Review Of Commercial Vacuum Cleaners

When you own or manage a business, the last thing you want to think about is which vacuum cleaner you should buy.

There are hundreds of models with thousands of features. Learning about all of them and comparing can be a hassle, if you don’t know what you want. But, this is actually a very important decision.

A good commercial vacuum cleaner will protect your flooring investment, promote a cleaner work environment for you and your employees, and help keep inventory and office supplies free of dust, mites, and allergens.

Don’t think that commercial vacuum cleaners are just for businesses.

There are some great advantages to purchasing a commercial vacuum cleaner for home use, especially if you have a large home or like to vacuum more often than most homeowners do.

Commercial vacs are built with the heavy user in mind, so they tend to be more rugged and have strong motors. They often lack the bells and whistles that high-end home vacuums have, but most people don’t need all of that extra stuff anyway.

Regardless of your reason for wanting a commercial vacuum cleaner, hopefully this simple guide will make your decision easier and save you time and money.

Getting the Most Vacuum for Your Buck

The first question you have to ask yourself is how much time you have to devote to messing with a commercial vacuum cleaner after you’ve bought it. The old adage “you get what you pay for” is usually true with vacuum cleaners, but not always. If you want to go with the cheapest commercial vacuum you can find, plan on regular minor repairs and frequent replacement of wear-prone parts (like belts and brushes).

Would you prefer not to have to think about another commercial vacuum cleaner purchase for many years? You’ll probably have to shell out for at least a mid-priced vacuum ($250+), depending on the square footage that needs regular cleaning, as well as how much foot traffic you get. The trade-off is less maintenance and longer life of the motor and other major parts.

When it comes to the various features and specifications of commercial vacuum cleaners, it’s critically important to pay attention to certain measurements and power ratings, no matter how much money you have to spend. Here’s a list of the most important:

• Upright vacuum cleaners are generally better on carpets. Canister vacuums are better on upholstery, stairs, and drapes.
• The more amps the motor has, the more suction power you can expect. If you have deep-pile carpets and/or a lot of foot traffic, you’ll want a vacuum with at least a 10-amp motor (12 amps or more is ideal).
• Look for the widest cleaning path you can find in your price range, as long as the motor is strong enough to keep up. For example, a 12-inch cleaning path with a 7-amp motor is fine, but you would not want a motor that weak if the machine has a cleaning path of 15 inches or more.
• Power cord length is more important that you may think. If you have big rooms in your office or home, a 20-foot cord will quickly drive you insane. Look for commercial vacuum cleaners that have at least 35-foot cords. Many are now made with 50-foot cords. Retractable cords are a nice time-saver as well, and many canister commercial vacuums have them.
• Hose length is also an important feature. Get the longest you can find (and afford). Too much is better than not enough in this department.
• Look for the best filtration you can afford. Many new commercial vacuum cleaners now come with HEPA filters as standard equipment. That’s a great feature, especially if you have an office with allergy-prone employees (or in your home if anyone in the family suffers from allergies). If you can’t find one with HEPA in your price range, look for 2-stage filtration (motor and exhaust filters).
• Pay attention to what the manufacturer’s warranty covers and how long it lasts. Spend a few extra bucks up front to buy more security against costly repairs down the road. Commercial vacuums take more abuse and more strain is put on the motor (the costliest part).

Recommended Commercial Vacuum Cleaner Models

It’s difficult to give specific recommendations without knowing an individual buyer’s usage plans, but there are some models that rise to the top either way. Let’s take a look at two of the best uprights and canisters in our review.

In the upright vacuum category, the Eureka Sanitaire Commercial SC888 is probably the best basic vacuum cleaner reviewed. This is the famous ‘red and chrome’ hotel vacuum that you might recall seeing if you travel a lot and stay in hotels all over the country. There’s a reason why so many hotel chains buy this vacuum for their cleaning staffs. It has almost no special features, but it does what it is designed to do – clean carpets – extremely well. And, it’s relatively inexpensive ($195 online). Highlights include: 50-foot power cord, 7-amp motor with 12-inch cleaning path, six-level carpet height adjustment, and an extra-bright headlight.

If you’re looking for a great commercial canister vacuum, you can’t do much better than choosing the Kenmore Progressive 25512 commercial vacuum cleaner. It was given a coveted “best buy” rating in reviews by a leading consumer product testing laboratory, which specifically noted the following features: on/off switch on the handle, separate on/off switch for the brush roller, overload protection for brush motor, HEPA filtration, and a retractable power cord. At $300, it’s also attractively priced for a canister vacuum that can handle a heavy workload.