Sweeepers

I'm another Dyson Animal fan! We also have a Kenmore Progressive upright, and just for kicks I used the Dyson in an area where I had just used the Kenmore and I was absolutely amazed at all the junk it picked up off "clean" carpet! I do have two little complaints about the Dyson ... I wish it had a "headlight" and I've had to actually cut hair, fibers, etc. off the roller brush a couple of different times. However, those two issues in no way make me feel as though we made a bad investment. I love the Dyson Animal!

hi C.
i've always used the Oreck XL product...it is very good and has lasted for a very long time without any breakdowns etc...there is an Oreck store on Polaris Parkway. You can sometimes get deals on-line, etc...
good luck
tina

I applaud your utilitarian nature, to try to get something out of the Rainbow Sweeper, but my advice to you is to just go get the Dyson. I had a Riccar for 20 years and it worked so well for so long AND I originally paid so much for it, I didn't want to admit it was time to retire it. I finally gave in and got the Dyson. Used my 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond When I brought it home, the carpets had just been vacumed, so for the heck of it, I went over them gain with the Dyson. The "bagless bag" was filled in just two small areas! We have two dogs and I had purchased the model for animals as it has two motors (one for the beater brush and one for the suction). It is easy to run, my son does the vacuming on Saturday mornings, and has attachments.

I don't know what you paid for the Rainbow, but if it is not getting taken out due to the difficulty in using it, its actual value is greatly diminished.

Bottom line...you need to keep up with the kids and pets and this vacum will do it! AS far as trade in goes, vacums are like cars, once you drive them off the lot...

E. T

A quick suggestion...before any "major" purchase, it would be a good idea to read thru the Comsumers Report magazine. They have an index at the end where you can find out which issue has the info for the sweeper/vaccuum. It's also mentioned in this article that the "bagless" sweepers aren't good especially if you have allergies. The ones with the bags hold the dirt and keep it there so it won't get into the air when changing it, like the other. We've checked out the past 2 or 3 things we purchased and have been very happy with the results. It should be at your local library so you can check the different issues. Good Luck!

i have a dyson (includes all of the attachments) i paid $350 on amazon with free shipping. the one attachment that has a brush roller on it doesn't work very well,it stops rolling as it hits the carpet.
i don't think that it sweeps any better then the $75 sweepers that i bought at wal-mart when we were poor LOL!

contrary to the comercial, it DOES lose suction! sometimes i can't figure out WHY!

I HATE the bagless part of it! i had to sweep up Bisquik shortly after i bought it (12 months ago) and it got caked in side the whole system, i had to take it apart and clean it all out... there is still bisquik stuck in some of the little holes. also when i empty the canister it is MESSY dust flying everywhere. the instructions say that you can empty it into a plastic grocery bag and hold it tight to the canister when empting, but i use cloth grocery bags all the time so i don't have the plastic ones available, and besides i have to reach up with a little stick to knock all of the dirt out of the canister...

if i could do it over, i would get a better sweeper, one with 2 motors (one for the beater, and one for the vaccum part. and also one with bags!

the ebay idea is great.

I love my Kirby. It has made my carpet last about 5 extra years. And with economy the way it is you can negotiate on the price with the saleman at the Kirby place, they have a great warranty.

The only trade in I know of would be for another Rainbow.

I was going to get a Dyson but my friend got one first and returned it because it was not that good.
Consumer Reports lists two as Best Buys.
Eureka Boss Smart Vac and Sears Kenmore Progressive with direct drive. The Sears one was rated highest. Dyson was way down the list.
The Eureka was about $150 and the Kenmore wasabout $300.
Good shopping.

C.,

I have a Dyson and love it. It is not cheap, but it works wonderfully. Many attachments. Runs quiet too. They run between $300 to $600. Every bit worth the investment. Check them out at Sears and even Walmart carries a couple series.

good luck

I also love my Dyson Animal. Michelle...my hubby loves it so much he vacuums for me now too!

