Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

NOVEMBER 2014 UPDATE: Just happened to be responding to a response to my review and noticed all the negative comments about this vacuum! I'm shocked! While I don't doubt any of these reviews, I do have to say that I am still very happy with the vacuum, and so is my daughter with hers. It still runs beautifully and I have absolutely no complaints. Nothing has gone wrong with any of the parts or attachments. Can't comment regarding the customer service issues and that is unnerving to know. However, spending $200 for a vacuum is not a huge amount of money. For me, personally, I would still be happy with mine even if it started to act up after a few years of use. Things just aren't built the way they used to be. If Kenmore vacs were built the way they used to be (I had my old one for 15 years), I would have bought another Kenmore. For me, my Panasonic is holding up and I'll just keep my fingers crossed for the future! January 2013 UPDATE: It's been a year that I've owned and used this vacuum. I thought it important to add an update so here it is: This is an EXCELLENT vacuum and works as well a year later as it did upon purchase. I have no doubt that it will last for years to come. One word of caution: DO NOT USE THE POWER VAC DIRECTLY ON ANYTHING BUT CARPETING! I know that sounds stupid but I used to cheat and use my old Kenmore power vac (the heavy duty part used for carpeting) on my furniture if I was in a rush... never had a problem with the Kenmore (which tells you that the suction wasn't that great). HOWEVER, the Panasonic's power/suction is so terrific that it damaged my upholstery fabric... pretty much chewed it up! I mean it really did some damage! This is not a negative for the vacuum... it just goes to show what a powerful vacuum this is and what a GREAT job it does on my carpeting! It was such a dumb/stupid thing for me to do but I certainly learned my lesson and that couch cushion will only be used on one side now! LOL! Anyway, I love this vacuum and HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! My old Kenmore Progressive needed replacing and, let me tell you, it was exhausting researching the world of vacuums! Found out that Kenmore's reputation isn't what it used to be, so I decided on an LG Kompressor canister but couldn't find one available anywhere to try out or even to buy. Called LG directly and they weren't helpful, plus I asked why they are so difficult to find if they are so good? No answer. Ratings are outstanding but if you can't buy it what good are those ratings? So then I tried out a Miele and loved it until I found out they're not great on carpeting or cat hair. Also, very expensive since when I would have to add the heavy duty powerhead for floors (about $900 for what I wanted/needed). Then I thought about the Dyson canister but reviews weren't what I expected. Also, I know some professional house cleaners who hate them for many reasons. Scratch the Dyson! So, then I came across this Panasonic canister on Amazon... didn't even know Panasonic makes vacuums! Furthermore, Panasonic now manufactures Kenmore vacuums BUT the Panasonic vacuums are rated much higher than the newer Kenmores. I found that very curious. As for the reviews for this Panasonic model, they are excellent everywhere I checked, even better than the higher priced, fancier Panasonic canister. Decision made. I actually paid less for this new vacuum than I did for my Kenmore 15 years ago! Well, I got my vacuum, put it all together and got a kick out of how similar it is to my old Kenmore. Even the attachments are identical! It's a lighter version, a little more plastic, maybe feels not as solid. I decided to test it out on my family room carpeting. My old Kenmore was having trouble vacuuming against the nap so I had to vacuum in the same direction in order to get a smooth, vacuumed look. Plus, my carpeting has grooves left by furniture that has been moved... couldn't get those out by vacuuming or even rubbing the spots with a damp cloth and then vacuuming them. I got the Panasonic vacuum ready, started to vacuum... okay, not as loud as my old vacuum but still scares the cat! Really has fantastic suction. Handles really nicely like my old Kenmore. Then I went against the nap and VOILA it worked beautifully! Kept going back over it and before you know it, the carpet looked brand new (it's 5 yrs. old). Took the end of the nozzle and applied it directly to the bothersome grooves... another VOILA! The grooves didn't disappear (they've been there awhile) but they certainly look better! I'm sure that after vacuuming a few more times over the next few weeks that they'll be gone. You know what I love about this vacuum? It's almost identical to my old Kenmore Progressive which was an excellent vacuum. The suction is much better on the Panasonic (it's new, it should be) and it's just such a great design, especially for carpeting and pets. And you cannot beat the price! I hope it lasts me as long as my old Kenmore. If it does, I'll be a very happy consumer!