Need Your Input on New Vacuums

I absolutely LOVE (as much as one can love a vacuum) my Riccar. You can find them at McKinney Vacuum or Frisco Vacuum.

They have several models in different price ranges. They are great.

We have a Riccar and love it. We read Consumer Reports before buying a vac and Dyson didn't have a good rating at that time. They may have tweaked some of the concerns since then. Good luck!

I got a dyson a couple of months ago just love it you will be amazed to the dirt that you vacuums up everytime you do vacuum and i do this regularly great for dog hair also. good luck

shelley s

We actually just bought this vacuum yesterday after my husband did extensive research and this model came up as #1 in Consumer Reports. It's also received and has 4.5 stars on Amazon after 220 reviews which is really good. It's called the Kenmore Progressive Upright Vacuum with Inteli-Clean System.
It's also $70 off right now at Sears! You can order online and just stop by and pick it up. It's $279 on sale.
<<http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02035922000P?vNa...;

This vacuum is awesome and I'm so excited we got it. I was actually excited to vacuum last night. It's super quiet and has great suction. You can see the lights turn from orange to green as the floor gets clean. The only bad part was my 2 yr old kept wanting to see the lights turn orange! The only downside is that it is a little heavy so I wouldn't want to carry it up the stairs and not all of the attachments fit on board. But so far, we love it.

Kirbys are very good but expensive. If you have the money get one of those. My husband loaned mine to a 'friend' & never got it back! I did my research because I thought I wanted a Dyson & found out they aren't all that. I bought an Electrolux & its fantastic. We spent $250 on it 2 years ago at Sams & its worth every penny. Read the product reviews & see for yourself.

Our Hoover Wind Tunnel just fell apart earlier this month and I went to Steve Black's Vacuums in Plano (Parker and Independence) at the recommendation of a friend. He sells several brands of vacuums and after speaking with him in length and describing what I was looking for: longevity; good cleaning capability on oriental, friezes, wood, tile, and a very long shag type area rug; and ease of use. He recommended the Riccar. I never thought I would say this, but now I LOVE to vacuum. It actually picks up dirt from the wood floor and tile without spitting it back out later like my Hoover did. It has 2 motors, one for suction and one for the rotor. You disengage the rotor on extremely long shags to prevent fraying and on tile or wood to prevent wear. If you suck up a shoe lace or something that sticks, the vacuum immediately senses this and turns the rotor off so as not to tear the lace in two. I never thought I'd get my long shag type carpet clean and the pile pulled up without a rotor as I can't use a rotor on it. The Riccar has enough suction to pull it up. It is more than what you are wanting to spend (in the $630 to $650 range for the low end model I got), but I feel it is well worth the money. It is so sturdy. Steve could have steered me to the middle or upper models for more money but was truthful and told me that the low end was all someone who just uses it on their own home needs. Steve does repairs as well and says that he seldom sees a Riccar in for repairs but sees tons of Hoovers. Another thing that I love about it is that it's U.S. made (just outside of St. Louis). Just one more model to consider.

I have the Dyson Animal, and it does work well, but as other people have mentioned, it's a) expensive, b) a bit heavy, and c) vacuum repair shops laugh when I bring it in (not often, to be fair) and say they'll see me later. The folks at my vacuum repair shop swear by Miele vacuums, but they also sell Dysons, Riccar, Hoover, and a few commercial brands I've never heard of. You might want to go into a good vacuum sales/repair shop and talk to the sales people.

L.-

I am a mom of 3 and 2 HUGE dogs (my dogs shed TONS of hair).I have a Dyson and love it! It picks up all the dirt from the carpet as well as hardwood floors. Our old vacuum wasn't picking up a whole lot and researched tons of vaccums. Dyson was far the best. Since we have the Dyson, our floors are cleaner. I would recommend getting a Dyson. It is though out of the price range that you have listed. We got financing through best buy for ours and paid it off in less than 4 months.

I have the Dyson Animal and it is incredible with pet hair. I have two large dogs and a lot of dog hair. This vacuum does the trick! Blew my Electrolux out of the ballpark.

I know you've heard a lot of good and bad about the Dyson. I got mine a few weeks ago and I LOVE it. My cousin has had hers for years with no complaints. I was at Frys this week and noticed that they have a bunch of refurbished Dyson DC07's for $199. That's a great price and I think you'll really love it. I heard that Dyson does the work so it's done well. You might want to check if they sell a warranty if you are worried. Good luck.

