What’s the difference between a commercial vacuum cleaner primarily used for businesses and a regular vacuum vacuum cleaner primarily used for households? The biggest difference is that a regular vacuum cleaner is designed to be used about an 1 hour per week (and many are used much less than this, as I’m sure you’ve seen many carpets that probably didn’t get vacuumed more than once a month despite there being a vacuum cleaner in the nearby closet) whereas a commercial vacuum has to withstand much more sustained use. For instance, a cleaning service might spend hours each day vacuuming the buildings and offices it maintains, therefore, a commercial vacuum that will meet there needs should be able to operate 10-20 hours each week, for a number of years, without breaking (hopefully, that is). The irony to this is that commercial vacuum cleaners would actually make excellent lifetime vacuum cleaners for regular household use, but, considering considering the availability of commercial vacuum cleaners, most people reach for the Dirt Devil or Hoover sold at Sears without much second thought, even if the price is the same for either a commercial or regular vacuum. (There are some value-priced commercial vacuum cleaners that are well designed and will last many years but amazingly cost less than certain big name brand household vacuum cleaners. The superb vacuum cleaner made by Carpet Pro that costs $200 comes to mind as a good commercial cleaner that really works great for both household and commercial usage. But more on this in another article!)

So what it comes down to is better and stronger durability; the lifetime of the parts in a commercial vacuum cleaner must stand up to much more wear and tear over the long run. Further proof to this point is that carpets in various businesses are more likely to get dirtier than household carpets. For instance, if you’re standing in a line at a FedEx, imagine the dirt and whatnot that gets in the carpet from your shoes. Imagine you were in the snow before that. Throw in a little mud too. Now think of all the other people in line, and how this formula for tracking dirt in on the carpet repeats itself 365 days a year. So not only will the commercial vacuum cleaner need to last up to daily or semi-daily use, it’s going to have to pull more dirt out of the carpet as well!

If you run a small business and maintain your own cleaning routine, or if you run a cleaning business, an obvious tool in your toolkit will be a decent, dependable commercial vacuum cleaner that you know will do the job.

Unfortunately, a high end commercial vacuum cleaner can also be at the high end of the wallet. And while there are vacuum cleaners on the lower-end of the scale that offer value, you might want to consider purchasing a used commercial vacuum for a fraction of the cost. Why? Well, obviously to save money first and foremost, but here’s something else to consider: commercial vacuum cleaners are designed to last through many, many, many hours of use. You should be able to squeeze many years out of a good vacuum cleaner even if it is used on regular basis. This is, assuming of course, that is has been well maintained. So if you can find a well maintained commercial vaccuum, the end result will be the same: you’ll have clean carpets, and a good cleaner. (Of course the big difference is you’ll have saved some cash!)

The best two places to hunt for a used commercial vacuum cleaner are probably the most obvious. If you live in a city of any considerable size, there is going to be a vibrant Craigslist community for your city. It is highly likely you can find someone selling a used commercial vacuum cleaner here. Beyond this, you might want to check in with any local stores that service vacuum cleaners. They’re likely to also sell used ones or direct you to someone who does. (Most likely though, anyone they direct you to or if the shop themself sells used cleaners, they will be posting on Craigslist too.)

When you buy something used, be it a car or a vacuum cleaner, the most important thing is to figure out if it’s been well-maintained. This is part science, part trust, and part art. Buying from a reputable dealer – such as someone who fixes commercial vacuum cleaners, is our suggestion for your first place to seek out a high quality item. You are much more likely to get a good deal from a business which knows and understands how to replace and clean parts (and service the cleaners in general) than from anywhere else. If you’re buying person to person, you’ll have to act much in the same way you do when buying a used car this way – you check the item out thoroughly with a visual inspection and a test drive, and you try and scope out the person for all the details relating to maintenance and previous problems and history. If you’re spending a lot of money on this item, it could be worth it to take it to a service center and spend a little bit of money to ask what they suggest should be fixed or replaced soon.

If you have the time and resources to seek out a used commercial vacuum cleaner, do your research, and you’ll get a great deal. Happy Bargain Shopping!