Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After finally retiring my beloved Hoover Windtunnel canister vacuum - I decided to replace it with this Dyson. Assembly was easy - I gave up with the instructions (pictures only - but not very informative) and had it up and running in about 5 minutes. I vacuumed an area rug with my Hoover first (it still works - but is now held together by duct tape and rubber bands in several areas). After going over it a second time with the Dyson - I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of dust it pulled out of the carpet. There was a couple of pieces of lint (looked like a down feather) that I had to go over several times in order to vacuum it up - but otherwise it did a good job. Going off the area rug onto the hardwood floor was easy - you just push a button in the handle to turn off the brush so the floor doesn't get scratched. The canister is quite light and easy to pull around - and emptying it is a breeze. I would suggest emptying it into a large (outside) garbage can - otherwise dust may fly everywhere. My only complaint is that because it's made of plastic - some of the parts seem rather flimsy. With my old hoover - plastic parts would break off here and there - to the point that it's almost unusable. I fear the Dyson may suffer the same fate. The flimsiest bit seems to be the latch on the bottom of the dirt cup - I guess time will tell. Thankfully - there is a 5 year warranty. I will update this review if needed. PROS: Cleans carpets/hardwood floors well Easy to empty Light and easy to maneuver CONS: Expensive for a mostly plastic vacuum Some of the plastic pieces seem flimsy. Directions are useless The head/wand apparently "clips" to the ball for storage - ehhhh - good luck with that. ***UPDATE*** After using this vacuum for over a month - I just wanted to update my review with a couple of observations. POSITIVES: So maneuverable - and the slim head profile gets under some of my furniture that my old vacuum was unable to. NEGATIVES: Dog hair tends to cling to the outside of the extendable wand due to static electricity. Does not pick up all the dog hair on the carpet - I still see some embedded in the carpet after vacuuming. The problem seems to be with the carpet brush - it does not make contact with my short napped carpet. My old hoover did a much better job with it's powered, automatic height adjustable carpet brush. This is a little disappointing - seeing as it is about 4 times the price of my old hoover. ***UPDATE #2*** After 6 months of nearly daily use - I have to say that I can't recommend this vacuum for the following reasons: 1) Some plastic parts have broken off. While they are not critical pieces - it's annoying on a vacuum this expensive. 2) It clogs really easily. There is a bend where the hose meets the intake by the canister - and it narrows considerably. Dog hair accumulates there - and I have to try to fish it out at least twice a week. Because of the bend - this in no small feat. 3) It consistently leaves dog hair behind on the carpet - which builds up to the point where I have to drag out my old hoover to clean it up and start with a fresh slate. I don't use the hoover every time - if you're wondering - because some pieces have broken on it that require me to hold it together when I vacuum. It does a superior cleaning job - despite this. I'm not sure why this vacuum is such a lame duck. My mom's upright dyson is about 8 years old and works so much better. I just wished that I had returned in during my 30 day window.....now I'm stuck with a vacuum that doesn't really vacuum. C'mon Dyson - I know you can do better!!