Have you tried looking on Ebay for a reconditioned used vacuum? There are a lot of great vacuum dealers on there. Don't buy one from "someone just selling their used one", but rather, someone who specializes in selling nothing but reconditioned vacuums and check their feedback :)

OR

You could go to a vacuum shop as well. The reason I say this, the vacuums in the big box stores are cheaply made. You're likely to get a great rebuilt Riccar, Simplicity, Miele, Electrolux, Kirby that will last years.

sakura, I just finished going through the agonizing process of finding THE best vacuum cleaner. I had decided to go with a Miele because of all of the rave reviews on GW but I ended up with a Simplicity canister vacuum. I never thought I would rave about a vacuum but that is exactly what I'm doing!! When I went to test out the Miele, I also wanted to try out other brands. I tried the Miele and was NOT impressed. I tried a comparably priced Simplicity and it was so powerful and easy to use! It comes with every attachment you could possibly ever need. I got the Simplicity 36 model and it was about $850, but it is built to last a long time. The only thing I'm not thrilled with is that it is a bit heavy. Riccar is the sister brand of Simplicity and the vacuums are the same just different colors and names. You can only buy the vacuums at specialized vacuum stores- not online or in big stores. The bags can be bought online. I can't say enough good about my new vacuum. Check them out.

Amy

I think the better Sears cannister vacuums are pretty good. I've got two- a 20 yr old one upstairs and a new one for downstairs. I thought they cleaned as well as my mother's old Electrolux-one built when the company made the machines that their reputation is based on.

Another vote for the Hoover canister. I have one at home with my three dogs and another at our vacation place. Both were rated top by Consumer Reports. At the time they were the Progressive models and I don't know if they use the same name now. One of mine is about 10years old and the newer one is around 8. I love having a light on the wand in addition to a light on the power head. My house has a mix of wall to wall, hardwood floor, ceramic tile and Orientals. The suction control on the handle is great.

To each his own, but my mother in law has a Dyson, and I do not want one.

Hers is bagless. I hate bagless vacs. Do you wear contact lenses? Do you live in a high rise? I emptied a bagless vac once while wearing my contacts, and I will never do that again. Secondly, we have a condo in a high rise; I would only want to empty one of those compartments outside over a huge garbage can. Actually, I don't want to empty one anywhere, ever again, and the container still looks filthy after it is emptied of the rubbish.

Thank you everybody for taking your time to reply quickly!
Yes, ordering online is risky because taking chance of getting defect vacuum cleaner returned by somebody and restocked.
We have many vacuum cleaner dealers where I live.
It doesn't hurt for me to call each one of them and check price on different vacuum cleaners and if I think price is reasonable, compare with other dealers and go to see actual products and test them in store.
I need to make sure dealer is going to sell me product straight from factory and not one returned by other customer because of defect or poor performance.
I also need to check warranty.
We have saying in Japanese 'Yasumonogay no zeniusinai' it means buying cheap poor quality thing is nothing but waste of $$$.
It is good to buy high quality of product and take good care of but over $500 is too expensive for vacuum cleaner.
Maybe long run, saves $$$? I am not sure.
Yes, finding reasonably priced good quality of vacuum cleaner is not easy.
Do you believe I spent whole week doing research on vacuum cleaner?

Yes I can believe it. I have been looking and doing some occasional research to replace one of our vacuums too. I'm having a hard time justifying $1000 for a vacuum cleaner.

My son has a Miele top-of-the-line and I tried it recently. It was good... but I don't think it was $1000 good. And that's the brand I'd pretty much narrowed it down to.

Must haves:
bag (not bagless)
prefer canister (already have an upright)

Still considering options at this point.

