Thread Number: 38115
/ Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
I have Rainbow Rep coming to my house |
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Post# 406059   2/27/2019 at 20:38 (1,881 days old) by tomdawg (Des Moines )   |   | |
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Just curious to hear if any of you guys like rainbow vacuums.. I currently have a miele and love it. is there anything I should look for? |
Post# 406070 , Reply# 1   2/27/2019 at 21:51 (1,881 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)   |   | |
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Post# 406072 , Reply# 2   2/27/2019 at 21:57 (1,881 days old) by compactc9guy (Bathurst NB)   |   | |
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Post# 406078 , Reply# 4   2/27/2019 at 23:35 (1,881 days old) by fairfaxclass (Tillamook, Oregon)   |   | |
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Post# 406079 , Reply# 5   2/28/2019 at 02:04 (1,881 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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because they will start high.......VERY HIGH. perhaps keep declining as much as possible until they come down.....But I wouldn't be surprised if they try to start at $3000 dollars. I'm not sure how LOW they are willing to go...but it's definitely going be still be over $1500 because of the chain of people that have to get paid. But they are awesome vacuums and work great.
I've had one since 2006 brand new. Used the hell out of it but taken care of it still looks/smells new. If you end up not wanting to pay the outrageous Rainbow price you might trying looking at the Quantum vacuum or Sirena - both water filtration similar to Rainbows - but not quite the quality of a rainbow - still decent though. |
Post# 406087 , Reply# 7   2/28/2019 at 09:46 (1,881 days old) by Johnsmith96 (East Coast)   |   | |
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If you have the money to spend, and it's not savings, I'd say go for it. The reason o say this (and it's none of my business what your financial situation is) because I too wanted a brand new rainbow a few years ago. I'm young, and I was going to use some of my tax return to buy a rainbow. I figured it wasn't a bad idea, because it wasn't money I had saved for a long time, not was it needed to pay bills. I struck a deal with a salesman from the state above me, who lived in the upper portion of THAT state (long drive) and technically he was not in my "area" to be selling it to me. I'm not sure if you know this, but rainbow dealers all have signed agreements apparently, saying they won't sell out of their defined areas. He was lol. But many do this believe it or not. I talked to him and we agreed on 1300$ because I flat our said that I wanted one, no demo needed, and he was going to meet me and sell it out of his trunk. No one needed to be paid, none of the usual expenses. I also would be able to buy accessories within the first year of ownership for 50% off I think. However, I looked around and found a basically new rainbow e2 black for 400$. I did have to drive almost 2 hours to get it, but now having it, I'm glad I didn't spend a fortune on it.
It has its ups and downs. People sell these everyday because they are too much of a hassle for some people. That's why they say to only buy one if you have a larger house or lots of carpet. Of course you can regardless, but you may be reluctant to continue to use it after so long because it's such a pain to take set up and take down. Most people, even collectors do not take care of the rainbow properly. You do not store the basin attached to the motor unit, no matter what. You also should not store the hose attached to the unit, and really shouldn't store the hose attached to the wand because of the material it's made out. I OWNED A QUANTUM, and most people who do, bought one because they didn't want to spend for a rainbow. I advise against this. If someone has owned both, LIKE ME, they should be telling you that the rainbow is better made. It is less messy as well, and parts are more readily available. Rainbows have been known to last 20-30 years and still repairable to get it back to like new. I do not see quantum being around that long or becoming a household name, though it could happen! However, the price for a quantum should reflect a lot about the unit, and I highly doubt it would be repairable after the warranty is up. With that being said, the rainbow is decent at cleaning. I only pull it out to freshen the air, and to really so a major cleaning top to bottom. Not because it's a great deep cleaner, but because once it's set up, you feel compelled to do more with it and make the set up worth my while lol. Also the hose has a nice length and i don't have to move it all around to clean above the floor. |
Post# 406088 , Reply# 8   2/28/2019 at 11:03 (1,881 days old) by robsmith1977 (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania)   |   | |
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I have owned many Rainbows in my lifetime. Some I bought for 100 bucks and cleaned them up and made necessary repairs and once I bought an E2 Gold model for $1000.00 and although it cleaned really well, it was loud! I agree that you should always use the 4 quart water basin with any Rainbow vac. It filters dust and dirt better all around. You don't have to pay big money to get a nice Rainbow vacuum to use. They do require cleaning the separator after every use... I would usually throw mine in the dishwasher!! Easy cleanup! When you are done vacuuming - always empty the dirty water out, rinse out your water basin really really well and leave it sitting off to the side... never store the motor on top of the water basin. Doing all of this every time you use it, it will last 15 years or more. The model D3C has good cleaning power AND it runs very quietly. Just suggesting that, but they are getting harder to come by in nice shape on eBay.
