We just installed hardwood floors, so now we have a combination of carpet and hardwood to clean. I was sold on buying the Hoover most popular canister model for the hardwood, but a vacuum sweeper sales/owner talked me out of it. He said Hoover is not what it used to be because of being bought out by Maytag, and then sold to another company. He gave me his Panasonic MC-CG973 canister to try at home. I love it, but he also sells Sebo. Does anyone know if Sebo is worth the price?

Never heard about Sebo? How much is it and what is the warranty?

I'd try a Sears Kenmore 1st. I have the cheapie blue canister thats usualy on sale for around $70 and I love it. My friend bought the green one for about $149 and she loves hers.

You said that you love the Panasonic, but then ask if the SEBO is worth the price. What is it that you do not like about the Panasonic? How much is he going to sell it to you for?

The Panasonic canister is a good vacuum cleaner. It is better if you can find a good price. It will clean your home well.

I would not look to the Kenmore canisters, because they are Panasonics afterall. The Panasonic, that you are test driving, is actually Kenmore's previous design. It can be found in the Avacodo Kenmore the previous poster was mentioning. The Kenmore version will be the cheaper, barebones model though. The Panasonic is much easier to have repaired compared to the Kenmore. Some Kenmore parts are specific to that brand, so a vac shop cannot find them in the parts supply catalog. That way, Sears can charge more.

SEBO makes very good vacuum cleaners. They are machines that you will not need to replace every five years. They are very good quality and come with a bigger warranty than the Panasonic you have. If you have an average to large home, I would look at the larger C3.1 canister. The smaller K3 has a small bag. This means that bags could be expensive, if you change them often.

I am not sure which model HOOVER you are talking about. Yes, Maytag did own HOOVER. Whirlpool purchased Maytag. Techtronics Industries(Royal, Dirt Devil, VAX, Regina) purchased HOOVER. TTI is doing a pretty good job w/HOOVER. Or, at least they are trying.

There is a very good canister model w/power nozzle, that has just come out under the HOOVER name. It is the model S3670. It looks like a Miele S5 series canister. It performs very well. They are using a very good power nozzle on it, that cleans carpeting very well. I just think that should use a more permanent belt. The vacuum cleaner is more on the quiet side. It does a very good job of filtering, if you use the HEPA-type bags. Another nice feature is that it has a somewhat long hose. The price averages about $300.00. At time goes on, it will be available at more stores. The S3670 has a very good warranty for a HOOVER-3yrs. I do not recommend every HOOVER model, but this one is pretty good.

I have a Miele and I like it a lot. Sure, it cost a lot of money, but it comes with lifelong warranty. Not sure how much I paid, but I think it was around $600.

We bought a used Filter Queen cannister vac on ebay a couple of years ago.

It was expensive, but does what it should do very well. I've heard they last for years and years - we'll see.

Thanks everyone, for chiming in. Mike W, you sound very knowledgeable. I decided that the issue with the Panasonic that I "test drove", was that it was a canister. I just have never had one, and even though it picked up well, it felt awkward to me. I took it back, and started looking seriously at the Sebos. I ended up with a Sebo Felix, which is an upright that performs more like a canister. It is lightweight, has a swivel head which is very easy on the wrists, and comes with a parquet head made specifically for hardwood floors. I read reviews on it, and have used it for two days now, and I think it is going to be great for my needs. I love how you can remove the head, attach the tools, and sweep stairways, drapes and furniture with the lightweight vac. And, I got it for $449, much cheaper than I found it online. Check it out--Sebo Felix! Thanks for the feedback. Sorry if I sound like an advertisement, but I'm in love!

In 1980 I purchased a used Rainbow vac with all the attachments for #300. Had it refurbished and have been using ever since.
Now my back won't take using the carpet attachement, so I purhased an relatively inexpensive upright for the carpet, but I use the Rainbow to vacuum hard surface flooring & fabircs.

Many folk post to relate how happy they are with you name it brands & models, but one size doesn't serve all - check Consumer Reports before investing big bucks

I love love love my Miele vaccum and will never buy another brand...have used it 3 years and is so user friendly and functional....I love the long term warranty and my independant vaccum shop guy swears by them discussing the low frequency of repairs in contrast to all the other makers he sells. I love the hepa filter feature and the way the bags are made...sealed system that allows NOTHING to escape back into your air. LOL I could just see the dust escaping my supposed filtered hoover unit of old. Got a surpise money gift from the inlaws one year that helped to offset the cost and still consider it a good investment.