I always hear people acting like kirby vacuums are the the greatest, but I am a scientific minded person who thinks most of those people are really only experiencing a placebo effect. They only think its good, because of a flashy sales performance, and since they paid 00 for it, they want to believe it.
Heres the thing though, almost all vacuums on the market are all 12 amps. I’m guessing its because any more, and people would be blowing their 15 amp breakers all the time. So all vacuums, should have a similar powered motor, one shouldn’t be drastically more powerful than the rest. Only difference they can really make is A) what method they use to route all the air tunnels, and what filters they use (which isn’t super high tech stuff, you could route air tunnels equally well with a cheap vac), and B) the roller brush could be better on one vac or another, but that’s not high tech stuff, any manufacturer should already have much research done by now on the most efficient roller brush, it doesn’t take a 00 vacuum to do that.
So seriously, mechanically, from an engineering standpoint, how could a kirby vacuum possibly have more power or perform better than say a 0 vacuum? Besides just being heavy metal and overpriced?
Kirby does have some strong points, durability chiefly among them, however Miele and Dyson offer vacuums that outperform Kirby in suction, cleaning ability, filtration, weight, and other factors for less than half the price. Miele’s in particular are designed to last at least 20 years.
I had a Kirby back in the 70′s and it was a terrible machine that left a billow of dust in it’s wake. That was replaced with an $800 VitaVac, and while it was a good vacuum – still going, as a matter of fact – it doesn’t hold a candle to what my $400 Dyson DC07 does.
If you seriously want the best vacuum cleaner money can buy, you own it to yourself to check out Miele and Dyson. There, of course, are other good brands, but these two top the list.
http://www.bestvacuumreviews.com/dyson-dc33.html
http://www.bestvacuumreviews.com/miele.html
I’ve always considered them over priced and not any better than some better known vacuums for at least half the price.
You are right, there are only so many widgets they can modify…..roller brush bar, how it is driven, air route to the bag, filters, power drive (a must for that heavy sucker). Another thought is the drive itself…..belt or not. I had a nonbelt machine as I was in the "I hate to change broken belts mode" from an Orek and while the machine cleaned well, it was heavy!!!
If people are happy with a Kirby, so be it. At least they are made in the USA.
If anything I’d say the quality of parts that go into the creation of their vacuums and the quality of construction and design, I definitely agree that the vacuum is over priced, but like you said, I believe a good deal of the price is the great parts, the better engineering/assembling and of course, a large part is the name on the vacuum.
Engineering wise, Kirby’s are built more like commercial quality vacuums…metal rather than cheap plastic, longer cord, more attachments and uses, higher quality parts and stronger motors, higher suction and engineered snout, etc..They can last much longer than cheaper models… For me, I don’t think it justifies the price variance but their marketing method requires door to door sales, demos that show how much more dirt a Kirby can capture compared to standard vacuums…I’ve seen the demos with milk filters and they do capture more gunk/higher suction… and a price structure to compensate salespeople….they have sales contest, trips, awards, etc.. much like a car dealer. A good part of the sale price is used to reward salespeople and territorial managers….that’s part of why they cost so much and door-to-door sales or cold calling may only elicitt one sale for many cold calls….a lot of time must be spent on dead leads so the rewards must be higher and the price of the units. If they were sold in chain stores, they would probably cost half as much or less but that has been the Kirby sales method ever since it started. More knowledgeable sales people and direct selling, higher quality, long life, etc…A standard cheapo vacuum might last several years or so…Some Kirbys can last 20, 30 or 40 years and can be handed down to the next generation…that’s how they are marketed…a lifelong product. Whether it’s worth it to pay 2000.00 for one Kirby unit or buy 10 vacuums or less in your life at 200.00 with less features and suction power is up to a consumer. People with allergies or pets that shed are especially keen on getting the best vacuum available….to them, it ‘s worth the higher price for better quality and longevity.