inline with the fan, the bags fill from the top so it's able to maintain airflow. We have one (though it was a gift) but generally use our Dyson cordless day to day.

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.

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.

I inherited a 30 year old Kirby from my mom. It still works like a dream, I just wish it wasn’t so heavy. I have a Shark for quick jobs, when it comes to heavy lifting, Kirby is the one for me.