My mom has a Kirby, I'd like to get my hands around the neck of that door to door salesman ;) It actually cleans well, and isn't quite as bad once turned on and running, but just try to pick it up or move it unplugged. The Kirby sales tactics are another story. When going to her house to help her with some housework, my Oreck makes the 4 hours round trip with me. I've got two Orecks and haven't found anything to dislike about them. They are actually my second and third, I used the first one about 14 years, replaced it rather than spend the money on updating parts. I have a new XL (purchased from an Oreck store on sale) at the office end of my house where there is carpet and then tile hallway, laundry room. At the living and bedrooms end, I have a year old Oreck Magnesium that I hadn't planned to upgrade to, but DH tried it in the store and loved the impressive maneuverability, the swivel and even lighter weight. He doesn't vacuum often if at all, but wanted it, and it was also on sale (I think marked down $100). I do enjoy it over the XL, and now seem to have a utility model for working type floors, and a more advanced model for the more expensive flooring ;) I have the Oreck floor steamer and hand vacs too....guess you can see I've been satisfied with the product line.

SmartStrand's durability and stain resistance are unparalleled throughout the carpet industry- and far superior to nylon. SmartStrand carpet is your stair's best friend! SmartStrand Silk is the perfect premium carpet for your luxurious bedrooms and living rooms- with the same stain protection. When it comes to vacuums, with any soft carpet ie SmartStrand, especially a premium soft carpet like SmartStrand Silk, you need to take into consideration the plushness & weight of the carpet. You most definitely want to use a vacuum that is CRI (Carpet & Rug Institute) approved. Dyson Vacuums are not CRI approved and therefore not a good pairing for soft, plush carpets. If you have a premium soft carpet, you want to find a vacuum that has: -Beater bar with adjustable height -Wide wheels (this will keep the vacuum higher & more flexible) An investment like beautiful, soft carpet deserves proper maintenance- choose a vacuum that will allow for the best upkeep of your carpet! Here are some great models to check out: Standard Upright Vacuum Hoover UH70120 Hoover UH70205 Hoover U5780-950 Dirt Devil UD70115 Eureka AS5203A Lightweight/No Depth Adjustment Oreck Magnesium Oreck Magnesium RS Hoover Nano UH20020W Canister Vacuum Hoover Canister S3865 Oreck Quest Pro

Kel, I felt the same way you do when I first got a bagless, a dyson, which I would never buy again because you have to send them out to have the belt replaced. I'm sorry, but that's just plain crazy. After doing that it came back not working as well as it did before. Since it took more than three weeks to have the belt changed I bought an inexpensive Bissell that I now love more than I ever did the dyson. I have four long haired cats and this Bissell Lift off is amazing! I love the attachments too. Anyway, I empty my vacuums the same way alisande does. If you're careful. there's very little dust. Having severe allergies, I can say it's not enough to bother me, and everything bothers me.

I have the Dyson V6 Motorhead and love it! The 5-7 minutes is only when you set the power on high. Otherwise, it's 20-22 minutes of power between full charges. 2/3 of my house is Saltillo floors. The rest is medium high carpet. I never had to use the high setting even on carpet. It cleans very well and recharges quite quickly. I like the fact that it's a stick which makes it easy to vacuum under low clearance areas. In other words, the dirt/dust bin is not a lower end as with the other brand models. I also have a Dyson upright but haven't had the need to use it since I got the V6. I did a lot of online research and read many reviews before settled for the V6. For someone in a wheelchair like me, the Dyson V6 is most convenient. No cord or vacuum hose to run over or wrap around the wheels. I can move in my wheelchair easily during vacuuming with the V6. I accidentally found out about this model while watching a Korean show. I didn't know that Dyson came out with this cordless model for a few years now. Wish I knew it sooner.