Vacuum cleaner recommendations please
 

I decided to shampoo my carpets today so I thoroughly vacuumed first with my Dyson Animal vacuum (which is supposed to be the best), then I shampooed with my Bissel rug shampooer, it did a great job but I was horrified at the huge amount of animal hair it pulled up from my carpets. I have two fairly hairy cats so I thought my vacuum was picking up the hair, obviously not. Does anyone have a vacuum that really picks up animal hair well.

I recommend an electrolux canister vacuum, metal canister, made about 1976 (blue, gold, brown, before they went plastic.) Buy it at a flea market, then put a new motor in it. Here's my story:

I bought a house in 1981 with expensive, thick, wall to wall carpet. 25 years later we decided to put hardwood floors in to replace the worn out carpeting. The floor man tried to prepare us. "When we lift up this carpet, the foam padding will have desintegrated and we will have to shovel the dirt and padding out with shovels. This happens to everyone, dont get upset." And when they pulled back the carpet,there was no dirt, no desintegrated. They literally rolled up the carpet, rolled up the padding and carried it out. The flooring guy said, wow I've never seen this, you must be an amazing housekeeper. (Nah, I don't clean, I quilt ha ha). It is my vacuum that is amazing, I wouldn't live without my metal electrolux. (new motor cost $90.00)

Yes I had animals, yes I had pee spots.

For household items that I may have to spend more than $50 for I head to the public library. I ask for the issue of Consumer Reports for the item I have to buy and make a copy of the page that lists the best picks. I then pray I can afford one of the top five!

When my mom and dad were stationed in Sacramento for 4 months, my mom didn't want to spend a lot on a vacuum cleaner so she went to a repair shop and bought an electrolux canister (no idea what year but it was before 1973 because that was when then were in Sacramento and it was already an older machine then). It worked so well she took it home with her and used it for the upstairs machine. It lasted at least until she passed in 2009 - not sure now since we go rid of it in the estate sale. But it was a great machine. I had my Kirby for 40 years, bought it new. But let it go because it heavy.

Shark vacuums are just as good if not better than Dyson. I've had Filter Queen and Kirby and the Shark blows them away. Reasonably priced. Buy direct from Shark @ Shark.com. Not affiliated, just love them.

I have a Shark Rotator Liftaway. I thought my old vacuum was doing a good job until I got it! It amazes me and everyone I have talked to since I got mine has said the same thing. If anything picked up better than it does, it would pull my carpets off the floor.

I have the Dyson, but it's the 'animal' versions, my dad has a different Dyson, not 'animal' and it's not quite as thorough at picking up hairs. I have two German Shedders.

We had a German Shepherd dog and a vacuum with a bag. We filled the bag every time we vacuumed and Mr. Stitchnripper was convinced it was doing a good job. Got the Dyson Animal and vacuumed over the places we just did with the old one. And filled up the canister. We have one of those big Bissell carpet cleaners and yes, they manage to pick up more hair than just the vacuum. Even going over it twice, we got dog hair left over from the first pass. I still swear by my Dyson and even got the cordless stick vacuum.

You will get lots of differing opinions on here, so it will still be up to you to pick what you think would work best in your situation.

Here is something recent:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/general...m-t277954.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/general...d-t246799.html

I have a Shark Navigator and it's the best vacuum I've ever owned. It pulls up hair & THREAD from rugs and carpet with no problem. LOVE IT!!

I tried several different bagless vacs and hated every single one. I finally went with a windtunnel bagged and love it (in comparison).