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Post# 406090 , Reply# 9   2/28/2019 at 12:20 (1,881 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)   |   | |
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Well, if you are thinking about buying a Rainbow, one important aspect I would be thinking of is how much will you actually use it? Yes, the Rainbow & other water filtration vacuums do a great job of cleaning, & ultimately the water filtration is the best way to dispose of dirt if you want to use a bagless vacuum. The problem with them lies in the fact that it requires extra effort to set up & clean afterwards. It's not just as simple as press a button & the dirt falls out, & you clean a filter once a month, like a Dyson requires. And they are not as convenient to take out & clean up quickly when company calls & says they will be coming to your home soon & you have a messy house that needs cleaning.
For that reason, make sure you keep a spare vacuum that you can use for quick cleaning jobs & for maintenance cleaning. And definitely DO NOT trade in your Miele to lower the price of the Rainbow! Chances are you can sell your Miele locally or on Ebay & get substantially more money than the credit they will take off the vacuum's selling price. And chances are, the dealer will recoup their money they took off the vacuum by selling yours anyways, so keep that money in YOUR pocket, not theirs. Make sure when the dealer is in your home & showing you how the vacuum & optional attachments & uses it has, think carefully about whether you will REALLY use those attachments. For instance, how many people would actually use the carpet extractor attachment & extraction clean their carpet at home? And make sure the dealer knows you do have other options, & they aren't the only company that makes & sells a water filtration vacuum. There are other competing brands, like Sirena & Quantum, that make a water filtration vacuum that cleans just as well. As Mark said above, keep turning them down until you make it clear to them that either they have the lowest price or no sale! If you are thinking of buying another brand of water filtration vacuum to save some money & you don't need all the extra functionality a Rainbow offers, here's some tips: 1. Make sure any water filtration vacuum you buy has a HEPA Filter on the exhaust, & don't buy if it doesn't have that feature. The water filtration vacuums may be the cleanest way to own a bagless vacuum, but unfortunately their filtration claims aren't exactly true. Any dirt that cannot be wetted by the action of the water....flour, baking soda, carpet deodorizers, fireplace ashes, any fine powder dirt, etc....will bounce off the water, go right thru the separator, into the motor & be exhausted back into the room air you are cleaning. That's the whole point of the HEPA Filter on the exhaust, to trap the fine particulates the water filtration cannot trap. 2. Make sure the brand you buy has parts support & availability from a local vacuum shop. This can be a HUGE issue, especially with water filtration vacuums, as there are many unknown or unheard of brands that are so new that the shop's distributor they buy their parts from doesn't stock parts for that brand. Also beware that many vac shops won't repair Rainbow or other water filtration vacuums, because they don't believe that such a vacuum is a good idea or design, they believe it's dangerous & they refuse to repair it. So make sure you have a local shop that is also willing to cooperate & work on them. I'm sure the last thing you want to have happen is to buy a vacuum & then every time it breaks spend hours in a car taking it to be repaired & then to pick it up again. 3. Consider buying a extended warranty if it's reasonably priced. You are making a substantial investment in cleaning equipment for your home, & since there's moisture, a motor & likely computer boards involved, it's not unheard of to have a vacuum break down unexpectedly, even if it's maintained well. Just make sure you know the EXACT terms & conditions of the warranty & what it covers, & more importantly that there's a way of getting the warranty honored if something does break & that it's convenient to use the warranty. Good luck with your purchase & enjoy it. Rob |
