I do have a Dyson. No regrets. What I enjoy most is it's versatility. I'm sure other vacs can also be used for so many different purposes, but I absolutely enjoy that I can use it as an upright, and/or as canister in a matter of seconds. Spider webs? Dust? Carpets? Hardwoods? Tile? Vinyl? All - no problem.

We also have a Kirby. I read somewhere (Consumer Reports, I believe) that Dyson vacs are over rated and many cheaper vacs are superior. The current bargain rage seems to be a Shark model. It is reported to work well, but the upright is not self-propelled like a Kirby. I believe it also does not have a bag that empties without the mess of dumping the contents. Modern vacuums are mostly throw-aways.

When I was buying bags for my Kirby, the vacuum store owner had a Dyson there and demonstrated why he thought they weren't as great as their reputation. Basically, they are almost entirely made of plastic and there are a lot of places for dust/air to escape. Still, people love them!

My sister just got a Shark and says it works great on cat hair. Maybe I'll bring my Kirby in to see what it will cost to fix first. They might have refurbished vacuums there if it is too much. One of my chief complaints about it is that it weighs so much, but it can pretty much live in the lower level.

I have an older Dyson, the DC 12 (or 14?) Animal. Worth every penny! Bought it in '06 or '07. It did need 1 repair about 4 years ago. Cost $100. About 3 years ago, I followed a consumer reports spreadsheet when buying a new vac for downstairs. My sons new carpet was too long for the Dyson and rendered it useless in that room. Ugh. Seems my model had a flaw in that you couldn't raise the spinning bar for higher carpets. So, I bought a Red Devil that out performed the Dyson in that round of testing. Well, the RD is awful, it's so bad that I lug my Dyson downstairs to vaccum the whole rest of the basement. I'd be wary of what consumer reports says as far as vacuums go. My dad had a similar situation when vacuum shopping. He eventually went with a Dyson. I have always had pets, and the included attachments make cleaning up the pet hair a breeze. They do sell an attachment for hardwood floors, I think around $50. It's not advised to use the rotating brush head on HW floors, although I have been doing so for 6 years and haven't noticed any more wear and tear than normal. Yes, it's all plastic, but it's lighter! I haven't had any piece chip or crack, and I'm not easy on it.

You can also buy a refurbished Dyson. The repair shop I went to had some for sale. Check the Dyson website for a certified repair shop, and call for prices. I should have just bought one second hand instead of that darn red devil.

I bought a Shark and love it. Very versatile.

Miele canister. On my second one — first one died after 15 years. Could've had it repaired, but it would've been $200. Opted for a new. Would never consider anything else.

Another Kirby owner for 15+ years. Really liked attachments for cleaning crevices, drapery, furniture, but heavy. Our cleaning service uses Oreck and one day we tested both vacuums, the Oreck proved to be much better so Kirby sits in a closet, unused. A Kirby Svc/dealer once offered me roughly 50% of purchase price and I wished now I had accepted. Mine is in excellent shape but in a closet. It's just clutter.