I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 boys, and a husband. I also have a Dyson. I love it! Mine does a great job picking up all of the animal hair, and dirt from the carpets. I also found that it was easier to push (mine is just regular, not the one on the ball).

My only complaint is the tank fills up really fast, so I end up emptying it often. The trigger release for the tank broke on mine, so I have to manually release the bottom to get all the funk out. I decided, however, that both of these things are worth it for the vacuum.

I don't know how much it was, I got mine for a gift.

We got a dyson animal. It works awesome. It is not heavy and is easy to clean. We purchased ours on ebay so we got a good deal. If you buy from ebay, make sure the seller has a good rating and make sure they have been sellling for a few years. We have a large dog (Sheperd) who sheds a lot and it gets all the hair up. R.

I love my Dyson. I got the animal hair one. Dyson would fill your qualifications except for price. i don't think you can get one for $200-$300.

I have heard nothing but horrible things about the DYson. A friend of mine has one and took it to be repaired and the lady said see you soon. And they thought what and she said "oh yeah if you have a dyson we will see you again." My old vacuum broke and i just got the Bissel Pet Hair Eraser and am amazed at the dirt and hair it pulls from the carpet, it is almost disgusting. I have a big black dog and 2 kids so the stuff that gets in my carpet is not pretty. I read reviews online on this vacuum and they were good. It was only 149.99.

hi L.!
i really enjoy bragging on the Dyson Vac. :) ITS INCREDIBLE!!! I used to clean houses before my son was born (10 houses!!) I convinced 5 of those customers to purchase this AWESOME vaccum! I even convinced a stranger at Target to get it. The suction power of this vac is amazing, the filters are great....the hose and accesories work really great also. the hose is LONG and the cord is long as well so if you have a big house you don't have to keep moving the plug. If you have stairs the hose can usually reach all the way up/down. It cleans your blinds/furn/fans/base boards ...its just a great vac. The base model(yellow) runs about $375 at target but is WELL worth the $$!
have fun... :)
S.

I can't give you any advice on a Dyson. We have always bought Kenmore from Sears and have never been displeased. My advice to anyone on buying appliances is check with Consumer Reports. They get no money from companies and their opinions are based on actually purchasing the products and testing all of them on their own. We have bought everything after looking on consumer reports for the last 10 years and haven't been steered wrong yet. Only one girl's advice.... Hope you find a great vacuum cleaner!

I have a Dyson Animal and really like it. We have a black lab and it works very well picking up the black dog hair out of my beige carpets!

We REALLY LOVE our Dyson! We have two medium-haired cats and two long-haired dogs that are all indoors, as well as a toddler. It picks up everything with ease. I absolutely, positively love it, and it is worth every penny!

Love, love, LOVE my Dyson Animal. It is a little more pricey than your range, but you make up for the difference in a year of buying bags/filters. It doesn't require any bags and the filter is washable (and easy to wash).

I love my Dyson. It costs quite a bit more than others but the small things are well worth it. I have had mine almost 3 years and it sucks like new. The cord is so long that I can plug in once and vacuum my entire downstairs. The hose is long enough that when I vacuum the stairs the vacuum sits at the bottom and the hose stretches all the way up. I cannot say enough good things about it.

We love our Dyson! I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's been banged around and moved and has a few broken pieces now but still runs great! I plan to get another one when this one gives out. I've had it for 5 years. My mom swears by her rainbow vacuum. The only thing with it is you have to put water in it so it's kind of a pain but it does clean great. Good luck!

Go to a vacuum store. We recently had to buy a new vacuum, and guess what we saw when we were there? *Tons* of Dysons, all waiting for repair. We bought a Sanitaire upright (this is the kind that a lot of professional cleaning services use), and plan to go back and purchase the canister for cleaning under beds, etc. I love it - it's the best vacuum I've ever had, and I've been through a few.

HTH!

My friend was in the same predicament. Dyson is very good but you must be willing to take time once a month to take apart the Dyson and wash/clean it. If you have the time and willingness, that may be your bet.
However, the Kenmore Progressive with Direct Drive is equally good and is made to have strong suction and keep up with the demands of pet hair especially. My friend did a lot of comparison shopping before deciding on the Kenmore. She knew she did NOT want to spend the extra T.L.C. required by the Dyson. She wanted EASY with just changing the bag as needed.
Hope that helps!
Jean

I have an Oreck and LOVE IT!!! I've had it since 2003 and never once have I had a problem with it. Weighing only 8 lbs is wonderful. I have a 3700 sq ft house and 2 stories so I have lots to clean. It's so great to vacume the stairs with and carry up and down the stairs.

