Kirby - Sentria

Bought my Kirby in 1987....still use it today. Well, not today.

Exactly. For the same price as the Dyson you can get better vacuums that are more durable, better performance, and will last longer. My Grandmother bought a Kirby in 1969. I still have it and it outperforms 90% of vacuums on the market. I know people hate the weight of the Kirbys but you will be hard-pressed to beat the performance without spending over a thousand dollars. You can get a used Kirby for $150 or so.

I advise anyone to stay away from the new Dyson's. My first Dyson from 2006 lasted almost 15 years. It was an amazing vacuum before it died. Then I bought a new one. Their quality deteriorated significantly between my first one and second one. I stopped recommending them. Now I have a Kirby. Bought it used off marketplace for $100. It works great and is very durable, but it is too tall to get under furniture and the hose attachment process is ridiculous. Maybe I'll check into the Miele's.

You can usually find one at a thrift store or estate sale for cheap, then take it to a shop, put about $100 into it. With that, you have a kirby that runs like new and will last for years, for like 1/10th the original cost. Until they lower the cost of new units substantially, refurbished is the way to go with them.

Kirby has held up for my family. I think the one Grandma has been using for 40 years or more is going to be argued over when she goes

Rip off IMO. They clean carpet well, but they are insanely heavy. They literally have a transmission because they’re so heavy. They are also more expensive than they’re worth. There are definitely some diminishing returns, and I honestly would rather have a Miele or Sebo with an electric powerhead that I can do more with for cheaper than a Kirby I can only clean carpet with.

I always thought of Sharks as cheap vacuums. I have a central vacuum in my house and I bought a refurbished Kirby. The Kirby needed a repair so I went ahead and bought a Shark Navigator til I could get it fixed. I never bothered to take it to the shop. This Shark is amazing with what it pulls out of the carpet. Wish I would have bought one sooner.

Heavy, stupid design for the hose, loud, bad filtration. They do have a good electric motor and are repairable but a Sebo or Miele are much better especially with stairs.

Do you have a spinning brush on the Sebo? Anyway, Kirby's are overpriced, IMHO. However, they are one of the best vacuums out there. Whether they are filter bagged or just bagged, the dirt always goes through the impeller first, then to the bag. There is zero loss of suction along the way, and normally when you are using the regular head (as opposed to the hose attachment), it's a very short ride for the dirt before being flung at 100 mph towards the bag. This is why they have great suction. The Kirby's major downfall is the design - that is, dirt needing to go through the impeller first. This causes two issues: over time, the impeller gets full of gunk, which hardens and gets caked in real good. You need to take the head off, clean it (with a flat head screw driver) as well as the impeller. The other major fault is that if you suck up a hard item (like a coin) the impeller is toast. You will need to replace it. I remember as a kid, we had a Kirby salesman come by. My mom was big with her Filter Queen (another overpriced vacuum) and asked the sales person to suck some coins. Firm no, and she showed him her Filter Queen doing this with zero issues. Anyway, the design of Kirby winds up making it one of the best cleaners out there, and they will last a lifetime, even if you need to replace the $30 impeller ever so often. Very little plastic to break. They are heavy. So my opinion is that you're not doing anything wrong, the Kirby is simply getting the dirt you vacuum couldn't. However, if you don't have a powerhead for the Sebo, that makes a huge difference as well, and the Kirby wouldn't get as much dirt if that was the case.

This was 12 years ago... mine is a cloud something or other. The name wore off so I don't remember it all. But yes, it was a great gift and I have always liked running the vacuum so win for me. Wifey thinks it's to much and would rather have her lil shark then complain it doesn't work like 'my kirby' No shade at the wife. Her shark works wonders in our car. so WIN for her!!!

It's honestly sad sometimes. A woman called into my shop this week asking if we buy used Kirbys. Said her cleaning business never took off and she paid over $2k for the thing. I left out the part where these machines are available second - hand for less than $100.