I have a midsized Miele, and I do think it's worth what I paid for it. After 13 years it still runs like new and has given me absolutely no trouble at all, ever. It's nicely built, quiet, lightweight and sucks cheerios in from 6 inches off. It tracks well and never tips over the way my old electrolux did. I love it, and I'd buy another tomorrow if this one died today--but it doesn't show any signs of slowing down yet, so I guess I'm safe for awhile yet. :-)

My vacuum cleaner died last year. I did some research and was very disappointed in what I read about all the vacuum cleaners. I tried my daughter's Simplicity 7 Series and liked it, and I tried my son's Dyson for a week, and liked it too. The Simplicity was just too expensive.

I ended up getting a Dyson DC14 (remanufactured, through Amazon, it's also on Overstock) and I'm very pleased with it. I like that it's bagless. It's easy to see when it needs to be emptied and it is very easy to empty. It does a good job, especially with the cat hair my long haired cat leaves around.

Good luck in your search.

I love style and color of Simplicity canister vacuum 'Cinch' so much but too expensive.
If I pay over $800 for vacuum cleaner, I expect to last at least 40 years and have perfect all necessary attachments.
Oh, Simplicity canister vacuums are beautifully desined but I still think they are over priced.
It is so confusing because we cannot have everything (reasonably priced high quality beautiful vacuum cleaner with strong suction.)
Of course canister vacuum cleaners are much easier to use than upright but upright vacuum cleaners have stronger suction.
More I think about it, more I get confused.
Ok, this is not life or death matter.
I am going to take sweet time and keep looking.
If only Simplicity vacuums are less expensive, I already bought.

Sakura, I think you need to put together a list of attributes you want in a vacuum. Like, what tasks would you use it for (tile, hardwood, low pile carpet, shag carpet, draperies, etc.)? Think about how often you would use it? Do you have stairs? What is your max. budget? How do you feel about noise? How well does it have to filter?

Personally, I just got the Miele Callisto and I love it. It was a *lot* to pay for a vacuum. However, I was tired of buying ones for $250-$300 that die in 18 months. I was tired of having the choice of waking the baby or freaking the baby out while awake (due to the noise). I needed a vacuum for carpeting and tile. The Miele fit all my needs, and then some. I suggest you go into a dealer (don't call) and have them let you try out some of their vacuums.

Hi Sakura2006

I have owned a refurbished Miele Pearl (paid $400)for over a year now. I too refused to pay over $200 for a vacuum, until I purcased one for 200 and another for 250 to return both when they failed me miserably. Both the vacuums were suggested by consumer reports so I thought I was making a good choice, they stunk. My sister has a top of the line miele and I borrowed it (since I didn't have one), I fell in love immediately. The Miele is so easy to use, its easy to extend the handle for out of reach places, the handle twists easy to get under things, you can drop the head to get corners and behind furniture. The bottom line is when I am done cleaning my house IS CLEAN. We had to hire a cleaning crew while a sick relative stayed with us and when they came in to look at the house the manager said they had never seen such a clean house even the corners were free of dust! That is worth the extra bucks I assure you. I still didn't spring for a new machine because my budget didn't allow for it, I hope to take care of the machine so it will last a good long while. Many have posted that they have wonderful vacuums that are 13 year old, I have no doubts that the are accurate in their accessments. I had a vacuum for 20 years, $68 at K-Mart, upright made of metal, it was a cheap vacuum the day I purchased it but served me well all that time. Replacing it was such a rude awakening for me. Companies' quality has changed quite a bit over the years!

check a local Oreck store and see if they have any reconditioned canisters.
I love my Oreck. the upright only weighs 8 lbs - important to me. and I think the canister sucks in dirt and dog hair while I sleep. both take bags.
mine were about 300.00 together and i've had them about 10 yrs.

