We have always had a cheap vaccuum from Wal Mart that was a heavy, burdensome upright, having to replace it every few years. This one is not cleaning much anymore and it breaks my back to use it. I really hate to spend $500 on a vaccuum, and what if it doesn’t last? Also, I would love for my ds7 and/or dd5 to be able to use it sometimes. They use my little red stickvac for fast, easy cleanups on the kitchen floor. We have all types of flooring: carpet, hardwood with area rugs, and kitchen vinyl flooring. Furniture is leather, so don’t need it for that.
Well this is not *exactly* what you asked for because it’s not cheap, but I have a Dyson and LOVE it. We’ve had it for 3 years now (or is it 4?) and it’s the best vacuum we’ve had. We had a super expensive Kirby that was heavy and not with the money at all. If my Dyson died today, I’d go buy a new one. It’s light weight, easy to dump the can, durable, and sucks really well (that sounds bad, but you know what I mean). With Christmas and Black Friday coming, you might find a great deal. I have this one ~ http://www.amazon.com/Dyson-All-Floors-Cyclone-Upright-Cleaner/dp/B0007LJO2C/ref=sr_1_9?s=vacuums&ie=UTF8&qid=1321153286&sr=1-9
I also love that is has all the tools on board and so it’s easy to go from vacuuming to using the hose. I’m sure there are good inexpensive vacuums, hopefully someone will chime in. I know it’s terrible to spend a lot of money, especially on something as unexciting as a vacuum, but since I use ours almost every day I have found it to have been worth the expense.
This might not be at all what you’re looking for but I got a Hoover Nano a few months back and I love it!! I got it because I wanted something light and convenient for quick cleaning. But i haven’t used my central vac since or the vacuum upstairs. It is a small upright , its super light weight and transitions from hardwood to carpet great (no carpet level options) but picks up tons. It’s by far the easiest vacuuum I’ve ever had. I’m wanting one for the upstairs too. :)Oh, my children can use it, unlike the heavy thing upstairs…When I read reviews the only complaint was loud noice but thankfully mine isn’t. It was only about $60. at Walmart..
I would love one that doesn’t break down all the time, as well. Do they make cheaper ones like that anymore? Well, I can tell you which one *not* to get. We have a Bissell (or is it Eureka… now I can’t remember) Pet Hair Eraser. Doesn’t work, roller has broken a couple times now, and the belt breaks all the time. Pet hair eraser attachments never did work very well, but now they don’t even spin or hardly pick up the fur. Grrrrrr…. We’ve had ours around 3-4 years now.
We also have a central vac, but there’s so little suction it’s not worth using. :-/
I have to agree with the Dyson. I know they are expensive. But it is the BEST vacuum ever. We’ve had ours for 4 or 5 years. I have called and talked to the service department once and they were great, totally helpful and they have the vacuums there so when you are explaining things they can take them apart with you. Oh, and by the way it was my issue, of trying to clean all the parts and couldn’t remember how to put it back together.
My husband is a carpet installer and he recommends this vacuum to anyone who would ask him. He said it is the best vacuum for sucktion, weight and the beater bar not moving when upright and sitting. We have just started having issues with our vacuum. But as you can imagine with a carpet installer ours gets a lot of use. We will get another Dyson when she finally dies. Oh and our house cleaner loves our vacuum, says it’s the best vacuum she’s ever used.
Good luck, I know it stinks to put money on vacuuming, but if you ask my dh, it’s cheaper than buying, and installing new carpet? Misty
I really must agree with the Dyson. I purchased mine refurbished to save money and have had it for about 10 years now. Before that I would buy the cheap ones and need to replace after 2-3 years. The Dyson is easy enough for my 6, soon to by 7, year old to use. Initially I really wasn’t sure if it was worth the money, but I will never question the price again. I would buy again in a heartbeat.
I’m thinking of getting this one for the upstairs. I have a Riccar vacuum for my downstairs (which is good but expensive), but I’m tired of lugging it up and down. So, I thought this vacuum would be a nice alternative for storing and using for the upper level of my house.
