Another deflection by you. It's funny how you accused me of something I never do but you always do.

You said Miele products aren't as good as they used to be. I said my experience is that they are and I gave reasons why.

Back up your comment or delete it. Or just stick with doing another hit and run with "information" you make up.

You have no idea who I am, lol..

That's your Miele experience? None. As I said, it's all made up.

I don't care who you or anyone else "is". I respond to comments, not people.

I have a feeling that Shark may have improved over the years.

I definitely don't agree with the statement that sharks are junk. I have had the shark navigator plus lift away for years. I lost one in the flood and immediately bought a new one. I am extremely pleased with the quality and have not had any problems with them. In fact if you do a search here on KT for shark navigator or shark vacuum you will find many many people who have purchased them and are happy with them.

My cleaning ladies went and bought the same model as mine because they worked so well.

The salesman will always have a model he wants to push.

I have a 15-20 year old Mielecanister, bought after a friend recommended it. Apart from occasional difficulty in moving the handle down to vacuum, it’s been wonderful. I do get it tuned up every few years. I paid @$1100 at the time and haven’t regretted it; in those days with the girls in school, we were watching our pennies but I’d had it with cheaply made vacuums. I don’t even mind buying the bags.

it seems to me that as with everything these days, there are price tiers of M vacuums, depending on the power each one has. You’d have to do a little research about that.

My Shark is also the Navigator Lift Away Pro. Looks like we could form a club here. I think maybe some of you recommended it when I was looking a few years back. Big thanks.

Before I bought my Shark, I got a Dyson Animal. It was so cute, but it was such an animal that I couldn't even move it on my rugs. It sucked so hard, it wouldn't budge, even with the less-suckage setting. So I took it back and got the Shark for half the price.

I ,too, have a Miele Cat Dog that I like. The bags have become VERY expensive. I think I now get 4 in a box for $35. It has been a real workhorse, though, and only serviced ONCE.

I am always looking for a new vacuum cleaner even when I don't happen to need one. I can't stand dog hair and Margaret, my black English Lab sheds continuously. 9 years ago when we brought her home as a 10 week old puppy DH casually said on the ride home "Labs chew till they're two, and shed till they're dead." Then he ordered a Roomba thinking that would solve the dog hair problems. It really wasn't worth the money.

My favorite vacuums were my Kenmore Progressive canisters, one was 20 years old and we took it to our other house and then I bought new one for home. They were great but heavy and cumbersome on the stairs so I bought my first Shark 8 years ago. I now have 4 of them - 2 are at other home and 2 are here. DH and the dog are in the second floor office most of the time so he keeps one in his closet and uses it several times a week (dog hair!). I have the Navigator Pro LiftAway on the first floor and that gets used multiple times a week.

It can function like a canister if that's important to you. You can remove the wand with the power head and vacuum under beds and chairs. I often remove the power head and use the wand to vacuum the space under the kitchen cabinets and along the baseboards.

I think they are really good vacuums. However I am looking to buy a Miele as soon as I figure out which one to get (canister or upright? ) without spending $1000. The Sharks do a great job on carpets and they get the dog hair on the hardwood floors too. But they aren't great at picking up the fine dust on the floor so I still have to use the dust mop. Maybe I'm expecting too much from a vacuum but I'd like to bring one home and try it out. My Sharks are bagless and when I empty the dust bin I just place it inside a plastic supermarket bag and then open the bottom - it contains most of the dust that way.

Good luck on your search and if you get the Dual Shark remember to post a review. -Maire

I have the cordless Shark with self cleaning brush roll and I have long hair that goes everywhere. That roll cleans both the hardwood and the rug really well and I have never needed to clean the roll. I never use my canister Electrolux for floor anymore. I will never buy another corded vacuum again. Once in a while I pull out the Electrolux to clean the upholstery and then curse myself for doing so. The cordless has attachments and will work for almost everything except heavy duty clean-ups that you should be really using a wet/dry vacuum for.

I would buy a Dyson (no surprise there) or any stick vacuum you believe is good for your needs. Why?

I feel the same way about my Dyson stick vacuum as I do about my FP d/w drawers.

That is .. yes, they are pricey Yes, some people report quality issues. Yes, they have limitations (the charge on the Dyson, the length of the FP cycle.)

But.

Where they shine is ergonomics. They are just so much easier and more pleasant to use, that nothing else really matters.

