After years with a Dyson, I was getting frustrated with the fact that I couldn't go in small places (under a bed etc...) and decided to switch to a canister. So I decided to go all out and bought the Miele Capricorn...oh my! So that's what it's like to vacuum! The Dyson was no slouch but the Miele is in a different league all together. First, the quality of the material is first grade, much better plastics that the Dyson. The Capricorn allows you to change the power from the handle (6 settings if I recall) from full power, to quiet mode, to vacuuming your curtains without sucking them. It is pretty quiet even on full power, much more quiet than my Dyson. I personally prefer a canister because of its maneuverability. It's much lighter to pull and operate than an upright and can go behind tight spaces and under the bed (finally!) The only downside is you will need two different brushes for your floors (I have both too). On the upside, they're very easy to change, and you can control the brush for the carpet from the handle as well (on the capricorn anyway) so you can turn off the rotating brush without moving your hand when your reach the fringes of a rug for example. I do love those control buttons on the handle. A friend of mine just bought a capricorn as well and had the same reaction: I wish I would have bought this a long time ago! It's like vacuuming for the first time. And that's coming from a Dyson! Great quality, fantastic power, super quiet and very light. Expensive, but like every Miele product, you do get what you pay for.

Thanks Graywings! I went with the Shark because it can be both upright and canister. With all the area rug and multiple surfaces and nooks and crannies, seems like I'll be using the smaller brushes more anyway. The Shark is somewhat heavy in the upright position and unwieldy to maneuver, although not THAT heavy and not impossible to maneuver. It's just my house is so crammed full of stuff to vacuum around! I can't complain that the vacuum is cheap plastic and then turn around and complain a sturdier one is too heavy so I have to pick my poison! Now I need to figure out how to deal with spots. I have one almost every week, and the spray cleaner I have isn't cutting it. Very worrisome, it leaves behind an area discolored and sticky feeling. Gonna have to look into a spot vac/wet vac too I think. Dad bought one so I might try his out first.

Wekick -- after my vacuum search turned me into a vac-geek, that museum went on my list of places to visit the next time I get to Missouri! Agnes -- Interesting that Miele has either shifted some C2 and C3 production to the facility in China or else maybe came up with the "Limited Edition" name to designate models to be produced in the facility in China. FWIW, my "C2- Homecare Powerline" was labeled "made in Germany" when I bought it in February. 209payitforward -- wekick suggested the Simplicity Jill which is a compact canister model. If you can't get to the factory store as wekick did, the current retail price seems to be $190 which is within your $200 budget. BTW, some vac stores carry Tacony's Simplicity line and some carry Tacony's other brand, Riccar. Same units with different paint. IIRC, the Riccar version is called "Sunburst." My recollection from vac shopping was that those models are pretty good if you have hardwood floors and no rugs. At one time, I think these models were made for Tacony in Korea but I kind of recall production having shifted to China where other Riccar/Simplicity canisters are made. askogirl -- the Sweethome/Wirecutter blog also recommends the Shark because of the ability to quickly dismantle it without needing tools. On your Miele Capricorn, did it come with a power brush and is that what was blocking up?

I recommend Miele. It's not cheap, but it was one of the recommended brands for our new plush carpet. The carpet manufacturer should be able to provide a list of recommended brands/models to use with their carpet. I was able to find mine on the specs for the manufacturer online.