Kirby Vacuums? Opinion

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kage_ar said:
As for repair issues, I’m over 40. In my mom’s house growing up and my house since being and adult, repair amouts to a belt.

For those with plenty of disposable income, a $1000 sweeper might be cool. Again, we don’t fall in that income bracket and if we did, I’d just hire someone to clean for me 🙂
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…ain’t that the truth:D

but I would bet that none would come to your home lugging a Kirby smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_13_1.gif

%between%
 
katieq said:
My husband and I just purchased a Kirby vacuum from a dealer. It seems like a great deal (Sentria model) we got it for $900, with a three year warentee and a lifetime rebuild for $175. I especially like it’s cleaning abilities (allergies run in my family, and I want to provide a healthy environment). We are still in our two day period (until the 4th), but I wanted to get some opinions from those who have used them, or have friends who have…I don’t mind the cost because I see it as an investment (my MIL has had hers for 25yrs). I just want to make sure it’s all it’s cracked up to be 🙂

Help 😃 Please
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don’t laugh -
My parents bought a Kirby Vacuum when I was three years old. I turn 52 this year…it finally DIED a year ago.
 
kage_ar said:
For those with plenty of disposable income, a $1000 sweeper might be cool. Again, we don’t fall in that income bracket and if we did, I’d just hire someone to clean for me 🙂
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I did not mean to give the wrong impression. We by no means have plenty of disposable income. For us this is an investment, similar to investing in a car that we plan to keep for the long-term. I’ve had much experience with vacuums in the cheaper bracket (granted, products are generally not made as they used to be) that constantly break down, work incorrectly, or do not perform as hyped - knowing something is reliable and durable (as nearly every review says they are, thanks for the info LSK) makes us willing to make an investment. However, reviews can be skewed, and I thought I’d come here to see what experiences people I trust have had with them to check out their credibility (I only know three families that have them or have used them and they are all in the same age bracket). However, I do appreciate the advice kage and will assess that aspect again.
 
Okay, that is a different idea. For something to be an investment, make sure it will hold or increase in value, or earn $$ for you. If Kirbys hold value, then that is a whole different story!
 
For $250 you can get one a few models older. Anything G3 or newer would be your best bet as far as convience, although the older ones look better.
 
Thanks Trelow,

My only worry about that is lack of warrenty and servicing…do you know anything about how easy it is to get Kirby’s serviced outside of the company?
 
katieq said:
Thanks Trelow,

My only worry about that is lack of warrenty and servicing…do you know anything about how easy it is to get Kirby’s serviced outside of the company?
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very easy… not too cheap.

any vacuum repair/parts store will have many used Kirbys on display for sale.
 
As MrS said, costs a bit, but no more than it would in company. The parts are expensive, but the company will look for every opportunity to squeeze a dime out of you.
 
Had the Kirby -too pricey and bulky. Have the Oreck - love it - it has survived Katrina and keeps right on working with no problem. Service areas are plentiful.
 
The cleaners around here use Kenmore :)…

THANKS ALL for the advice! I’ll let you in on our decision. The Kirby, at least for now, is going back. We really don’t need to spend the money at this point and have decided that we will tithe some of it instead. We’re going to look at a cheaper but well rated vacuum (ConsumerReports) instead. I have great peace, as does my husband, about this decision. Perhaps we will purchase a Kirby later on down the line, as I really like it as a vacuum (though not as impressed with the shampooer sadly), but perhaps even then off ebay, etc. I really appreciate all the advice and honesty from everyone. Also, this has helped encourage some great conversation between DH and myself!

THANKS AGAIN!!:dancing: :clapping: :yup:

God bless,
Kate
 
katieq said:
My husband and I just purchased a Kirby vacuum from a dealer. It seems like a great deal (Sentria model) we got it for $900, with a three year warentee and a lifetime rebuild for $175. I especially like it’s cleaning abilities (allergies run in my family, and I want to provide a healthy environment). We are still in our two day period (until the 4th), but I wanted to get some opinions from those who have used them, or have friends who have…I don’t mind the cost because I see it as an investment (my MIL has had hers for 25yrs). I just want to make sure it’s all it’s cracked up to be 🙂

Help 😃 Please
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We love our Kirby, We’ve had it for over 12 years!
 
My cousin put 4 kids through college selling Kirby’s… with a SAHM… they’re built like tanks, don’t subscribe to the “buzzword 10A, 12A” cr*p, and just flat work. I don’t know of any other home appliance that can be a “hand-me-down” other than an old Sunbeam Mix-Master!
Think about it… virtually all the vacuum are 12 amps… all work on the same principle… vibrate the carpet and suck up some of the dirt.
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This is one of my pet peeves… 12A, 14.5A, etc…

As an electrician I’ll tell you what this means. This is the current in Amperes the motor sucks out of the wall. In general, the more powerful (in Horsepower / Torque) a motor is, the more Amps it will draw.
It has little to do with the power of suction! Suction is derived by the impeller & housing design, not how many Amps the motor pulls. Yes, you need a motor of sufficient power to spin the impeller, but it’s easy to “over-horsepower” an inefficient impeller design to compensate, and tout “14A motor!”

Every wonder why the cord on these 4.5 pound “wonder vacs” is WARM after a few minutes of vacuuming? They use the minimum size wiring allowable… and pulling that level of current the conductors get hot!

Another thing… In most homes, the general service outlets scattered around the rooms are only rated at 15 Amps.
On top of this they are not usually individually fused/breakered (what this means is that the lights & outlets of bedroom 1 may share the same fuse/breaker as the lights & outlets of bedroom 2).

So you flip on the lights & plug your 12A “Super-Sucker” into DD’s room and start your chores. DS is in his room, with the lights on and playing his stereo. POP… fuse blows.
 
My friend sold Kirby vacs years ago and my mom bought one and loved it. However, just this past year a kirby sales guy came to my door and wanted to “try out there vacuum and show how great it is” Now I do realize that a Kirby does a lot more things than just vacuum but I myself am too cheap to spend that kind of money on one. So, they had me vacuum with my vacuum (a Fuller) and then they took their kirby and vacuumed with one of those white filters that they use to show how much junk they pulled out of the carpet that your vacuum does not pick up. Well here is the funny part: there was absolutely NOTHING on the filter. So then the guy proceeds to go to a section of carpet where I did NOT use my vacuum first and he still could not get anything onto his filter thing. So he got on his phone and called his coworkers who were driving to other neighbors houses and then I heard him say on the phone “dude I couldn’t get anything out of her carpet. Yes, I even tried a spot where she did not vacuum!” HA! Not to mention my carpet is all throughout the whole house and I have 3 kids and a dog on it all day long (and this was the ‘heavy traffic’ section he did). Needless to say, I paid $180 for my fuller vac brand new compared to the $900 one they were trying to sell me. However like I said my mom loves hers and has had it for years. But then again her financial situation is different too. Just a story I thought I’d share.🙂
 
MIL has a Kirby and loves it. It was a gift from her son.

Her other son bought me a Dyson - and do I love it! We have two wonderful, ancient, shed-machines, and my Dyson can keep up with whatever falls off of them. We’re talking piles of dog fur!

Best vacuum I’ve ever owned.👍
 
mahalia said:
my friend sells kirby so i have to say all the nice things 😃

well kirby is okay but i would like to paraphrase my mother " Kirby or any other, nothing works as good as when I kneel down and scrub "

(i think “scrub” is the word for taking a mop and using it to energetically clean stuff :confused: )
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energy…now there is something I could use. Where can I buy it? 😃
 
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