I have a Shark Navigator Lift Away and I love it! Got it about 7 years ago, no problems with it at all. The only other brands of vacuums I've had over the years are Kenmore and Hoover, this Shark is so much better! The Lift Away can be used as either an upright or a canister vac, so you have the best of both worlds in one machine. I highly recommend it!

Rusty

I don't think the canister is more versatile than the Dyson I have. It is extremely wiggly and goes under furniture just as well as as the canister wand and all the attachments make it equal to the canister but it is SO MUCH easier to carry around and no more dragging the canister.

I empty the canister over the garbage can inside the house and dust does not fly around.

I thought I would dislike not having a bag but actually now I prefer it.

Vacuuming is my least favorite chore, by about a thousand miles. Five years ago we needed one, DH picked MIele, a soft buttercup yellow one. I don't know that it works better or worse than any other brand, but it is prettier. I like how it stores the cord and brushes inside itself -- so much neater, and nothing gets misplaced. It seems sturdy.

I’ll add my vote for the Shark lift-away vacuums. Love mine and it does a very good job on wood and carpet. @dedtired there is an accessory Shark sells that will convert your upright to a canister. I’ve considered buying this for myself, but haven’t hit the ”buy now” button yet. Here is a link:

https://www.sharkclean.com/parts/0/all/1292/canister-caddy/?modelNumber=NV752

I also have the Shark Navigator Lift Away Pro. I had a Dyson that I liked but something happened to it (can't remember what) and I had to get another vacuum. The Shark has lots of tools and it's easy to switch from HW to low and high pile carpet. I always empty it outside into the compost.

I forgot all about the Shark canister accessory. The Shark that I bought from QVC came with it but I never used it. Some of the Sharks store attachments on the vacuum - like the crevice tool and the upholstery brush. My larger Navigator Lift Away Pros came with a storage bag for accessories - the crevice tool, upholstery brush, a powered upholstery brush. I like that you can turn the brush off for hardwood floors but oddly not all of mine have a suction control.

Thanks all. I sure have gotten an education in vacuum cleaner pluses and minuses. I’ve completely changed my mind and will go with an upright, either a Shark or Dyson. I’ll have to go somewhere to try lifting and pushing them. Consumer Reports recommends Shark for a bagless upright. Dirt Devil comes in dead last. Miele gets top score for canisters. Or I could buy a Kirby upright for $1600. Great if you are vacuuming the floors at Buckingham Palace.

I’m generally not the one who pushes it around. My cleaner does that but of course there are times when I use it. I’d ask her what she recommends but then I would feel obligated to buy that one.

I'd recommend Dyson! I've had my purple Dyson Ball Animal for about 5 years. $199 @ Walmart (read the reviews for the one I own). A better price It fits under furniture, lightweight, easy to use wand. I "had" a Sears upright, then a Rainbow canister vac. I now own "2" Dysons. One for the garage to pick up metal shavings that might ruin a more expensive system. One for taking to a rental for clean up. I have central vac in the house.....which I usually use. It's awesome!

By the way, Lars, that vacuum clean collectors club is a hoot. I bet I could get many opinions there. Maybe I will attend their annual convention before buying. Too bad it’s not until 2021. Who would ever think there is a vacuum cleaner cult? Thanks for the links. I wonder if they want my old Kenmore canister.

There are fires (again) in my area and my daughter had to evacuate with her animals and is staying with me. My cleaners were due this morning, much needed, but it's a zoo in my house, so greeted the cleaners at the door, gave them their check, and told them to take a break during my shift. Long way of saying my Shark will get a workout this week.

I must have the lowest level Miele as it is really "meh" as someone said. My friend recommended it so highly-I was disappointed. Doesn't mean they don't have better units.

. Since then I have gotten the Shark Navigator liftaway, which does everything a canister will do. I use it the most, so much easier to use. I had the Kenmore canister way back and then the Dysons. I think the Shark is the best of both worlds but I am not sure the Walmart versions are the same as buying from Shark directly? I get lots of long hair in brush and it is the easiest to clear that mess out!

I visited Scott at his apartment in Mar Vista (He lives in West Hollywood now), and he had at least two dozen vintage vacuum cleaners on display in one room. Some of them were very attractive🤩.

I lived next door to someone in Houston who collected vintage stoves, and those took up a lot of space.

Stoves! I hope he had a barn out back to store them, or an outrageously large kitchen.

yes, how does one even think to start a stove collection? that's awfully big.

our house has quite a few vintage typewriters, radios and cameras.