I will give multiple thumbs up for the Miele Callisto. It has a hard job vacuuming here and it does a great job. It's well made and has lots of power. The newer Hoovers and Eurekas are not the quality they used to be many, many, many years ago. Cheap plastic parts that break and fall off easily and motors that burn out. I was buying "top of the line" Hoover and Eureka and not worth the money. Could have bought two Mieles or more with what I spent. I spent a lot of time researching vacuums before I bought the Miele and it was well worth the price paid, in my opinion.

meangoose, I have daughter who suffer from allergy therefore need tightly sealed vacuum to avoid inhaling dust.
She is not living with us during weekdays because she works in New York city but comes home on weekend.
Speaking about the price, about $300-$400 is ok but not higher.
I am 99% sure my choice is 'Miele'.
Somebody was showing difference between 'Miele' and Kenmore.
'Miele' vacuums are tightly sealed and we don't need to worry about inhaling dust from vacuum.
This is very important thing for people who care about their health!

It is most convenient for people to order online but I am going to play safe and check local dealers first because I don't want be bothered with re packing and take to UPS or post office to return when I get defect.
Top of that, when we return things, we must pay for re-stocking charges.
Buying things without testing doesn't make any sense to me.
'Dyson' and 'Oreck' are good when we speak about performance but some people want good performance plus other things.

OK...I realize that you are all speaking of the high end, or should I say, high cost vacuums. I have always been partial to Hoover top of the line vacs and steam cleaners and my last Hoover vac was the windtunnel V2 which lasted approx 4+ years, well it's still running, it just clogs up sometimes, doesn't suck as well and the roller blade is currently locked up w/ my long hair that just needs to be cleaned out (I think). I just upgraded my 10 yr old Hoover steam cleaner (wide path) w/ the latest and greatest Hoover Platinum Collection Max Extractor even though my older steam cleaner still works, just not as good as it once had, is all. I also have several sweeper vacs for quick pick-up but they ALL suck (or in actuality...DON'T) and they don't last either. After having always had the top of the line Hoover vacuums and steam cleaners, I would agree entirely that having to replace a vacuum every 18 months or so is not only aggravating but can be much more costly than just spending the big bucks up front. However, I do have a few friends that love their various Dyson models and I was about to get one for myself after a lot of research. Instead and d/t much research, I am giving the $199 Euro-Pro/Shark Navigator a shot right now (comes w/ a 5 yr limited warranty). My friends that have Dysons have tried my Navigator and feel that it performs just as well as their Dyson. They have raved about the simpler and cleaner emptying process and that it's light weight and offers great suction and the price was MUCH better than what they paid. If this doesn't last then my next and hopefully last purchase will indeed be a Dyson! If anyone's had a Shark Navigator for awhile, please do share what your experience has been, since I've only had mine for a month so far.
Thanks!

I have not found a happy middle ground yet in the eternal (or is that infernal) perfect vacuum cleaner (cannister) search. The combination of small expensive bags for the expensive Miele turn me off. I'm not gonna go bagless. Don't want a water vac either.

The CR recommended vacs have poor user ratings. I haven't had good success with their recommended uprights due to expensive repairs. Or maybe I expect too long of an uneventful service life these days.

You'd think I was shopping for a dishwasher or range etc.! Why does it seem so difficult to find a quality vacuum that provides reliable service? /end rant.

"Best" is always a matter of opinion.

For me, the Miele vacs are best. I have two of them -- 1 with a HEPA filter (higher price) and one without. Both work very well, 1 had to replace the cord winding mechanism once in 8 years because the cleaning lady pulled the vacuum by the cord continuously. The oldest vac is 8; the other is 4. 0 issues.

Otherwise, the performance of these has been tops. I bought one for my brother and sister as a house gift -- they have a Himalayan cat and are thrilled. The bags are costly but they lock down so no dust escapes. I buy bags online at vacuum-direct.com along with laundry supplies.

I put a different vendor on the link as I used them for my brother's vacuum but vacuum-direct also sells miele. Both are good. I believe the Solaris is in the OPs budget.

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele Solaris

Thanks for your perspective. I lean to the Miele... but still choke on the cost. Miele seems to have the most consistent positive user reports from my research... which is certainly not exhaustive yet.

