Top honors in Consumer Reports brand-repair surveys and stout metal parts designed to be rebuilt instead of replaced could make the high-scoring, $1,350 Kirby Sentria upright the last vacuum you buy.

The salesman came to the door. Told me they would do a full cleaning on my carpets. They only did the center of 2 stairs and made me vacuum a room to test it out. I said I wanted to think about buying ...