Carpet Sweeper

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Baer Charlton

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Yesterday was a "Mass Re-Fit" day and this morning, (I didn't want to even think last night, so I went to he baseball game instead of cleaning up), I got out our relatively new $400 upright vacuum. There were little tiny bits of paper and detritus along with framers diamonds and other points...... :eek:

Slowly I worked along our massive carpet area (about 213 sq feet) and low and behold the bling bling sweeper can't pick up nails, points, little pieces of wire, screws, pennies (don't ask) or anything else weighing more than the little pieces of paper.
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I changed the bag.
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STILL NOTHING :eek: I checked the little "V"-belt
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I moved it slower, faster, heck I even turned it on so it would make that noise!!
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Then I took a large maginet and swung it over the points..... They are aluminum.....
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So, has anyone found a great vacuum for under $600 that REALLY WORKS?? What brand?

baer
 
Baer!

I've been in the carpet business for thirty years..and I've seen a few sweepers. First your sweeper may just be clogged somewhere in the short tubing at the head. You might check that. I'm assuming it has a beater bar. That is needed.
Second, most uprights are not really designed to pick up all that metal you described. But they will if your determined. It's just not good for them. That's why they invented shop vacs. But those are a pain to use like you want.
You might want to check out a little cordless vac called "The Shark". We use one and it does amazingly pick up about anything very quickly. It's not meant to replace a decent upright but it's a fast "grab and sweep".
When it comes to uprights a good old Hoover is probably the best "bang for your buck". You should be able to get an amply powered bagless for about $400.
I have had many "love, hate" relationships with vacs over the years. They all require a little loving care regarding maintenance.

Good luck!
 
A commercial vacuum cleaner is what you need, but a shop vac would pick up tha kind of debris.

An alternative is to stop being so messy.
Remove the carpet from the work area and put trash in the trash can.
 
Thanks Teri,

I've also had a Carpet Cleaning service for aobut 10 years, (no one told me the knees would hate it) and it is amazing the difference of carpet care in homes. I see four levels the "under $200" sweepers, around $400, over $800 and whole house vac systems. If I ever buy the building for a frame shop, I'm installing a whole house.
I'm going fishing for a shark today.

baer
 
Jo, I didn't notice I HAD been messy untill the morning. Usually, I am sloppily anal about my work area.

The upright we have is a "Commercial", and I'm never dealing with those people again. They make a deal about being "Third generation", but they sell brands I can't even find on the internet, so I can't find comparative pricing or parts.

Carpet & pad in work area, is a must after 50. The dogs are worn out.

baer
 
Go to Lowe's and get some of the rubber work space runners (cut to your length needed). Get rid of the carpet. My new shop has hardwood floors throughout. My workspace has the runners in front of each bench. No tired puppies at the end of a day!
 
We've just moved to a house that has a built in system circa 1970. After some tinkering (like moving the noisy part to a built-on-shed so the noise and inevidable dust doesn't bother me), I am in LOVE with it.

The suction is super strong, and because the unit is outside, I feel like it's the equivilent of a HEPA filter. The only draw back is the long, long hose the makes me feel a bit like a mountain climber as I play it out and wind it back up.

Rebecca
 
We use commercial rubber shop mats. They are about an inch thick, semi hard rubber. They are honeycombed so that liquids will go through them. They are not cheap, around five hundred dollars to put one at each work station, five mats in assorted sizes. Well Worth every penny, great on your feet and back. They are black with a yellow band going around the edges. We got them through one of those industrial suppliers who keep sending us those catalogs we usually just throw away.

Perhaps the diamond points are getting hung up in the fibers in your brown/orange shag carpeting?

John
 
Baer you have already received some great advice .Now let me warn you about what may happen if your Vac does suck up those various metal objects.

The Brands i have had over the years have two side mounted unternal fans to suck up the material into the bags. The ones i have had have their blades made of a type of Nylon and constant banging of things like points,braids,and wire will ware the edges or fins off these blades, this inturn will decreas the suction power of the VAC.

This makes no mention of another possible problem that has occured to one of my VACs. The fins on these blades may bang things like Braids or in my case(we have a needlework shop) a thicker gauge Needle right through the caseing in which the blades and roller are housed .This is turn will create leakes and result in loss of Vaccum presure also. I know ,I've been there and done both of those.

