What Vacuum to Get? Old One Just Broke!

I wanted a vacuum with a bag and found out those were hard to find. I actually went to the vacuum cleaner store around here to talk to an expert. He recommended a Sanitaire upright. It isn't fancy and not even close to the most expensive one they sold - just an upright with no attachments, but it works great. In fact, it's the kind they often use in hotels and commercially, so I'm thinking it should last. After I bought it I found out a friend had the same one; hers is 10 years old and going strong. I got the upright and the canister for $150 (I think, maybe it was $250) because they price matched a sale I found online. Apparently, the store having the sale wasn't really allowed to even show that combo so low, but they still matched it.

Also, he told me one of the biggest things to look for is the beater brush. Metal is best, wooden second, and plastic is the lowest.

I wish I knew.....contrary to everyone else, our Dyson is so broken at 5 years old...it is not even cost effective to fix the parts. I never really liked it and cannot believe how poorly it stood the test of time. I need a new one too....but will not be getting a dyson. At $100 a year it was not a great deal.

We got tired of the $200 vacuums breaking all the time. We got a Miele and love it! I got it on the recommendation of another mom here. I, too, was hoping to spend about $200, but I also didn't want to have to spend it again in another 2-3 years. If there is any way you can do it, the Miele warranty is a very good one and more than pays for itself if it lasts even just that long, but I hear they're good way beyond the warranty.
Otherwise, avoid Hoovers. I had one ($200ish) that broke in less than 2 years and I was only using it for about 195sq/ft as the house was mostly hardwood. That was my experience with every Hoover. My mom has had the same problem.

not sure how much the regular dysons are, our's is about 4 years old, with a ton of bells and whistles, and it was $550 when we got it, but i'm pretty sure they've gone down in price, plus the basic ones are prob cheaper. you can use the 20% off coupons at bed, bath, and beyond too to get a better deal! i use my dyson downstairs where our 5 dogs generally stay, and it's GREAT at picking up the hair, and the wand that you pull out of the handle is fabulous, i use it all the time. i have a 10 year old oreck as well, i use it upstairs and on the actual stairs, since it is much lighter than the dyson. it doesn't get the corners and up against the baseboards as well as the dyson, but it totally serves it's purpose upstairs and is WAY better than lugging a vaccum cleaner up and down the stairs everytime i need to vaccum!

Definitely a Dyson! Best vacuum ever hands down!!!

We have a Dyson Ball. I think it was around $250ish? We bought it on sale at Best Buy. I love it. Easy to maneuver and works as advertised.

If you have $500 buy a dyson. It will last you forever with virtually no maintenance and they have great warranties.

If you're like me and can only dream of this then get a Bissell. They're pretty good too, you just have to clean them inside frequently so you don't get clogs.

We have a Dyson and I love it!

Although I cannot speak from personal experience, I have several friends that bought the Dyson upright and either thought it was a waste of money for what they got or hated it altogether! Too heavy, too expensive to fix, too cumbersome, etc.

From what I have read many times, it is pretty much black and white. You either LOVE or completely HATE Dysons...They is no middle ground.

When I bought a new vacuum over 2 years ago, I referred to the Consumer Reports article on vacuums. I ended up with a canister from Sears, a Kenmore model. Although it does take a little getting use to (like having the canister follow you around instead of in front of you as you vacuum), I really like it now. It is great on stairs, has a telescoping handle to reach high places, a button for an automatic cord rewind (no more rolling up the cord myself! YEAH!), a POWERED hand attachment for the stairs (must have the powered one, not the air driven one), power controls on the handle, etc. One of the things I like most is that I can actually get under low places (like the bed & coffee tables) and completely vacuum since there is no canister to worry about getting in the way on the upright. Now I will say, if vacuuming with one-hand is a must, then a canister is not for you, stick with the uprights as you will sometimes need both hands since you will sometimes have to pull the canister along the way.

Good luck!

I have 2 older model self propelled Hoovers that are over 10 yrs old and still work well. I have 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs.

About 2 yrs ago, I decided to upgrade and I spent over $700 for an Oreck. I LOVE this vac. It is SO lightweight, I don't need 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs, I also use ti on the steps.

Yes it was somewhat pricey but, it has a 10 yr warranty, I take it in once a year for routine clenaing and upkeep, HEPA filter, Great value for my money.

My mom has a Dyson and alsthough she sayd it works well, she hates it because it is so heavy and difficult to use.

Good luck

ANY Dyson you can afford! Love mine. You don't need all the bells & whistles.