It is worth every penny and it just amazes me at what it picks up!

Hi C.

Well first of I'm a Grandmother of one and a mother of 3 pugs and 1 cat, so when it comes to vaccums I've had my share. I have two in my home which i use a least three times a week. I have the one that i use down stairs and that one is a Kirby Upright (Diamond Edition). The one came with a heavy price tag of $1,600.

It is great and it picks up like no other, however it is so heavy that I can not carry it upstairs. So upstairs i have a Oreck upright and I think that one was $300.00. Let me tell you, it is so light and i can do the staircase with it. I really love it and I can even give my bathroom floors a sweep with it.

My husband and I own homes in and around Ohio and we rent them out, when they become vacant i will clean them and bring my vaccum with me. The Oreck that is, it work's great. I have used many systems in the past and many are not very good out there. When we have to replace carpets in some of the home many of vaccums have failed just by using them on new carpet.

The fibers get all inside the unit and either melt on the beater bars or just fail to get all the new fibers out of the new carpet.

I have tried the bagless and they are useless as you have to replace the filer so often that it become costly and tring to find the filter's have the time is a problem in itself, and cleaning out the the cartriage is dusty and dirty.

I read so much about the Dyson but again I have spoken with many and they do not rate the Dyson that high. I hope i was able to help in some way.
Good Luck,
S. Smith ..Pickerington Ohio

Hi C., I see you have a number of animals in your home. I do too -- I have two big Yellow Labs (not to mention three kids and one husband). I made a very hefty investment and bought a Kirby. I love the fact that this machine sucks up everything in its path, you can imagine the amount of dog fur I have to deal with on a daily basis. It is a very heavy vacuum, but it has auto drive, so pushing it when it is turned on is not a problem. A downside to it is that it is a little bit of a hassle switching it around if you want to use attachments on it, but your Rainbow is probably similar. Also, bags are not cheap. But, I had a bagless vacuum prior to the Kirby and I will never do that again. At least not as long as I have animals in the house. I got tired of stopping every few minutes to have to empty the collection container. Emptying the container of all that fur always seemed to make more of a mess for me to clean up. And then when it came time to clean the container it always ended up smelling like wet dog. So since you have animals, just a few thoughts when you are considering a Dyson or any other bagless vacuum. Consider the amount of fur you are collecting each time you vacuum, the extra time cleaning the parts, and you may be better off with a bag vacuum. Happy cleaning!

You might try selling your rainbow on ebay. Youd be suprised at how many vaccumes there are on there- then you could take the profit toward something new.. just a suggestion!

I have a Dyson and I love it.. They are a little pricey, but all around I definitely think they are worth it (even my husband likes it). I am a bargain hunter and I bought animal one for around $350!!! I actually bought it from Kohls online - you may just have to wait for the opportune time :). It was on sale for under $500 and if you are familiar with their sale process, they have 15%, 20%, and 30% coupons quarterly (or something like that). I of course always get 15% at home, but you can find the codes for the bigger ones online pretty easily. THEN, to top that off they normally have free shipping for orders over $100. Hope this helps!

C.-There is a vacuum shop in Lexington that sells new and reconditioned rainbow vacuum cleaners. That is where I bought my rainbow. You can get your rainbow fixed there or trade it in for a new one. I can't remember the name of it, but it is on Southland drive in Lexington. They are reasonable. Good luck.

I LOVE my Dyson Animal series! My hubby and I actually fought over who got to vacuum when we first got it because we loved it So much!

Kirby vaccuums are wonderful but pricey. They have lifetime warranties. They are easy to use too.

All is can say is spend the money and buy a Dyson. You will love it!!!!!

Check into a Kirby sweeper. It is pricey. They do trade-ins. My husband uses it all the time. The Kirby will stand up to multiple animals with no problems. I've had a Kirby since 1986 & I have pets also.