I actually reached out to Tom after reading up on these machines and I got the red Riccar which I absolutely love! Yes, there are limitations in that it doesn't have tools on board but I tend to use my central vac with hide a hose for my wood floors and furniture cleaning. Besides, I had a Shark Rotator with a Powered lift away ( returned after recall) and a Dyson DC65 and using the hose on board was a pain in the rear. Emptying the bins wasn't for me and the Dyson felt very creaky. Overall I really love the Riccar. My parents still have a blue Simplicity 5200 from the 1990's in their basement so I know it will last a long time! Thanks again Tom!