Venson

No!  They were holding one on me.

Venson

Forget it.  I bought it already.

Venson

Hi Ben,

A pre-owned Red Star with Miele's better adjustable power nozzles would be a good choice IF you can find one in tip-top condition.  (Try higher pile height settings for thick carpeting and if stalling occurs, try reducing motor speed slightly or opening the suction bleed valve slightly).

Being a frequent shopper on eBay I strongly advise that you not only carefully review sellers' posts but their feed back as well.  The more they've sold, the easier it is to get a good picture of whether or not those who have bought from them came out happy campers.  You can easily communicate with sellers of any item you have in mind through eBay.  If a particular seller is not very communicative -- look elsewhere.

If pictures in the post are not adequate, ask if more image files can be sent to you.  Though it wont tell the whole tale, its best that images of the bag chamber are available.

Do not deal with anyone who offers only a "flat" rate for shipping as opposed to an actual rate.  Some sellers try to cover all fronts to get the price they really want by marking up the actual cost of shipping and handling.  Ask for the shipping weight of the item and go to UPS website to learn the proper rate.  All you have to do is enter your zip code and the seller's zip code plus the weight and approximate size of the package.  Many eBay sellers have an automatic link up just for this purpose.

As for you your wife's possible worry over allergens, search for and order new filters for the used machine of your choosing unless the seller has already replaced used ones with new.  Genuine Miele bags and replacement filters can be found for nice prices on eBay.  High filtration bags for my S5980 can be found for around $15 or $16 for a package of five not including shipping.  Repllacement HEPAs are of course higher.

Venson

To that, I absolutely agree and please do not take my statement in any way as a recommendation to go out and drop a grand on a vacuum cleaner. 

Per your description, a canister tthat provides an electric power nozzle with a height adjustment would be ideal.  Variable speed or suction bleed valve also make fine tuning for easy pushing and maneuvering convenient.

Nonetheless, manufacturers like the maker of the Miele I own for one, do have controls set up so that retail dealers may not sell their product for less than, and I assume not more than, the "suggested" price.  Getting nicer pricing may be hard to accomplish where Riccar, Simplicity and Miele are converned. I managed to save a couple humdred dollars on mine as the dealer has known me for a good while.  He honored his offer to match the price I could have gotten for the model on eBay after I printed out a current post re the model I wanted as proof.  I'm a pretty determined old cuss but I attribute the transaction more to luck than cleverness on my part. 

In any event, when all is said and done,a vacuum vendor can ask for the moon if he or she wants but the bottom line for the consumer is that you can't give anyone that which you don't have.

Anyway, there's no harm in trying.  You just might be able to wangle a better price on an upper-tier brand with your local vac seller.  If you are really not pleased with your Bosch take it right back. Politely but clearly state that you see it as over-priced and unacceptable.  Then ask to be shown something better but in near price range. IIf a better buy can't be negotiated get your money back and walk.

First go to Riccar or Simplicity's website and get as thorough an overview of what's available as you can and then seek out vac shops where you may be able to negotiate.  The best way to shop is to be able to walk into store already knowlegeable about the proiduct you want to buy.

The new Hoover S3760 is just out and votes should be coming in in not too long a time.  I can only say it looks like it's got possibilities.  Using the search sources that I suggested earlier, I have seen it priced fron $315 to as low as $224.  The latter price not being unusual for what are now considered "disposable" vacuums.  You might want to see if yo can find one on display in your vicinity and go and inspect it.

Venson

You'd be best served to let us first know the percentage of carpeting versus bare floor there is in your household who does the most vacuuming and if you have any special air filtration preferences.  You don't have to be specific, but do you have a lot or not a lot of square footage.  As you have to keep budget in mind, I'd also advise that disposable bag and replacement filter cost may possibly be a concern for you.

My usual recommendation to the budget-minded, as always, is go take a look around Sears at the upper-end canisters.  The main units are plastic but Kenmore attachments are relatively sturdy and wands are metal.  With care a decent Kenmore canister will last a while but I wouldn't bank on ten years.  They can often be found at reduced sale prices.  And on that I segue . . .

It is doubtful that you'll find a vacuum built to last ten years or more that won't price near or over the $1,000 mark.  Being a product designer, I am sure you are well aware that product longevity does not come without a price.  Unfortunately, the price of a new and "good" vacuum is at least a hundred dollars above what you'd like to spend.

A second solution, though I can't know whether or not your wife will find it favorable, is to buy a rebuilt all-metal machine like Electrolux or Royal if its durability you want.  With reasonable care, your chances for a long run with one may be good.  Disposable bags and professional maintenance are still readily accessible through most vac shops. 

I'll get an argument going I'm sure, but browse local vac shops for models you like, regardless of price, not the model number and brand and do web searches through http://www.pricegrabber.com or http://www.nextag.com for comparison of pricing offered by vac shops and vendors that sell online.

Hope that helps,

Venson