Post# 406091 , Reply# 10   2/28/2019 at 13:13 (1,881 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Post# 406095 , Reply# 12   2/28/2019 at 14:57 (1,881 days old) by electroluxxxx (……)   |   | |
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A 4 qt basin doesn't filter any better than a 2 qt basin. It just holds more crap. I have vacuumed to the point of where the water is almost at a stand still and my filters and Separator are still clean. |
Post# 406107 , Reply# 14   2/28/2019 at 18:41 (1,880 days old) by rugsucker (Elizabethton TN)   |   | |
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I think most here will tell you to plumb and wire while under construction(the easiest,cheapest time) and then decide if you want the system now or in the future. |
Post# 406111 , Reply# 15   2/28/2019 at 20:43 (1,880 days old) by electroluxxxx (……)   |   | |
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I’m some states yes. My distributor is at 3100 retail, with trade in, leads and program $2600... I usually do better for the fellow collectors on this site. I’ll second what jimmy (rugsucker) said! |
Post# 406112 , Reply# 16   2/28/2019 at 20:47 (1,880 days old) by Oreck_XL (Brooklyn, New York 11211)   |   | |
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If you're contemplating central vac, you may want to look into a DrainVac. They make a unit called the Automatik which collects the dirt in a bin and every 20 minutes cycles it through and washes it down the drain. Of course a plumber would have to get involved as well but it seems like the central vac equivalent of a Rainbow.
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Post# 406118 , Reply# 17   2/28/2019 at 22:08 (1,880 days old) by fairfaxclass (Tillamook, Oregon)   |   | |
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Don't forget Ocean Blue! 130 CFM so they say! And 60 inches of water lift.
It's like a supped up D4 by appearance. CLICK HERE TO GO TO fairfaxclass's LINK |
Post# 406123 , Reply# 18   3/1/2019 at 01:02 (1,880 days old) by Rivstg1 (colorado springs)   |   | |
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I bought my rainbow new in fall of 2012, it has performed remarkably. I would recommend one to yOur collection W/o a doubt. I clean the separator very other time I use it, always store the wet water basin after in done separately from the motor unit, and enjoy NOT buying. Bags/smelling old vac dirt smells, and never losing airflow as no filter is getting clogged w/use. It does take more work to use/set up/put away than bagged vac. I do not... Think its a big deal at all....to empty the dirty water basin after vacuuming , rinsing it out (never more than 20 seconds) knowing I don't have to send any $ on bags and only every 4-5 years change out the heoa filter...IF I am not using it too long in a given cleaning w/o changing the water. I agree that it takes more time to use, isn't as powerful at deep cleaning as some, & are stupidly expensive bought new. Get one though, you'll be amazed at what you see after vacuuming & your home will smell great, andyour vac will never smell like other vacs after using them for a while.
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Post# 406129 , Reply# 19   3/1/2019 at 08:56 (1,880 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Rainbows are just too clunky for me. It's like pulling a Shop-Vac around the house. I also don't like the fact that I have to fill it with water every time I want to use it and empty the nasty dirty water with hair clumps after I'm done. You can't flush it, because it will clog your pipes. You can't dump it in the yard because you'll soon have hair clumps all over your yard. You cant dump it in the trash either, because in no time, you'll have a stinky, moldy, mosquito-infested garbage can. Also, I hate mold, and the risk of rust and mold buildup is much greater with a Rainbow. My aunt has the SE model, and it didn't blow my skirt up. The electric hose was especially annoying, because you had to hold down a trigger to turn on the PN. Also, I saw a near new E2 Black come into the Aerus dealer where I help out, and the carbon brushes were all jacked up in it! It's just too much hassle for me to deal with a Rainbow when I can just toss a bag and be done with it.
