....I have a few questions and comments.

First, regarding the HEPA filter box: Are there any differences in the various filters sold aftermarket for the Guardian canisters? Aerus gets about $65 for replacements, and I'm looking to save a little money, or buy them in some manner where I can get a bit of a break. I'm not tremendously anal about HEPA....I'm just looking for something that fits the machine and works well with it, so if one version filters just a bit less than another I'm not too worried about it. OTOH, if one is less restrictive in airflow, or fits the machine or has more durable "tabs", that might be a plus.

Oh, and BTW (running a smidge off-topic) - I would wonder similarly on the HEPA for Guardian uprights as well. I think I want to stay with Aerus though as it's a new machine....would an Aerus dealer give a discount on a quantity? I guess I should have asked the salesman I got it from, but didn't think about it at the time and had already spent enough $$$ for the day. I won't need one for a while but am curious...

Any tips/tricks on bag selection for the R canisters? I saw one particular enthusiast poster who was fashioning his own setup using Perfect style C's with Aerus style R cardboards glued on because the Perfect bags seem to filter so well. I did notice that the machine I bought did have a slight amount of dust observable from wiping inside the bag chamber, which I assume is from what the Aerus bags were missing. Seems consistent with reports on the forum that the Aerus bags, while pretty good for paper, aren't the best they could be.

Is it normal for the exhaust to be "very warm"? It seems like it could be quite an effective spaceheater in winter, but in summer I notice that running it in room has me noticing it a bit.

I must say that in the overall I am very impressed with the machine. The plastic build in many ways has it's own advantages.....especially with regard to the canister itself. The surfaces cleaned up very nicely, too, from their provided condition from the seller. I find it to be very durable in feel, and I'm one who has a particular dislike for cheaply built stuff. I can, however, see a need for maybe beginning to build a "service stock" of wands, bush rollers, and an extra hose, just to assure long term usability and convenience.

The power nozzle almost seems TOO light in weight. One thing I noticed when trying my Guardians (upright vs. canister) is that the upright seems to "dig in" to the carpet just a bit more and do a better immediate job of nap lifting, where the canister PN can tend to glide over the carpet. I found that being so used to pushing the uprights and older canisters that the newer canisters are akin to a baseball player swinging a weight-ringed bat before stepping into the batter's box with the bat only. I did find that with a little getting used to the handling I found the right pace and "feel" to get that grooming I was looking for. It's a HUGE step up from my older Lux uprights and canisters. That "double-helix" brushroll does bring good results.

I can definitely see me collecting another one or two of these setups, too - given the prices obtainable on the resale market I could afford to build a bit of a collection. Not just for collecting, but to have an arsenal of cleaners that could likely last a near lifetime. I have always been a fan of Electrolux cleaners - much like Listerine "it says what it does and does what it says". I don't know that I can argue that they are the absolute best, but I can say that they still do what they do pretty darned well.

Coupled with a Guardian upright (got that new) and Floor Pro I am ready to do the necessary cleaning/maintenance on the place. Should be an effective trio.

New Luxes.....pretty cool

.....I want to make sure to purchase the latest "R" bag stock from Aerus, then? I have a habit of buying stuff off of ebay, which would include keeping an eye for people's leftover/found stock of Aerus bags. I don't want to go cheap on pre-motor filtration, so it isn't a problem buying bags from Aerus to get the newest stock. I just want the most effective/best bag I can get.

Just because I am a curious type, what improvements have been made in the recent bags? Does this mean I should ditch the "Germ Grabber" bags that were thrown in with my used Guardian in favor of new stock R bags?

And since we are on the subject of bags have there been similar recent improvements with style U? I have a stock of U's from about 2005 or so, and one thing I noticed was they seemed to allow some fine dirt through into the old Ultralux 160U chamber. I do suspect that machine had other issues (it was beat to hello before I got it), so it could have been the machine and not the bag. I'll be watching for this on the new Guardian upright.

I thought that the "build your own R bag" was a bit creative, but having other hobbies am aware of what people will attempt to do to get the best performance.  It would be my luck that I would screw that up, thus I am looking for simpler solutions.

Good to know on the outboard HEPAs. I'll be sticking with Aerus on the upright as I do have the 10 year warranty in force and want to keep it that way.

The U bags I was using were Aerus bags, and look basically the same as my new bags I got with the Guardian upright. They are a slightly paler shade of blue on the bag, but carry the identical print on the lid as well as on the bag.

I do suspect that the old Lux upright was leaking from somewhere....I got that machine well used (and borderline abused) and oft wondered if the machine did leak air. I will definitely monitor how the new machine does, and that will be easy to do since it's new.

I haven't ever used anything other than Lux bags in any Lux machine I have ever owned.....and come to think of it never had a motor related issue. I hope to keep it that way.

BTW - the Guardian upright is one fantastic machine - what I love about the classic Lux upright design with the power I wish they always had. They don't LOOK much different but performance wise they have really matured. I always thought that if I wanted max Lux performance I had to have a canister. I don't think that way any more....although I still appreciate aspects of both.