I decided to always buy cheap vacuums because I can buy 2-3 of them for what I spend on an expensive one which breaks down anyway.
I bought a hoover windtunnel which was about $250 and it had nothing but problems, finally gave it way after about 3 years.
I went to big lots and bought a dirt devil bagless for $40. It works great and I figure at that price I can buy 5 of them for what I spent on that horrible hoover. Buying new vacuums is also nice because they're totally clean. We have lots of allergies, so this helps.
The bagless is a little dusty when emptying the cannister, so I take it outside. But it's nice because I can actually wash the cannister so it's really clean.