my experience
I have owned many vacuums. Bought the purple Dyson in 2005 (I don't remember the name). It lasted five years and now it makes a loud noise as if something is caught in it. Hated that thing. Am also not a fan of bagless. You have to breathe in that stuff every time you clean it out. Not fun. I then bought a refurbished Kirby Diamond Edition around 2011, I believe. I always loved Kirbys as my grandparents has one. Had a salesperson come to my house once. Biggest mistake. Their sales tactics are ridiculous. So, the Kirby Diamond cleaned very well but anything with the hose was a no go. I never used it because it was such a pain to use and didn't have very good suction. I also noticed the Kirby would lose suction after starting to fill, and I was using the cloth bags. Even though the full line is only halfway up the bag, it would start to lose suction long before it got there. What was the point in a large bag if I could only fill it less than halfway before losing suction? The suction and airflow were quite powerful. It would definitely stick to the lino in the kitchen but, with such a large head, was impractical for cleaning under low furniture. Also, it was horrible on rugs, even with the motor on low.
Last October I went for it and purchased a SEBO d4 Premium. I really like it. The first thing I noticed was how it groomed the pile. For some reason, the Kirby never did that as well. I don't know if it was because it as so heavy it matted it down but the SEBO power head is very good at grooming. Sure, it doesn't have as much airflow at the head but I don't really need that much. We vacuum often and don't wear shoes in the house. Since our cat passed away two years ago, there just isn't nearly as much dirt to pick up. Mostly just dust which the SEBO does really well with. I love the tools, the build quality and the ease of going from hard surfaces, to carpet, to above floor cleaning. For us, it is the best compromise. I don't kid myself into thinking it does as well on carpets as the Kirby, however, if my carpets were to get really bad I would use the Kirby every month or so. Also, if one vacuums frequently, they may not need a direct air vacuum. If you put it off for a month or so, much of the dirt and dust will get matted to the bottom of the carpet and I would think something like a Kirby would be the vacuum of choice. We vacuum so frequently dirt and dust don't have time to get to the mat. And, as I said, there isn't much dirt coming in.
My point is different vacuums work better for different people and different environments. You also have to take the type of carpet into consideration. Something like a berber or short pile isn't going to need as much airflow as a short or long shag. As we continue to replace our carpets with hardwood and rugs, something like the Kirby becomes less of a need. I probably will vacuum my carpets with the Kirby, for good measure, as I haven't had it out since getting the SEBO. I do miss it and it is nice to switch things up.
