Best vacuum for a moderate price

[~Megan~]

We are going to need to get a new vacuum. I'd like to spend around $200. We have considered a refurbished one as well. We've got a few good vacuum shops in town where we can look.

[Katheda]

we have the Eureka Boss Smartvac and have been very pleased with it.

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/ho...ers/index.html

If you are looking for a higher end one that is refurbished, I think this site lists the best:

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping...mcleaners.html

We move too often to spend the big bucks on something that might get trashed or stolen from the back of the truck

[laohaire]

A second recommendation for the Eureka The Boss SmartVac.

I've never in my life handled such a great vacuum. And the price is excellent.

Just as a story: A few years ago, my mom bought me two cool area rugs, maybe 5 x 8 or something like that. I had them down for a while but pretty soon I couldn't really get the cat hair off of them no matter how much I vacuumed them (using some midrange model, I forgot the name). They'd look better after vacuuming, but not like new or anything, and it was frustrating trying to keep up with them. So I chucked them into the closet under the stairs, to maybe put down again later when I had the time and energy to keep up with cleaning them.

A few months later, my DH pulled one out and put it on the front porch as a wipe mat. And proceeded to wipe his very muddy feet very liberally on it before I discovered this. Sigh. I couldn't be too upset; the darn thing was not helping anyone just sitting in a closet.

So a year and some months later, we buy the Eureka. DH goes nuts vacuuming the entire house, saying he can tell that it's an awesome vac (our carpets are multicolor and thankfully hide most of the dirt). He's so happy he even vacuums the aforementioned rug on the front porch, which was obviously FILTHY after 1.25 years of being a wipe mat in New England (snow, salt, mud, dirt, etc.), and no, we never even swept it. Absolutely no cleaning or maintenance that whole time.

He says, hon, come here and look at it.

The rug looks brand new.

So, that's my recommendation for the vacuum.

The only drawback is, it's so powerful that you have to be careful that your floor is clear so you don't suck up coins, lego pieces, whatever. Because the thing WILL suck them up but then the belt will probably break (happened to us twice). Not too big a deal, you replace the belt and you're back in business, but you still want to be careful.

Also, this model obviously uses more electricity than others. But to me, it's worth it, much better than going back and forth 100 times and never getting anything clean.

[annethcz]

I had a Eureka boss 9 years ago, it broke and couldn't be repaired after only a couple months of use. It sounds like they're making them better these days.

I have a Kenmore Progressive upright, and I love it. It's over 8 years old and still works very well. Mine has a HEPA filter and when I bought it I had the option of buying a washable cloth bag or using disposable paper bags. I have an extra-long hose attachment, which makes it super easy to vacuum ceiling corners, stairs and the backseat of my van. The only issue I've had is that in the last year or so, we've had the belt break twice. Not really a big deal, it was cheap ($3) and easy to replace. I'm really happy with my vacuum. Here's a link to the current version:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...000P?adCell=A3

I see that it's above the budget you had in mind, right now it's on sale for $249. But if you went into a Sears store, you might be able to find a closeout of last year's model for less money.