The Power of Cyclonic Suction

My old Panasonic vacuum died a couple of weeks ago – long rest it’s cleaning soul. This past weekend I got a spankin’ brand new vacuum.

I’ve been shopping around for a new vacuum for a while. There are so many varieties of the dust-sucking appliance around.

From simple electric brooms, which have little to no suction power, to full-blown wet/dry shop vacs capable of not only cleaning out your goldfish tank, but everything inside.

There are those models which have a little turtle-like trolley you have to lug wherever you go. My grandmother used to have one of those, and every time I see one, I think they are ancient relics from a distant past. Surprisingly, these vacuums are very durable, powerful and usually last longer than their upright cousins.

Then there are the upright vacuums – the ones which you push the canister along with the whole sucking foot. These are what I am used too. You can feel the power as you push and pull it along.

They even have robotic vacuums, which I was also looking at. These things have very little power, but can be programmed to scurry about cleaning every day while you are at work. The theory behind these computerized cleaning devices is by cleaning every day, they keep your place so spotless, you don’t need a big and powerful manual vacuum.

All vacuums need a place to stash the dirt. Being a guy, I like things which require as little maintenance as possible. They have bag and bagless vacuums. The bagless ones require you to change the bag every so often with a new one; while the bagless ones you simply empty out the canister every time it gets full.

They have funky names to “sell” you on each specific brand too. From turbines, to wind-tunnel action, to cyclonic – you’d think you were investing in a piece of technology from NASA.

Prices range all over the map – from teeny tiny power sweepers of just around $100, to the supposedly “in” vacuum – the Dyson – which sells for just over $500. For a hundred dollars more than the Dyson, you can actually buy a centralized vacuuming system for your whole home.

SO – what did I buy and do I like it?

I got the Bissell Healthy Home Cyclonic vacuum. It is blue, has a bright headlight, and makes vroom vroom noises when I push it.

Just kidding.

I’m the one making the vroom vroom sounds.

But I do like my choice in vacuums. It is really powerful, 12-amps worth of power. Twelve-amps is the most power you can buy. It also has a very wide foot (cleaning path) of 15-inches. Means it not only sucks up all the dust, but I have don’t have to push it around as long, as it cleans a bigger area.

It also has a 35-foot hose, which is awesome, as it means I can reach high up and get my curtains clean.

This upright bagless vacuum is the Bissell version of the Dyson. It has all the cool features of the Dyson, without the hefty price.

My favourite feature so far is the turbo brush. This is an attachment for the hose, which is essentially a mini vacuum for the hose. It is a powered brush, about the size of the average person’s clenched fist. Perfect for vacuuming my couch, bed and other small but sturdy pieces of furniture.

No, this vacuum won’t clean my home by itself, but it has the power and features which make it a really good buy. It even has a two-year warrantee, which is very good, as most only had one-year warrantees.

I think I’ll go vacuum – just to practice with my new toy.