This month's Consumer Reports magazine has their latest vacuum reviews.

Barbara

Did they test the Shark?

I bought the orange dyson,I hate it,its hard to control,it goes where it wants,If it were me Id get an electrolux,Had them for years I put in central in this house Its 21 yrs still sucks great.I have the theory pay good it will last a long time.ya know get what you pay for.

I currently own a Shark Navigator Liftoff I like a lot, but my favorite vacuum was my old Electrolux. Had one 30 years ago, but it kept getting jammed and I finally threw it out. Wish I had replaced the hose instead. I hated the Hoover "Bagless" I once had, it had zero suction, the worst vacuum I ever owned. My Mom, on the other hand, had a Hoover she bought in the 1950's and it is still going strong. It occasionally needs a new belt, other than that, no maintenance needed. . I also had a Bissell (Consumer Reports liked at the time) but it also landed in garbage.

I think this is my list then:

Hoover Platinum Collection� Lightweight Bagged Upright:
http://hoover.com/products/details/uh30010/platinum-collection-lightweight-bagged-upright/#parts

Shark� Navigator� Lift-Away� Pro - NV356E
http://www.sharkclean.com/cgi-bin/livew/site.w?location=b2c/product.w&product=NV356E&frames=no&target=main&sponsor=000006

Electrolux Nimble� EL8602A
http://smallappliances.electroluxusa.com/en-US/Floorcare-Appliances/Uprights/Uprights-Nimble-EL8602A.aspx

But I'm not sure if the Electrolux's are as good anymore ...

I am somewhat concerned about scratching oak floor. Is there a difference?

I just bought a Hoover (Well, I used Amazon points to buy a Hoover). I really wanted a Dyson but I couldn't justify paying $400 instead of getting it free with my amazon points. So far I really like it, but it's brand new. It's so easy to push that I'm going to have my 9 year old daughter do it (a bonus!). It's a bagless, the Windtunnel, and it was exactly $100. I was working on a product review, but haven't finished it yet. So far all my comments are positive though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hoover Windtunnel

I have an Upright Hoover Windtunnel similar to the one linked above and really like it. The automatic cord rewind started malfunctioning maybe 6-12 months after I got it. It wants to keep drawing the cord back into the unit while I'm vacuuming, but the problem was solved by placing a wooden clothespin on the cord where it enters the rewind hole. Viola!

I much prefer a bagless that I can empty frequently, and blow out the filter frequently, as opposed to having a partially filled disposable bag doing the filtering. Just mho.

Sue

I am somewhat concerned about scratching oak floor.
Scratching 'shouldn't' be a problem with the wheels of any sweepers, but you 'could' wrap them in some felt, if they were a problem. (I've never heard of sweeper wheels scratching wood floors.) When I sweep bare floors (ceramic tile), I use my upright like a canister and use the wands, and a floor brush left over from some previous Hoover. That works best for getting around and under things....kitchen, utility, bath, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Original Hoover Floor brush

Miele - Just bought the base model of the German manufactured ones about 6 weeks ago. It was a huge splurge but I love it. Wood heat + dog = dirt + dust + hairballs. This minimizes all of the above. Note: I don't have carpeting - the end best for that is $$.

I've used many vacuums, and the best suction ever was from my Hoover Windtunnel bagged, circa 2003. It is heavy though. Too bulky for hard floors, but great for wall-to-wall carpet.

Electrolux now is not even the same company as the Electrolux vacs of years ago. I still have 2 Super J's (70s model). They were built like tanks in some ways, but in others they are terrible. The bag clogs readily, bag chamber pops open, on-off switch doesn't like to stay where you put it, filtration is TERRIBLE...etc.

Used Dyson and was not impressed with the suction at all. Might not lose suction, but doesn't have as much as the Hoover even with the Hoover's bag 3/4 full.

Have a Miele canister now, and like some things about it, but the suction is not great. Should be good to have when I get wood floors and area rugs. I actually use the horsehair hard floor tool from my old Electrolux Super J, with the Miele. The cord retraction works great (unlike the old Electrolux, which is frustrating). MUCH better filtration than the Electrolux. The onboard tools are nice, and the red flocked upholstery tool is GREAT. Bags are expensive, and suction reduces a LOT when the bag is only partially full (probably true for all canisters where the bag is horizontal). By contrast, the Hoover stayed powerful until the bag was really full, and has BIG bags, which are also cheap and available to buy anywhere.