Have you considered a central vac system? I've got a 30 year old one in my house. Still works great. I love it.

check out the sebo G1 or x4 if you think they are to much see a local dealer to put one on layaway. get sebo facts online then visit 2 or 3 dealerships.
Also there could be some refurbished ones available online.
Dysons are good but alot of maintenace. trust me I had one!
If the sebo is out of your budget Then look into the panasonic uprights. trust me I had one but gave it to my mom when her vacuum died, and still runs like a champ! Thats when I got the dyson vacuum.
James Dyson has the patent on his vacuum which also was, you got it the FAMTON vacuum! Famton was the American Div. of his co. that went bankrupt! So know he sent his European version to the USA! IT is the best bagless though.
hope I gave you some insight.

Do you prefer an upright or a canister firstly?
Bagged or bagless?
Now much are you willing to spend, set a limit?

There are literally hundreds of vacuums out there on the market all vying for your dollars and all making claims that they are the absolute best, the lightest, the quietest, the clean airiest. Any hype to sell you a vacuum you're going to hear and you will hear it. From people on here and from salespeople and websites.

For starters, spending big bucks does NOT always buy you the best performing vacuum literally and/or the best one for your particular situation. There might be something about it you begin to hate after using it a few times.

My own personal opinion is that every house actually needs two vacuums especially if you've got wall to wall and some hard floors/stairs. An upright for the carpeting and a canister for other areas.

Be honest, do you or anyone in your family really really suffer from dust allergies. I think this lament gets way overblown by people and especially by vacuum sellers. If you do, then it's a legit concern. If no-one does then forget most of that "allergy" hype in vacuum literature. Most vacuums don't spew dust so bad anyones going to even notice. Many vacs that make no claims about HEPA filters etc are just as clean or cleaner than some that do.

The problem with buying a vac at many stores and online is that you never even get the chance to try it out before buying. At Sears you usually can and at a real Vacuum store you can but at both you run the risk of them pushing you towards the most expensive and you have to be on guard. At Sears you run the risk of a salesperson who really doesn't know their products because they only work part-time and they go thru employees like no tomorrow. At least around here they do the store always has an ad in the paper for someone to work in the vac/sewing dept.

If you're going to plunk down $200 - $300 on a vacuum take a good look at it. A really good close look. You'll see that all those fancy modern looking Dysons and Hoovers and Eurekas all look pretty flimsy on close inspection. Plastic on plastic parts and attachments, bins, tabs etc, just waiting to break eventually. Turn the thing upside down or have the salesperson do it and look, amazing how cheap a lot of them look because they are made on the cheap but priced high.

If you don't want all that hype, gizmo's, bells and whistles just look at a low to mid priced Kenmore upright made by Panasonic or go to a vacuum store dealer and look at the Panasonics, there's quite a few different models. In fact Panasonic still sell a model they've been selling for about 25 years, it's the one with the metal handle and one of their lowest priced ones, and it also happens to be a very good vacuum cleaner, has an onboard hose. Probably about $129 or even much less.

Or again go to a vacuum store and ask to see their Eureka or Sanitaire (Eureka) commercial vacuums, the ones that look like the old vacs from the 60's with the bag hanging on the back.. Yes they still make them, they're simple, straightforward and they work well, they're fixable and will probably last forever. Plus they only cost from $150 on up. You can then go buy a cheap canister for doing other things around the house. Google Sanitaire and you'll see them being sold on line and the different models and prices.

You could spend $1000 on a Kirby, they're actually very good vacuums and I like them. They're built like sherman tanks and probably the most reliable vacuum built to last 10 lifetimes. BUT they are cumbersome even with their self propelling they're just too heavy for a lot of people. If that doesn't bother you and the price doesn't scare you a Kirby would be the last vacuum you'd probably ever buy. LOL
My mother on the other hand could'nt even get the thing out of the closet to plug it in LOL it was just too heavy for her.. fine when it was plugged in and self propelled. Nor could she lift it to save her life.

I think simple and straightforward is the best. Something that's not too difficult to change the bag or change the belt.

After having a Dyson I looked on Amazon.com and read reviews and finally ended up with a Bissell Momentum for 99.00. It got great reviews and I have had it for 5 months and with 2 golden retrievers (I vacuum everyday) it hasn't failed me yet. I hated my Dyson and reqret ever spending the money for it.
I agree with pkguy...Kirby's are great (my sister has one) but not only are they built like a sherman tank but push like one too. Like pkguy said ... simple & straightforward, that's what I consider the Bissell to be.

I would suggest checking out the March '07 issue of Consumer Reports. Your library should have one. I copied the info at my library and it was pretty interesting. If you're looking to buy a very expensive vacuum it won't be in the report, but they have a great list of average priced vacuums.

I believe the current or last months issue also carried a rundown on vacuums. It's a good place to start and or finish if you're not really "into" or don't have the time or inclination but just want to get a decent vacuum and get on with your life as I suspect the vast majority of people do and not spend it quibbling over this or that's.

Thanks, pkguy. I will make a stop at Sears and a local vacuum shop this week. Not looking to spend more than $150 or so, but I don't want to spend $100 every year or so if I don't have to. I'm glad to know there are so budget-minded options out there. You've all been very helpful.
D