Late to this, as usual.

I'm pretty happy with the little inexpensive Bissell canister I bought last year. Excellent suction power and I like that it's small and lightweight, easy to move around and lift, and came with lots of attachments - and has a retractable cord - a must for me. It's bagless, which I'm not crazy about, but I clean the receptacle and filter every time I do a whole house cleaning, so it doesn't get that nasty stale odor.

Before that I had a Kenmore canister that was very much like a Shark and lasted me for many years before an extender wand cracked and couldn't be replaced.

I like compact canisters better than bulky uprights. They seem to have a lot more suction power and don't get all tangled up with long fibers and hair like my mom's fancy upright does.

This is the one I got - IIRC, it was under $200:

Since we got the second dog 😩 who is SUCH a shedder (I‘d never had a shedding dog before, her hair is so short, sleek & glossy...it would never cross your mind that she’d literally shed like it‘s her JOB. And she’s up for a raise & a promotion.) 😩 Anyway, we have hardwood floors and area rugs. We had an Oreck that was meh...but the cleaning lady brought her own and I swiffered and used the Oreck in between. Anyway, I quickly realized the Oreck was NOT cutting it when we got the new dog, particularly on the wool rugs...the freaking hair CLINGS to wool, apparently.

So I googled best vacuum to suck up dog hair...and got the Dyson Animal Ball something. It’s corded, and comes with a million attachments (I literally have no idea what some of them are...the instructions are all pictorial🙄😂) and weighs a cubic ton, besides just being awkwardly shaped. And the cord is very long, and very tangly. And...it cost like $700-something (I blocked it out bc it was so galling.) And I am the type of vacuumer who just likes to shove the vacuum as far as it will go under furniture & hope for the best...and the big ball is so fat I can’t do that so I need to use one of the plethora of attachments. BUT! OMG, this thing sucks EVERYTHING!!! My rugs look AMAZING!! The FILTH that has been living in my (friends say) immaculate house is appalling and strangely fascinating to me...that clear canister fills with so much hair I think I could build a new dog each time I vacuum!

So....if you only need it for one level (I carry it up the stairs as an additional arm workout—but if I didn’t think dh would divorce me, I’d get a second for up there) & have a shedding dog, and don‘t mind swapping attachments to get under stuff and long cords don’t bother you...I HIGHLY recommend! I barely ever see those horrible little hairs now. 😊

I think we need to start a club for former owners of Kenmore canisters!

Too bad Sears is basically kaput. They had some good stuff. My canister still runs fine, I just can't use it for floors anymore - unless I bend over the whole time. I kept it to use on my car. It also has a retractable cord.

I've decided I want that feature on all my corded appliances, if possible.

I loved stepping on the handle that made the cord retract. That cord snapped back in! Fun.

I still have the remnant of the kenmore canister ( progressive in the teal) to use in on my car in the garage. I will happily join the club for former ( well also current) owners of Kenmore canisters.

<Stoves! I hope he had a barn out back to store them, or an outrageously large kitchen.>

The building next door to me had been an abandoned dormitory (sort of like a quadroplex - it had many rooms) for the University of St Thomas, and a squatter moved in with his stoves and cats. He had a bunch of indoor cats and outdoor cats, but I don't know whether he actually had utilities, although I know he had water. I never met him, but one of my roommates found him rather interesting and got a lot of information from him, which is how I found out that he collected vintage stoves. I also had cats at the time, but only one vintage stove from 1949 that one of my roommates had bought for $10. It worked perfectly fine and was what we used for cooking.

Eventually the building next door was condemned, and the squatter had to move out. He was still moving old stoves out of the building while it was being demolished.

Kenmore canister with hepa filtration and hepa filter bags. I'm on my 2nd ever vacuum since 1983, my old one also was a Kenmore canister that l bought as a return sale item. I bought my current model sometime last year on sale and used some points on the Sears card so saved enough to buy 2 years worth of bags to go with it. Its the Kenmore 400 series and I'm very happy with it.

I do have a little handheld shark for incidental cleaning here and there and that one is ok too even though I don't like the thought of bagless vacuums, just a little gross.

While I agree that bagless vacuums are a little gross to see all that stuff, at least you know when it's time to empty it. When I had the bag variety, I know I didn't change them frequently enough. They were inside the canister and I could only tell by opening the top and thumping the bag. Full? Half full? Based on the amount of stuff I get vacuuming the carpets and rugs in my house with a Shark, those bags filled up fast.

