Kirby Sweeper
 

Ok guys and gals, I need your 100% honest opinion.

So we had this guy come knocking on our door yesterday wanting us to give him our opinion on the Kirby sweeper. My husband opens the door and let's him in. (I'm in my room playing with the babies, or I probably would have sent him on his way) So DH let's him in.

About 1 hour later DH comes back and says "you got to come out here and check this out!"

I'm like "ummm it's almost 8pm and Survivor is on in 10 minutes!" Well thank god I can record live tv, so I set the recorder and go out and see what the big ordeal is all about!

3 hours later!!!!!! YES 11pm, he has us talked into buying this sweeper! $1200! OMG

Anyways, we decided we wanted to wait and think about it, didn't want to make a impulse buy.

So we go to our local sweeper shop and talk with the service man. They sell Simplicity sweepers, but after talking with the man, guess what kind of sweeper he owns? YUP, a Kirby!

So do any of you own a Kirby or know anyone who owns one?

I was impaled by what this man pulled out of my carpet and mattress! it was just gross! My DH and DD both have allergies and DH has asthma. So it does make since to get something that would eliminate this problem with dust and dirt.

Now we were going to buy a Dyson, but the Kirby man and even the sweeper service man says they are junk. :confused:

If you're willing to spend that kind of dough on a vacuum,, check out the Rainbow. MUCH more effective at trapping all dirt/dust/dander. SInce y'all have allergies and asthma, I highly recommend it. I used to sell these and they sold themselves:laugh: I didn't get one, as i didn't sell enough of them to qualify for the free one. Couldn't afford one back then:laugh:

http://thevacuumcenter.com/rainbow-v...-c-54_399.html

I would rather have a upright then a tag-a-long sweeper! I think the tag-a-longs are a pain in the arse! :p

:thumbdown I agree they are a pini in the arse!~ As for the Kirby's ,are they still heavy? I had one many moons ago and that was the only thing bad about it.

Nope, the new ones are not made from steel anymore. Total weight is 23 lbs. I pushed it and it pushed very nice.

Personally I think they are way over priced, and any new vacuum will get dirt out of your carpet that your old one leaves behind.

JMO

Now we were going to buy a Dyson, but the Kirby man and even the sweeper service man says they are junk.


Of course he's going to say they are junk, he wants a sale.
I just bought one and I have no idea how I have lived without it!
I have an electrulex for 20yrs and thought that was good but when
I vacummed for the first time with my Dyson I could not believe the
container and what was in there. Everyone I know that has a Dyson
would not be without it. Weight 15.5 lbs.
I bought mine from their direct warehouse, no S/H and no tax.
I don't think any vacumm is worth 1,200.00 unles it comes with a maid.

The sweeper service man was not trying to sell us anything, he simply only works on the vacuums. We wanted to talk with him to get his opinion on the Kirby vs the Dyson. He says the only bad thing with the Dyson is, if something goes wrong, he can not get parts to fix it. You have to send it away to be fixed.

I just thought it was funny that, that sweeper store sells Simplicity and he owns a Kirby lol

For $1200 it better be a damn good sweeper. I got a Riccar at a vaccuum store and it picks up everything and only costed $600. Plus they maintenance it once a year for free at the vaccuum store

I've had electrolux for years(I love them), but, I've decided I want a new vacuum cleaner, so this way I can sell my very cheap to son and his fiance..We paid for consumer reports, and I was wanting an oreck, but, when we check consumer reports, it wasn't rated very well..the one that is rated the best is the kennmore, so, that's what I've got coming..not sure what the price is you're paying, mine is $380 with tax and shipping and handling..OMG just saw Chachis post..NO do not pay that much..My grandparents used to have kirbys, the door to door salesmen I don't like, I think that should be illegal these days..but, the guy told them everytime he sells a kirby, he would get big commissions, then after so many sales, he would get one free vacuum, when he would sell that one, he could keep the money..so, when he sold to grandma and grandpa, they told him this is your free one, what you make goes in your pocket, we'll buy it for $200, and that's what he sold it to them for..they never would have paid that kind of money for a vacumm cleaner...pm me and I can give you the password and user name to our consumer reports and you can check it out

Wow! That's an expensive vacuum!:eek:

I think Kirby is one of the only ones that goes door to door anymore..we've seen those guys on 20/20 at thier meetups like in Vegas, and in the hotel rooms acting like complete idiots..there is now way I would spend $1 on their vacuum cleaners..it also showed how they were taught to be nice to people, but, then turn around when people don't buy from them and treat them like dirt..all of this was undercover and was on about 3-5 years ago

I personally don't like Kirbys but my MIL had one forever! It was made really good. It lasted hubby said at least 10-12 years if not longer. I swear by Oreck. LOL :) I won't use anything else.

Check consumer reports $1200 is a lot. I remember when I was buying my vaccum I checked consumer reports and for $500 I got a vacuum that beat out the oh so expensive Orrick which was $1000.

If you have allergies then I suggest just getting rid of the rugs instead. They hold way too much junk and it's always best to put a cover on your mattress.

OMG, I can't STAND those Kirby people that come to our house!:mad: They are all rude and look like they need a bath and I refuse to do business w/ someone selling something out of beat up old vans!:thumbdown And they just keep coming back, no matter how many times I tell them "NO!" It's so bad that the ppl in our neighborhood have started filing reports w/ the police department. Grrr...

Not to mention they conned my neighbor into buying one and she says it SUCKS!

