Nov 28, 2012
A Vacuum for Christmas? You’ll thank me.
Since all the major retailers are telling us what to buy for the Haaallllidayzzz, and giving us all kinds of crappy ideas for things we don’t really need…I figured I’d put my recommendation (which isn’t crappy) into the mix.
Ladies and gentlemen…
Wait! Wait! let me rephrase…
[Ahem]
Ladies and the people who buy for them…
May I present the Makita BCL180W!!!
Now you might be thinking, “Really? a vacuum? for Christmas?”
Let me just counter that with, “No, really…a vacuum…for Christmas.” (See how easy that was?)
I got mine 2 Christmases ago and still use it multiple times a day. If you have hardwood floors, it’s amazing! It’s seriously the best practical gift I’ve ever been given.
I haven’t actually done this yet, but every time we leave the house to go on a trip I consider packing it to take along, that’s how much it’s a part of my life. I’ve even thought, as I’m happily vacuuming along, “I’d like to be buried with this here vacuum.”
Why I love this Makita Vacuum
- It recharges quickly. I just disconnect that black battery and slide it onto the teal battery charger thing, and it’s done in maybe 15 minutes, max (just enough time to clear the dishes, load the dishwasher, and deal with the leftovers).
- It holds a charge for awhile. I probably charge mine every couple days (more if I’m using it more heavily).
- Great swivel action. (And we all want a little swivel in our lives, ifyouknowhatImean).
- You can take that long part off and use it as a dust buster thingy. Or attach the pointed part for corners or couch cushions. Basically all the parts are interchangeable for whatever your vacuuming needs may be!
- The filter thing on the inside is washable, so therefore, reusable. BOOM!
- This thing is a Makita power tool, so it’s really tough. I think they market it for construction dudes, but I think it’s a miracle product for moms.
And if I didn’t convince you, let the good folks at Makita try (**SPOILER ALERT!** Rad metal music and awesome feats of vacuuming strength to follow!)
This vacuum sucks in all the right ways. (I’ve been waiting to use that line for the whole post! I know, total dork.)
(Now for the fine print: Makita has no idea who I am or that I’m insanely happy about this product. They have offered me absolutely no compensation for this post. So you might be wondering, “Why are you doing this, Molly?” Basically, I’m just a woman who can’t help recommending awesome things to her friends. I hope you get one for Christmas!!!)
This is my favorite blog post I’ve read today. It’s actually the only blog post I’ve read today, but now I need not read anything else! It was humorous and helpful. I’ve got the worlds crappiest vacuumn’s and am on the hunt for a new one. This recommendation helps. :)
Sounds intriguing! How does it do on carpet? Any ideas on how it does on pet hair? Thanks for posting! Love it!
I don’t have pets, so I can’t speak to that angle. I use it on my area rugs for basic tidying (like when you see pills or dust bunnies on the area rug). But it doesn’t have any roller/bristle thingies, so for getting down into carpet fibers you’d want to use a normal one. But for surface stuff it does well.
I am a clean freak to the extreme, and have two corgis who shed constantly (year round). For the sake of my sanity I made a major investment some years ago and got the Riccar Radiance. It is a whole-house-cleaning machine. Absolutley love it – with the tools on board – awesome. Very spendy, but even the lower end Riccar models are really, really good.
pinned to “on my wish list…” board :) i like the idea of NO POWER CORD because flopping that power cord around to get where you’re trying to suck stuff up is seriously annoying. not that i take vacuuming too seriously or anything. except THAT I DO!!!! thanks for the post.
You’ll know I’m also a mom when I ask: does it get up Kix?
YES! I let them dry a little bit then use the vacuum to dislodge them from the wood floor, then I empty it out so it doesn’t get too nasty up in there.
MOLLY! Does the battery charger plug into an American outlet? Is American electricity required by any sort of plug whatsoever? PLEASE make my day (and my year) and say no. Is that even possible, that it not require a plug of some sort?? Probably not, i think you are about to dash my fondest hopes of snagging one of these and traversing the globe with it.
(sigh)
But here’s hoping . . .
Oh Betsy…I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings. It’s all American, all the time.
oh well, thanks ((sniff!)) for answering!
Betsy– we’re missionaries in Europe– we have a heavy duty transformer that can handle the current difference, and we’ve been able to plug most of our American stuff into it if we have to. If you have one, I’ll bet it would work.
We have new teammates coming over next year, and I’m making a list of stuff to sneak onto their crate… I think this will make the cut!
Funny post! Now I want one. I’ve been using my hubby’s shop vac when I get desperate and tired of sweeping….vaccuuming just seems to get more of the dirt and dust!
TOTALLY! I hate sweeping. I don’t even know why, I just do. And this is so much faster & easier. I’ve had mine for almost 2 years now & have used it pretty much every day. It’s amazing.
Totally just asked for this for Christmas!! And a trash can…ha!
Aren’t we so glamorous? :)
I’ll have you know, I kept true to my word about demanding to own this vacuum if I ever got married!! And I’m regularly trying to convince other Moms I know to buy one based on using yours to clean up after lunch and snack with MJ, Whit, and Cakes. Of course, mine just keeps our apartment floors and couches tidy, but I still say it’s invaluable! :)
Oh man I didn’t even wait for Christmas. The UPS guy just delivered mine. It was a bargain too because the batteries are the same as for my husband’s drill. So we already had two.
It is smaller than I thought.
And it’s going to take a new vacuuming philosophy. Not a wait-until-the-floors-are-filthy-vacuum-once-a-month. This is a, I’m-a-grown-up-vacuum-for-a-few-minutes-everyday-kinda hoover. And since the battery only lasts for 10 minutes it prevents you from wasting a whole day vacuuming.
I’m liking it so far. Thanks for the rec Molly.
Hi Molly, I’ve been reading your blog for a few years – not really sure how I came across it – and I’ve found it challenging, humourous and honest! So we just moved from New Zealand to the tropics of Australia and our vacuum died in our first couple of weeks here. I read this post just at the right time, suggested this to my husband, and we started researching. Unfortunately this model is not readily available here, but we got an equivalent Dyson which has proven to be all the things you say the Makita is. So, thanks for this post (and all your others!) – and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I just read this post and now you have me thinking it would be great since my main level is all wood. Plus, I’m guessing it’s so light my kids can use it in a timely manner :)
I always wonder about items like that scratching the floor. Since you use it on wood floors I’m assuming it doesn’t, but I have to ask – has it scratched your floors?
You have made my day. We have an old Dyson with hard-wood attachment that has started sucking in all the WRONG ways. I’ve joked with my husband that all I want for Christmas is a vacuum that really sucks. :-) Well, here we are in January still undecided about which to get. I think we have a winner here. You rock!
Dear Molly,
You don’t know me, but I’ve been a stalker since a friend directed me to your blog after Felicity. I lost 2 children too, but this is the first time I’ve commented…and it’s the vacuum that made me do it. :)
We recently bought a house and have all hardwood floors on our main level. I was about to buy a different battery vac, but I saw your post and bought this one instead. I love it. I vacuum every night just because it’s so satisfying!
Thank you!
~Stalker Lisa. :)
I asked for this for my birthday after reading about it here, and let me just say… THANK YOU!!! We have hardwood floors in our whole house and I HATE sweeping. So what I’m saying is, my life = changed. Thanks for the recommendation!
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