Kenmore Elite 31150 vs Kenmore Upright 31140

Not a showstopper, but is it really that difficult to engineer a handle at the top of the dust bag and have it molded into the plastic housing? Really? Also, for Amazon shoppers: DO NOT BUY THE 2-PACK OF EF-1 FILTERS AS PART OF THE PURCHASE PACKAGE!!!!! THIS VAC USED EF-9, NOT EF-1. EF-1 IS ONLY 1/2 THE REQUIRED THICKNESS AND WILL NOT WORK!!!!! (the 2-pack of EF-1 hepa filters was offered at the time we made our purchase in January 2018. hopefully, it will be removed when Amazon reviewers read this and you won't get suckered into buying something that won't work with this vac)

It's heavy like a typical Kenmore but it's not that bad and it cleans really well like you'd expect now. I'm surprised because the Bushell underneath ...

I don't have pets, so I can't judge the special pet hair attachment. Overall, if you have a lot of non-carpeted floors in your home, this vacuum will disappoint you. But if you have primarily carpeted floors, then you'll probably be satisfied (my carpeted area is limited, but the vacuum has appeared to do a good job on it so far).

We have discovered if you vacuum in one direction, the exhaust--with almost near-precision--creates walls of hair to suck up easily with the incredibly short hose. See #4. #4 Crazy. Short

The [Elite is an absolute beast. In fact, it has the most suction at the cleaner head of any vacuum cleaner that I have seen

Although the Kenmore has best in class suction power and carpet beater, it's just a PITA to use and manuever around. Also, the removable hose for the attachments is painfully short, and a lot of people have griped about it. So, when the Vacuum Wars guy said that although this vacuum has best suction power, they used the Shark almost all the time in their house cleaning business because it was just much easier to use AND it had good enough suction power. Actually, better than good enough, but excellent

The Hoovers are made of cheaper plastic which makes them break at certain clips and areas such as the bases where the back wheels mount and they chew through belts pretty quickly. They are good machines for the price, but not as good as the Kenmores. The Kenmore has a sealed HEPA filtration system that is better for allergies and a true lifetime belt with a separate brush roll motor for ease of transition onto different floor types. It weighs a bit more than the Hoover, but is a way better machine overall

There is a cloth pre-motor filter at the top of the dust bin that needs to be washed and one (the exhaust filter) in a tray on the bottom of the canister itself that needs to be changed when it gets dirty. Like with all vacuum cleaners with spinning brushes, definitely keep that clean as well. Also, a lot of the dust bin is meant to be disassembled by the user in case it gets too dirty. The manual would tell you how to do all of this

A Kenmore would likely hit at the lower end of your price range. If you have any newer Kenmore uprights such as the 31140 or the Elite 31150, those do well on the used market as well.

At least it had one for being mid range on price. The height settings are really good. It's got 4. Those self adjusters from others never seem to work right

I ordered a new one on May 22, 2021 and my previous 5 star review is now a 3. See below. Overall, it is an awesome straight forward vacuum. Excellent suction, decent cord length, and a work horse

However, this vacuum doesn't come with a extension hose which is necessary for the vacuum to be more efficient. This is a grave omission since the unit itself is really great. The suction is strong, and handles cat hair and litter on hardwood floors. The pet hair attatchment is a plus for furniture, but is difficult to use since there isn't an extension hose

Keep the filter at the top of the dust bin clean and make sure you replace the exhaust filter every so often. These procedures are in the owner's manual.

Because of that, you need to wash the pre-motor filter and wipe the inside of the bag compartment every so often. That is one thing I wish Kenmore would fix. If you do not mind that, it is a good unit.

com/filter-2/) every month or so, replace the [exhaust every six months to a year, and keep the bin clean. It may not hurt to have a few extra pre-motor filters laying around too, as they do wear out over time.

It is much better than a Shark or Bissell, though. The build quality is superior and the cyclonic setup traps more fine dirt keeping the pre-motor filter cleaner for longer than a Bissell or Shark. The Kenmore also comes with a dedicated hard floor tool. Do keep in mind that you need to wash that filter and replace the exhaust filter every so often

Huge, bulky and expensive is what I saw when I first viewed the product. Bigger does not always mean better, and this product exemplifies that. This vacuum taught me that design is important, even in everyday functional objects. For some stupid reason, the handle part is a separate, detachable piece

The Kenmore is a bit more powerful than the Kirby in general; being a much more modern design. It would certainly do a better job on your hard floors and perhaps even your carpet.

Easy to assemble. I did some carpet and bare floors. Worked fine. I did not use the Pet Friendly attachment

Kenmore top load direct drive 70-80 series. Oldies but are solid and if they do go, they are really easy to work on. Anyone can do it tbh