Okay, I just got one called Animal. It's purple. I love mine. You won't believe how much hair/fur it picks up. It looks like a cotton candy machine.
Leslie

i have the DC17 the purple pet hair model. i love it. you will be amazed at how much stuff is in and under your carpeting :-0 i have only 1 room w/ carpet, the master bedroom, tile or bamboo plank everywhere else and it was disgusting how much FL sand was in and under the carpet in the bedroom, i emptied the canister several times (gross i know!) ~ liz

We're contemplating getting the canister model with the ball.
Not 100% sure that we'll splurge for it, but if we do, that's the one we want for sure. 3 kitties, and lots of fur.

I have had the yellow one for several years and just love it. It is amazing how much it picks up. We have 3 cats and there is lots of fluff in the canister when we empty it.

Suzie, I don't know how much money your are thinking of spending but thought you might like to know there are quite a few Dyson's on ebay, some even new in the box, that are a fraction of the price the Dyson site sells them for...
might be an idea to spend a little and try one out before you take the plunge and buy the vacuum of your dreams.
Suzan J

I asked for a Dyson for Christmas. I got the Dyson DC25 with a purple ball. I have no idea how I like it. I have yet to use it. Don't get me wrong, it has been used...many times. Just not by me. See, please don't say anything, the only reason I asked for it was (looking left, looking right) my son wanted it. Shhhhhhh...please don't narc me out. Please don't tell anyone. Oh...he loves it! And it sure looks "official".

Absolutely (despite what Consumers Reports says) the best vacuum I've ever owned. I too have the purple animal and it is far superior to any I've ever owned. A bit heavy, yes, but I can put up with that.

A day before we purchased our Dyson, I vacuumed with an Electrolux that was supposed to be "top of the line". I was absolutely floored when I vacuumed the next day with the Dyson at the amount it picked up left behind by the Electrolux.

I also love being able to stand at the bottom of the stairs and vacuum the steps without having to move the vacuum to change outlets, etc.

I highly recommend it.

I love mine. Not sure which model though since it was a "special" on Shop NBC. They typically have specials on various models at pretty good prices, and include extras. They just had the Animal on over the weekend, or earlier in the week. Before I bought mine, I actually went to several stores and priced them. The poor sales people were so nice, giving me their pitch. I knew I wasn't getting it from their store because SNBC was beating their price hands down. Plus, order online, and no tax or S&H. But I was able to get good info, and use it first hand before I made my purchase. I wish I had gotten the Ball though. I will say that most sales people that I spoke with said that people weren't as impressed with the smaller version; but the Ball was great. You will be AMAZED at what it can do. Go for it!!

I have the Asthma and Allergy model (not the Ball). I love it. The baby came out of the womb sort of wheezy and the doctor told me that he was probably going to be prone to environmental allergies by the look of the lining of his nose. He stopped the noisy breathing. I think he probably just outgrew it but it did happen after I bought the Dyson.

I bought it from one of the shopping networks so I could use the flexpay option. I would have bought it in Costco if I had thought of it though. They had the Animal which I think is about the same as the Allergy and Asthma one and it was quite a bit less expensive. I never think of Costco until it's too late.

How do these do on hardwood floors? I have 2 rooms with carpet but hardwood floors everywhere else. It kills my back to sweep so much and then bend over and pick up the sweepings. I think I would have a much easier time pushing a vac around. I have a Dirt Devil bagless right now and it is on it's last leg. With 3 dachshunds, I have dog hair no matter how much I sweep. Sheila

I love the Dyson, but my principal vacuum is a Rainbow.

I have the purple ball Dyson and I love the turbo attachment for picking up cat hair. It works really well. The one drawback I don't like about the Dyson is the hose arrangement and the attachments. You have to unhook the hose and remove the handle rod to use the attachments, then hook it all back up to use the floor vacuum. It's cumbersome, but the vacuum is worth it. And the ball design is awesome! I would never go back to a fixed square upright design again.

It works great on hardwood floors - just remember to turn off the brush beaters so you don't scratch the floor finish.

Thanks for so many responses and your input! I might go look at some today. It seems that over the last few years I've spent enough on cheap vaccuums and never been satisfied. I'm buyin' a Dyson! (and yes, despite what Consumer Reports and other "experts" say. I've got the opinions of the KT and that is good enough for me!).

I also wonder if they work on hardwood floors.

Thanks all!

Suzieque

Ah - tally, we were posting at the same time. Thanks for mentioning hardwood floors, and your comments on the Dyson.

One more question - some Dysons have names such as Animal, Asthma and Allergy, etc., and some have numbers (DC 25, DC 15, etc.). Why? Or do the ones with names have various numbers (Like Animal DC15, Animal DC25, for example)?

Suzie, you should go to the dyson.com website link below and explore the various upright models.

The model number tells you about the various features and you can see the comparisons.

The "Animal" description comes with a special mini turbine attachment for cleaning pet hair.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dyson Upright models

Last week on our Shopping Channel they were demonstrating the canister. She had carpet, hardwood, vinyl and ceramic floors.
You just step on a little lever to turn off the beater brush and it's set for hardwood etc. Worked fantastic. Seeing that segment sold us on the Dyson.

You can't please everyone, and I always take Consumer Reports with a large grain of salt.

THanks again (Tally, thanks for the lin; why didn't I think of that!?). I see that there is one for "all floors", but that is significantly less expensive than the Animal. But I don't see that the Animal does hardwood. I don't really think I'd use the attachment that comes with The Animal. If the attachment is the only thing that makes it specific for animals, I won't bother with that (I tend to just do my furniture with a damp sponge; works great).

I prefer an upright vs a canister, because I don't like to have the cannister dragging after me. But size does matter, as I don't have much storage space or even a lot of floor. Very small house! With lots of animals ...

Suzieque

I saw that they had Dyson's at Wal-Mart now. I didn't check the price. It was a yellow one.

I just can't justify the price on the Dyson's I have seen- I just have a couple area rugs, the rest is hardwood. I like using the Swiffer on that. I am tempted though, LOL

Do they work on teenage girl hair - long long long curly hair?

I hate the vacuum I have now though - Such a pain! It never works right.

Does the Dyson have a hose? That is what I use most on mine - a long hose with attachements to get the corners and behind stuff.

I have had the purple animal Dyson for 7 or 8 years. I love it, I love it, I love it. I had to replace the long stretchy hose a few months ago and it was sent promptly.

I've sometimes wished something would be wrong enough with mine to justify buying the roller model, but truthfully I don't want that to happen. I just know if mine ever bites the dust I will get the ball Dyson.

I use it easily on carpet, hardwood and ceramic tile.

Linda

Suzie, let me tell you - you WANT the turbo attachment, trust me. I have 8 indoor cats and the Animal attachment is awesome because it has beaters that beat up the fur and dander in the upholstery or fabric (comforters, sheets, cat bedding etc). So much better than just using a stiff brush to rake it up with. That attachment is worth the price of the Dyson alone, in my personal opinion.

As for hardwood floors, yes it does hardwood floors. All the Dysons do. There is a button that you push that pulls the beaters up and stops them from rotating. You can vaccum the hardwood with just the suction.

My entire house is hardwood except for the bathrooms and kitchen. I have the DC25 Animal.

PS...If you buy your Dyson at Bed Bath and Beyond you can use a 20% off coupon when they're available.

How does it work at removing American Eskimo hair from your black clothes (I have my answers now thanks to KT re the hardwood). Doxiemom - we used to have 4 Dachshunds and 3 cats. Anyone who thinks short-haired Dachshunds don't shed didn't meet mine. Nothing like a Dachshund hair stuck in the bottom of your foot.