A thread about vacuum cleaners that I missed! Yikes. You can count on me to go down the vacuum cleaner aisle of any store that carries them. I have a affinity for this household tool. I am on my second LUX canister. (Used to be called Electrolux, but that name was sold to another manufacturer.) It is a beautiful but expensive machine. I also have an older upright made by the same company, but I prefer the versatility of a canister.
What I would suggest is that you go to a store that features only vacuums, and carries a variety of brands. I was in one today and it was a phenominal experience. (hog heaven). This kind of store also carries the types that are used for commercial purposes, hence more reliable and user friendly (I would think). I purchased an auxiliary vacuum - a light weight commercial Hoover. [8#] and comes with attachments. I had one of these when I first got married 32 years ago, and it still works. My husband uses it to clean out the car.
Addendum: I took back the little Hoover. It had a lot of flaws. Had to bend over to keep the head of the tool flat on the floor and the cord was so long and so heavy, it defeated the light weight aspect of the vacuum. Plus the suction was no where near what my old one had been. The people at the store were very nice though and I will probably go back to look for a different model.
