Dyson DC-07 Animal. I've owned Simplicitys and Kirbys which are great machines but when it comes right down to it the best vacuum is the one that I'll use the most. Using the tools on the Dyson is a breeze where as on my Dyson it's like having to do auto repair to kneel down and remove the front cover to swap out the attachment tool. Too much time and bother.
With the Dyson I switch from floor to tools several times as I go around the house. Also great to never need bags. Just empty each time and you're done.
^^^ I believe you meant to say Kirby here. I have one too..
We have a Kirby along with a rug shampooing attachment. We've had this thing between 21-25yrs. We bought it before we moved to the house we're at now and we've been here 21yrs. I've only had to do minor routine maintenance to it all these years. A few belts, bag attachment hose, a gasket or two... very little. It's a brute! It has powerful suction that when using the attachment hose, it is stronger than my big shop vac. My little wifey has begun to complain that as she's getting older, it's getting a bit heavy for her to maneuver. So......
..I just bought a Dyson DC25 Ball. We've only had it a couple of weeks so far so I can't really say to much about it. But, it certainly is a different animal. (we got the purple one - the Animal
) It is lighter and more maneuverable and I like that the hose attachment is always there with you should you need to grab it for quick use. And it's so easy to do too, but the hose is a bit stiff. Maybe just need to get used to it. The ball makes it roll easily around on thick carpet or wherever. It seems to do a nice job whether on carpet, bare floor or upholstery. It might be in part because of the clear canister. You can
see what you've picked up! Emptying is a breeze if you don't mind doing it that way. So far so good here. The more I've used this thing, the more I like it. There is a bit of a learning curve with it. There are other minor gripes I won't get into as they may not concern others. Anyone wanting to look further into it, you can check out this video
here. There are lots of others too of course.