One other perk is they come with great warrenties and service plans. I take mine in every year for service and maintance for free. There is also a 30 day trial period with them all. Oh ya, when I take mine in for service, they give me a loaner so I am never without one. Can't beat that service.

Good luck with your choice. There are oreck stores all over the place. Stop by one and see what they have to offer. : )

The Dyson Anminal is WONDERFUL. It is out of the $300 range but well worth the money. I got mine recently at Bed Bath and Beyond and used a 20% off coupon from Lines N Things (they take coupons from them) and it brought the cost to $450 I think. It is well worth the money. I have 2 dogs and a three year old that loves the sand box and this gets the dog hair and the sand out of the carpet.

I have four cats and two dogs so when it was time for me to get a new vac I really wanted the Dyson but could not afford it at the time. I found an Infinity made by Shark( two models I bought the cheaper one) I think some what hard to find but is in your price range. I found mine at Target and I have seen them at Bed Bath and Beyond ( they usually have coupons). I love this vac although it picks up so well that it is somewhat embarrassing how much stuff is in my carpet. I also need to say that I am very picky about vac s .
Good luck.

Our dogs shed a lot! We own the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. We got in from Target, but you can buy it other places as well. It works wonders, seriously! I was fed up with our old vaccuum not picking up the hair so we got this one and it works amazingly! : )

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-###-###-####-###...

We have a Dyson and I don't know what I did before I got it. I LOVE OUR DYSON. However unless you can find a used one it will cost between 4 & 5 hundred dollars.
We have a dog that sheds a lot.

I have mostly tile and only carpet in bedrooms. This vacumn works great on both.

if you arent concerned with looks a shop vac picks up anything and has more suction than any other vac, i tried bissel not bad need bigger model though most other brands break their bands on little toys and such that accicendly get vaccumed god bless

We LOVE,LOVE,LOVE our new Dyson! I highly recommend it, even though it is pricey...It is worth it! We thought we kept a clean house, but the 1st time we used our Dyson, we COULD NOT BELIEVE how much dirt it picked up! ...And that was right after we had vacuumed with our old vacuum! YUCK!
Give it a try! :)

I have a Dyson. I do think that it's a good vacuum, but honestly I don't think it's "all that."

If you can find something nice for a little less I'd go that route.

I was in this same situation a few months ago - I wish I had known more about Kenmore - we bought a $300 Dyson - it is so NOT worth the hype - it is good, but for the price I expected more!! It is difficult to use and the attachments are really hard to use.

I did look into getting an Oreck, and almost did, until I read they are not good on high pile carpet - we have Berber Frisee - or whatever it is called - very plush - which is why I went with the Dyson over the Oreck.

I have a Hoover Self propelled right now that I love. It is about 12 yrs old and I am in the market for another. We have 3 dogs, 2 cockers and a poodle.

My plan is Oreck. I like the lightweight feature. Right now I have a Hoover vac upstairs and downstairs. I would like to use just one.

My mom has a Dyson Animal and she hates it. She says it is heavy and not as easy to use. She regrets her purchase.

At times, my Hoover seems heavy, especially when using it on the stairs.

I have tried out the Oreck and it is a hands down choice for me.

Consumer reports rates vacuums all the time. You can join on-line for $5.00 a month. However you must cancel yourself if you no longer want access to their on-line magazine. I check out all major purchases before buying them. You can also get direct consumer reviews as well. They also rate every day items like the best dishwashing detergent. I use the Walmart brand that they suggested and it works better than anything else I've tried. Good Luck

I found the perfect vacuum for pets. We went through 3 diff. brands before I fell in love with my current one. It is the Dirt Devil Purpose for pets. It has an awsome hepa filter and also a special brush to remove the pet hair from carpet or any surface...I love it. And, the great news is you can get it at WalMart for around $100 or so. Hope this helps. It comes with a pretty good warranty also.