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Post# 406133 , Reply# 20   3/1/2019 at 09:25 (1,880 days old) by Kirbysthebest (Midwest)   |   | |
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In the compost bin. It's dirt, it's water, problems solved.
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Post# 406137 , Reply# 22   3/1/2019 at 11:02 (1,880 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Post# 406139 , Reply# 23   3/1/2019 at 11:53 (1,880 days old) by Electroluxxxx (……)   |   | |
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Must not have been an e2 black then because they do not use brushes. Seems like you have something against machines that aren't Aerus/Electrolux or Kirby. |
Post# 406143 , Reply# 24   3/1/2019 at 13:03 (1,880 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)   |   | |
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I would avoid Ocean Blue, that would not be a good choice. 60" waterlift isn't good for a canister vacuum, you would find motors that produce that strong of suction in upright vacuums, not a powerteam canister. Most canisters, regardless of whether it has a powerhead or what kind of dirt capture method they use, have a range of 85" waterlift for low end, entry level units, to 100" waterlift & even more for high end, TOL units. So to see 60" waterlift on a powerteam canister is really rather low.
I can also tell by looking at the pictures on their website that it is being run by Great Vacs. The pictures that Great Vacs use on their website to market the Ocean Blue are identical. My ex had a bad experience with them buying a refurbished Dyson DC07, & I have heard too many stories of other dissatisfied customers to recommend to others be dealing with them. You might also be interested to know that Ocean Blue themselves at one point appeared to have gone out of business - their products disappeared entirely - so in my mind this company still might be on shaky ground. Not good if you're making a investment in home cleaning equipment, if it breaks down & needs repairs later you may be out of luck for obtaining parts. |
Post# 406147 , Reply# 26   3/1/2019 at 13:15 (1,880 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Post# 406151 , Reply# 27   3/1/2019 at 14:38 (1,880 days old) by Kirbysthebest (Midwest)   |   | |
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Every machine will have it's pros and cons. I was offering a solution to using this particular type of machine with the objections voiced.
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Post# 406155 , Reply# 28   3/1/2019 at 15:46 (1,879 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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dumped the rainbow water down my toilet. It's always just looked like mop water probably because I've always vacuumed almost every day.
I remember growing up and my grandma had a rainbow. We always dumped that outside because it was just straight up thick. The past few months though, I've been using a HEPA bagged upright and sucking some activated charcoal granules in the bag and zero smell. So even with bagged vacuums, you can neutralize the odors. But I still would never give up my Rainbow. |
Post# 406156 , Reply# 29   3/1/2019 at 16:17 (1,879 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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I don't have anything against other vacuums. I am quite fond of SEBO and Riccar, but Aerus Electrolux and Kirby are my favorites. I was just stating my opinion about Rainbow. It's too much of a hassle for me. If it works for you, then cool. Regarding the Rainbow with the carbon brush issue, it was still pretty new, and a vacuum that expensive shouldn't be having major issues so soon.
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Post# 406159 , Reply# 30   3/1/2019 at 16:43 (1,879 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)   |   | |
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There are lots of reasons of why I would take a central vacuum anyday over a Rainbow. Yes all the dirt goes out of the house and into the unit in the garage but they are also simpler to use, quieter, and they are usually more powerful. There are certain models that would have two suction motors instead of one that are over twice as powerful compare to Rainbow, you could even have two users vacuuming with it at once. There are also other cool features that a central vacuum has that the Rainbow doesn't such as the vacpan, the Wally flex, and the Vroom for example. Plus I don't need to maintain the vacuum everytime that I would use use it, I could just empty it like twice a year and call it good. And usually there are units that offer one of the best guarantee's in the industry, Vacuflo for example has a limited lifetime warranty.
