A vacuum cleaner comprises a suction port assembly having a suction inlet, a rotatable drum, a driving pulley that drives the rotatable drum, a driven pulley that is driven by a motor and a free-wheeling idler pulley that can rotate irrespective of the driven pulley. A drive belt between the motor and the driven pulley can be moved off the driven pulley and onto the free-wheeling idler pulley. When the drive belt from the motor rides on the idler pulley, the rotatable drum is disconnected from the motor, allowing it to stop. The drive belt is move onto and off of the idler pulley by a user-operable two-position guide member. In a first position, the drive belt is connected to the driven pulley. In the second position, the drive belt is directed onto the free-wheeling idler pulley. A user of the vacuum cleaner can selectively activate and deactivate the rotatable drum during cleaning thereby saving power, reducing wear on the rotating drum and its bristles and reducing noise.