I second the Kenmore... I have one after my husband researched it. I spent 4 weeks without a vacuum- waiting on the research :o), but I LOVE it. Now they have the progressive (which is better than what I have.) Check it out. I think it's on sale right now...

http://www.kenmore.com/shc/s/s_10154_12604_Kenmore_Vacuum...

I'd avoid the Dyson. First, they're out of your price range, and second, if you talk to someone really knowledgable about vacuums (like someone that owns a vacuum store), they'll tell you Dyson's are worth about $60, if that, and that they honestly aren't that great.

I just bought a Kenmore from Sears. If you search for Kenmore vacuums, you'll see one that has a big "#1 with top consumer agency!" sign. It got Consumer Reports' top pick. I read the reviews, and everyone raved about it, saying it picked up dog hair and everything else exceptionally well.

I'll be retiring a Kenmore, but it certainly worked well for the years we had it (7 years). And, this new one is about $240, so not too bad.

Hi L.,

I have had the Dyson slim for almost a year and I have no complaints. The main reason we bought it was because we have a dog and wanted a good vacuum to pick up the dog hair and pet dander. I did the research, and this one was the perfect size (not heavy at all) and has the swivel head, which no other vacuum has, so it maneuvers very well around furniture and in tight corners. It also has the hepa filter so the air being circulated out of the vacuum is clean. I had used my previous vacuum numerous times in our house before buying the Dyson, and the first time I vacuumed with the Dyson, it picked up long cat hair that my other vacuum left behind (we don't even own a cat and our dog is short haired - this was from the previous owners!!) I was sold on it the first time I used it, and have no complaints whatsoever. Another note - you never have to buy any replacement bags or parts - just rinse the filters every few months. I love it. It may cost a little more, but it is worth it if you have pets! All of the Dyson's work well to pick up the pet hair, and there are some that are cheaper than the slim or the animal, check prices at walmart, target and home depot. Hope this helps!

E.

I totally agree with the Kenmore Progressive Bagless. I just got one a couple months ago and have a dog , two cats and two kids and it works great. Hair is picked up with no problem at all. It even has a sensor to let you know when the floors are clean. I got mine at Sears for $280.

I see you have got a lot of advice I can't read it all, but I have been going thru vacuums like crazy. They all seem to break down after not long. So I just want to say get a warranty. I have got 4 over the past 5 years for free by buying the warranty for 4 years and then taking it back to best buy and they give you a brand new one if they can't fix your old one. It has been the best thing I did. We now decided on the dyson and we love it, but I still have the warranty.
Good Luck,
S.

We have had our DYSON for 5 years and LOVE it! by far worth the money. we have pets and kids so we got the purple one and it really does work great!

A. J

Michelle you are right about the electolux over the kirby at least for me. My first electolux lasted me 18 years.Then I bought another upright electolux an loved it Then I went to work for the company an learned alot about vacumes .In Arlington when they still had shops open,But now I don't think they are still open do too door to door problems
just direct orders from the comany or from local stores. I bought a kirby because our son was selling them at the time to help him out ,that was the worst 2 grand I ever lost . If you put them side by side over the same spot the electolux wins,Then take out the bag the an eletolusx will pick up what kirrbu didn'tI dont' know of the dyson but sounds like it stands up to dog hair.

We bought the Dyson Animal (purple) about a year ago, and we love it. We were looking for something to pick up cat hair (we have 3 cats), and we were amazed when we used it for the first time. It is expensive, but it picks up so much...it is actually disgusting! I think we might have paid between 500-600, but we got it at best buy and it qualified for 6 mo. no interest on bb credit card (just an idea for you). Anyhow, Dysons do have quite a price range depending on what you are looking for. Just look at the Dyson website and you can read about each model, what it includes, and then you can see where the model you like is sold. Good luck with your search!

I have a big black dog and 2 kids tracking in dirt, my vaccum of choice is the Kenmore Progressive with intelliclean. It gets up everything, is easy to empty and the handtools are all attached. It is very heavy and difficult to drag upstairs but I'm otherwise very happy with its performance. I paid a little over $300 for it about 2 years ago, so the price has probably lowered since then.

