I have a little craftex sabrina which I use for spotting, the odd bit of upholstery and to get me out of a fix if need be, it is only a two stage vac but has great suction. I would have thought the performance is on a par with the galaxy. I would use the galaxy for the reasons above but not as a main machine. In fact if you are serious about starting out I would get the best most powerful machine you can, I wish I had. It will save you time and money in the long run.