In the last 15 years, I've bought 5 new vacuum cleaners - all died and never worked very well anyway.
Last year I bought an Oreck and I LOVE it. It was worth the extra money - and I even got the little Oreck XL handheld vac free with it. I use it constantly.
We have a Dyson. Hate the yellow color, but it works great! I really wanted the purple one, but it was $100 more for just extra attachments, so we stayed with the yellow. It picks up so much!
I love our Dyson. We replaced our Oreck when it died with the purple Dyson. It is the best vacuum that I have had. It is the best at picking up dog hair and drywall dust that I have ever seen.
I have a Miele. Pricey, but very quiet!!! Also, it is a canister style, which is fine, but I spent my whole life using an upright and it takes some getting used to.