I have a Dyson. It's a great vacuum, and emptying it is no bother. I wash the filter once every six months (I don't think it's actually dirty though - but the instructions say to do it). Since I also have several Miele's, I can compare bag to bagless. Bagless allows me to get rid of the dirt after each use. Bag cleaners do not. I don't like 'storing' my dirt in the closet - so bagless is the way to go for pet hair problems. I understand the differences between Dyson cleaners and other bagless vacs. The way it works is different. Apparently, spinning the air at high speeds throws the dust out of the air stream through the cleaner. Other bagless vacs have a filter in the middle of the dirt bucket, like my Shop Vac, that clogs immediately with dust, and is a filthy mess to empty. If you get a bagless, get a Dyson. That said, the Miele is very quiet. But the bag does start to stink after holding dirt for a while, the dirt itself just deteriorates inside there. And there's food particles and God knows what else in there, all sitting in the warm, dark closet until we take out the machine next week and blow air through the bag. That's why bag vacs smell so bad. If you changed the bag every time that you vacuum, no smell. Hence the reason I like my Dyson so very much. By the way, Dyson makes canister vacs too. With an excellent bare floor tool and a power brush for your carpets, and a turbo brush for your stairs. Easy to empty. DC23 is the model number.

I grew up with Kirby vacuum cleaners. I think over a 50 year period, my mom had three of them, but eventually had to go for something lighter-weight. A Kirby was just too heavy for her to maneuver. Personally, I'm a cannister fan and have been a very happy Miele user for years. That being said, I recently purchased a condominium as a second home that came with wall-to-wall carpeting (which I eventually plan to remove), so I decided an upright vacuum would make more sense there. I looked at Kirbys, but they were very expensive, heavy, have a motor head that's too high to slide under furniture, have unwieldy attachments, and just seemed clunky to me. I ended up with a new Miele S7 vacuum. It's extremely maneuverable, has the wands and attachments on-board, costs way less than a Kirby ($550-$850, depending on model), and has a vacuum head that is low enough to slip under all but the lowest furniture. It cleans like a champ, has a very good air filtration system, has a separate switch to turn off the rotary brush, and uses disposable bags that are a snap to change. I highly recommend it. You can check out the S7 at the link below. Watch the videos for demonstrations of all the features. Here is a link that might be useful: Miele S7 Vacuum

I have a Hoover Z Vacuum and it has a Hepa Filter. I am very pleased with it. It is about double what you are wanting to pay...but if you think of having a vacuum for 15+ years...that is not a big investment.

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