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Post# 406184 , Reply# 34   3/1/2019 at 22:16 (1,879 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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I came SOOOOOO close to putting in a central vacuum....... but this was back when I knew next to nothing about vacuums. I was one of those people that just use them didn't think much about it. I regret not doing it. But with this 12-foot extension hose I can connect to practically ANY vacuum including rainbow.....I kind of feel like I'm using a central vacuum because I can get EVERYWHERE up and down in the house.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO mark40511's LINK |
Post# 406204 , Reply# 36   3/2/2019 at 09:49 (1,879 days old) by Rivstg1 (colorado springs)   |   | |
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Kirbsythebest: great ideas, I agree completely.
Panasonicvac & vexorgtr: what would it cost( roughly) to install a quality central vac in a 3 story house that's already built( basement/1st level/2nd level)? I would imagine that the combined pricing of the vac and extensive installation might be a sizable deterrent against a central vac unless one was in the building phase of a home? Pus. I've never found dumping the dirty water basin a big deal... Sometimes down the toilet ( never a backup clogging in my 20 years with am E series, E2. Black, or D4 SEe.Or, is dump it outside and eventually hand gather the dried fuzz intomthe trash next time I ran across it . no big deal |
Post# 406277 , Reply# 43   3/4/2019 at 07:49 (1,877 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Post# 406278 , Reply# 44   3/4/2019 at 09:23 (1,877 days old) by vexorgtr (Sheffield, Ohio)   |   | |
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The water vac with fragrance is indeed a very nice thing. Nothing annoys me more than a dirty bag smell. That's why I waited til I had a Central vac (vented outside) before selling the Rainbows. With the vacuum exhaust going outside, there's NO bad smells. |
Post# 406286 , Reply# 45   3/4/2019 at 15:37 (1,876 days old) by ralph123 (Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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Regarding central vacuums and filtering outside, how do you avoid the loss of conditioned air? If your house is extremely tight (i.e. minimal air leakage), does that cause any problems with central vacuums? |
Post# 406440 , Reply# 48   3/8/2019 at 10:04 (1,873 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Sort of like those window portable air conditioners with one hose. I learned last summer the one hose models take the air its conditioning and just blows it outside at the same time.....super inefficient.
But can't the same thing be said for a clothes dryer? Isn't it take air from inside the home and venting it outside? |
Post# 406445 , Reply# 49   3/8/2019 at 16:18 (1,872 days old) by Miskini (Northville, Michigan )   |   | |
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Post# 406487 , Reply# 50   3/9/2019 at 07:51 (1,872 days old) by tomdawg (Des Moines )   |   | |
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I ended up returning it.. the $2500 was just too much. on the other hand, my mother in law has one and doesn't use it anymore, she said i can have it! needs some work though. |
Post# 406488 , Reply# 51   3/9/2019 at 09:39 (1,872 days old) by Miskini (Northville, Michigan )   |   | |
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Post# 406548 , Reply# 56   3/10/2019 at 23:27 (1,870 days old) by rivstg1 (colorado springs)   |   | |
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I've had rainbows since 1999.....I've emptied the dirty water basin in the toilet 50% of the time....never had a backup in the pipes from that....so to each their own....but I don't think the threat of 'clogging the pipes up' is valid from my experience....dump all you want...just like you take a dump....all you want....it'll get taken outta the pipes. |
Post# 407061 , Reply# 59   3/22/2019 at 19:50 (1,858 days old) by pr-21 (Middletown, OH)   |   | |
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I have a Rainbow SE PE and a Black E2. I empty both of mine in the toilet, BUT first I always reach in the basin and put out the carpet fuzz. It is usually floating in a clump and then I throw it in the trash can next to the toilet. I flush the rest and rinse the basin several times into the toilet as well and then dry the basin and set it on a shelf in the closet. I also take the separator off and clean it with the brush provided. I dry the flange underneath the separator and put it back on. 5 minute job. I also use the genuine scents in my water. I have never had a clog in my toilet system using the Rainbow.
PR-21 Bud |