I know that you get what you pay for, but some vacuums just suck.
A few years ago we tried a bagless, which conveniently stopped working. We went back to a low-end model bag vacuum (one of two available at the time) and just had to spend 30 minutes unclogging the hose.
Do you remember when your mom’s vacuum just worked? You emptied the bag, and it just kept working. Novel concept.
Whenever I can afford it, I’m going to try out the new Dyson’s. Word of mouth is that they never break and always have suction. In other words, they actually suck.