I know it's supposed to suck

I try to vacuum once a week.  Aim high, right?

During the school year, when I babysit and when the house isn't under construction, I am fairly successful at reaching this goal.  I can make it happen.  First I work up a sweat running from one kids' room to the next to toss all of their crap up on the beds or the desk.  Believe me, I give them plenty of warning.  'Get your crap off of your floor - I'm vacuuming tomorrow'.  The warning is repeated the next morning.  I swear one of these days I am going to toss anything not put away out the window.  (I did that to Laddie once, years ago).

False advertising. Or labeling. 
Or something.
 Just FALSE!

The only real issue I have with vacuum day is that I HATE my vacuum.  We owned an upright Hoover with a bag variety forever.  When I finally admitted that it wasn't working anymore, I decided to upgrade.  I bought a Shark.

It sucks.  Actually, I wish it sucked - as in suck the stuff up off the carpet.  There is no bag.  I think the bag-version worked better.  This one has a combination sponge/foam insert thing.  These pieces are supposed to be removed after each use and washed out.  I do that.  Promise.  

Imagine my surprise though when I open the basket that is supposed to be full of junk and it is empty.  We are not that clean.  I mean, we don't have pets, but there is always lint, crud, and food particles because the crew cares little about the don't-eat-in-this-room rule.

Exhibit A.  Price tag thingie holders and
mint wrappers.  Impossible for
my poor Shark.

I find it ultra infuriating to vacuum up those long plastic price tag attachment thingies only to see the Shark spit them back out across the room.  It also struggles with plastic wrappers to mints.  I've tried different techniques.  Pushing the vacuum slow.  Really slow.  Wait till it gets sucked up, and then 30 seconds later watch as it is deposited on the other side of the room.  NO!!!!!

When the basket doesn't fill up, I end up having to disembowel the hose.  I have discovered the hard way that the hose gets so backed up that it won't bring the garbage to the basket.  It just fills up the hose.  Infuriating!

Anyone have a vacuum recommendation or a frustrating Shark experience?