I bought a dyson, and LOVE...LOVE...LOVE it.I have 2 dogs 2 kids, 2 piggy's and one hubby thank god> lol It has a 5 yr warrinty that comes with it, and if at any time you need help with it. You call the number on the front of it and they walk you through the whole process. I though mine was going out, cause it would work than not work.. I called the number and she walked me through the whole process of taking it apart and cleaning it etc.. I had some sting wrapped around it, and I tried to pull it all out and I told I wasn't sure if that was the cause. She sent me a brand new spin brush for it. Turns out the guys that were putting in my new doors, kept blowing a ceirciut and that's why my vacc would stop running. LOL

I have a Dyson Vacuum that I've had for a number of years. I'm not sure what the model is but it is turquiose and purple and has an attachment for stairs. I've been extremely pleased with this vacuum and remember how amazed I was when I first received it and saw all the junk it was picking up from my carpet. Vacuuming is a pleasure because you can really see that the vacuum is doing something! The one thing about the dyson that isn't great is that it's not terribly easy to maneuver, particularly in tight spots. It is also fairly heavy. All that aside, I have absolutely no regrets for purchasing a Dyson.

I read in Consumer Reports that the Hoover Wind Tunnel is the best affordable vaccuum and does a lot of things that the pricier models do. I'm getting ready to purchase one.

I just bought a Hoover Mach 3 as I have three dogs that come in the house. All of them shed really bad... On top of that, my house is grand central a lot of the time and my husband works construction so lots of dirt. It works really good, no bags to change and the filter is dishwasher safe.

I hated the dyson. Instead I bought the panasonic that looks similar to the dyson and I LOVE it. I have 3 cats and it picks up the hair great. It also adjust to bare floors and all attachments are on board. In my opinion the dyson was over priced and not worth it. Good luck!

I have a Dyson vacuum. I feel it cleans very well. I have had it for 3 years & love it! I have a husband, 3 children & a dog. Good luck!

I have an Oreck and it is 12 years old- I LOVE it. Lightweight and reliable. Tried a friend's Dyson and thought it was awkward and didn't have as much suction as my Oreck.

I'm going to mention a brand you have probably never heard of before - Riccar. I love, love, love mine. You find them at true vacuum stores, not Target, LnT, or Bed,Bath, Beyond. It uses a bag, but is really absolutely no problem to change and is actually better than the bagless. I had a bagless before and hated dumping the canister b/c dog hair, dirt and dust went everywhere! This bag you just take out, flip the little lid to keep the dirt and dust in and toss it in the trash. The vacuum store where I bought it won't even sell bagless as the guy that works there says they lose suction when the filter gets clogged. With a bag it's like getting a new filter every time you put in a new bag.

I have 2 dogs that shed horribly and 2 young children and I cannot recommend it enough. It is higher than the price range you mentioned, but I figured for a quality product that I'm going to use at least twice a week for 8-10 years, I was okay with that.

Another bonus - it's made in the USA!

I love my Dyson.

My Oreck was a waste of money.

My husband and I bought the dog hair dyson vacuum cleaner and was amazed at what it picked up!! In fact we were DISCUSTED!!!! It was grose what was in our carpet that our old vacuum was not getting. If you can afford a Dyson, I would highly recommend getting one. And if you decide to do that you can take a 20% off coupon to Linens n things and get some money off that way (you can use a coupon from linens n things or they evan honor coupons from bed bath and beyond). Thats what we did and we are so happy, now my husband loves to vacuum cause he likes to see what all comes up out of the carpet. Happy hunting. Oh and we have bad dog hair and cat hair in our house!! We have two dogs and a cat.

You should go to the Oreck store and check them out. They will do demonstrations and tell you all about them.
We love ours!!!! They are high end vacuums and are super for allergies.
If you decide to get one, you might inquire about a floor model. They often will sell you one of those for a cheaper price. We got to step up a model because we did it that way.

I personally have a Dyson Animal, it falls much higher on the price scale than your price range. We like it well enough and it sure does pick up the dog hair-we have a Scottie that sheds short black hair all over and my bestfriend has 2 Bassets and she uses one as well. But it still gets that lovely pet smell, doesn't seem to matter what we do including rinsing out the filter more often than every six months. It's also borderline heavy, I wouldn't carry it up our long run of stairs when I hit the 7 months pregnant range. It's also kind of a pain to clean out the nooks and crannies in the dirt catcher area that you don't see. It has never lost suction which is part of their claim to fame but if you can find one somebody else has recommended at a lower price range I would go with that one.