The Kirby is a lot of fun - it’s like vacuuming your carpet with a jet engine. They do need tune-ups though. The silicone seal in the fan chamber eventually wears out, and the handle actuator sometimes needs adjustment. Vintage Electrolux machines are always a hit (they actually still make the same body style, just without the good smooth motor). Hoover constellation is fun: floats like a hovercraft. Zero-G uses the same technology in a modern machine. I miss mine. It was the reproduction model from the 2000s. Hoover fitted it with a beefy 1400w suction motor and it had gobs of power. I’m praying to the vacuum gods I can find a New Old Stock one. There’s of course the Hoover Convertible (decade 80 too) and eureka F&G machines. Hoover Concept I and II are excellent cleaners. There’s some really neat Kenmore cleaners too. Whirlpool was their manufacturer then they switched mainly to Panasonic.

I'd probably grab a Kirby or a Sanitaire if those were my priorities. Both are awesome on carpets, but basically one-trick ponies (especially the Sanitaire).

Kenmore canisters for carpet are very good. For hard floors, they’re awful. Obsolete. Deal breakers. Etc. Why not buy a refurbished Miele or Sebo, or if you have wall to wall carpet in most of your home and rarely use attachments, definitely go for a Kirby, or a Rainbow if you have a mix. Goodvac dot com for Kirby parts, Rainvac dot com for Rainbow parts. Miele parts and Sebo parts are easily accessible. Hyla parts are not, in contrast, but they too last a long time. I think they’re easier to use than the Rainbow but they don’t clean carpet very well at all. Kirby is about the best you can get for carpet.

Your Kirby will last through the apocalypse.

For carpet, it’s hands down the best. It has the most of everything a vac needs to super clean carpet. Airflow, agitation, etc. 132 - 150 CFM is monstrously high, and that is measured where the carpet intake is. On other vacs, the airflow is about 1/4 - 1/3 of that at the carpet intake, and they don’t agitate as well. I keep a Kirby around for deep-cleaning carpet but daily a Miele C3. The Miele C3 with the SEB 228 nozzle is impressive on carpet, but it still isn’t like monstrously powerful.

A used Kirby will do that.

I’ve owned Kirby, Dyson and Shark. I’m sold on Sharks.

I would consider Kirby a BIFL product but unless you have a ton of carpeting in wide open areas, they’re not convenient to use at all and I own two of them. They’re heavy and don’t maneuver well even with the self-propelled function.

I see the appeal of a stick. I have a V15. It’s about 3 yrs old. It’s primary role is for in-between cleans, small messes. Touch-ups. But, if I am going to vac our main living areas or the entire house, I can get the job done a lot faster with my Miele. If I am going to deep clean the carpet, I don’t pre-vac with my V15. I use my Kirby. If I am going to detail a vehicle, Miele. If I am going to use attachments for deep cleaning, Miele.

Tenho um sentria. Resolve o problema dos pelos na roupa que é uma maravilha

I own an embarrassing amount of vacuum cleaners. My Kirby is my absolute favorite!! However, a part fell off it and I misplaced it. I didn’t want to spend a ton so I just bought a Kenmore Intuition and I’m really impressed how well in works on both my wood floors and carpeted rooms. Plus it weighs a fraction of what my Kirby does

If you're looking solely for a carpet vacuum and nothing else, a Kirby is my preferred choice. They are the kings of carpet cleaning but come at a cost of weight and size. The newer models have transmissions in them that make them very easy to push and pull though. They haven't changed much in decades and parts are plentiful. DO NOT BUY ONE NEW! Go to a local vacuum shop and I guarantee you'll find a used one for like 80% off of what a new one would cost. If you need to use attachments or need to use it on the hard floors (which I see you already go covered) then I'd look elsewhere. Kirby's are one trick ponies. Amazing at cleaning carpet, terrible at everything else.

I mean, let’s face it. The main difference - WEIGHT. The Kirby is a tank, other vacuums are well built (unless you’re throwing them around) and will last for decades. Period.