Still sitting on the fence for now...

I had a bagless and it was dirty to empty. I checked CR and they kept recommending Sears Progressives. A local vacuum store sold Panasonic which manufacures Sears vacuums. I paid half of the cost of a Miele and am very satisfied. Plus they are made in America (KY I think). I primarily was looking for a canister with bags that I could get repaired (if needed) locally.

I posted this on an earlier thread, but it might be info someone here would find valuable.

Here is a link that might be useful: Business Week

Ah wekick- thanks for posting the article. It gives credence to what the salesperson at my vacuum store said. He favors Simplicity, Riccar and Sebo over Miele and said the Miele was coasting on his it's reputation and advertising.

When I compared a Miele Callisto and a Simplicity S36 side by side at the vacuum store (comparable in price) it quickly became clear to me that the Simplicity was so much easier to use and you get so much MORE for your money. The Simplicity comes with every attachment you could need. With the Miele you have to buy some attachments separately. I went to buy a Miele, but came home with a great Simplicity. I have been through 3 Sears Progressives in the past 18 years and they all died with electrical issues. Then for some reason I also bought a Sears upright which was the biggest waste of money ever. It literally pushes the dirt and dust away from it. Simplicity is the BEST.

I have a Sanitaire upright & like it very much. It is very reasonably priced. I've had it about 2 years, no complaints.

That's an interesting article in Business Week. Too bad it's nearly 4 years old.

Is there any more current info comparing Miele and Riccar/Simplicity?

One thing I've noticed in my research is that Simplicity/Riccar canisters have a number of user reports of problems with power heads, wand, and hose... moreso than Miele.

But that could be a function of the number of users of each brand taking the time to report. I don't know if that's representative of the brand or not.

Luvscritters, I also have a Sears Upright Progressive and after 5 years it is not working well and smells no matter how much I clean it and sears tried to clean it and it came back worse. Thanks for your information on the other post about the Simplicity that I will compare to the Riccar and to the Miele in the three local stores I have near me but it seems the Simplicity or Riccar will give me more for my money and it looks like you are happy with your new vacuum.

Thanks Speedlever for letting me know about complaints so I will do some more research as well as ask the stores about this and try out all three local stores to see what the owner has to say.

speedlever my point in posting that article from Business Week was more a background type of thing. Tacony manufacturing set out to capitalize on Miele weaknesses. What is your source that there are more problems with Simplicity/Riccar? Could you give us a link? I have had many vacuums, upright and cannister-Sears, Oreck,dirt devil,hoover,hoover#2,Kirby,Shark and a couple of Eurekas. I have a commercial Royal upright now and then the Simplicity, Jill. My sister has had a Riccar cannister for some time and was very happy with it so when we noticed the factory was about 80 miles from our house we took a trip. They actually have a museum dedicated to the vacuum cleaner there. It was very interesting. Kind of an American success story and at least the assembly of the product in our state! Seems as though both Miele and Tacony have some parts made on Asia. So far I am happy with the one I bought. My sister actually bought 3 for her kids. I suppose if you want to compare Tacony products with Meile I would go to a dealer that has them both and try them out. I researched all my kitchen appliances to death as I am wont to do and still had problems. I think if I had been able to try them out live, it would have been easier. Thank goodness this is easier to do with a vacuum cleaner than with a range. I would just go with the one that is easier to use for you. I'm sure Miele is great and the best for some as Sears is best for some. They all have their fans.

The best vacuum is the one you feel the most comfortable and confidant using!

Out of curiosity, what are the additional attachments that come with the Simplicity vac compared to the Miele Callisto? Our Callisto came with every attachment I could imagine, but maybe some folks use their vacs in other ways? We have a powered carpet brush head, a hard floor head, a crevice tool, an upholstery head, and one for drapes, etc. Not sure what else there is. My sales rep didn't try to upsell me on any other attachments.

