Yes, it has been quite an odyssey because somedog (Dexter!!) chewed the cord on my Bissel. From reading and viewing the various reports here on Amazon as well as various other websites and numerous excursions to Lowes, Home Depot, Wallyworld, Sears, and BestBuy, I have been researching vacuums for awhile. I've bought and returned two Dysons, two Hovers, an Electrolux, a Eureaka, a Bissel or two, an LG (the blue one, which I talk about below), and some other brand - I think it was a Shark. And I'm here to tell you that this one is, by far, the best I've experienced.
Before I move on to the pros, cons, and conclusion, if you're trying to decide between this one and the one-higher model (it's the blue one - LuV300R, I think), I recommend this one for three reasons:
1. This one has the auto cord rewind, which, for me, makes the difference between procrastination and productivity.
2. Because the wand on the blue one also serves as the vac's handle, it has the power and selector buttons on it, which is nice when using an accessory away from the vac to turn it off, but, for me, totally unnecessary. It also has the "pet brush" attachment on it so that when you pull out the wand, the attachment comes with it. Nice, but again, for me, completely unnecessary.
3. Because the wand on the blue one also serves as the vac's handle, it does make using the accessories a little more comfortable but nowhere near enough to make a significant difference.
Otherwise, there's absolutely no difference between the two models, imho. Okay, so on to the pros and cons....
{PROS}
= Looks cool!
= Self-rewinding cord - more coolness
= High - no, make that *superior* - quality, all around.
= Relatively quiet
= Incredible vac power. I have two dogs (Husky and Malamute) who shed in *one week* enough for four or even five "normal" dogs, and this outperforms my old Bissel.
= The little "pet vac" attachment runs with incredible power, unlike most of the others I've tried.
= The attachments are all smartly conceived and executed - on-board and completely usable.
= The wand is ingenious: it's telescopic, but, it doesn't collapse during use.
= The canister empties *completely* (unlike most other models) and effortlessly (also unlike most other models).
= The canister is huge.
= The "Kompressor" inside the canister really does work; it's not just a gimmick. What it does is amazing: as you vacuum, it travels back-and-forth (think a singular windshield wiper), compressing the refuse into a tight, compact little package of nastiness. When using *any* other vacuum, I'd have to empty its canister at least twice during my routine, but because of the Kompressor technology, I could literally vacuum for days without having to empty it (yeah, I know: yuck! But I'm just sayin...).
= Removing and replacing the canister is truly effortless.
= It comes with an extra filter - Thanks, LG!
= One screw, and it's fully assembled.
= Its height is adjusted with a pedal (opposite the release pedal), so there's no bending to turn a dial and interrupt your zen.
= All controls (power and beater-brush) are located on the handle, which means that you can go from carpet to floor with the push of a button (to shut off the beater-brush - something that women in the video review did but I didn't know was important and had been vacuuming my floors with the beater-brush activated - gasp!) and a step (or two) on the height-adjustment pedal.
= The wand's hose stretches really far and the vac doesn't tip. I vacuumed my stairs and the vac didn't come tumbling down - unlike that idiot on the wall with the two names that rhyme. What a dufus; the only walls I sit on are those I can easily jump off of.
= The wand's hose is some kind of a composite of resins and magnetic powder so that it doesn't flop all over the place when not in use. Very cool. And, yes, the magnitude is strong enough so that the connections remain intact.
= After my first vac, my partner said, "Wow, it smells so fresh in here!" So the filters really work well.
{CONS}
= Zip
= Zero
= Zilch
= Nada
= Squat
= Naught
= Ney
= Nuttin'
{IN CONCLUSION}
So, if you're looking for a great vac at a great price, this is the one for you. All of the others (both more and less expensive) pale in comparison to the LG...and, if not all, I've tried most of them. Soldier on, domestic warrior....