I've not had a Kirby so can't give an opinion on it's effectiveness but can tell you not to pay that kind of price. There are places that sell them cheaper than the door-to-door salespeople. I learned this the hard way when we bought a Rainbow for $1200, back 15 years ago. Two weeks later DH's aunt found hers in the back of Southern Living Mag, for $600 - same one! I checked and at that time they had Kirby's listed too....lesson here....Shop Around!;)

oreck is not rated very good..that's what I was originally going to get..as far as my electrolux, I had the Discovery 1 back in 1985, it was still good when I traded it in on a discovery 2 in 1999, ran perfect, but, I felt I needed to upgrated(LOL) so, now the one I have is perfect(cost me close to $500), but, never a problem out of it..to be honest with you, I'm doing it more for my son..he and his fiance have a vacuum cleaner, but, it doesn't have attachments, and I love to get up close to the floor board, plus vacuum out my filters..I asked him if they wanted to buy it, I was just going to keep it if they didn't want it, but, he said they'd take it(told him I'd sell it for $50)he asked his fiance, do you think that's a good price?? LOL She said Scot, that vacuum cleaner isn in perfect shape, and you know where it's coming from(heck, I'm even giving them all the bags I bought awhile back)..the one I'm getting now is only a little over $300($381 with s&h), and I will probably still miss the one I have now, and this one is rated the best..

I seriously doubt the Kirby is better than anything else out there. I had a salesperson stop by(big time mistake letting them in!). They go over the same spot over and over and over verrrry slowly. Heck, no wonder they pick up so much stuff then. Who takes the time to do that when cleaning? I think if you bought any brand new machine and took that much time to do a spot you would be amazed at what you remove. I'd love to be a carpet free house eventually.

I was MAD when the sales person asked if they could come in, then called a "friend" to help her and the van they came in LEFT! I got so po'd that the van they came in left me with them( shouldn't have let a stranger in my house to begin with though) that I told them to leave shortly after they started their demonstration. They wanted to use my phone to call the van, I refused. They ended up having to walk to the bottom of the hill we live on and wait for their van to come back. But I learned my lesson, never let a salesperson in your home.

Ditto for me - I have a Kirby and love it but the thing is so darn heavy that now it sits in our closet.

Oh and I used to have a Rainbow and loved, loved it but it got old and then I never replaced it with another one because by then they got really expensive. If you can afford the Kirby get the Rainbow instead.;)

So now I have my Oreck and it's OK but my DH also helps to vacuum and he loves his Bissell so we have 3 vacuums in our house...lol

We have a refurbished Rainbow that we bought about 7 years ago. I do agree that the tag-a-long kind are a little tedious but since we now have all wood floors, I absolutely love it. My mom has one that she bought brand new and it is now over 20 years old. She has it checked over and cleaned every few years and it works (and looks) like new. What I like about the Rainbow is the water-filtration way it has of cleaning. I've heard really good things about the Dyson (my sister who has 3 large shedding dogs in the house swears by hers!) but since we have wood floors, I like the hard floor connection that the Rainbow offers.

Missy, I had a Kirby salesman come to the house last summer. Told him I couldn't buy one, but he said he gets credit for just talking to someone. So we let him in and were very impressed with the sweeper. We didn't buy one, but this guy told us that if we ever wanted a Kirby in the future to never pay full price. That they will come down to about $600 for a sale. If you decide you want a Kirby, I'd try dickering on the price first.

My parents had a Rainbow for YEARS and loved it because it did everything...all kinds of floors and windows, etc. BUT they recently sold it and got a Dyson....WHICH THEY LOVE.....

I friend sold Kirbys many many years ago and they are good vacs, but really heavy....or they use to be.

You get what you want. I remember allowing some sort of vac sells person into our old house (we had light grey carpet) and their pitch was the upholstery cleaning...well, they wouldn't do that...after we let them in...then the vac was $2500 (I was like NO WAY because some friends of ours had just gotten back from Jamica and spent that much going there...I would rather go on a nice trip than spend that on a vac)....then, they wanted to know if we would trade our 4wheeler for it...because they take trades.....WTH?! :eek:

Needless to say, we have never bought a vac from a door to door sales person.

this sounds familier!!LOl- My ex- did the same thing -way back in 1978 or so- I was mad- but later on i had to cange my mind- I had that Kirby untill it was stolen out of my storage shed-in 2003- yep worked like it was brand new - the shampooer was great, but water tank small, but a good cleaner! My aunt gave me her newer Kirby generation 3- it is good, but not near as good as my old one- I wish i had it back- they are or were a little heavy, and attachments/ or the belt was a pain- but a great sweeper! Last for ever!!I used mine hard for25 year- and it was still just like new when it was stolen!

oh, and bargin, bargin ,bargin with them- ask about refurbished ones traded in-
You can get them down on a price!

ohh yeah, he was willing to sell us a demo for $1200! I won't do it! My bottom price will be $600, thats what I was going to pay for the Dyson.

Well, my sears kenmore will be here next week, and it was under $400 with tax, s&h..if you need a vacuum, wait until I get this one and try it out..I'll let you know how it works, since it's rated so well

I have a kenmore now and if you flip it over you will see that the suction is only 1/4 of the head. My kenmore will turn on and off all by it's self. I have only had it a couple years and I'm not impressed with it at all! :thumbdown

I want something that will last 10 - 15 years.

I have had my Kirby for 9 years.. I love it !!!
Other than It is heavy..
As long as I take it in every year and have it Cleaned it is good as new...

I Have thought about getting a Lighter Vacuum But to be Honest. I am Skeptical... My MIL has a Cleaning Business and she uses Kirby's.
Honestly though I think you can get a Refurbished on at a Kirby shop Cheaper. Some people trade theirs in when ever a new model comes out.

I saw the Kenmore on my local news this week. I watched because I am in the market for a new vacuum. They had said how Consumer Reports rated the Kenmore the highest.

You may be able to get a Used (New) one at a Vacuum shop for that...
I got Luck on mine... My MIL Gave it to us as a House warming Gift.