One thing has to be understood about consumer report ratings. They only test roughly 30 of the 400 available machines on the market, and they choose those tested machines based on what's the most widely available across the country from the large 'big box' stores (target, walmart, etc..). These stores do not carry many machines that are meant to last more than 2-3 years. The manufacturers as well as the stores would much rather you continue to buy new ones when the old ones break. That is why they're priced from $69-$200, and that is why their parts "coincidently" become obsolete in conjunction with the expiration of the machines warranty. When you shop with a vacuum specialty store, you are looking at a whole different class of products, and ones that normally aren't advertised because they rely on demonstrations to sell. So while we don't totally agree with the consumer reports ratings, the machines are still very inexpensive, so if you are looking for something quick, easy and not expected to last more then a couple years, they might be a good option for you.