I use to work for this company and although I do not agree with their selling techniques, I cannot fault their ability to produce brilliant machines. Over the years they have focused on producing a machine that can almost fulfil any aspect of household cleaning. I was very impressed with their machine and I am going to refer to it as a machine as it is against their policy to call it a vacuum.
I worked briefly for them, for only a couple of weeks. This, I would like to state was not because of their products but because of their attitudes and pushy sales people. I was employed by them as a sales rep, but left, because everything they taught me was a lie.
This machine cannot be bought in shops, but only by arranging a home visit. This will put a lot of people off, but for the price (when I get to it) you will understand why they operate this system. I will include information at the end of this op as to how you can arrange a viewing/demonstration of this product, if you wish. Please be warned though, some of the reps are very pushy.
This machine is designed to eliminate the need of any other cleaning device in your home. It is a very versatile product, which any home would benefit from, if the price allows. Over the years they have improved the model and that is why it is now called the generation six. It is the original model, been made over six times.
The company is well established now, and they are based in America. They have offices all around the world, and they operate in 77 countries. The company has been on the go for about 77 years as well, so that tells you that the product must be a winner!
When you enquire about this product, you will be told they operate a home demonstration system. This is simply because they think that if you saw this product advertised on the television you would think it was trick photography! They will arrange to come to your home and give the carpet of your choice a free shampoo. This is a good deal, but I will warn you it can take them up to four hours to give the demonstration and shampoo your carpet, so please be warned!
The machine looks very stylish. It is made from dye-cast aluminium, which makes it very durable and it has a lot of plastic attachments. It has two main heads, both made from the dye cast aluminium, which are easily changeable for your needs. One is a vacuum head and the other is the shampooer.
On the front of the machine there is a little headlight. This is a built in feature that automatically turns on, when the machine is in use. They say it is so that you can see when you are vacuuming in awkward areas. It is a handy little extra, that other companies have not yet thought of!
Everything fits together easily, with a lift on/off and turn action. The bags are made of cotton material and some a re supplied with
the product. Replacements have to be purchased through the manufacturers, but this is easily done.
All of the plastic attachments are made from neoprene plastic. For all of you who don't know what I am talking about, this is the plastic that NASA works with. This material is very strong, light and extremely hard wearing.
For the money that you pay for this product you will be supplied with the following items:
*The upright vacuum + Head.
This looks and works like an ordinary vacuum, but the head is detachable to allow you to swap it for the shampooing head. The heads lift off and click on. There is a safety switch that the heads activate when they are correctly attached. The machine will not turn on if the heads are not in the correct position.
*The shampooing head and shampoo.
The shampooing head is the same size as the vacuum head, but it has a plastic tube and a plastic tray attached. You pour the shampoo and water into the place provided and flick the switch to on. The shampoo travels along the pipe and is dispensed through the tray at the bottom, which runs along your carpet.
The plastic hose allows you to attach the extras to the machine. It is very flexible and very long. It makes it easy to get into the awkward areas without having to stretch.
*A pet hairbrush.
This attaches to the plastic hose or the plastic tubes. It easy lifts and removes pet hairs from your car/carpets/furniture ECT. It works with a rotary system.
*A plastic sprayer.
If you have a stain that needs to be soaked out, then this is the gadget for you. It allows you to control the amount of liquid that you apply to your furniture. It can also be used to re spray your car it is that powerful. I have seen this in action but have not done it myself!
This attachment is ideal for laminate flooring and tiles. It runs on little rollers so that it is not being dragged along your floors, it rolls. This eliminates scratches.
*Plastic attachments for ceiling cleaning.
The plastic pipes that are supplied allow for you to clean awkward areas such as ceilings, skirting boards, along the top of pictures and cabinets and it fits in between furniture and walls, so that you do not have to move all you settees out to clean down the side of them.
The handle that allows this to be an upright machine is detachable, allowing you to turn it into a hand held cleaner. This makes it much easier for cleaning the beds and carrying it upstairs.
All of the attachments supplied fit inside a carry case. It has a Velcro fastener for the pipes and holes for the tubes, everything else fits inside. It has to screw holes on the back, so that you can attach it to the back of a door or onto a wall.
This also works with laminate flooring as well as original floorboards. It will highly polish your floors, leaving them looking like new.
*Hand held sander.
This works just like a normal hand held sander. The sand paper is also supplied. It not only cleans but it will help you with your DIY.
*Massager.
You also get a massager pad, which attaches to the cleaner to provide you with a stress reliever as well as a cleaner. Not many people would like a massage off their vacuum cleaner, but this one will allow you to have one if you wish!
**********************EASE OF USE********************
On the whole this product is very easy to use once you have learnt how it all fits together. When you first look at it and all it's attachments it is a little daunting, but once you have removed the head once and replaced it, it is very easy to do. All the attachments fit together easily, and they have a screw action to them. The plastics are very durable and easy to handle. They are also incredibly light. It doesn't matter how tight you screw the plastic pipes/tubes together, you will always be able to release them from each other, because the plastics are designed to give a strong grip with little effort.
The shampooer is the easiest system I have ever come across and used. Once the head is attached and the shampoo and water has been measured and poured into the machine, the machine does all the hard work for you. To successfully shampoo a carpet with this machine you have to leave the shampoo on for about an hour or so. It does not leave your carpets soggy though. As soon as you have finished shampooing, you can walk on the carpet you have shampooed and it is nearly touch dry. To finish the process you simply change the heads and vacuum as you would normally.
