Elioto

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies.  I'd think twice before getting the Electrolux rebuilt--who rebuilds them, now, anyway? --because what's going now is not just the motor (that's been replaced one) or the hose (I'm on hose #4), but (1) the handle you carry the monster around with broke (cutting my hand) and is now patched with duct tape; (2) the furniture brush is dying, and the "replacement" I bought at the vacuum cleaner store is useless; (3) the cord retraction mechanism died; (4) the power attachment (I'm on #3) is dying; and (5) the floor brush attachment is dying (I replaced the bristles once, with parts bought from an electrolux store when they still existed).  So mentally I've placed a big "DNR" sticker on the machine.  My impression is that, as good as 30-year-old electroluxes are, they are not the machines they were 20 years before that.  If I were to get the thing rebuilt, would it be as good as new?  And how much would it cost?

I have yet to kick the tires on a Sears--you're right; I need to do this.  One of my concerns is that my wife had a Sears sewing machine, and Sears was singularly unhelpful when it needed repairs.  I saw that Consumer Reports doesn't seem to think very highly of Miele machines.  Does anyone know why?  And there's a Simplicity dealer not far from here; Im thinking of checking them out too.

I am thinking of getting either the Kenmore 29715 or the new 28014 to replace my dying 30-year-old Electrolux.  The reviews online of the 29715 say, mostly, that's it's durable.  Does anybody have experience with the 28014?  Does anyone know if the manual tools from the old Electrolux will fit on the Sears models?  And, for the money, are their better choices? Sears has them on sale this week at $100 off.  (One concern I have is that I'm used to a separate manual floor brush and motorized rug attachment.)