buying a vacuum cleaner?

Dyson, maybe Hoover. What to look for when buying a vacuum?
1) Price-not super cheap, but not super expensive either.
2) Quality of workmanship.
3) Good suction.
4) Warranty.
5) Lightweight.
6) Prefer "on board" tools/attachments.
7) Other features.
7) Easy upkeep.
9) Does the job well.
Personally, I wanted bagless too, however, I invested in a SEBO. Lifetime drive belt guarantee. Lightweight, tools on board, good features as well.
That is my thought. Have fun vacuuming when you buy your new vacuum! Take care.

Dyson. Efficient, easy to care for, expert engineering. Tools and weight appropriate for the location; lighter for two floors.

Check out consumersearch.com They do independent reviews on all types of vacs. They will ask you choose from a list of features and then your price range. Good luck

It is all personal preference. Myself I prefer the cloth bag variety. No replacement bags, no filters to replace. As a janitor I used a bag a day almost, which got expensive. Then my boss, trying to think ahead, got me a Hoover Hepa Filter type vacuum. The problem with it was that I had to empty the bin every night and then bang the dirt and crud out of the filter, and still end up going through a filter ever month at $30 a pop.
Now I use the cloth bag, and have to empty it about once a week, with nothing to replace. Except for the belts. I work at a school, with lots of mulch on the playground, and that stuff gets tracked in and just shreds a belt.
If you want a really powerful vacuum, check out the Rainbow Water Filtration system. It is really gross dumping out muddy water, but boy does that thing get the dirt up.
You might go to a vacuum shop where they will let you test them out, so that you can see how they work. The only problem with that though is that ALL vacuums are powerful when brand new. Maybe go around and find places (friends or businesses) who will let you test out theirs.
Good luck with your search, I hope I was able to help you out some.

I like the kind that use water instead of a bag. The water traps the dust and keeps it from blowing back out into the room, and they last for years!! Rainbow is a good vacuum.

As long as you are not contending with a ton of pet hair, I think that for the money, the Hoover Wind Tunnels are a good product. Look for on board attachments and a good suction and base board protectors.

The Dyson DC18 and DC17 is the nicest bagless upright vacuum cleaner. I tried it at my friends house I was suprised by how much dirt and junk it picked up. It is easy to empty (just press a button) and maintance is just washing a filter under water (Once every 6 months) for a few minutes and letting it dry overnight. Out of all bagless machines I have tried this is definately the nicest. 1stchoicevacandsew.com has it at the cheapest price I have seen. $397.99 with no tax and Free Shipping is well below everyone else for the DC18 and $489 no tax and Free Shipping for the DC17. The dyson with out doubt beats a $300 Hoover Windtunnel or anything else. The Dyson has a 5 year warranty and is made to last over 10 years. I have heard countless stories where somebodies Hoover or Eureka breaks within the first 5 months and it wasnt really picking up from the beginning anyway.

I own a vacuum repair/sales store. Personally I do not recommend bagless, but it is still a matter of opinion. One thing I will state: while Dysan is a really good unit at first, they do clog and breakdown. In the past 2 years, I have gotten a number of requests to fix them. Unfortunately an indipendant repair shop has a tough time getting parts (if at all) so after the initial hit of the cost ($400+) the longer term of ownership can be very expensive. If you insist on a bagless, Hoover is still near the top of the heap. Panasonic is (in my opinion) a little better bagless, but a few more dollars. In the bagged variety, Panasonic is head & shoulders above the field.