Filter Queen or Tristar???

The Rainbow is an excellent unit. Very powerful airflow and great agitation. The side spinning brushes are like a street sweeper along a curb, it really does pull hair and junk in from baseboards and furniture. Several great things about the Rainbow also include: blower function, wet pickup ability. I have found that the current model is one of their most powerful suction units yet.

The Filter Queen is a good vacuum. I used to sell Filter Queen and Rainbow and in doing a comparison I felt the Rainbow was finding more sand and grit while the Filter Queen was down to just collecting carpet fiber. The test was very surprising to me because the new Filter Queen does have very soft bristles on the agitator. It is important to note that the Filter Queen with a new cone and filters in clean shape, the airflow is quite impressive!! While the power nozzle is good, it's not as good as many other power heads on the market. I never noticed any issue with the elbows on the units. They are plastic and rotate, but I never noticed it as being a weak spot of the machine, it just sounds like a crappy loud snap when you unlock the wand into operating position.

I have tried the TriStar MG-1 and MG-2 series. They are very durable, whisper quiet, and a neat looking design with great filtration. However I thought the airflow was limiting. Quite undpowered compared to the Filter Queen, Rainbow, Kenmore and many other machines on the market. Agitation was ok, could be stronger and more airflow would help that factor too! The cord wrap on this is horrific, you may as well just wrap it up in your arms and throw it over the hose or something!

Not sure if you've considered but Simplicity/ Riccar machines are QUITE powerful!! Excellent agitation and very powerful airflow. They have several models available including the new Prima/ Wonder series that has impressed many thus far.

Older style Tri-Star CXL type series I've heard to be very excellent, high powered machines. I haven't yet tried one myself but I have yet to hear a negative about them.

Also while some of the high end Aerus machines have a neck issue, I don't believe that holds true with their entry level classic style power nozzle. You may lose the headlight, and newest filter queen lacks that too along with all of the Tri Star machines lack a headlight as well.

Best of luck in your search!


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Post# 345261 2/24/2016 at 21:01 (2,981 days old) by hooverkid (PA,USA)
Checkrate/Likes Over the past 3 months I got a kirby and was amazed by the power it had so that leads me to the question what is the best dtd canister? I have read that the newer filter queens and tristars have problems with the direct connect pn not being reliable as the pigtail connectors and lower powered motors compared to older models. Based on 1.airflow 2.carpet cleaning and 3. maintenance cost what brand/ model do you recommend? Thanks in advance. :)

Post# 345273 , Reply# 1 2/24/2016 at 23:13 (2,981 days old) by kenkart ()
Checkrate/Likes *I hate to admit it.....* But now....Rainbow is by FAR the best DTD vac, the plastic clunky awkward cheap wands on the TriStars and Aerus rule them out, FilterQueens also cheapened their attachments, also they lowered the suction .I have never been a fan of the mud pot, but it really is a quality product with superior performance.

Post# 345282 , Reply# 2 2/25/2016 at 06:42 (2,981 days old) by Miskini (Northville, Michigan )
Checkrate/Likes I agree with you 100% on the rainbow. Also, the resale value on rainbows are unbelievable.

Post# 345288 , Reply# 3 2/25/2016 at 07:35 (2,980 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes *Filter quuen, Rainbow,* Why has the suction been reduced? Cheaper motors form Lamb? Did they both also lower the price? My aunt's Filter Queen and the other aunts Rainbow from the 1980's are still going strong for my cousins. My folks never had the expendable income for a dtd cleaner, so we had Eureka's. I have their 1980 model 1279 powerteam which still also runs well. In fact, I bough them that when I was 19. $300 in those days. Two weeks of my net pay. I know, I made good money for a kid. You betcha!

Post# 345313 , Reply# 4 2/25/2016 at 10:02 (2,980 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Tristar

Post# 345327 , Reply# 5 2/25/2016 at 11:26 (2,980 days old) by chicagomike (Plover, WI)
Checkrate/Likes Rainbow E2 Black Edition is better than my Kirby Avalir. And I agree with the resale value as the Rainbow E2 Black edition has a tremendous resale value

Post# 345335 , Reply# 6 2/25/2016 at 12:13 (2,980 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I�d have to say Filter Queen. I really like the new attachment setup and the newer power nozzle is really nice! I wouldn't mind having a newer one myself!

Post# 345338 , Reply# 7 2/25/2016 at 12:26 (2,980 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)
Checkrate/Likes *On the older models...* One of the reasons the older Tristar and Filter Queen models were so great! Is that they used the same or similar Lamb motors correct? Both of my Tristar and Filter Queen vacs pulled way more inches of water lift than say an Electrolux. I was impressed!

Post# 345349 , Reply# 8 2/25/2016 at 14:08 (2,980 days old) by kenkart ()
Checkrate/Likes *TriStar went to a single fan cheaper motor* Im not sure if they still use it, and FQ reduced the size of their motor, something to do with filtration.

Post# 345385 , Reply# 10 2/25/2016 at 18:21 (2,980 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Trisatr, etc.* The Tristar is a quality machine. So is Filter Queen, and Rainbow. Last of the American made classics. The others are gone. Many are too young to know the history about Interstate engineering, founded in El Segundo and the Compact and revelation brand vacuums, Rexair in Cadillac Michigan, and Health-mor of Chicago, and now Cleveland Ohio. I read one critique twenty years ago calling the Tristar a "gimic vacuum cleaner". No doubt, someone trying to sell a Hyla, Miele, Oreck, or a Euro-pro Shark.

