Browse Forums DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair 1 Jul 06, 2010 5:35 pm Just considering what I'm likely to get for my next vac, it's more on the wishful than the need list at the moment. I'm cleaning a few other homes for work and currently mostly use my Miele S291 barrel vac. But bags are expensive and doing other homes as well it tends to go through one a week at most. The only excuse I'd have to buy a new vac is the expense of bags (genuines cost $20 for 4, knock offs are cheaper but don't last as long either ...lose suction before they're full enough) and that the switch on the floor head is starting to break through. Anyway I was considering a bacpack style vac such as.... http://www.pricepirate.com.au/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=11500031 or http://www.vacuumcleanersplus.com.au/p/552801/pacvac-superpro-700-back-pack-commercial-vacuum-cleaner-filtration-at-9916-efficiency-at-03-micron-this-week-special---50-off-normal-price-you-pay-399-only.html A friend has brought a standard PacVac (not backpack style) and she loves it, having previously had a Dyson. So mostly wanting to know if anyone has used a backpack style vac and your thoughts...how noisy they were etc, either for work or home use. Since we're on the topic feel free to chat about what you use in general, I'm sure it will be interesting reading. Re: Vacuum Cleaners, anybody use the "backpack" style? 2Jul 06, 2010 10:20 pm I cleaned factory offices making rubber pipes, so lots of small bits of rubber all over the place, for about 18mths once a week with one of them. (gave it up a few years ago when we moved) I found it good cos it had a long cord, it was heavy ish (I am 5 ft 7 and good behind plough but if you were slender build, good luck!) they seemed noisier as they were closer to your ear, but probably not really. THEY SUCKED GREAT no bags, and easy to move through the factory cos no skirting to smash into dragging it behind you. yesterday I just bought an upright dyson, after using a $49 cheap supermarket thing. It is great, although not light. but sucks well. I thought about a backpac one, but just thought...my house will be smaller than an office and so I would turn and smash the walls, cos you have to make sure when you turn there is a metre behind you...or else...BANG, new gib needed and also I want my kids to vacuum and this would break their backs (then who would vacuum, ME all the time!) Re: Vacuum Cleaners, anybody use the "backpack" style? 3Jul 06, 2010 10:26 pm ps it was a pacvac, the second link on your post. the hose is attached at the top. That sometimes came off and unless you took the whole thing off your back, you couldnt re attach it (unless you were VERY bendy!!) so that was a bit of a pain. didnt do it much, but enough. (I would expect it not to do it new, as it wore out etc) Re: Vacuum Cleaners, anybody use the "backpack" style? 4Jul 06, 2010 11:00 pm Being a professional carpet cleaning tech, I have a collection of various vacuum cleaners, most of them uprights. I have a Pacvac back pack type vacuum cleaner with HEPA filtration for certain tasks I must do. I have to say, I really am not happy using a back pack at all! The one I have is a good quality unit, with user friendly features, but really.... I feel DANGEROUS wearing it! The main thing is having a big thing on my back in confined spaces is a total PITA! Maybe if I persisted I might get used to it, but its just not natural having something strapped on like that! So for around the house, I'd so NO! Ash. Re: Vacuum Cleaners, anybody use the "backpack" style? 5Jul 08, 2010 2:19 pm Thanks for the feedback so far, the issue of potentially knocking into things did cross my mind, I would certainly hat to damage something in somebody elses house! It's not really an issue in my place, if I had any such sentimental breakable things they're either broken already or somewhere safe I think for me the main attraction towards a backpack is that it's supposed to be faster, but I imagine having just a long cord to drag behind is the main reason for that, it's incredible how much easier it is with just an extra 2 meters of cord!!! I can see it being a little easier to carry from the car etc too. I have used a backpack vac a long time ago when I used to clean school classrooms, I remember it was noisy but mostly that the floor head kept coming off and had to be taped back on with packing tape! It must have had a hard life obviously. I don't recall the brand but it had a cloth bag to empty. I am 5ft7 (169cm if that translates) and would have been pretty skinny in my younger days, I do remember it wasn't that light but I think it still made going between classrooms etc easier. I do recall I was pretty glad to get it off my back at the end of the shift though. I think the PacVac is listed at around 5kg which seems pretty reasonable to me, I think my current barrel vac is around 10kg which I certainly wouldn't fancy having on my back. Great point about kids vacuuming! Mine are still a tad too young but it would certainly become part of their chores for earning their pocket money when I think they're capable of doing a good job. Lol I guess you can just seem me finding a big backpack, filling it with like 5kg of spuds and trying it out next time I vacuum my house Or better yet disregard any safety issues and shove the barrel vac into a backpack....or just strap it to my back Oh what a shame I don't still have one of those backpacks that carry kids / babies, guess I should just think back to those days because having a vacuum back there will potentially be just as noisy when turned on but probably a fair bit lighter than a kid Hmm you've certainly given me some really good food for thought. It's great to hear positive feedback on the PacVac in general, as I said my firend has one but it's relatively new and well all know a new vac is generally always better than the old one, so it's good to get more opinions in general. I guess perhaps the standard pac vac which is more like those industrial looking jobbies you find in Bunnings etc, might be the go, I imagine it's fairly light and probably easier to pull around compared to a barrel shaped vacuum anyway. Well I guess the other criteria is that it's got to be relatively easy to fit in the boot of the car too, which shouldn't be a problem unless I buy an overly big model. Re: Vacuum Cleaners, anybody use the "backpack" style? 6Jul 09, 2010 12:35 am I feel like a bull in a china shop wearing the back pack! Just doesn't work well with me in confined spaces! But if you really want one, I'd suggest getting the 'Micron 700' model that I have. It has better filtration than the standard model Pacvac. Ash. The Dulux colour consultants are awesome. If you show them the photos they should be able to figure it out for you straight away 1 706 That sucks! Hope it all works out. Good to move away from steel anyway for all your reasons, but it's also thermally poor. 16 13769 If what you describe is correct then the brick wall has been dry lined with villa board. That basically means that the villa board is glued to the brick wall with… 3 6118 |