Phantom

Thanks for all the information in your post. I recently bought the Prolux Phantom with the Wessel carpet head. I was also researching the Vapamore Vento, Simplicity Scout Plus and various Kenmores for bagged canisters with similar attachments and price points. So, far I'm happy with my purchase. The canister is much bigger than I anticipated and I'm getting used to vacuuming with a canister instead of an upright. The vacuum has a lot of power, it's a dream on hard floors with the wide floor attachment. The powered Wessel carpet head definitely works, but changing the carpet height level is a little nuanced (have to tilt the handle pole towards the floor to get the level to change sometimes). The vacuum will suck up small throw rugs if you don't reduce the suction power and increase the carpet level. I really like all the attachments that came with the Prolux Phantom, you have everything you need. This was a huge factor in my purchase since the hard floor tool was wider than most. A small crevice and dusting brush are on board attachments. There is a caddy you can put on the vacuum to hold most of the other attachments while you vacuum around the house. The bags are affordable and arrive quickly from Prolux. I have used my vacuum for a few months and I have not needed to change the bag yet. I'm glad I bought the Prolux Phantom instead of the more expensive canisters as I figure out if I prefer canisters or uprights. I would say a swivel where the hose connects to the canister and canister wheels will be important for an upgrade if I buy another canister in the future. Canisters are definitely better for varied floor surfaces and wide open spaces. Uprights are good for space saving and cramped spaces. Happy vacuuming!

Over 500 views and no reply's, so I'll answer my own question after reading through a good portion of this sub. If you aren't interested in Miele or Sebo, don't bother posting here. The people answering questions in this sub are mostly salesmen for those brands. Anything that may be a good competitor to them is poo pooed. I will say, yes, those are good appliances. Maybe the best available on the market, but they aren't the only ones worth buying. I would prefer an appliance not made in China, but cost can't be ignored either. Having an appliance from a company based in the US that is designed in Utah and has tech support out of there is a decent compromise on this issue to me. I ended up buying the Prolux Phantom because of the warranty and pledge to provide repair parts. The genuine bags for Kenmore and Prolux seem to cost the same. The Prolux also has a lot of the features that the Miele and Sebo models tout over the Kenmore like a swivel powered brush roller that steers well and goes completely flat to the floor. The roller is very easy to clean. It pops out with no tools and there is a cutting tool that stores in the power brush head and slides down slots in the roller to cut the hair/threads that get wrapped around it. The hose is surprisingly stout. I don't know about "crush proof". I'm not going to jump on it just to test it. It pulled a lot of dirt out of my carpets that the Shark left behind. It's very quiet compared to the Shark as well. I have to say, I'm very happy with the Prolux so far. It's a major upgrade over the Shark.

It works great. The brush roll is powered and really grabs the pet hair and removes it. We filled the first bag up pretty quickly. Not "one day" like the advertising said, but surprisingly fast. Probably two rounds of doing the whole house. I feel that most of that was pulled from the carpets. I know, I had a bag-less Shark before, and owning one of those is a sin in this sub, but if you came from a normal vacuum like that, the Pro-Lux that I bought is a whole new world of clean in comparison. No regrets. We are two months in now and still very happy with the performance.

Prolux Phantom is probably the best canister with power head they sell. This type of vacuum is generally the best for multi surface material homes, plus of course above the floor cleaning.

Kenmore canister with powerhead or Prolux Phantom with the Wessel Werk ebk360 powerhead. Learn how to vacuum with one, no offense. They excel.

Kenmore or Prolux Phantom ($399 model), the latter being my choice with its German made Wessel Werk ebk360 powerhead.

You are going to be disappointed with any cordless vacuum which is also bagless. Cordless and bagless are vastly inferior to corded and bagged. I would only get one as a secondary quick pick up option, and an actual good vacuum as the primary. You could get both for $600. Kenmore, Prolux canister with powerhead is in your budget for the primary machine.

Oreck vacuums come to mind. They are super-lightweight upright vacuums and they have a powered brushroll so they clean carpets well. Some cheaper canisters do not have carpet powerheads. I would go with the Oreck Elevate Command $319-499. Swivel steering actually requires more arm strength to steer so I would choose a vacuum without swivel steering. The Oreck Elevate Command has no swivel steering, uses the newer hepa bags, it has 2 speeds so it does better on hard floors than the 1 speed versions. The large hepa bags last a long time 2-3 months per bag, so 6 bags or 1 pack could last you the whole year. Orecks are widely available and most local vacuum stores carry their parts and can repair them. Hoover Onepwr Hepa Bagged BH55500PC $189. This is a cordless version of the Oreck Elevate. It uses the same large hepa bags and has the same 2 speed control. It comes with 2 batteries. It's cheaper than the cordless version because this is new old stock of a discontinued model. However all the vacuum parts are shared with the Orecks and the batteries are shared with other cordless Hoovers. I've seen Orecks recommended by wheelchair users but I don't think it would be easy to operate while sitting on the floor. Downside is Orecks don't have a hose or tools. For sitting on the floor I think a canister vacuum might work. You'll want a carpet powerhead since you have several carpeted rooms. The Prolux Phantom Bagged Canister Deep Cleaning PET Vacuum with Powerhead for Home $399. I think the Prolux Phantom is easier to steer and maneuver than the Kenmore canister vacuums. I think you should try the Hoover Onepwr Hepa Bagged first. What do you think?

I’ve used prolux canister vacs, and tue drapery setting does get pretty low. I still stick mesh over the tube and leave a gap in between it and the object, and I haven’t seen it cause any damage. I haven’t super looked into them, but as I was shopping for a vacuum for my home, I saw that a lot of stick vacuums have variable speeds, so that could possibly be a budget alternative.