Post# 345676 , Reply# 15 2/28/2016 at 09:12 (2,977 days old) by Packardmanken (atlanta ga)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *IMHO�.* IF you have carpet, especially plush, I would recommend the Tristar as a intact original unit. Its powerhead is GREAT!!. My FQ is a wonderful machine, but the powerhead is so soft it just skims the top of the carpet. However the suction is so strong on the tristar, the only way I can use is on our carpet (we have the new plush, never again!) is with the powerhead (as opposed to the rug tool) or it "locks" down so tight I cant budge it!! I, personally think that Rainbow has one of the best powerheads so I mated one to my FQ and VOILA!!, best of both worlds. Thats the combo I use in my cleaning business. if you have hard floors, I love the FQ's floor buffer attachment, the felt pad. It really cleans up (along with Airways). You cant go wrong with either of them, I think. Its just a matter of personal preference as to what you want to drag around! Both are all out there for little money if you dig around. Church sales seem to be the best for finding them around here. Good luck!!

Post# 345705 , Reply# 16 2/28/2016 at 14:17 (2,977 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *exl and mg2 motors* The EXL used a dual stage motor with a tapered fan. The MG2 used a single stage vm3 motor, the EXL had much more airflow but lower waterlift. If you are going to seek out an MG1 or MG2 i'd replace it's motor.

Post# 345359 , Reply# 9 2/25/2016 at 15:19 (2,980 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota)
Checkrate/Likes *In my opinion* Tristar has always been the better machine. When we look at older models like the CXL and Triple crown the Tristar pulls higher numbers on the baird meter about 5.5/10 compared to 3.5/10 for the Filter Queen. I think we can agree that they had the better powernozzle back then as well. When we look at more modern machines the latest ones i've owned were an MG2 and a 75th anniversary edition, both of them were nice machines, in this case the Filter Queen did have a higher baird reading, still pulling about 3.5/10 and the Tristar with it's original VM3 motor pulling a 1.5. I still feel the tristar was a better cleaner as Filter Queens rapidly lose airflow due to them having their filters having a pretty small surface area, and the lux nozzle with the weighted metal top seemed to dig into the carpets pretty well. The Tristar mg2 ended up getting a dual stage EXL motor which didn't have as much suction but 3x the flow. I know both of the current models use a Single stage motor, my experience with those is limited to testing them out in the back of the local shop, i hated the high pitch whine of both of them.

Post# 345427 , Reply# 11 2/25/2016 at 21:30 (2,980 days old) by Durango159 (State College, PA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 The Rainbow is an excellent unit. Very powerful airflow and great agitation. The side spinning brushes are like a street sweeper along a curb, it really does pull hair and junk in from baseboards and furniture. Several great things about the Rainbow also include: blower function, wet pickup ability. I have found that the current model is one of their most powerful suction units yet. The Filter Queen is a good vacuum. I used to sell Filter Queen and Rainbow and in doing a comparison I felt the Rainbow was finding more sand and grit while the Filter Queen was down to just collecting carpet fiber. The test was very surprising to me because the new Filter Queen does have very soft bristles on the agitator. It is important to note that the Filter Queen with a new cone and filters in clean shape, the airflow is quite impressive!! While the power nozzle is good, it's not as good as many other power heads on the market. I never noticed any issue with the elbows on the units. They are plastic and rotate, but I never noticed it as being a weak spot of the machine, it just sounds like a crappy loud snap when you unlock the wand into operating position. I have tried the TriStar MG-1 and MG-2 series. They are very durable, whisper quiet, and a neat looking design with great filtration. However I thought the airflow was limiting. Quite undpowered compared to the Filter Queen, Rainbow, Kenmore and many other machines on the market. Agitation was ok, could be stronger and more airflow would help that factor too! The cord wrap on this is horrific, you may as well just wrap it up in your arms and throw it over the hose or something! Not sure if you've considered but Simplicity/ Riccar machines are QUITE powerful!! Excellent agitation and very powerful airflow. They have several models available including the new Prima/ Wonder series that has impressed many thus far. Older style Tri-Star CXL type series I've heard to be very excellent, high powered machines. I haven't yet tried one myself but I have yet to hear a negative about them. Also while some of the high end Aerus machines have a neck issue, I don't believe that holds true with their entry level classic style power nozzle. You may lose the headlight, and newest filter queen lacks that too along with all of the Tri Star machines lack a headlight as well. Best of luck in your search!

Post# 345441 , Reply# 12 2/26/2016 at 03:44 (2,980 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes *re; neck issue on high end Aerus'* First I've heard this Rob. No doubt an AB Electrolux design I bet. They market a few identical units in Europe as simply "LUX" door to door.

Post# 345651 , Reply# 13 2/27/2016 at 22:17 (2,978 days old) by hooverkid (PA,USA)
Checkrate/Likes *Thanks everyone!* Thanks for all the great input, now what is the difference between the exl and mg2 if they use the same motor other than the mg2 is newer? I was under the impression that after the a101 all motors where lower quality single stage and my last question for now,what would your top end price be on any of these machines? I work for a simplicity dealer and do like the canister but wouldn't think about getting a new one but do appreciate having other great brands being brought up! Thanks everyone.

Post# 345670 , Reply# 14 2/28/2016 at 08:03 (2,977 days old) by Miskini (Northville, Michigan )
Checkrate/Likes I would offer them $600 ,take it or leave it.