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A good vacuum should effectively clean the dirt off your floors, be easy to use, and if you spend your dollars wisely, last you a long time. But with prices ranging from $100 up $1,000, how to know which models offer the best value? For shopping advice and some high-rated picks I caught up with Carolyn  Forté  at the  Good Housekeeping Research Institute , where her team has tested over 40 vacuums for overall performance. Upright or Canister? When shopping for a vacuum the first consideration is likely to be  style  -- upright or canister. Both clean effectively. "It depends on the kind of house you have and what you need to vacuum," says Forté . A canister vacuum is generally more versatile. Like uprights, they handle carpets well, but are also great at cleaning bare floors, vacuuming stairs and sucking up dirt from corners. However, "if you've got one floor and lots of wall to wall carpets, then the upright is the way to go," she says....