Before you spring for the Dyson……

It is a certain kind of misery to have a vacuum cleaner that underperforms.  Despite your best efforts, you have a floor that’s always a little dirtier than you’d like.  And if you have a budget, you’re stuck with the lower cost options among the new vacuum cleaners.  I had such a frustrating stretch a couple of years ago; it seemed as though every vacuum cleaner that I bought just wore out within a matter of months.  Dirt Devil upright required constant changing of the belt (then just petered out); smaller Dirt Devil powerstick was excessively loud and the filter always seemed to clog within minutes of vacuuming.  In the meantime, my carpets had more cat hair than I liked, and floors just didn’t totally clean up.  If a vacuum worked well on carpet, it didn’t on bare floors, and vice versa.

At the time, the only vacuum that performed consistently well was my grandmother’s circa 1965 Kenmore.  It was packed with power, did well on all flooring surfaces, but it was so heavy that using it was a full workout.  In desperation, I cruised the ads for the high priced vacuums, dreaming of a Dyson, that would transport me to a swanky world of near-effortlessly clean floors.  But I couldn’t justify the price tag.

Instead, I cruised the product reviews and learned all I could from others’ experiences with vacuums, rather than just carting off to Target to set myself up for the next disappointment/waste of money.  Thank goodness I did, because I found him: Eureka 3670G Boss Mighty Mite Canister Vacuum Cleaner.  At $80, it seemed a little too good to be true, but once he was delivered, I fell in love.  What a guy – he’s lightweight, easily portable, works consistently well on both carpet and bare floors, can get into crevices and corners, versatile enough to be able to handle upholstery and drapes.  My journey has ended.

The only drawback is that the canister bags are not readily available, so I need to order them online, but that is a small price to pay for the peace of mind in knowing that I finally have the right tool for the job.  So glad am I that I did not spring for the $500 Dyson, I settled on a name for my little champ:  Tyson.