Sarah – if all these rave reviews about the Dyson have you tempted to throw out your original request for a cheaper vacuum, I encourage you to find a friend who will let you borrow one. I borrowed a Dyson because everyone LOVES it, and I’m so glad I did! I really didn’t like it at all, but I also prefer canister vacuums and I like one with very long easy to use attachments and the Dyson I borrowed was cumbersome for stairs and ceilings. I hope someone answers your request because I’ve been wondering the same thing and would love to get a canister again!
Ok, ladies, mine is not a “new” vacuum. As a matter of fact, when I bought it, it had been refurbished by a sew/ vacuum sales & repair place. I have an old Princess II which is a Filter Queen canister vacuum. This vacuum works well, is light weight, and came with quite a long hose. What’s more, the electrical cord is nice and long to boot, so I can go through a couple of rooms before I need to unplug it – a little thing, but still nice. While you might have some trouble finding a Princess II, my mom has a newer Filter Queen, this is her second one – my sister took her first one and it’s still going. The one my sister has was also used before Mom bought it. These are well built and worth it if you can find one that is used/ refurbished.
Oh, I forget who mentioned this, but my kiddos have all used this over the years. My youngest used to pretend to vacuum with it when she was two, so it’s not that difficult to move and use.
We have a central vacuum at home. We’ve had one in all 3 of our homes. LOVE IT, works better than any other vaccum I’ve ever seen and it’s a help with my son’s asthma. However, it’s not exactly cheap and while lightweight, cutting sheetrock and installation is probably not what you’re looking for!
We also have a stick vacuum in the kitchen for easy after meal clean-up. We have the ErgoRapido. It’s battery operated, does a good job and is easy enough for the four year old. However, it won’t do whole house cleaning.
For our homeschool co-op, I bought an Oreck. It is an upright, but is extremely lightweight and works wonderfully on the carpet! No attachments, though. This thing cleans many classrooms after co-op each week and the church uses it after all services. It’s a workhorse! I can’t speak to how it does on other surfaces, but it may be an option worth checking. I bought it at Target.
Can’t help with canister vacs. Haven’t had one in 12 years, but when we did, it was a Kenmore. I found it cumbersome, but it did clean well.
Well I have a dyson as well – the upright kind – and the suction is indeed wonderful on carpet, but I don’t find that it transitions well to wood floors. It is also very heavy. I bought it refurbished and it was about $260 I think. I wish I had looked for a dyson canister vac as I really prefer that style. I use an oreck upright at a housecleaning job I have and it goes from carpet to wood perfectly so I know it is possible for a vacuum to do that. It is very light and easy to use.
I love my Kenmore Quick Clean-a Christmas present from my dh and probably my favorite gift that year! It replaced a heavy canister that I hated dragging around. My dc can use it easily.
I second simple home with the shark navigator. All reviews compare it closely with the Dyson without the HEFTY price tag. The shark navigator is hands down the best vacuum I’ve ever purchased and I love it! I’ve had it for over a year and it does everything…carpet, bare floor, baseboards, extender for cobwebs, etc…pulled the pile up on my worn looking carpet with first use and made it look fluffy again. Every time I vacuum I get a canister full of dirt and yuck out of the carpet that I would never have imagined was in there. It has a 10 year warranty too! Three cheers for the Shark Navigator!!!
Well, ladies, thanks for all the wonderful responses. I did figure out how to spell vacuum correctly by the way. 🙂 I have put many hours of research into this vacuum purchase. While I appreciate the recommendations for the Dyson, I cannot spend that kind of money right now on a vacuum. The Shark looks great and has some great reviews on Amazon and Walmart sites, but we had a Shark about 6 years ago and it was the worse vacuum we had. It kept falling apart on us and lasted less than a year. I’m not sure what model we had, but my dh says he will never buy another Shark because of that one. I am seriously looking to buy the Hoover Nano (see dramy recommendation). It is under 12 pounds, under $60 available at Walmart and has cyclonic power. There are great reviews at Amazon and Walmart sites for this as well. I love the fact that you can turn off the brushroll, so it won’t spit dirt everywhere while cleaning bare floors. 🙂
@Sara B, ours is a Bissel Powerforce bagless and it is a mess to clean up the canister and filters. I have lost suction in it and had it about 2 years. It likes to spit dirt out at me. Last time I (tried) to vacuum, I think more dirt came out than what went in.