The Simplicity S36 comes with BOTH a turbo head (WITH a light which I like) and a straight suction combination rug and hard floor brush. I could be wrong, but doesn't a Miele come with one or the other? There is also both a small hard floor brush and a large "parquet" hard floor brush. There is also a combination dusting brush and harder brush (for drapes?) that that can be stored on the wand. Also a crevice tool and combination brush/upholstery tool.

We've had our SImplicity for only five years and have had to have it repaired THREE times -- always in the wand/power head/hose assembly. I wouldn't buy another.

I think I'll stop talking about how great I think my Simplicity is before it self-destructs right there in the closet. (just kiddin')

I can't post a link that you can access for those reports as it came from reading Consumer Reports user comments on the various vacuum cleaners. And the CR site is a subscription site.

That being said, it is but a data point. I like to read CR, but find that my personal experiences sometimes differ markedly from their suggested buys. My Sears upright was a best buy 8 or 10 years ago.. and does a decent job, but has needed repairs to the same part more than once. And now the part is no longer available, according to my local shop... but then again, maybe they just want to sell me a new vacuum cleaner!

I haven't made my mind up yet on a model to replace that particular vacuum cleaner. I have another (Sharp upright) that still works fine and is older than the Sears unit. Having that upright available, I'd like a canister vac for the hardwoods, vinyl and carpet downstairs and keep the upright for the carpeting upstairs.

My local Miele shop also sells Riccar... so I may go back and talk to them some about hose/wand/powerhead issues with Riccar/Simplicity. Maybe that's been fixed in newer models.

The Miele Callisto comes with both the electric powered carpet brush head and a hard floor head. It also came with several other attachments (crevice tool, upholstery head, etc.)

There are a few models below the Callisto that only come with the hard floor head OR the carpet head. The one thing I did find annoying about Miele was that there are SO many models, and the difference between them was often silly things like which attachments are standard and which are not. It made it more difficult than it had to be to figure out which one was right for my home.

That said, I used the reviews on Amazon to help me decide which was appropriate before I went to the dealer to buy it. It wasn't that hard...just harder than it had to be.

I just flip the Callisto power switch off when I go from carpets to hard floors using the power brush. Works fine. I did a complete spiderwebs on the ceiling beams purge one day using the extended wand and the small round brush. A ladder was needed for the highest spots so hefting the canister to the paint can stand was necessary.

Thanks for this thread. Based on the info here and other reviews online, I went to a local vacuum dealer today to try out a Miele Polaris, and picked it up there for $389 (slightly cheaper than I was about to pay at an online retailer). It's a light, compact canister vacuum, and I was impressed at how easy it was to change attachments. It doesn't come standard with a HEPA filter, but I chose to pay an extra $50 for one. (Looks easy to put in, though they did it for me at the store.) I have hardwood floors and wool area rugs, and we plan to get a dog, so the salesman spread some dog hair on the carpet (he even got down on the floor and rubbed it in) and the vacuum swooped it all up no problem. For my carpets (not very thick) I didn't need a model with a power brush.

I was happy to find a Miele more in my price range that should suit our needs just fine. I'd read some comments online that the power cord of the Polaris was maybe a tad short but no major grumbling about it. I pulled the cord all the way out in the store and it was better than I expected, and for me and my modest-sized home it's going to be just fine.

It's also a pretty light blue, and cute--for a vacuum.

Good luck with the search!

I too have been doing a very long search on the perfect vacuum cleaner. I have had a refurbished Dyson, and I liked it initially but didn't take long for me to realize it wasn't that great. I loved the hose length, but the suction was not great for very long. The plastic canister broke very early on. I had it for just 2 yrs before the suction got bad and the hose ended up breaking a year later. took it in to repair and repairman said it wasn't worth it. I then replaced that with a Roomba and a cheap canister for hardwoods and cheap vacuum for carpet. Less than a year later I don't run my Roomba as often as I should and my cheap vacs have broken. While I still like my Roomba it doesn't replace a vacuum.

