Rainbow Vacuum... anyone?

[Peace]

We just had a sales guy do a demo in our home.  Super nice guy - good at what he does.

 

We did not buy.  I hate to have someone do a great job pitching a sale.. and then have to tell them no, but it is what it is.   Though, it did get me wondering... does anyone here actually have real-world experience with one?

 

Positives, negatives?  Obviously, the going price is far, far above manufacturing/distribution price, but what I want to know is does it work as advertised?

Edited December 20, 2013 by Peace

[Dane]

Yep the water part is a pain. If you want a great vac get a royal commercial. I have had one for nearly a decade and it works great. It is similar to a Kirby without all the junk. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[itchytriggerfinger]

Dyson all the way.

[kieefer]

Pass.

 

Well, I'll take that back. If you want a heavy canister and a water tub you have to empty each time, yea it's a pretty good vacuume. I really got tired of lugging it up the stairs and vac-ing the steps.

 

I don't know about the new ones but we bought one in the early 90's and we still have it, still runs but got tired of dragging it around and now I use an upright. We also have hardwood now and the canister slides everywhere you don't want it to.

 

It's also good to use as an air filter. I once remodeled a bath room and dry-walled a lot of it, plugged the Rainbow in while I sanded.

Their perfumes that go in the tank are a joke, might as well use an aerosol freshener.

 

At the time I thought it was over priced and let the wife make the decision to purchase, I was dumbfounded that she agreed to it but it did do a good job. We vacuumed our carpet several times before the sales guy came, then once while he was here. The Rainbow still got up junk.

 

Personally I don't think I'd buy another canister and wouldn't buy another Rainbow because of that, the weight and the water tub, but it is a good vacuume. I remember looking it up on Consumers Reports after we got it and they didn't think much of it. 

Today it does run but the hose and handle really need replacing and it is just taking up space. 

 

May check CL if you're up for a used one. 

Edited December 20, 2013 by kieefer

[TripleDigitRide]

Not a chance.

[Guest Bonedaddy]

A good shop vac is good 'nuff for me and a lot cheaper.

[whitewolf001]

My parents didn't replace their Kirby until about 8 years ago and that thing was probably as old as they are.(Dad's 64 btw)

[Lumber_Jack]

I used to sell Kirby vacuums. It was the worst job ever. There are tricks to make your vacuum look better than others. I will say that the Kirby's will suck the mat right through the carpet. They do work but there is about $1200 markup on them. It's a pyramid type scheme to sell them (same for rainbow). For every $1500 vacuum that's sold the salesman gets $300, his manager gets $900 and he buys the vacuums from distributer for $300. None of them are worth the asking price. We used to offer them for sale for $1500 if the homeowner couldn't afford that we'd call the manager and pretend to talk him down. We sold them as cheap as $500-$600 to one house and full price hurt down the block. I was young and naive but still felt sleazy the whole time.

[Guest TankerHC]

We have three of them. I believe two were given to us, and one cost us $25. We dont use them either, because neither of us is pushing a 50 pound vacuum cleaner around when our 4 pound Panasonic can do the same thing (If not better). 

[Peace]

I used to sell Kirby vacuums. It was the worst job ever. There are tricks to make your vacuum look better than others. I will say that the Kirby's will suck the mat right through the carpet. They do work but there is about $1200 markup on them. It's a pyramid type scheme to sell them (same for rainbow). For every $1500 vacuum that's sold the salesman gets $300, his manager gets $900 and he buys the vacuums from distributer for $300. None of them are worth the asking price. We used to offer them for sale for $1500 if the homeowner couldn't afford that we'd call the manager and pretend to talk him down. We sold them as cheap as $500-$600 to one house and full price hurt down the block. I was young and naive but still felt sleazy the whole time.

 

I was pretty sure that was about how it was structured.  Thankfull, we didn't need to haggle.  Even though my wife grew up with one in the house, and she loves it, it would've had to be at cost for us to really bite.  I have an upper limit on vacuum cleaner worth.

[East_TN_Patriot]

My mom had a fetish for vacuums. She owned ones from Electrolux, Kirby, Dyson, Hoover, and Rainbow. It did a good job, but the water was a pain.

[gun sane]

We bought an Oreck upright about seven years ago and it's still cleaning up.  We have laminate flooring and an area rug, but the Oreck doesn't miss a beat.

