Kirby Vacuum Cleaners
Kirby makes an extremely durable vacuum cleaner. The new Sentria vacuum is a very effective carpet cleaner but it is also very expensive. The are not indestructible so if you want a to buy a Kirby or already own one, you need to be a careful of what you actually vacuum off the floor. Take reasonably good care of your Kirby vacuum cleaner and it can last you 2 or 3 times longer than most residental vacuum cleaners. The fact that most Kirby vacuums last a ridiculously long time offsets the intial cost over time and makes it a vacuum worth considering for some consumers.
Most of the recent Kirby vacuum cleaners have a plastic fan. You can verify this by searching for Kirby fan replacement kits. All plastic. Kirby doesn't utilize a bypass system like a canister does. This means you can screw up this big, heavy, hulking machine very easily. Plastic fans can break when you pick up hard objects or can become jammed, putting unneeded stress on your Kirby vacuum. Breaking a Kirby vacuum fan is not the end of the world but you need to to replace it or have it fixed at a shop.
Kirby vacuum cleaners last a long time because they don't fall apart or wear over time like it's plastic covered competitors. With the exception of the fan, the vacuum is really durable from top to bottom. The Kirby Sentria is an outstanding vacuum cleaner but I would strongly advise that you actually try a Kirby vacuum before you purchase it because of the cost. I have customers who swear by their Kirby vacuum but like anything else it is not for everybody. Cleaning a carpet a with a Kirby before you actually purchase one will assure you this is the vacuum cleaner that meets your needs if you feel comfortable operating the vacuum. I'm not trying to scare you. Kirby makes great upright vacuum cleaners that clean carpet extremely well and they are an excellent remedy for pet hair but the cost and the weight may or may not be deal breaker for some consumers.
Kirby Sentria Vacuum Review
We will start with the obvious. It is heavy. Very heavy. It is also loud and the vacuum hose attachment is a total a pain in the neck to use and is in no way convenient to set up. If you want to vacuum hardwood floors you might want to consider getting another vacuum. With a Kirby vacuum cleaner you take the good with the bad. The transmission system in the Sentria G10 series makes this vacuum very easy to move forward and backward while you operate the vacuum. Part of the reason the vacuum is so heavy is because of the additional weight of the transmission. The Kirby Sentria is a very powerful vacuum and can remove heavy pet hair and dirt from a carpet as well as the best vacuum cleaners. The G10 Sentria series is also a bit sleeker looking than the earlier Kirby Sentria models from 2008. Like most Kirby vacuums before it it can be converted to shampoo your carpet if you buy the attachments. This seems to big a big selling point. Kirby vacuum cleaners have always been a love it or hate it type of product. People swear buy them or will not even take a second look. Part of the appeal of the Kirby vacuum is that because of the weight of the vacuum and the fact that they actually use metal on the body of the vacuum makes it look and feel like the most rugged and powerful vacuum cleaner you will ever use.
If you have never used a Kirby you simply must before you consider the Kirby Sentria. You can research all of the vacuum cleaner reviews and ratings you like but trust me on this one. It is one of the most expensive residential vacuum cleaners on the market and you will probably have to deal with a door to door salesman and nobody likes that. It is difficult to get a hard price on the new Sentria vacuum so that means you can haggle with your salesperson. We have heard of this unit cost around 1500 to 1800 dollars so you better haggle. It is similar enough to older Kirby vacuums to suggest that it will be extremely durable and will probably last longer than your car and the car you buy after that one. Because the Kirby Sentria is not availabe online it is tough to find consumer feedback specific to the Sentria vacuum. Epinions and Amazon have very limited but relatively positive customer reviews specific to the Kirby G10 Sentria. We would recommend you search for Kirby vacuum videos on youtube and watch a few demos to get familiar with this vacuum and try to test one out before you have to deal with a commission only salesperson. The Sentria is a very difficult vacuum to rate because of the price. It should be mandatory for you to try one before you commit to a purchase. Like it and you will probably have it for 10 to 20 years if not more if you take care of it properely. If you do not like it you just bought a vacuum that probably cost you more than a central vacuum system.
More on Kirby Vacuums
If I was going to buy a Kirby, I personally would look for a used or rebuilt one, unless you can afford a new one. It's a lot easier to validate the cost of a new or used Kirby vacuum if you plan on using it to shampoo carpets. I have customers who lug this vacuum to small offices they clean, and they get paid pretty well for it. If you have a two story home, I wouldn't recommend buying a Kirby (yes, they are that heavy). They are really best in one story homes because the weight of the vacuum should not impact the user in that setting. The best place to buy a Kirby vacuum used would probably be at a local vacuum shop that does repairs. If you do decide to buy one at a garage sale you might be ok but you need to be familar with the machine so you don't end up buying a Kirby that needs any significant repairs. You can also try ebay but that is taking a chance plus the shipping will not be cheap.