I have have my Hoover PowerMax Deluxe for about 10 year and be quite pleased with its performance on bare floor and we 1 or 2 area rug . around the time we move into we new house , the vacuum 's plastic housing crack . I be go to have it replace , but decide on a new vacuum because we new house have several carpet room . the Eureka 4870mz do a fabulous job on the carpet , even though they do not have the same pile-you can adjust for this on the machine . the carpet with the longer pile actually feel soft and new after the first use , and I could really hear how much dirt be be remove -lrb- compare with my old machine -rrb- . the power paw attachment also do a great job remove pet hair from furniture -lrb- we have 2 cat and a dog-a shed machine black lab -rrb- . I have 2 issue with this unit : 1 -rrb- this vacuum do also work very well on bare floor , but be difficult to maneuver unless the space be clean be expansive and square . when I have to work around table basis , chair , I either need another attachment or I need to stop and move everything . also , the vacuum will not fit under the sofa like my old vacuum , so that area can not get clean every time I vacuum . 2 -rrb- it be not easy to use on the stair , whether carpet or wood . the unit be heavy-not a bad thing , as something this powerful would need some weight-but not easy for someone in late pregnancy , or I would imagine , someone elderly to carry . there be a additional piece to extend the hose , but it be not enough to make it up the stair without need to stop and carry the unit halfway up or down the stair . so , what this vacuum do , it do well and I be glad we buy it . I will , however , be pay to fix my old standby Hoover to use where the the Eureka fall short , instead of fix it to sell . it be for this reason that I only give 3 star . it would have receive 4 star if base on carpet cleaning alone , but because it be advertise as bare floor and carpet , I can not give more than 3 . nobody should need to own 2 vacuum .