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This is a similar handheld vacuum to the Hoover BH50015 but it is geared towards households with pets.  It comes with a specialized pet hair tool and is getting very solid consumer reviews and ratings.  It is a cordless and bagless unit that comes with “fade-free” power - the result of using a lithium-ion battery.  Many owners also feel the battery charge lasts a reasonable amount of time.  [REF Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Reviews 2011]

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The Dyson Digital Slim is both a handheld and a stick vacuum.  It is driven by a powerful digital motor and comes with a floor tool capable of cleaning both carpet and bare floors.  A long aluminum wand also helps this unit clean from the floor to the ceiling effectively.  It uses lithium ion batteries for fast recharging and fade-free power.  Owners are pleased with the vacuum’s strong suction and build quality but feel it is quite costly and that it falls short in terms of battery power duration.  [REF Dyson Vacuum Reviews]

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This machine seems to have all the key vacuum cleaner features as well as very strong suction.  It is also not as expensive as some of the other Dyson uprights, however many consumers love this machine or hate it.  It does not get the very consistent high ratings of the Dyson DC25 Animal for example.   Owners are pleased with the powerful suction, long cord and large dirt canister however there are numerous comments regarding the less-than-stellar wand design and the noise generated when vacuuming on short carpet.  [REF Dyson Vacuum Reviews 2011]

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The Hoover Corded Cyclonic Stick Vacuum (model SH20030) gets strong ratings from consumers with owner comments indicating a very high level of satisfaction with the units maneuverability, light weight and quiet operation.  This is a corded stick vacuum so there is no battery life or recharging issues to speak of.  It also comes with a brushbar that makes it effective on both carpets and bare floors.  [REF Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Reviews 2011]

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The Hoover MaxExtract All-Terrain Carpet Cleaner garners many great ratings from consumers but also gets almost as many poor ratings.  Those that like it say it is probably one the best steam cleaners available and that it does an excellent cleaning job on both carpets and bare floors, while those that do not like it cite problems with leaky water tanks and flimsy plastic parts.  Owner experiences couldn’t differ more for a steam vac.  [REF Steam Cleaner Reviews]

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The Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Pet Upright Vacuum (model UH30310) is a bagged upright that comes with a few extra tools for vacuuming up pet hair.  Consumers report that this machine is indeed very good at picking up pet hair, and they also like the long power cord, the light weight and the fact that it is not too expensive.  However some folks wish that the vacuum came with more than one wand and it does have a lot of plastic in its construction.  [REF Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Reviews 2011]

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The Bissell Rewind SmartClean 58F8 is another reasonably priced Bissell vacuum that is getting good consumer reviews and ratings.  It can be found online at some sources for under $150 and it comes with HEPA filtration, a retractable power cord, an array of attachments, and a carpet clean sensor that many folks really like.  It is also a bagless machine with a respectably long warranty for the price.  Some people, however, have commented that it is a little heavy, although it is only just slightly heavier than your average upright.  [REF Bissell Vacuum Cleaner Reviews 2011]

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Miele have been manufacturing floor care products for 80 years and they are famous for making quality vacuum cleaners.  We've reviewed several of their canister vacuums and stick vacuums in the past and in almost all cases have found them to be exemplary products.  The S7210 Twist is the first full-size Miele upright we have looked at, and it too seems to be getting very good grades from consumers.  It uses a powerful Miele-made vortex motor, has automatic height adjustment, a very long 39 foot power cord and also comes with variable suction control. [REF Miele Vacuum Reviews 2011]