My favourite ever was a 30 year old Hoover. When it finally died last year, I got a cheap Eureka. Blech…roller thingie needs to be replaced about every 3 months ($20.00) and it can’t handle the high volume of pet hair. I have hardwood floors & area rugs.
Got any recommendations for a decent vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost a ton?
To keep things cheap, look for a used Kirby. They’re built like tanks, last forever, and could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.
I always got good results from an Oreck, myself.
My wife who is a vaccuum cleaner fanatic, swears by her little red Miele vac. I couldn’t find a site, but to many insiders, they seem to be the Holy Grail of VCs.
Guess it would help the search to spell “vacuum” right.
Here’s the link:
http://www.vacuums.com/vacuums.html
My dad likes his Oreck, also. Has had it for about 5 years now and works as well as the first day he got it.
I’ve used a Oreck, it was a nice vacuum…but I have a personal policy not to buy products that have IMHO excessively moronic & irritating commercials. 
Those Mieles look cool! They name them to sound like European sport cars…“The Miele s514i Solaris Turbo Plus.”
I think that’s cute! (Though I don’t know that I want to spend $600 for one.)
I also have an Oreck which really sucks big time.
Next question: Which brand of air conditioner really blows?
Oreck is expensive but I did a test when I popped open the box. Using my old vacumm cleaner, I vacummed very thoroughly with the old one…then got out the new Oreck…I was sucking up more and more crap that the old one left behind.
I hate to tell you that if you want a vaccum cleaner that really sucks up the dirt, you’re gonna have to put out a pretty penny.
Oh and BTW, I love my Oreck. I used one as a “housekeeper” back in 1989 when I worked for a Hilton. The best damn vacumm I ever ran up against. I spent the money for it and am not sorry I did.
If I ever buy a house, it will be tiled and hardwood floors added, no carpet except for throw rugs and the like. Much better in our climate with high winds, low humidity, lots of dust and well my animal’s hair, and shitloads of it at that.