I have owned a Mighty Mite for about 20 years, and it is still going strong.  It has weathered being used without the dust bag, and has sucked up all sorts of harmful things, like toy cars and tissues.  I bought this current model for my daughter, and she loves it as much as I do.  She also used it for a few minutes without the bag, and we just opened it and shook out the loose dirt, and put in the bag.  It was completely unfazed.  Her children have a tendency to kink the hose, and this new one seems just as forgiving as my old one.  I'm glad to find this out, since I loaned my old Mighty Mite to my neighbor, and she loved it and wants to get one like it.  I am happy to be able to tell her that she can still get a new one as good as the old one.  It has only one flaw--my old one has a rubber flap which closes off the opening to the bag when the hose is not attached.  The new one can spill out dirt if you turn it on end with the hose off.  It is great for bare floors or very low pile carpet.  If you need to vacuum rugs, you need a heavier (and more expensive) machine.