Vacuum cleaner recommendations -- carpet & tile

[CarrieMaro]

I know a vacuum cleaner isn't really baby gear, but now that our little one is spending m, so more time on the floor, vacuuming is becoming so much more important in our household! We have an Australian shepherd who sheds a lot, and our old Hoover just isn't cutting it anymore.

Does anyone have a vacuum that they love? Specifically, I want it to have:
Great suction -- for carpet and tile
Easy stairs capability
Easy attachments for reaching carpeted nooks that the main part of the vacuum can't fit into as well as upholstered furniture.

I might also consider some kind of steam cleaner to clean tile and carpet with. I doubt I could find both a great vacuum and steam cleaner in the same machine, but if anyone knows of one, please let me know? Otherwise, I might be in the market for both a vacuum and a steam cleaner.

If you can give me any recommendations, I'd be most appreciative!

[tny915]

You'll find a lot of pet owners who are Dyson fans around here. And from what I've read around the boards, you can find a model that has attachments to do all you're asking for. Do a search in the Lounge if you're interested, there's lots to read!

I personally had trouble justifying the $, so I bought this Eureka. It was rated a Consumer Reports best buy and is on sale now at Amazon with free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000063UZS/qid=1105599546/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-6048380-0116642?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=507846

We have a cat and it seems to handle the fur on the carpet pretty well. It has a hard floor button that you'd be able to use to clean your tile, and it's pretty powerful. It's heavy though so stair use is iffy, and it comes with easy attachments, but hose suction isn't nearly as powerful. But for the price, I'm quite pleased.

[ellies mom]

We have a Kenmore canister vac. The reason I like the canister vac is because the exhaust on the upright was always pouffing the animal hair around on our hard wood floors rather than vacuuming it up. It also does a good job on the stairs. It has a catch thing on the cannister that keeps it on the stairs. I wish I knew the model name/#. It is reddish orange and it says progressive on it and it comes with the "jr" attachment. Speaking of attachments, I love how nicely they stay put. It cost about $400, maybe $450, but we got it for $350. I think it is worth every penny. The old upright? It lives upstairs now.