Hi L.,

You've gotten lots of responses - all different - so you're probably more confused than before! ha But let me give you one more. I just bought the new Bissell Pet Hair Vacuum. It is fantastic! It runs less than $150 and reviews I had read said it was just as good as the more expensive Dyson. I had just had my carpets professionally cleaned when my new Bissell arrived three days later - and I tried it out. It picked up over an inch of dirt plus tons of dog hair - just on my living room carpet alone. I couldn't believe it. I keep a pretty clean home and had been vacuuming regularly but this was such a shock. Needless to say, I feel much better about putting my 7 month old down to play on my carpet now that I have my Bissell. It also has a great apolstry attachment that comes with it that's like having a mini turbo vac to do your sofa with - great stuff. Best of Luck.
D.

Take a look at the iRobot Roomba. We have two big dogs and these are great. You can get them at Target, but if you go online, you can get a lifetime warranty. Go to the iRobot website and it will get you there. They are great as a time saver as well. Good luck!

G.

We have the Dyson DC14 Animal with telescoping reach (purple style) designed specifically for picking up pet hair. It is the most amazing vacuum. This model comes with extra accessories that the basic one does not come with. You can check their web site for more detailed information about their various models and patented technology at www.dyson.com. After having this brand, I'd never use anything else. Another great point is that the air expelled from a Dyson vacuum has up to 150 times less bacteria and mold than the air you breathe and it is certified as asthma and allergy friendly by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America. My mom had an expensive Orek but she dumped it for the Dyson after using mine. It's definitely worth the money. Good luck!

I have a dog and it was tuff keeping up with vacuuming. I was always having to take it apart and clean out the clogs from the hair. I tried bag vacuums and bagless ones but they always seemed to get clogged with hair. I bought my son an infinity vacuum (it is not as expensive as the dyson) but it is the same principle as the dyson which is a cyclone vacuum. I got it at Costco for $159. My son loves it. He said it is the only vacuum that has picked up his dog's hair and not got clogged. I would buy one for myself but we have since remodeled and put in hardwood floors so I no longer need a vacuum but my son swears that he would not trade his for anything.

P.

Hi L.
I'd also recommend the Dyson. For me it is better than any other vacuum I have used. I bought one - new in the box - on eBay from someone who worked as a rep for Dyson and bought it at a discounted price. In turn I bought it from her at a price a lot cheaper than the stores. It might be worth looking on eBay first! But even if you have to buy it at a store, it is still worth the money.

You've gotten tons of advice -- here's my experience with ORECK. We owned one (the cheap model) for about 10 years before it gave out. Loved it. When we replaced it, we bought the mid $ model (for about $500), because they demonstrated how well it picks up pet hair, blah, blah, blah. We started having problems with it almost immediately. Over the course of about a year, we had to take it in to have the brushes replaced about every 3-4 weeks (because of dog hair). It was an incredible hassle. My husband kept telling them it was a "lemon" and they needed to replace it. They refused and kept repairing it. Finally, after a year of this, the store told us to call the main office about replacing it. They said they would replace it, if we bought it direct, not if we bought it in a store! I don't know what happened after that (conversations between them and the store), but the next thing we knew a new vacuum was shipped to us via the local store. For an additional $270, we traded the replacement for the top model (because it's supposed to be the best for pet hair). We've had it several months now, with no problems. I used to swear by Oreck, but I'm not so sure now.

Buy a used Oreck on Ebay. Orecks are WORTH the money! You could possibly get a brand new one for around 299 but I think they average around $399 brand new. Parts are cheap but the vacuum is QUALITY! Will pick up anything on any flooring. Good luck.

Hi,
I highly recommend Oreck! I think Oreck Vacuum cleaners are worth the money! I have owned and used many different brands of vacuum cleaners and Oreck is my favorite! I have had a Rainbow, Kirby, Oreck, Sears, etc.

I have a new home, live alone with my one dog and one cat in the house. I have a top of the line Hoover....I cleaned one day in prep. for my housewarming party. My neighbor came to help with her Rainbow vacuum... remember I'd JUST vacuumed. Well the unbelievable 'stuff' that she got in her cannister was so shocking I would never buy anything els. I hear they're expensive but so worth it.

I have wood floors throughout our home, and 2 cats & 2 dogs - I use a SHOP VAC because it REALLY gets the hair, and the long hose is great for vacuuming the whole house - door jams, under furniture, etc - and if you use ceiling fans, the walls behind pictures get really gross. To me, dusting just spreads everything around, but the shop vac gets it up !