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Maybe its just me, but I've always had a problem with bagless vaccums. Emptying them always seems to end making a big mess and my breathing in a cloud of dust. I still prefer the disposable bags.

jimkk, i have the same problem with my bagless vacuum cleaner! i end up sneezing and blowing my nose for at least half an hour after emptying out the dust. it just makes me procrastinate on cleaning out my vacuum.

question - what are the pros/cons of a canister vacuum versus the upright kind? has this already been discussed on at?

i totally agree with jimkk - if you have allergies you really can't go bagless, and even if you don't they are so messy. yeah, you have to buy bags, but otherwise it defeats the point of vacuuming if you have to deal with the dust and mess of bagless.

Good point. We empty our cannister in the building garbage can, which is outside, to avoid this problem.

I have had the cheapie bagless stick vacuums for years and loved them - on a tight budget, for under $20, I had a few last a long time. I just dump them out side in the building cans and stand facing away from the wind to tap the filters. The best one I had I think was a eureka. The only 'problem' was that it had no on-board features and once I borrowed a vacuum with an upholstery cleaner - I was sold on that feature. It makes your house feel so much cleaner! I tried a few other bagless, including one of the dirt devils - it had too short of a cord so I returned it. i had another one, a hoover bagless with tools, but the cup/filter wasn't to sturdy and broke. I had it gerry-rigged for a long time and then got fed up with it. i recently got the optima bagless 12 amp by Eureaka and so far I love it. It was about $60 and a little heavy. But it is a - so cute, b- small, c- don't have to empty it every time I use it ( I live on a very busy/dusty street & have a dog), and best of all - the tools suck great! The tool suction is even better than the floor suction, so I often use the tool for all the corners and stuff besides the upholstery. I think it's only real drawback is that if you get close to a 'fragile' display (I have a few card sized piece of art and feathers) they can blow away from the breeze. Other than that - I love it - and for $60 bucks that can't be beat.

Our bagless Dyson doesn't create dust when we empty it -- we secure a trash bag on the bottom of the canister with a rubber band, release the bottom lid, and voila! -- everything's in the bag, all nice and tidy.

are you sure about the Miele $$?
I got one of the teeney ones (it's blue, can't recall the model), and I *might* have amnesia about the cost, but I thought it was comparable.
BTW I bought it due to recs on this site
(trillium perhaps? however you are: THX)
It's fantastic, and cute/small.

I've had a shark vaccum for about 3 years now and love it (about 80 bucks). I wanted something with industrial strench suction, as I used to live in a house with wood flooring that had spaces (and two cats), where dirt and fuzz would get trapped. My shark got all of that without even blinking.

I agree with everyone about emptying out the canister, it can get a bit dusty, but buying bags is such a drag!

I think for that price point, it was a great investment, and it's compact enough to fit anywhere, as the model is similar to the electrolux featured above.

i have this vac:

http://www.sanitairecommercial.com/products/canister/index.jsp

it's a commercial canister (with bag) vac that works great, wasn't expensive, and fits so neatly onto a shelf in my hall closet. it's a workhorse, too! i've got two cats, a massive dust problem because my bro's a contractor and has 80 million funky tools, AND we've used it frequently to clean up renovation debris (plaster dust, chunks, even nails...and yeah, i've vaccuumed up pennies before, whatev.)

i definitely recommend it!

I have to agree that I don't understand the bagless craze. I had a bagless vacuum in college and it was a mess to empty. Why would I want to sweep up after vacuuming?
About ten years ago I bought an Electrolux which has been the best purchase ever.
The Electrolux had superior HEPA filers in the bag and in the machine - perfect for my allergies. Two things I really love ... (a) the vacuum tells you when the bag is full (and warns you before that so you can run out and buy new ones during the week) (b) the bags seal when they are not in the vacuum which is brilliant. In ten years, I have never had a spill, and I am a clutz!!
It is not cute - and I occasionally have cute envy for the Miele jelly bean varieties (wow they are cute!) but I am sold on the bags - wouldn't trade them for anything. The new oxygen models by Electrolux are pretty cute - much better than the dark grey model I have but mine works and I'm not trading it in until it dies.

GK - regarding canisters versus upright vacuums. I like a canister because I can clean wood floors, carpet, rugs, upholstery, curtains, walls, small spaces behind the toilet,and the little nook between the refrigerator and the wall. The upright just vacuums floors. It really depends on what you need to clean. (how do you clean your sofa if you don't vacuum it?)

alex: i agree completely...my canister vac has an upholstery attachment that is so perfect for getting cat hair off the comfy chairs. i've never been a fan of uprights. they always break on me.

i've sworn off residential vacs for good. i'm all about the commercial...so much more efficient, and usually SMALLER (if you can believe it)

How is the noise level on this one? And does anyone have any opinions on the Electrolux Harmony vac? It's a few hundred dollars cheaper and supposedly quiet and good on hardwood floors.

I too am struggling with the upright vs. canister issue - my Dyson has declined significantly in performance over 5 years of use and I would LOVE to get something that will actually go under furniture without my having to get out the hose, etc. and is easier to store.

My understanding is that canister vacs were best for hardwood floors but were not good for deeper pile carpets or animal hair. I guess this might not be true? I have two longhaired cats and a few shag rugs so i do need a fair amount of power, any suggestions are very welcome!

don't most upright vacuums have attachments, too? mine does and it's just a cheapie hoover that i got at target. if i need to get in corners or nooks (or vacuum my couch/chairs), i just get out the little attachments. it's a bit of a pain, but works well enough. the attachments do look like they might be easier on the canisters, though.

I've had a shark vaccum for about 3 years now and love it (about 80 bucks). I wanted something with industrial strench suction, as I used to live in a house with wood flooring that had spaces (and two cats), where dirt and fuzz would get trapped. My shark got all of that without even blinking.

I agree with everyone about emptying out the canister, it can get a bit dusty, but buying bags is such a drag!

I think for that price point, it was a great investment, and it's compact enough to fit anywhere, as the model is similar to the electrolux featured above.

Posted by Andrea in Bklyn
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Andrea - can you tell me more about the Shark you have?
Maybe the model number / where you got it? Does the shark have tools? Is it bagless? You said it looked like the one above, but the only shark I knew about was a stick vac, basically like the one I have/have had in the past....

I'm in LA, but maybe I could find one here - that $80 would be about the most I am able to spend, but I would love 'industrial strength suction", because I too have wood flooring that has spaces (and a dog), where dirt and fuzz get trapped.

Did it work good for upholstery and on carpets?

I am the poster who has the optima and I have to use the wand tool to get the crevices. I don't do that every time I vacuum - but how nice if I could just suck it up on the first pass every time! The Optima's crevice tool has such amazing suction, I really love it and it gets all the regular dust/dirt bunnies, so I figure it was worth it - even if I have to suck the cracks.

(And people, I am ONLY talking about the floor here)

I have bad asthma, and I have had an Electrolux canister for 20 years. My mother has had hers for 40 years. My motherinlaw's is almost 50 years old, and still incredibly strong.

The motor can be serviced every five years, and it remains as powerful as ever.

In the meanwhile, my brother has gone through 4 uprights in the same 20 years, and they don't seem to work well. The Electrolux canisters are truly a marvel.

As for the bag issue, well we buy a case of bags, and they also last 5 years or so (as long as the cheap upright vacuum machine).