The second most important feature is suction; the higher the suction, the faster the soil is removed. A powerful vacuum does the work for you. Industry experts recommend vacuuming your carpet and area rugs 8 passes a week; this can be done in one day or spread out over days. The more you vacuum, the longer your carpet will last. I’ve had customers who believed that too much vacuuming is bad for your carpet, but actually it is the opposite.
So what make a great vacuum? First the brushes, they should be replaceable. Sometimes there is a metal base (agitator) where the brushes are replaceable. Solid wood or plastic brush rolls can be replaced entirely but usually have to be special ordered by a vacuum dealer. Brushes should be changed at least once a year to keep it at peak efficiently. The more efficient your vacuum is, the less work you need to do. The best and most powerful vacuum I’ve found is the Riccar 8955. I’ve used the Riccar for many years and it makes my job much easier. It saves me about 3 times the work with how powerful and efficient it is, saving me lots of time and energy.
Which are the worst vacuums? Most of the vacuums you see on television are lower in quality, made for short term or light use. When comparing my commercial Riccar vacuum to a Dyson or Orek, the first major difference I notice is the brushes. The brushes are typically a poor design and can often do more damage than good.
I’ve done carpet inspections where it was discovered that the vacuum damaged the carpet beyond repair. The mills have warned inspectors to be aware of the vacuum brush damage problem. Customers are shocked to find out their expensive new vacuums are not what they expected. I suspect this to be because you are paying for the advertising, not the research and development that makes a great vacuum.
Good vacuums are exclusively sold at specialty vacuum shops. Preferred vacuums often time cannot be found online or in department stores; the manufactures restrict sales of their best machines to vacuum only stores. However, some ‘vac-shops’ also sell the heavily advertised, poor performing vacuums along side the high quality vacuums. This is to provide the unknowing customers what they want and make the sale. The best way to find a quality vacuum, ask a reliable, knowledgeable carpet cleaner what they use. In addition to Riccar, I’ve been please with the quality of vacuums manufactured by Panasonic and Sharp.
I’ve been asked then why do brands such as Dyson receive great review ratings? I believe it is because consumers have not experienced anything better to compare it to. From my experience, when customers purchase a Riccar they are surprised at how much better it cleans than their previous vacuum, but even better, how the much better the quality is overall.