Best Buys in Canisters:
- Kenmore Progressive 25512(25513) $300

CR Quick Picks

Best uprights for most tasks:
- Kenmore $300 (CR best Buy)
- Hoover Windtunnel 2 U8311-900 $250
- Eureka $150 (CR best Buy)
The Kenmore offers the best blend of performance. Choose the Hoover if you value easier handling over cleaning w/tools, the Eureka for its low price & superb pet-hair performance.

Least weight and lower cost
- Hoover Tempo Widepath U5140-900 $60
- Hoover Empower U5262-910(U5265-900, U5269-90, U5268-970) $100
- Bissell Powerforce 6579-2 $50
All 3 are well below 20 lbs. Either Hoover is a fine choice if you don't mind added noise. Consider the low-priced Bissell if bare floors are a bigger part of your cleaning than carpets.

Best canisters for most tasks:
- Kenmore Progressive 25614(25615) $350
- Kenmore $300 (CR Best Buy)
- Hoover Windtunnel Bagless S3765-040 (S3755) $180
Bost Kenmores offer similar performance. Choose the lower-priced Hoover if you want a bagless vac & value superb hose suction over handling and pet-hair pickup.

CR is a very well-respected organization. Recently, when CR reported problems with their testing procedures & results for infant/child car seats, the media was all over the story and how it would cause severe problems for CR's credibility.

Ellen

That said, I also have a Eureka Boss Smart Vac and love it.

CR uses equipment not available to the homeowner to test how much dirt is left on floors and in carpets after vacuuming. Your carpet may look clean, but what's still there that you can't see? They also focus on what gets blown back into the room with the machine's exhaust.

I always read CR before buying an appliance. CR is one of the few sources of accurate consumer info. Appliance manufactures do not have the best interest of the consumer at heart (not even that cute, sweet little Mr Oreck). It seems strange that some people are determined to believe the manufacture's advertising and resent CR's negative reports. Example, I've heard bad things about Dyson from people who own one--well actually two. Maybe these people are just too picky--they are fanatics about cleaning. Other Dyson owners quote "love, love, love" their machine.

After reading these forums, I do wonder about people who say they love an appliance. Being very critical of most appliances, there are always things that could/should be better. Some vacumms are better than others, but I have never found one that was perfect that I loved. And I definately want to know how much microscopic stuff is left on my floors after vacumming.

I also bought a Panasonic DVD recorder that they rated highly and it's had a lot of issues, including not keeping the correct time, freezing up and not recognizing regional codes, to the point where I can't play any DVD's (movies, TV series) I didn't record myself.

I enjoy reading CR but by no means should you base a buying decision on what it, or any one source, has to say.

You know what went on the first? It was the switch. It was depressed by foot pressure. I'd replaced it a couple times, maybe poor design was involved. When we moved, we decided to buy a new vacuum, but the old one still worked. It was just inconvenient that the only way to shut it off was to uplug the vacuum.

I have to say that I have a Dyson,the DC07 and I LOVE it. We don't wear shoes in house and have no pets,but this thing finds the dirt. We have mostly new(less than year old) Shaw carpet and it does a great job.

I've switched back to Hoover. Long history with Hoover, and very pleased.

it is highly suspect that the Kenmore brand of vacuums ended up in the top selections for each category. I have never used one but Sears doesn't have a great manufacturing reputation so I wonder how they can produce a product that could be perceived as the highest quality.

There's a saying: It is better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt.

Sears Kenmore products are very popular, and many people buy them and apparently like them over, say, the Electrolux which may not be represented in the ratings. CR has to have at least a certain percentage of people chiming in who own a certain product for them to rate them.

I personally hate Kenmore progressive vacuums--both uprights and canisters. I've sold many; mostly because of CR. I found it hilarious when CR changed there mind and reranked canister vacuums both last fall and this spring. All of the vacuums in the top three have been around since last spring, and yet all of them have moved in the rankings each time CR has posted new rankings--I guess they had a change of heart...how helpful...