It has been suggested in another thread ,that a great adaption is to mount a magnetic strip across the front of the vac ,which will catch a lot of the ferrous metal objects before they enter the AC .It won't work on aluminum nor every tiny speck but it will make a big differance in how long the blades and husing last. No matter what brand you buy.
BUDDY
 
Lint rollers can be used in between sessions with your new Shark vacuum..picks up tiny things you don't even see! Not a replacement for vacuuming, but it can get that carpeted work area cleaned up fast! Also handy on suede mat boogs.

That floormat suggestion is a good one! I don't have the 'spensive ones John mentioned, but the ones from Lowe's - mine interlock and I am amazed at the difference they make!
 
John!! You peeked!!

Actually we have a 30oz 1/8" knapp commercial. Headed south soon.

Couldn't find a Shark, and did see the Dyson.....
was actually impressed, their demo was FULL and still sucked up some marbles......

About noon I couldn't stand the mall and just went and cleaned the carpet with the steamer. 400 psi solves a lot of problems......

Thanks for all the imput. Lowes gets a visit next week. It was a good week this week.

baer
 
Baer,

This will be a "For what it's worth" comment on our 27 years of buying vacuums for our retail business. :D We've gone, high, low and in between!

Started with a Rainbow....great vacuum for the home, (this is the one with the water filter concept)....just can't hold up for commercial use, and it's too complicated for employees. Went to a Kirby...high end....good vacuum, just too HEAVY......Hated by all. Then we went the lower end, with a light weight Panasonic.....Garbage - Waste of time.

I have to honestly say the one we currently use has lasted the longest, works well, despite all the brads, wire bits and framers points that have gone through it....It's a Royal Commercial. A few things to assist in maintaining it's life...</font>
  • Staff members will continue to vacuum up things they should be picking up, by hand...it's going to happen - they're human. So have the machine checked and cleaned out by professionals or staff ever 6-12 months.</font>
  • Take the machine into a vacuum shop and have the beater bar replaced, cords mended or replaced and ask for a complete overhaul, every 6-12 months. (Well worth the money.)</font>
  • Once you set the depth adjustment for the carpet you have, take a pair of pliers and lock it in position. Staff will vacuum for weeks with a malfunctioning vacuum before they mention that it's really not working well.
    Again, human nature.</font>
  • Check the bag for replacement every month when you do your sales tax. Do this yourself. Again, staff will use the machine for weeks and wonder why it "just doesn't pick up well", before mentioning it.</font>
Check out the Royal....traditional in design, just well built.

John
 
I love vacuum cleaners. For work last year I bought a new Eureka upright that Consumer Reports liked and said was a "best buy". It works well, but is very heavy, and the hose is short, which they try to make up with tubular attachments. What I like better is my stubby little Simplicity Scout canister that I keep hooked up to the bandsaw when it's not being used to clean nooks and crannies around the shop.
At home, I just bought my wife a new Dyson, as shown by Dermot. Wish I had gotten this one for the shop too. The industrial design of the thing is brilliant. No bags, and it is super easy to empty. It is lightweight. And, it is very powerful. Two thumbs up! It is about $400, but that is actually a very good value. (Sounds like custom framing, eh?) Her old Electrolux canister, a heavy, loud dinosaur, cost about $600 in 1970's dollars.
:cool: Rick
 
In the 60s we had a Electrolux drag around. It actually lived through us kids and a dog and cat who were addicted to getting "groomed" (vacuumed) weekly. As they got older and we got lazy, it was weakly. :D

Currently the house has a Rainbow and a Eureka for the hair monsters...... Why can a 9 pound short-haired Abbasynian cat produce a quart or two of hair every week of the year?! :eek:

Taxes? Monthly? Wasn't this last Thursday?
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baer
 
The best one I've had was a $39.00 Eureka. No hoses or attachments, just a sweeper. Looks like the expensive ones from the 70s.
 
Bought a new vacuum for my townhouse about 6 months ago that is doing a great job. Sears' Kenmore. Lt. weight, special attachment for stairs and a good warranty. (oh, did I mention it's pretty too? bright red!)
 
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