Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum System VS. Dirt Devil Featherlite Vacuum Cleaner
The Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system is a great advantage in vacuuming floors and upholstery and getting into those hard to reach corners. When we built our home, we opted to have the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system installed rather than do it later. Even at today’s prices, the cost of installing a central vacuum system is reasonably priced between $1500-$3000. A canister fitted with a filter was located in the basement to catch the dust, and in our long hall two outlets were installed (one for the front of the house, and one for the back of the house) into which the long hose was inserted. The Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system has accessories included to clean the crevices and corners as well as drapes, curtains, baseboards and furniture. The advantage of the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system is there are no bulky canisters or cords to pull around the room. The suction power of the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system is more powerful than the regular floor model Dirt Devil Featherlite Vacuum cleaner because it contains a more powerful motor than the Dirt Devil Featherlite Vacuum cleaner. With the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system, there is no need to carry a canister from room to room because the cord is conveniently installed into the wall and you are within reach of the area desire to vacuum. The Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system is very user friendly and does an excellent job in meeting your vacuuming needs in the home. The noise of the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system is muffled because the canister is usually discreetly placed in the basement or some out of the way location where the sound is not annoying or frightening to children who are often afraid of the loud noise of the vacuum cleaner. Because dust is carried through the hose through the walls to the canister, reportedly one of the advantages of the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum System is the quality of air in the home is healthier. Once considerably more expensive than the traditional household vacuum cleaner, the price of a central vacuum system is consistent and affordable in comparison with the more familiar portable household vacuum cleaner. We never had to have our Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum System serviced and it was easy to maintain. The traditional vacuum cleaner usually is not as easy to maintain.
In contrast to the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system, I also have a Dirt Devil Featherlite. Although I am very much satisfied with the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum System, I like the Dirt Devil Featherlite because it does an excellent job when I want to do a fast clean up of a small area. Rather than use the central vacuum system, it is convenient to use the portable Dirt Devil Featherlite vacuum cleaner to do the quick vacuum jobs. The Dirt Devil Featherlite is an upright vacuum cleaner and it, too, is easy to operate. It has a long cord to plug into the wall The disadvantage, as with all portable vacuum cleaners, is that you have the entire unit to move about as you vacuum as compared to only a hose when using the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum System. However, the Dirt Devil Featherlite is very effective in cleaning. Unlike the canister of the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system, the filter of the Dirt Devil Featherlite should be emptied each time for optimum performance. I have found that the filter is fluted and it is difficult to shake all the dirt off the filter. It does not have a bag that one can dispose of and replace. Since the filter is made of paper, you cannot use water to clean it. So, in terms of emptying the vacuum cleaner, the Vacu-Maid does not require emptying each time as does the Dirt Devil Featherlite. It does not lend itself to carefree cleaning as does the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system which does not have to be cleaned nearly as often because of the large capacity of the canister. If you do not wish to have a central vacuum system installed, then I would highly recommend the Dirt Devil Featherlite. In comparison to the cost of the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system, the Dirt Devil Featherlite was less expensive costing around $60. The noise level was greater that the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum System but not enough to be objectionable. The Dirt Devil Featherlite vacuum cleaner is lightweight and the cord is neatly secured on the back of the vacuum cleaner for compact storage.
If you want a permanent, carefree solution to your vacuum cleaning needs, I recommend the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum system as a first choice followed by the Dirt Devil Featherlite as a back up for the small jobs that do not require extensive cleanup. Although a central vacuum cleaning system is great, I would not be without the standard portable household vacuum cleaner. I believe it to be a necessary supplement to the Vacu-Maid Central Vacuum System.