So, doing my research and testing vacuums, I keep coming back to Miele. I have half hardwoods/tile and half builder grade carpet(not high pile). Miele lovers, do you find it does a good job on the carpet? I am considering their new s2 line. A more affordable line, but same high quality. The Olympus comes with just the combo tool and the Delphi comes with power head. I was considering the Delphi with the purchase of a parquet floor brush, but it will cost me almost $250 more than the Olympus(which is only $299 to begin with). Should I just get the Olympus for my hardwoods and consider another upright vacuum for the carpet or would you recommend using the canister on my carpet too? I don't think the addition of just a turbo brush to the Olympus would be enough for my carpet. What do you think?

Ugh, why does this have to be so hard?

kdwood, when I went into the dealer, I was pleasantly greeted by ....a big, hairy dog. And the dealer. And there was a variety of flooring materials there - hardwood, different piles of carpet, etc. I suggest going into a dealer and asking to demo several of the Mieles (and other brands too, if you're interested) and try to try it out on floors like yours to see how it works.

I have the Callisto (a higher-end model than the Olympus, admittedly) but I LOVE how it works on carpet and tile.

Thanks, meangoose. I have been into the dealer. I felt pretty good about what I saw. I felt the Turbo did a pretty good job, but you could really tell a difference with the power head. I only had about 15 minutes though, so felt rushed. I just wanted to hear what people who had carpets and have had their machines for a while. Sounds like you are very pleased.

I think I may go back (without kids) and spend some more time trying the machines out.

Thanks for the help!

Thanks, meangoose. I have been into the dealer. I felt pretty good about what I saw. I felt the Turbo did a pretty good job, but you could really tell a difference with the power head. I only had about 15 minutes though, so felt rushed. I just wanted to hear what people who had carpets and have had their machines for a while. Sounds like you are very pleased.

I think I may go back (without kids) and spend some more time trying the machines out.

Thanks for the help!

kdwood,

I have the Miele Zephyr, which is sold only at William-Sonoma. It has the rotating brush, HEPA filter and a hardwood/low pile carpet brush. Sounds like I have the same flooring as you - builder carpet on my stairs, tile in the kitchen and hardwoods everywhere else along with a few low rugs. Overall, I'm happy with it - lightweight and relatively quiet although I wish it had stronger suction. I keep it on the max suction setting (there are 6). Value-wise it might be a good deal compared to the models that are available through Miele or regular vacuum stores.

In terms of having two separate vacuums for carpets and hardwoods, I suggest just getting one Miele. Less space is taken up and you don't have to think about which vacuum to use, plus you'd get Miele quality for both hardwood and carpets instead of Miele quality for the hardwoods and possibly lesser quality in a cheap upright or something. Plus, the Miele should last for years so it could be a good investment overall.

Funny you don't love the Dyson - that's what I was thinking about trying if the Miele ever went kaput.

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele at Williams-Sonoma

CR reported on the 'new' Miele upright, the S7. It seems like a pretty great machine, built to last (20yrs by their literature) with a good warranty.

You can see the unit on the Miele website.

Price differences depend on things like HEPA filter, electronic power adjust, automatic suction control.

I didn't bother reading through these responses because I am 54 years old and tried them all. First of all, canisters are better than uprights. You can get a lot more things cleaner easier and faster with a canister. (Carpeted stairs, for instance, are a breeze compared to upright) It just has to be the right canister...which is Miele. You will have to pay more upfront, but you will save money in the long run because it will last and last. Mine is now 9 years old and I've never had one problem. The suction is amazing. It's really a great vacuum.

