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For what it's worth, I have a Kirby Tradition in the closet (I used it today in fact). It dates back to 1979, and was purchased by my parents at a thrift shop probably about a decade ago.
Think about that: 1979. A vacuum cleaner. Those Dyson vacuums everyone loves so much won't last ten years, never mind thirty some. All I've done is replace the belt, cord, and tube leading up to the bag (a messy and annoying job, but one that cost me about $10. I could've upgraded the Kirby to the HEPA bags, but I'd have needed another part). Are they worth $1500 new? I'd say so, but I'd always buy one second hand for $500 instead.
Now that said, they can be a bit of a pita. I've never figured out the jumble of attachments (some of which I'm sure are missing), and getting the normal-carpet-roller-brush thing back on again correctly on the first try is impossible. And if I had stairs I'd probably throw the thing out the nearest window.
But I could then plug it in and continue using it, because it's a Kirby.
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