200 Series BC4002

Kenmore is decent. In your budget thats probably the best option. Something like a 200 or 600 series canister with the motorized powerhead. Good on carpets and hard floors alike. That being said kenmore is no longer made by panasonic and quality has definitely gone down some. I still recommend them as theyre still worth it for the price in most cases. Parts availability may not be fantastic but unfortunately thats the case for basically everything in this price range. I really wish it weren't the case but that's where we're at. Not trying to be too much of a downer but want to temper expectations a little.

Tight budget, the best filtering models start at roughly twice that. But there are some decent filtering models in that price range. The Kenmore intuition upright or Kenmore 200 series canister with powerhead are both good performers on carpet. Both are bagged, which capture dust nore effectively than bagless vacuums on average. The 200 series canister had better attachments for furniture cleaning and the canister design makes it easier to get under furniture. Some people find canisters to be bulky though. The intuition is a typical upright style, bit easier to store and move around but I don't like them as much for cleaning under furniture or using the tools. Make sure you use the hepa style bags for either one you go with. The hepa bag plus hepa filter on the exhaust combined will provide good filtration. And when it's full, just throw out the bag. Much less risk of dust spraying around and no dirty filters to handle and clean. Higher end models like miele and sebo include better seals and generally tighter construction, plus higher quality filters. They are top tier but again, pricy. The entry level miele models aren't well suited to carpet cleaning.

Kenmore intuition upright or a Kenmore 200 series canister with the motorized powerhead are the best options at that price point. Both perform well on carpets with good suction and agitation from the spinning brush, have attachments for cleaning furniture and other surfaces. Both use bags which contain large quantities of dust more effectively than bagless models without blocking up. Plus using a bag means you don't have to clean filters all the time, just throw away the bag when full.

In that budget there really isn't much that is genuinely good quality and long lasting. For around $300 or less you are looking at about 3-5 years on average. Avoid shark and dyson. Annoyingly, Costco doesn't sell anything I'd recommend. Considering you have a lot of hard floors now I would look at a canister style vacuum, they have dedicated nozzles for hard floors which clean better and don't have a rotting brush to tangle up. The kenmore 200 series canister with motorized power nozzle is around $200. It includes a motorized power brush for the carpet area and a separate hard floor brush for those surfaces. It's a solid performer as a budget choice.

Well I'll start by saying the kenmore 200 with the motorized powerhead (avoid the mint green version, it doesn't have a powered brush) is great for pulling hair out of carpet. It's a genuinely great vac for the price. As for hard floors, well, I don't sweep. I never sweep unless I need to clean up a huge spill or bulky debris! Always vacuum personally. Vacuuming hard floors is great for several reasons. First of all, every time you sweep the brushes of the broom fling or flick dust up into the air. Sweeping stirs up a ton of lint, dust, allergens etc. Vacuuming draws all of that nasty stuff in with the suction, keeping it out of the air and off your furniture (helps cut down on dusting!) The vacuum suction helps to pull dirt and hair out of difficult corners where a broom doesn't reach. Especially great for pulling dust bunnies out from between furniture or underneath low items. Finally if your floors have any gaps or grooves, like joints between floorboards or grout on tile, the vacuum suction is far better at lifting grit, dirt, dust etc out from those gaps. Brooms just can't lift dirt from grooves really. Plus you don't have to deal with the dustpan line. I say give it a try at least, I find it to be way more effective and cleaner to vacuum hard floors. Not to mention much faster since I'm not chasing dust bunnies or fussing with a dustpan. And if you get a vac capable of vacuuming hard floors, why not try?

Kenmore 200 series canister with motorized power brush. Great performer across all surfaces, has height adjustment to suit different types of rugs and a separate hard floor brush tool for the wood floors. Has small tools for above floor cleaning and furniture, bags are large capacity and easy to get etc. If you want an upright, the kenmore intuition is also a decent choice. It should work on all your floor surfaces, just lacks the height adjustment and hard floor brush tool. You can still vacuum hardwood, it just won't be as maneuverable or sweep up fine dust as well as the 200 series canister.

Kenmore intuition upright or 200 series canister with power nozzle are both solid sub-$300 options which last around 5 years.

Sounds like a case of bad luck with a defective unit, happens with all brands occasionally. I'd try a kenmore 200 series instead, a little more basic but smaller and a little lighter but still has the power nozzle etc.

Kenmore 200 series with motorized power nozzle. Good performance, good on stairs, under budget. The kenmore 300 is even better because it has a small motorized power nozzle ideal for stairs (can be bought separately for the Kenmore 200s as well).

First, I will tell you they are NOT cheap for most of them. A shark is going to cost you $100-120, a Miele may cost $300-1,000. You DO NOT need any of the high end ones unless you’ve got a **massive** house. Second I will add, that Miele vacuum is going to last you 10+ years if you do upkeep if you buy the canister one which is the easiest to maintain. I’d say upkeep on them is maybe 10% of the effort of a bagless one. With bags it quite seriously contains everything within, you mainly rinse out the vacuum hose and wipe down the inside - then the main routine part is cleaning the bristles and what not. To remove fur tangled in bristles, take a box cutter knife and run it down the middle slowly cutting off fur that is wrapped around it (only any vacuum). Also note that these vacuums are going to be bigger than an upright one if you go with the canister. As far as specific ones, Kenmore is going to be cheapest and most efficient for the canister vacuum, around $200-300. Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly CrossOver 21814, Kenmore 200 Series BC4002. For Miele, Guard M1 Cat & Dog which is around $500. With all being said, the bagless miele’s are still great and around $350. The one you’d want to explore more is Boost CX1 SNRD0 - it’s $300-400. If you prefer an upright, which is still way better than a stick vacuum, a Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly 31150 is about $200 and will be great. Also, your current one may have gunk in the tub or chamber which is why the fluff is clogging. You may want to try cleaning your vacuum first unless the motor was running too hard / it’s old.

This or the Kenmore 200-series canister - good value for the money.

I would recommend the Kenmore 200, 400 or 600-series canisters, or if you can find one, a used Sebo, Riccar, Lindhaus or Miele canister with an electric power nozzle. Canisters generally are less tiring to use, in my experience - most of the weight is dragged on wheels behind you instead of being held in your hand. They also are far better for stairs, hard floors and above-floor cleaning. A tip - enter a room and vacuum your way out, instead of vacuuming your way in the way you might with an upright.

Here’s an even better option and it’s on sale. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075F4YTVF/ref=sspa_mw_detail_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWw

Sadly no. It doesn’t come with a power head. I’d recommend looking at c1 cat and dog if you can extend budget a tad or a kenmore canister with a power head. Or a sebo Dart would also work really well.

KPA is a marketing term to boost sales of inferior machines. CFM, water lift (sealed suction) and watts are the terms that differentiate models for comparison. At $250, these factors will mean less as you aren't likely to find a sealed suction machine. Options from Eureka Mighty Mite, Oreck XL, Kenmore 200, and Hoover Windtunnel may have what you want. All of these are included in this sub's link to recommended cleaners. A used Kirby would be high on my list at your price point as well.