I have this Eureka vintage vacuum cleaner. It has, and will last forever with occasional changes in the belt and vacuum bags.

I felt the same way you do after buying a few that failed after a couple years. I finally splurged on a Miele canister vac. It's been fine but once I bought a Dyson cordless stick vac I quit using it. The Dyson is the best vacuum I've ever used but I understand it's not for you. Most people do seem to be happy with Miele if you are willing to spend that kind of money.

@3katz4me Which Dyson do you have? Do you have to constantly hold the switch down for it to run? How long does the battery last? Does it work on both carpet and hard floors?

I was thinking about a Dyson cordless stick but it seems they require you to hold the button down for it to run which is a no go for me. I don't know if Dyson has any where you don't need to do that.

I recommend the Oreck DTX1300 I purchased about 20 years ago. I was staying in a hotel in the DC area for a couple of weeks, I asked the housekeeping staff which vacuum cleaner they recommended.

Too heavy/bulky for the current cabin, I now used a dyson v15 detect.

Try a real commercial duty vacuum, not some target/walmart special.

Re Dyson, my Dyson requires holding the trigger, the handle is molded so one has a finger on the trigger, it is not holding a button. IIRC, the battery is rated for 60 min. There is a battery icon and a time remaining display. Small cabin, most vacuuming takes 15 minutes or less. I use the Oreck for deep cleans.

I recommend trying a current model. FWIW, budget $800.

@vinmark - I have the V8 which does require you to hold the trigger down. I've never run out of power but it's rated for 40 mins on normal not max power. I have one on each floor and I can vacuum my entire 3100 sq ft house without running out of juice. I have wood, tile, carpet and area rugs (and three cats) and it does a superb job on all surfaces. Also great on upholstery in hand held mode. My understanding is that there are models (higher model number) that don't require you to hold the trigger down. Higher models also have larger dust containers and longer battery life but the trade off is that they're heavier. Dyson has a very good website where I think you could find out what you want to know about each model. Do not pay full price - they are deeply discounted at this time of year.

Some older Dysons used a push button thumb switch. My units trigger is part of the hand hold, or grip, using a forefinger.

Thanks for the information @A Mat and @3katz4me. Do you think the Dysons are worth the price?

@vinmarks - definitely as long as you get it on sale. Keep in mind that I have one of least expensive ones - about $299 on sale. I can’t count the number of people I’ve rec’d to who bought one. I loaned mine to a neighbor - then she bought one and recommended to five friends and relatives who bought one. It is so well designed and maneuverable and you can’t appreciate the sheer joy of no cord until you experience it. 😊

@3katz4me I have yet to have a cord free vac. I currently have 2 Shark stick vacs which I like well enough. One now has an issue with the cord so it doesn't work. I also fell over the dang cord and just about face planted so I am going to start looking into cordless. I'll have to check out the Dyson website to see which ones stay on without having to hold a trigger the entire time. Thanks for the info.

I have a Miele C1 cannister and a Dyson V7 stick. There is no contest over which is better built: the Miele is like a tank. It is better built than any Hoover, Sebo, or Kenmore/Panasonic I have owned. The wand is stainless steel, not aluminum, for example. The Sebo comes closest to the Miele, but the upright I had did not last; it died after 9 yrs.

The Dyson is convenient but it feels like a toy in comparison. I understand the new Dyson Gen5 Detect Absolute is more powerful, heavier but also has the on-off button much desired (I loathe the trigger-on feature of previous Dysons and would never buy another one without an on-off button).

I have two Dyson cordless vacs and love them - the V11 and the brand new Gen5Outsize. The Gen5 has the on/off button so you don't need to hold the trigger. Both are pretty powerful but still don't beat a corded plug-in vacuum. We have central vac with hide a hose which is peak cleaning performance but for a wuality stand-alone machine, definitely try the Miele. We have two - the C1 compact at our beach house and the C3 Marin. My parents had a Miele that lasted over twenty years and both of these canisters have been going strong for a long time.

My parents currently have Sebo and Riccar uprights which also seem to last forever. I think the key is to go to a designated vac shop and not a big box store.

I have had my Miele vac about 25 years. Never had a problem till recent. The hose puls out to easily.

Thanks to everyone who commented! It looks like I will be looking into Miele. I didn't know they had vacuums. I have a Miele dishwasher and am very happy with it; makes sense that they would make a good vacuum too.