Generation 3

Look, Kirby's are awesome, I used to collect and refurbish them to resell, but they've basically been the same machine since the G3 was released in 1993. More than likely, you won't really like it. They are extremely heavy and really annoying if you have a bunch of furniture and don't have wide open acres of wall-to-wall carpeting. If your house isn't enormous the best metaphor I can use is they're like trying to mow a tiny patch of grass with a tractor. Don't ever EVER buy one new. You can find nice, clean, complete units with all accessories for $100 or less used on Marketplace all day everyday. People (often older people - they prey on the elderly) buy them and then never use them. They are a straight scam if bought from the door-to-door salesman.

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.

Are we talking upright or canister vacuum? If upright and mostly carpets, I'd go with a second hand Kirby machine. Something from the later Generation series up to the Avalir (they are all fundamentally the same machine) If a canister, then yeah probably a Shop Vac. Although if he has no patience for being able to fix the vacuums I don't like his chances of dealing with the Kirby, as far as maintenance goes. Also, sounds like the bf needs to do some growing up, if he's breaking stuff regularly because it doesn't work I think he needs to learn some emotional regulation. Sounds like a spoiled child to be honest. If he's breaking them he should be paying for them, and if he doesn't have a job, well you guessed it, he should be working if he wants to break shit. Sure he may have some mental illness or problems, and I can relate, but that doesn't excuse him from acting like an idiot? This is not cute behaviour and it only gets worse if validated. EDIT: Just went through your post history.....get rid of this fucking deadbeat. I'm sorry he had a rough upbringing but he's still alive and he's fucking 33. It's time for him to take responsibility for his own life and stop blaming his past. None of this behaviour is endearing or worthy of any sort of coddling or admiration, it's just plain toxic. You DO NOT owe him a thing and it's time to move him on and find someone more aligned with you, and the fact that HE gave you an ultimatum some time back about moving in or he would leave, I'd have called his bluff and taken that opportunity to leave.

Buy a used kirby off marketplace , heavy but self propeled and super hi high hight adjustment

As well, a Kirby is probably the best carpet cleaning Vacuum made. It’s just antiquated.

KIRBY! Get a refurbished Tech-Drive model. They can easily outlive their owners with adequate maintenance, tune-ups, etc. They’re very different from modern vacs, but, for carpet-only, for the price, value, they’re perfect.

Kenmore canisters for carpet are very good. For hard floors, they’re awful. Obsolete. Deal breakers. Etc. Why not buy a refurbished Miele or Sebo, or if you have wall to wall carpet in most of your home and rarely use attachments, definitely go for a Kirby, or a Rainbow if you have a mix. Goodvac dot com for Kirby parts, Rainvac dot com for Rainbow parts. Miele parts and Sebo parts are easily accessible. Hyla parts are not, in contrast, but they too last a long time. I think they’re easier to use than the Rainbow but they don’t clean carpet very well at all. Kirby is about the best you can get for carpet.

You can get second-hand Kirby vacs off of marketplace for under $100. I think anyone who is even halfway serious about deep cleaning carpet should get one. Just make sure it’s been taken care of, if not recently serviced.

It’s not impossible. Look at a refurbished Kirby for carpet. You won’t find a better vac for that, but, you can research their carpet performance and why they clean carpet better than anything else (airflow, height adjustment, nozzle design/ brush roll performance). You can get them for $270 or so refurbished and get possibly decades out of it. A properly refurbished unit should be completely clean inside and out, and fully functional mechanically, performing within spec of a brand new unit.