Kenmore Canister Vacuum Cleaner, Progressive, Blueberry 21614 by Kenmore

This might be the best vacuum cleaner I've ever owned. It's not too loud, has great suction, it's easily controlled from the wand, it's light to carry around, and since it's a canister, you save a ton of energy not having to push the whole vacuum as you do with an upright vacuum. The pet hair attachment was awesome. I used it to clean my kitty's cat tree which had fur embedded very deep into the carpeted surface. It dug it all right out and cleaned it like new! I haven't used all of the other attachments, but they are easy to put on either on the end of the wand or on the hose without the wand. The wand has a telescoping feature, so you can adjust the length for your height. The handle on the wand is very comfortable to hold. I was happy with the performance both on area rugs and on bare hardwood floors. It's just the flip of a switch at your fingertips to change back and forth between the two settings. Although the manual calls for size Q bags, I found bags at my local vacuum store that are Kenmore Canister Type C bags by Envirocare. They fit perfectly and work great...and cost a LOT less than the Sears/Kenmore Type Q bags. The plastic lids for the attachments stuck a bit when lifting, but a little Silicone lubricant spray got them sliding like new. I'm just a little skeptical about the plastic body since I'm used to metal vacuum cleaners, but hopefully this baby will last for years.

I agree with every problem previously presented but the one I hate the most is that this vac will NOT follow me as I move around my 2000 sq. ft. house. It reminds me of a water doodle bug and just skims along willy nilly around the room. Thank goodness it has soft bumpers so that my furniture doesn't take a hit- my ankles, however, are another story. I have learned to always wear shoe when vacumning. Every time I vacumn, the air is filled with the most unladylike utterances and by the time I'm done, I feel like I've just completed a tough workout. I am so sorry I bought this and am coming close to purchasing another brand to replace it. I just don't know what to do with this one. I sure hate to give it to good will and subject some other hapless victim to the frustration.

I am not happy at all with the smallest attachment that comes with this vacuum. My old vacuum had a small brush attachment and a flexible hose that allowed me to reach many small areas that needed cleaning. I had no idea how much I used this feature until I purchased this new machine. This vacuum has a very large awkward rigid handle at the end of the hose to which one afixes a large plastic hoof shaped attachment that is to be used for smaller cleaning jobs. Its wide opening diminishes the suction, there are very short bristles which means one is constanty banging it into the objects to be cleaned, and the big handle makes it impossible to flex and reach most areas that I want to reach. Big thumbs down on this feature.

We used an Oreck upright for years and we still have it, but have limited use for it. It's great on carpet and kept the cat hair under control and the allergens out of my sinuses. But then we bought a house with beautiful wood floors....Consumer Reports pointed me to several choices that looked good, and an Amazon seller had this little beauty on deep discount (it had been a floor demonstrator). Including shipping, I paid ~$100 and have been using it for about two months now. SO far, it's doing a great job and is very powerful and versatile. I love that all the attachments are contained in and on the vacuum in various places, and the basic brush and crevice tool are easy to switch to, either on the handle itself or on the end of the long (and extendable) wand. I can even get the ceiling molding easily, and our ceilings are 9'.But the main thing we needed the new vacuum for was floors, and this is what it does very well indeed. There is enough power that I can see those little dust bunnies in tight corners run straight to the business end of the cleaner. We often have infants and toddlers in the house, and the floor gets prepped for their arrival and tidied up when they leave. We also tend to walk around inside barefoot, and if I notice that someone has tracked something in, a quick pass with the Progressive and the floor feels all cool and smooth again.The only thing I still use the Oreck for is if *all* I'm going to do is quickly hit the area rugs. For that task, the Oreck's lightness makes it much more convenient for a two-minute touch up. But when I'm doing the whole floor, the Progressive does a great job on the rugs (with beater turned on) and on the hardwood (with beater turned off).My only two complaints: it is a bit bulky for running from room to room, which is why I still grab the Oreck for touching up rugs, but the canister rides its wheels well and swivels on a dime. I also wish that the headlight would come on when the beater brush is turned off. I have way more areas I would like to light up that are on hardwood than not.

5 stars for a sturdy, handy, dust-busting vacuum cleaner!I have pets, kids, and allergies, and needed a true HEPA filter vacuum that could clear the carpets and floors of as much dust and dander as possible. And this does the job!It is a bit heavy and cumbersome, but that is because it is a sturdy, multi-use vacuum that is worth the arm strength needed to cart it up and down stairs. I love how well it picks dander up, and the house feels clean and less dusty when I'm done vacuuming.It fits well into corners, under tight spaces, and all over. It has great accessories that allow for thorough cleaning and dusting.I'm a bit rough with it, and it's been tolerant of me thus far!