I wash out the receptacle and the foam filter and never put it away full. It's kind of gross, but also satisfying to see how much gunk gets sucked up - and we don't have any carpeting, either - just a couple of flat weave rugs in the living room.

The air here is pretty dirty 😟

For you antique vacuum cleaner lovers, there is a Vacuum Cleaner Museum in Portland Oregon. My grandson saw it online a couple of years ago and insisted we go there so he could see them. I have no idea why he was interested, but we took a "field trip" with one of his friends and he did a little video about it.

It's another fun, funky thing in Portland. It's in a very nice vacuum store, and comprises pretty much of a one wall display of the oldest vacuums you can imagine (pre electric even).

https://starks.com/about/vacuum-museum/

olychick, I was hoping the link took me to your grandson's video. I have a relative who loves old vacuums and other mechanical things and owns many. They are not on display, though he uses some of the vacuums regularly and will fix or rebuild them if they break. He is a tinkerer and electronics expert in his professional life.

^^^For Bunny, my canister has a bar that glows green and as the bag gets fuller it turns red, it's amazingly accurate in alerting as to when to change the bag. I know this because I kept checking the first few bags to gauge the accuracy as I neither want to waste bags nor strain the motor.

My model has the length adjustable wand, extra long, retractable cord and a lever you step on to disengage the vacuum head. Two settings, bare floor and carpet and also low, extra low and high adjustment on the vacuum head.

Oh, I remember taking a ride over the bridge to Stark's! However, I don't remember a sewing machine museum in there. I'll have to ask my sister as she would have been more interested in that than I.

Abzzybee, your vacuum sounds just like mine. Is it a Mercury (or possibly some other planet,) model? and gray?

Maybe I need a upright and a canister? I like using the canister attachments for furniture cushions and getting into corners. Also it slides easily under furniture.

That was the boat I was in. I don’t care about high end foreign made with fancy names, the one I made the mistake of buying didn’t work great, quit working within a couple of years, and was in the shop numerous times when it did run. I ended up getting a Shark for the rugs and a Mighty Mite Canister for the floors and furniture the next time around and have been satisfied. That little canister has the suction of a shop vac and the bags are cheap. I think I only paid 35-40.00 for it on Amazon, they’re double that now but so worth it.

I have a Miele canister and you can't beat the performance. I found that I much prefer an upright because of hauling the thing around.

One of the sites I frequent that summarizes "good deals" has this listed at best buy for Dyson. I am only the messenger. If you are considering Dyson, this might be worth checking out.Dyson Ball $219.at Best Buy

So I ended up with a Shark. It’s still in the box so I can’t comment on performance. I got it at Costco so it’s easily returnable. I went there because they had a deal on a Dyson Animal. However once I saw it, I knew it wasn’t going to work for me. That ball is huge and I have very limited storage space. It’s also a lot heavier than the Shark. This model is highly recommended by Consumer Reports and so many of you like Sharks.

We’ll see how it goes. I am appalled by all the plastic after a lifetime of old Hoovers and my Kenmore canister. Not just Sharks, but all of them except the Miele. If I had a bigger house I might have sprung for the Miele..

Thanks for all your feedback. It really helped!

Cool! Let us know how you like it (or not, as the case may be). I really need to buy a new vacuum and am dreading it........!

Congratulations! I hope you like it as much as we like ours.

My daughter sprang for the Dyson Animal and looooves it. She’s been trying to talk me into buying one for months....btw, my Mom loved her Kenmore canister too. They did give you a lot of bang for the buck.

Happy vacuuming! : )

Thanks! I'm looking forward to it. Well, that's an overstatement.

Took it for a spin around the living room. It sucked so much dirt out of my rug, I was flabbergasted. That rug is vacuumed frequently. Not sure I like the way it steers. I'm used to vacuums that only go back and forth. Anyway, it's mostly too soon to say.

Lukki, Costco had a great deal on Dysons right now.

Very curious to see what you think of your new vacuum - especially the Duo Clean. None of my Sharks have that feature and I'm wondering if the double brush system gets the dust off the hardwood floors. My Sharks are great on carpet and they pick up all the crumbs and dog hair from the floors - but not fine particles and those LED lights are great at illuminating the dust. Currently I vacuum and dust mop the wood floors - I'd love to eliminate the dust mopping, but maybe I'm expecting too much.