Epic VAC Battles of History! Can you see past the fierce advertising and find what's really best?

I don't watch much TV, but boy do I love YouTube! BTW - hopefully you've checked out our QueenVac YouTube channel! It's a little rough in its infancy, but we're always improving and our gears are always turning with new ideas. Even though I try to keep my YouTube consumption reigned in I can't resist parodies and generally well-made videos. They're so creative, inspiring, and of course, entertaining. All too often I pause to jot notes as my mind distorts the video into some vacuum-related concept! I've developed a similar annoying habit with songs and commercials. In any case, one of my favorite channels, ERB, combines history and music into hysterically funny parodies called "Epic Rap Battles of History."  

Who will win? You decide!

ERB videos include match-ups like Bill Gates vs Steve Jobs; Wright Brothers vs Mario Brothers; Myth Busters Vs Ghost Busters; Darth Vader vs Hitler. See the pattern?  How could I stop my mind from imagining blockbuster battles like Hoover Windtunnel vs EurekaWhirlwind; James Dyson vs David Oreck; Dyson Animal vs Miele Cat & Dog? Oh goodness, the endless possibilities! But considering that videos (even as rudimentary as mine) take days to make, you'll have to settle for this article and a few photoshopped graphics to envision these rivalries...for now!

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James Dyson

The major vacuum manufacturers do a pretty fierce job of "battling it out" in the real world. The money some brands spend on advertising probably tops the GDP of a small nation. Others prefer to invest far more in product development and quality manufacturing than on ads. Regardless, it's easy for a consumer to get lost in the hype; mis-led into buying products that are a poor fit for their needs, or don't do not perform like they seem on TV.  

So how do you navigate this "battleground" of vacuum advertising to get the product that's right for you and will be worth your investment?
 Here are a few simple tips:
 

1)   Look at the key words in the advertising claim. Are the terms clearly definable and provable? Do they even seem like an accurate method for measuring the vacuum's cleaning performance? If it seems too good to be true, it just might be.

2)    Investigate instances of repair. Check with experts like us; a business that sells and repairs vacuums. We are authorized for so many brands that we see how they hold up in real life and what types of issues they come in for under warranty. Online reviews can be helpful too, but look for ones that were written several months (or even years after it was bought.) Many vacs work just fine out of the box and for a month or so. But often they break, fail or require more maintenance than you're willing to perform. 

3)    Is it the correct format for your household? The demonstration of that snazzy bagless upright vacuum on QVC might have shown it making mincemeat of glitter and cereal crumbs on berber carpeting. But will that machine well suit your bare floors or shag area rugs? And although it looks so easy to empty that "convenient dirt bin," can your allergic children tolerate the dust cloud left behind in the kitchen when you empty it at home? 

  

So what are our lessons today? Let the manufacturers battle all they want. In fact, sit back and enjoy the show! Just don't believe everything you see on TV or a vacuum's packaging (at least not without doing a little research first!) If you rely on an advertised feature working exactly as claimed, please consult an expert (like us) to make sure that it can live up to your expectations. And someday soon you may even have the pleasure of watching our own "Epic VAC Battle" production on youTube!  We feel information should be administered honestly and fairly, yet with a healthy dose of humor! So we're always excited to produce videos and articles that are not just educational, but quirky and fun. Please keep your suggestions coming for questions and topics and "contestants" you'd like us to feature. Now, go enjoy the shows!

 

Since I've blatantly plagiarized their name, you should at least check out ERB's YouTube channel! Warning - It's addictive!