Should You Buy A Kirby, A Professional Cleaners Review
As a professional carpet cleaner I am often asked what vacuum cleaner I recommend. There are a couple brands I really like, but in this blog I will be discussing the Kirby Vacuum Cleaner and if I think a homeowner should have one.
Let me start by saying that I believe proper dry soil removal with a quality vacuum cleaner is the number one factor that will determine how long you carpet last or how prematurely it will wear out.
This is the amount of dirt I found under a carpet and pad that I pulled back.
The three determining factors will be:
How often you vacuum.
The speed you vacuum (most people vacuum way to quick)
The quality of your vacuum
So is Kirby the right vacuum for you? I am going to go over the pros and cons of this vacuum. Let me first tell you that I sold Kirby vacuums back in 1990 when it was the Generation 3 model. I lasted about a week and the sales manager told me to make the sale or get kicked out of the house. I quit that day.
I also recently purchased a new Kirby Vacuum Cleaner, the Sentria, so I do know a lot about this Vacuum.
The Pro’s of the Kirby:
Dry soil Removal: probably the best upright of any vacuum I have tested at removing dry soil.
Attachment Setup: most vacuum cleaners with attachments have a permanent hose that is part of the vacuum even when running the normal vacuum head. This makes normal vacuuming less effective because it has to “pull” the air and soil a longer distance. This creates the need for a bigger motor, more stress on the motor and more energy used. The Kirby does not use the hose for normal vacuuming, instead you detach the power head when you use the attachment hose.
Automatic Drive: the auto drive system makes it very easy to push this vacuum back and forth.
Filtration System: if you invest in the better bags they are a high quality HEPA Filter.
Some Of The Attachments: The hose, extension tubes, upholstery head works very well.
Mattress Vacuuming: This is something you should do monthly and it works very well. Leave your sheet on to protect your expensive Eva Mattresses and then wash your sheet afterwards. But at first, you must learn the difference between each mattress in order to treat it in the right manner.
Built To Last: This thing will keep going. Most vacuums you need to replace about every 5 years, this one you won’t.
Warranty: I have only had one thing go wrong with mine and they did fix it without any issue. So as far as I can tell they offer a good warranty.
The Cons of the Kirby:
Weight of the Machine: The auto drive helps with the vacuuming, but doesn’t help if you have to carry it upstairs
Maneuverability: The Kirby does not turn around furniture (including this outdoor heater) very easy and has a high profile so it does not get under furniture very well.
Attachments: Some of the attachment do not work as well as they claimed. You will probably not use the blower system to replace your leaf blower, although it works well to blow up air mattress or exercise balls. The suds of gun doesn’t have a lot of value, I would be very surprised if you actually used it to paint your fence. The stair attachment does not work well and the normal vacuum is to big for stairs.
Carpet Cleaning Head: This is a waste of money and it is poorly built. They claim that you will never need to hire a carpet cleaner again. Not only is that not true it will void your carpet warranty. I know this may sound self serving since I am a carpet cleaner, but check your carpet warranty.
High Pressure Sales: I am not a big fan of their lead generation system or their sales tactics.
Price: This is a big one. They ask way to much for this machine. If you really want one. Skip the carpet cleaning head and offer $1000 if you are financing. If you have cash you can probably get it for about $700 – $800.
My Conclusion On If You Should Buy A Kirby:
If you have $700 – $1000 to spend it’s a good vacuum. You may want to check out the filter queen majestic also. It has an even stronger motor and filter systems. It is a canister system so it is not transported easy which is why I didn’t buy one.
If you don’t want to spend that much check out a Riccar at the local vacuum store. They are about $350. Don’t buy the one with attachment for the reason I mention above. Instead you purchase and Riccar hand vacuum with attachment for your detail work. You can find Riccars at your local vacuum supply store.
If this helped you with your decision please comment on this post. If you would like to see my video on the proper way to vacuum, please click here.
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I’ve owned my Kirby for 15 years and completely agree with your assessment! Good flexibility and excellent dependability, but heavy, and many attachments aren’t as great as you’d imagine. I haven’t had the shampoo system but I think I’ll take your advice on it and just rent a cleaner. Thank you!
We own a Kirby with the carpet cleaning system sentria ll. Love the vacuum. Haven’t tried the carpet cleaning yet but it is about time to give it a try. Or should I just not waste my time?
Unless they have changed things since I had mine they use a dry foam system. In my opinion it may be ok for basic light cleaning, but is not going to be good for deep cleanings. The dry foam may also leave a sticky residue that could cause rapid resoiling.
My advice would give a try in one room and see how it cleans and how it looks a month later and make your decision from there.