You do NOT want a Kirby if you have stairs - trust me. Coming from a former Kirby collector/restorer.

Our kirby is going strong 5 years, has other applications like vibrating sander or paint gun, and a lifetime warranty.

It’s not light or cheap, but it will survive a nuclear war. The Kirby.

KIRBY VACUUM. Get a Kirby. I just ran a google search for "used Kirby's under $200" and came up with several options for purchase. I've had my Kirby for over 20 years with kids and cats and I love it. The attachments are simple to use and allow me to easily dust ceilings, tops of cabinets, hanging lamps and fans. I use it to vacuum the car, my mattress, sofa, etc. A simple attachment switch and I'm vacuuming my hardwood floors. Very long cord, too.  Yes they're expensive brand new, but you can find used or refurbished ones all over the place. The fact that so many old Kirby's are still out there available for purchase is testament to how sturdy and  long lasting they are. Plus, nothing sucks up dirt and dust and cat dander as well as a Kirby. Good luck!

I agree about cordless vacs. We have the Dyson they are too fragile and end up so clogged with dog hair that they become useless unless you keep stopping the machine for disassembly as we did just this morning. The best solution for us was to find a used Rainbow vacuum. They use a water bath for a filter and that traps the hair so you can empty it out with the water when you are done. I bought my last used one in good condition for $100. Found it on Craigslist. The other remarkable find was unexpected. My family had a Kirby vaccum and I was always amazed at how powerful it was. I went to a non profit's garage sale (Spectrum Farms in Cullowhee,NC.) They had a factory rebuilt Kirby for $75 that a previous owner had just received back from Kirby after 40 years of use. It looked and ran like a new machine. It has four height adjustments, the closest of which is close enough to slow your roll and you push the machine around because the strength of the suction is so strong, you have to click it up a notch to break the grip on the floor. I use this vaccum for my basement and adjacent game room. it is old tech, but it will last forever and has more suction than any other I have used.

Kirby vacuums are the best. But they are pricey and you can only get it through a local salesperson. If you can get that, get it. If not a shark is good.

I sold Kirbys for about five years. If you have a nice vacuum (not just a kirby) and use it multiple times a week I would barely get any dirt and the whole situation would get awkard quickly and I'd leave with my tail between my legs. Often times when people do demonstrations they are literally pulling up years worth of dirt because most vacuums just push it into the bottom of the carpet

My hubby bought a Kirby about 16 years ago. His dad had one that he loved, so we had to have one too. Seems to work well. We have a dog that sheds a lot, and it still keeps up with him.

Kirby’s only legitimate perk other than being powerful is that it’s easy to service. Like Kirby is a relic from a bygone era (as evidence by their predatory MLM sales tactics) and is designed to be super easy to service. I recommend people who have carpets or businesses to buy used <$500 Kirby’s because when they aren’t absurdly priced they are legit good but their price when new and the bs sales tactics to get you to buy one are bullshit and the company doesn’t deserve new money. Non-Kirby commercial vacuums are simply designed to be more durable because businesses don’t like purchasing stuff frequently and they are cheaper than Kirby so probably worth it

No Kirbys? That's the most BIFL vacuum ever, I've had mine for over 30 yrs, other than belts and bags this thing won't quit.

Kirby. You can usually find them cheap second hand. The newer models will be self propelled. Though Kirby is a hefty built vacuum. Honestly anything with a bag should be good. You will have much less maintenance with a bag.

We had a bone pile of Kirbys in a shed. I had one as a kid but after working on them, nothing special. I did like the metal Royals better, but even they were relics decades ago.

I could not believe my luck. The machine was as clean as a new machine, had the rug shampoo devices, and all fixtures. 'Also had a brand new bag and wheels. They really took pride in craftsmanship and engineering back in the good old days. I don't think my mother's Kirby ever needed replacement. Cruise craigslist regularly and I will bet one turns up. You cannot kill this machine. Rainbow is great too, if you find one in good condition. I think they used to run around 1500. The body is ABS, so pretty tough,