The hard floor cleaning head is also very easy to use. I have a laminate floor and have always got on my hands and knees to clean it. I usually use a little dustpan and brush to remove the bits and then a cloth to add shine. This attachment does all of this. It is very light and the wheels that it runs on, are so small you think they aren't there. This means that it is very close to your floor but not actually touching. The suction is that strong, that it cleans very professionally. It is very light and easy to use. It requires no effort from you what so ever.
The pet hairbrush works brilliantly. It operates on a rotary system which means that the head is turning in three different motions. The helps to loosen the hairs, lift them and remove them. The bristles are very stiff, but do not snag or pull at your furniture. If you turn the machine on and hold this on your hand, you can feel the three different movements. It tickles, but it is a very effective attachment.
The sprayer comes with a universal nozzle, so that if you were to respray your car, you could put the paint into a jam jar and attach it to the machine. being able to do this means you can save the plastic canister so that it doesn't get ruined. This device is excellent for painting fences and cars because the sheer power eliminates the hard work. You can also use the sprayer to apply shampoo to certain areas of your settee or carpets, so that you can control the amount you apply.
The sander is also easy to use as it is just like any other hand held sander you would buy from a DIY shop. The good thing here is that it also removes all the dust at the same time as it is sanding. Meaning the job gets done without all the mess. It is ideal for sanding furniture, walls, ceilings and almost any other surface.
The wooden floor polisher allows you to polish your floors to a high shine finish. It can be used on laminate flooring and original floorboards. It is easy to operate and it gives very good results.
The weight of the machine is a little heavier that others, but it's cleaning abilities are endless. If you have to carry this machine upstairs you will know about it, which is why I recommend you turn it into a hand held cleaner, before you go upstairs. It makes lifting it a little less of a struggle. All the attachments are very light though, so it is just the dye - cast aluminium body that holds the weight.
When I worked for this company the price was £1,899. If you wanted one and complained at the price to the managers on the telephone, they were willing to come to a deal with you. In some cases the price could be knocked down to £1,300, but I am not suppose to tell you this, so ssshhhh!
*****************WHERE CAN I GET ONE*****************
If you go to the website, you can read about this product and the company. You can also arrange for a demonstrator to come round and give you the run down on this machine. Like I said earlier, they do not advertise this product on TV, because they believe that you wouldn't believe in it's cleaning abilities, which is why they like to arrange a home visit. Please allow at least a couple of hours for this visit, as they will gladly shampoo a carpet of your choice for free, as a thank you for allowing them into your home. There is no obligation to buy, but they do ask that you can supply names and numbers of others that would like a free carpet shampoo.
This is the best household-cleaning product I have ever come across, but the big let down is the price. In this case though I have to say that you get what you pay for. The machine is solid, reliable, comes with a lifetime guarantee, is easy to use, provides visible results and looks stylish, on top of all of that.
As a demonstrator you have to show the customer what the machine is capable of and this is achieved by comparing it to the machine that the customer already uses. To do this, we have to set up little tests for the two machines to tackle. The first is the salt test. The demonstrator will pour salt over an area of your carpet and ask you to clean it up with your normal vacuum cleaner. When you have done this, the demonstrator will then go over the same area with the Kirby. They will then show you what your regular vacuum has left behind. Believe me when I tell you the results are astounding.
The second test is the mattress test. The demonstrator will ask if they can vacuum one of your beds. If you allow them, they will show you the amount of dirt that your mattress holds. I know that we do not really want to see what we are sleeping on, but the results are very surprising. I class myself as a clean person and regularly vacuum all the beds in my house. When I got my Kirby home, the bed was the first thing I did. I felt physically sick at the amount of dirt it removed. My regular vacuum was doing nothing compared to the Kirby.
I know that from reading this opinion you are probably thinking that this sounds too good to be true. I don't blame you, I thought the same. That was until I started working for them and saw for myself how powerful this cleaner really is. Any other vacuum is left looking useless compared to this one.
The price is a little too high for most people though, but when you are told you will never have to buy another vacuum cleaner for the rest of your life, it makes you think. You are definitely getting a top piece of machinery, which comes with a lifetime guarantee. If anything breaks or stops working, they will replace or mend it, no questions asked. What other company offers this?
From reading this you will see that I am very enthusiastic about this machine. I stopped working for them because of the way they conduct their business not because their product doesn't work. It really, really does.
The website is worth a look if you are thinking of purchasing one of these, as it will provide you with all the information that you need, but unfortunately you are not able to just purchase one. A demonstrator must call.
On the whole an excellent product, but I feel the company needs to change their selling techniques. Their product is the best on the market, but only being able to buy one if you have a home visit is a bit of a pain.
I have rated this product four stars, because although it is an excellent product the price is out of a lot of peoples reach!
A very thorough review but I must admit, I don't think I'd be tempted to spend that much on a cleaner.
genn133423 13.02.2005 15:08
I too worked for Kirby-and I couldnt agree more with your review-yes a great machine....and yes-a horrifirc pressure sales method-with OTT prices.
leighlalou 20.03.2004 18:32
this reveiwer should get her facts right THE KIRBY DOES NOT COME WITH A LIFETIME WARRENTY i to used to work for kirby and left after an arguement with the m.dm 3 and 1/2 years into my career, and the fact is the kirby has a 3 year WARRENTY for the original purchaser only!!!! after that you only pay for parts and service never for labour.
Advantages: so many machines in one. motor driven lightweigt to use Disadvantages: A bit heavyto carry upstairs (you just need to carry it by handle base)
Nitso 10.07.2008 (10.07.2008)
·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of KirbyG4
Advantages: Superb cleaning power, loads of accessories Disadvantages: heavy, a bit awkward sometimes and bags and cleaning liquids are hard to get and expensive
ramcharan 22.12.2000 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of KirbyG5
Feb 11th, 2003
(Mar 29th, 2003)
exceptional by (2%):
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