Classic Omega (1CB)

Look here, sir or ma'am! This young man just called Shark and Dyson the top names. He doesn't know what a Kirby is. For the young man, Kirby's are technically called a "rug renovator". When they put them in the tests with regular vacuums, they just obliterated them, so they made a new label.

No offense, but unfortunately your budget is not enough. If he's a slob, and breaks expensive machines, this is his issue. Not your issue. I totally get it, if you spend a lot of time at his place, etc. I vote for spending time at your place. A basic shop vac might be okay, as long as there is no carpet. If you could find an old, used Kirby, that would be ideal. I've seen those on FB Marketplace, sometimes free. They might need a bit of fixing but build like a tank. Also very repairable. The downside, they feel like they weigh 100lbs. Or more if the direct drive is broken. My Aunt has two. The old one is from Mid 1970's. The "new" one, 1992.

Best vacuum I’ve owned. I grew up around Kirby’s and missed bagged vacuums. This also does NOT tangle really long hair.

Kirby upstairs and a Shop-Vac downstairs. The Kirby is an absolute beast, worth every penny.

Can't go wrong with a cheap Kirby with that recent servicing. It'll be a bit heavy to push around (pre tech drive) but AFAIK that's the only compromise

I own one of these vacuums, and the brush tends to get stuck on the carpet. I’ve tried adjusting it multiple times, but it doesn’t seem to work. I’ve also replaced the belt a few times, but that hasn’t solved the problem. The vacuum works well, but it might be sucking too hard, which causes the brush to stop rotating on the carpet. Just my own experience.

Kirbys are great because they're so easy to fix. Every single part is user-replaceable