I like the Hoover Dual V for carpet cleaning - it has very good extraction (leaves carpet much drier than others) and it has a separate detergent container from the water and a rinse setting so you can do wash then rinse pass with clear water to remove detergent residue. Also you can pour un-used detergent back into the bottle because it's not diluted into the water until used by the machine! For HEPA vacuum people have different favorites but I like the Dyson canister vacs.

I'm very happy with my dyson and it isn't heavy at all. Most complaints people have are people who don't ever change the post motor filter on a dyson, it's cheap change it once a year, less if it's not dirty and wash the reuseable one. For a steam cleaner I use a hoover but it is not hot enough to create steam, but I didn't want one that could. Hot water i enough to clean carpets, the minute you bring steam in you risk setting a stain. If you really want one that will steam, I'm not sure.

Thought I would report back here. I ended up ordering the Shark Rotator Pro From the TV commercial, And got a free Shark Steam Mop with it. I also ended up springing for the extra attachments. So far I love it! And because I am who I am, I felt the need to justify spending the money. I vacuumed a section of my bedroom carpet, running the Hoover over and over it Until the light turned green, Then went over it a few more times. So it should have been clean, right? WRONG! I went over it with the Shark, And was amazed, shocked and embarrassed at the amount of 'stuff' that it picked up. For years, I have used things like Pet Fresh carpet deodorizer, etc, because I usually have at least one, Sometimes two dogs. I have carefully followed the directions, Leaving it for a bit, then vacuuming it up. I thought. But from what this Shark picked up, I guess the Hoover picked up very little of it. And while the Hoover is self-propelled, it is heavy enough to be hard and awkward to handle. The Shark is amazingly easier! So, so far, I am thrilled with my purchase! It hasn't tipped over yet when I'm using the hose. (Using the hose on the Hoover meant constant tip-overs). And I love the attachments! Haven't tried the steam mop yet, Maybe later today. Of course it remains to be seen how long it lasts, But the 5 year warranty puts my mind at ease. Rusty PS, Again, I thank y'all for your input, I appreciate it a lot. This post was edited by therustyone on Wed, Nov 27, 13 at 13:38

Yikes, I'm just seeing this! I bought my Linx in early August and I love it. I can vacuum for about 30 minutes with it before it needs to recharge. I only have the one battery, but think Maire Cate's suggestion of a spare one is good. We have brick floors throughout the house with many Oriental rugs. I also have two dogs that shed. I love how easy it is to do quick clean ups. The only downside I can think of is that the canister fills up pretty quickly and needs to be emptied after every 30 minutes or so of vacuuming. But, emptying the Linx is very quick and easy. I also like that it stands on it's own. Oh, and it's not very loud . . . although it's not very quiet either. For Christmas I received the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser hand vac to use on my sofas and chairs. We don't allow our Dobie on the furniture, but our 12-lb Tibetan Spaniel, who sheds a lot makes this hand vac worth it's weight in gold! It got great reviews online and I'm very happy with mine. I also own the Shark Portable Steamer, which I really like. It's good for cleaning away water deposits on the guest room glass shower door and it's tracks, etc. I use it on our luggage before I bring it inside after a trip, to kill any possible bedbugs. I bought it after I did bring bedbugs home a couple of years ago from either the airlines or limousine. This Christmas it came in handy steaming the wrinkles out of my 120" tablecloth. I would LOVE to buy a steam cleaner for my brick floors, but I'm not sure that there's one out there that cleans brick floors. These floors would chew up most fabric covers on those I've seen. Lynn