I've had Royal upright, Kirby upright, sears bests...Hoover which is awful and cheap and doesn't clean nearly as well as most. Sears, I replaced every 4 years and went through 2. Kirby good and Royal good, but not nearly user friendly as Miele canister. You can reach every piece of dirt in your house with ease if you want to. SO much easier than upright. I expect to have my Miele around for another 9. She's a good ol' girl.

Darnit monaw. You're making it hard for me to resist the call of Miele.

You sure you don't work for Miele? [grin]

I bought a Miele Callisto this weekend. Looked at a lot of brands, read the Consumer Reports reviews. We've had 2 Sears progressives, which Sears loves...and we don't. I will say the cord on the Callisto is shorter than on my Sears, but guess I'll get used to it. The user reviews on CR and here on the AF are what convinced us. I'm 59, and I told my husband I hope this is the last vacuum I ever have to buy!

Well, this is my SAD saga regarding vacuum cleaners! I was married 50 years when my husband passed away last summer, so I have seen A LOT of vacuum cleaners! The one I remember very well is a Sears canister over 20 years ago that cost me at that time about $400.00. It was nothing but trouble. So bad, in fact, that it went in the trash. My Mom also purchased one and so did my best friend. Both of those shortly went in the trash, also.

Then came the Hoover Dimension 1000 canister vacuum. I brought it with me in 1988 when we moved to a new location, where we still are now. And the Dimension 1000 still runs! That's nearly 30 years! But the hose desperately needs replacement (as the wiring runs through it to run the power head) but I doubt I can still get the parts. I should have replaced it at the time, when it cost $100.00, but I had no idea how these vacuums were going to go downhill. I have it all taped up with electrical tape, but I'm afraid to use it. So it's sitting in the basement. I still have an older Hoover Windtunnel upright with the "Dirt Finder" that actually works! The entire vacuum works well but it's extremely heavy to push. I found that with the newer ones, the "Dirt Finder" doesn't work--I was actually told that in a Hoover store--and the rest of the machine doesn't work, either. Again, I was told in a vacuum store that the newer Hoovers are no good. Well, that vacuum was sold in my last garage sale for $5.00 and I was glad to be rid of it.

Now, to the present time...I purchased a Dyson DC 41 for $600.00 about three years ago and it just quit on me. I hemmed and hawed about what I should get to replace it and I wish I had seen this forum before making a purchase. Believe it or not, I bought another DC 41 because WHEN it worked, it was great! Fortunately, since it now is an older model, it was somewhat less expensive. Now I'm hoping I will have better luck with this one.

I also decided it was time to replace my heavy, aging Hoover Windtunnel, and I purchased a Shark Rotator Powered Lift Away (the pet model) for upstairs because I love the ease in which I can get under the bed. This set me back about $350.00, which I didn't think was bad, because I LOVE this vacuum. And I have 7 cats in the house (yes, seven) so I'm glad I got the pet models in both. But I have it less than a month, so only time will tell.

Had I seen this forum, I would have looked into the Tacony products, a Simplicity or Riccar. After all, I spent enough money that I could have considered one of those. And there is a vacuum store right up the road from me.

Just an update for anyone still looking. We bought a Miele S7 upright a few years back. Very poor design in my opinion. If it gets clogged, which it does because we have dogs, it is hard to find where the clog is, and often very hard to unclog. In some cases you have to take open the part at the bottom - which requires two different torx head drivers ( I have several full sets, but not every homeowner does) We have had the belt that drives the brushes break several times, it is pretty expensive to replace, and you have to take out 8 screws, using different hex drivers, to get to it. I don't think most homeowners would want to try it, it is not at all intuitive, and the manual does not even describe how to do it. When I checked the Miele site, it seems that they have discontinued the S7 and replaced it with a U1, though I checked the U1 manual, and no description of how to change the belt.

Tacony! YES YES YES.....And Rainbow vacuums.. Or Aerus (all expensive but made to last). It is a SAD sight to see all the plasticvacs that will last 2, 3 and if you're lucky 4 years max I would think...