[RagTop454]

Same here on the rainbow.  Wife already had one when we got together.  It works great but, too much of a pain to fool with the water and then all that weight to lug around.  We now have stairs and it stays in storage.

[Monkeyman2500]

We have dogs and just buy whatever vacuum is on sale at the time. On two years now with an $80 Electrolux. It might make it four.

[peejman]

I used to sell Kirby vacuums. It was the worst job ever. There are tricks to make your vacuum look better than others. I will say that the Kirby's will suck the mat right through the carpet. They do work but there is about $1200 markup on them. It's a pyramid type scheme to sell them (same for rainbow). For every $1500 vacuum that's sold the salesman gets $300, his manager gets $900 and he buys the vacuums from distributer for $300. None of them are worth the asking price. We used to offer them for sale for $1500 if the homeowner couldn't afford that we'd call the manager and pretend to talk him down. We sold them as cheap as $500-$600 to one house and full price hurt down the block. I was young and naive but still felt sleazy the whole time.

 

 

Had a visit from a Kirby salesman several years ago. I never had any intention of buying it, but it was interesting to learn that the $1500 asking price dropped all the way to $700 by the end.  A buddy that paid $1200 for his was pissed.   :rofl:   

 

When the hottie manager chick showed up to "close the deal" I told her that if I was gonna pay that much for something that sucks, it's darn sure gonna suck more than my carpet.  :dirty:   They packed up their stuff and left.  Oh well... ;)

Edited December 20, 2013 by peejman

[Lumber_Jack]

[quote name="peejman" post="1081692" timestamp="1387543968"]Had a visit from a Kirby salesman several years ago. I never had any intention of buying it, but it was interesting to learn that the $1500 asking price dropped all the way to $700 by the end. A buddy that paid $1200 for his was pissed. :rofl: When the hottie manager chick showed up to "close the deal" I told her that if I was gonna pay that much for something that sucks, it's darn sure gonna suck more than my carpet. :dirty: They packed up their stuff and left. Oh well... ;)[/quote] Yeah I think it's a really poor business plan. I could have sold 5:1 or better if the price was firm at $600 and each person would make more commission than selling one at full price. They hire a bunch of degenerate druggies too...oh, and me :)

[TripleDigitRide]

Chances are, if someone is going door-to-door with a sales pitch, whatever they are selling is a rip-off. With the exception of Girl Scout copies, of course.

[itchytriggerfinger]

Chances are, if someone is going door-to-door with a sales pitch, whatever they are selling is a rip-off. With the exception of Girl Scout copies, of course.

I don't know, have you noticed the inflation on Girl Scout cookies in the last 10 years?!?!? :)

[10-Ring]

I just can't justify spending that much on an impulse purchase.

[Peace]

That was our agreement.  We do not buy from sales pitches.  Anything.  Ever.  If it is "only available for a limited time".  or "If you buy today."  We are just out of luck.

 

If I had researched the product and it truly was some amazing thing, then we can always call the guy/girl back next week, next month, or next year and make an offer.

[macville]

Buy a Commerical Electrolux and be done. Not that heavy and will clean any type surface (hard floor to thick carpet.) Ours makes vacuuming fun because it requires little effort.

[Peace]

Oh, we have a nice electrolux canister vacuum (a few years old).  It is a HEPA vac - bags and filter work great.  No complaints here.  

 

Funny thing is: when it came time to compare our powered "foot" of the vacuum to the rainbow, I pointed to our dissasembled foot (with the replacement parts right beside it) and told him that would be tough.  A piece had broken a while back, and I've taken my time (too long) getting around to fixing it.  

 

I was just curious  - after seeing the great sales pitch - how many people like it, and how many people have buyer's remorse!

[itchytriggerfinger]

Buy a Commerical Electrolux and be done. Not that heavy and will clean any type surface (hard floor to thick carpet.) Ours makes vacuuming fun because it requires little effort.

 

Whoa whoa, macville just lost all credibility... he just said vacuuming is fun.  LOL  j/k

[enfield]

We use a Kirby, and a much-lighter Bissell for small jobs.  If I'd had to pay for the Kirby, I wouldn't have it.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Wife uses some little canister vac or my husky shop vac to get the big stuff that would choke a roomba, then we set the roomba loose.

Roombas are not real durable, figure just a few years per unit even if you take care of em. And it takes too long to clean em. But they pick up more dust and pet hair and such. A roomba does the same detail job I could do if I crawled around on the floor a few hours picking up every little speck. :)