We have 4 dogs.  Four house dogs, two labs and two terriers.   Needless to say, pet hair is a real problem for us.  I had two vacuums & an electric broom working to stay on top of the problem, a Hoover PowerMax Deluxe, a Kirby Heritage II & a Dirt Devil Power Broom.  I'd already burned up the motor in a Eureka bagless unit, and a Dirt Devil Power Broom.  My son kept telling me to get the Dyson, he's a gadget guy, he'd done lots of research, but I was more than skeptical.  I could replace a cheap vacuum annually for 5 years for what I'd pay for that Dyson. 

I found a good deal on a Dyson DC17 Animal on eBay, it had a 7 day return policy, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  I did have some trouble with the instructions, it is all drawings.  I'm more of a word person so it took me a bit to find my way around the instructions.  This is the one place I would critique Dyson.  The instructions seemed poorly organized and hard to follow for an old lady like myself.  Dyson could take a lesson or two from those information mapping folks. 

Once I figured out how it all came apart and went together I was off and running.  I literally emptied the canister 5 times from my bedroom and bathroom alone.  You're probably thinking I had a filthy house.  I was vacuuming my room with the Kirby at least twice weekly, more often if I had the time.  I must admit though that each time I used the Kirby I did have to change the bag. 

Emptying the canister was a breeze and was not a messy proposition.  I simply popped the canister off the vacuum, inserted it into a garbage bag, popped a button and the bottom of the canister opens, dumping the contents into the bag.  No dust to inhale, no more messy bags to handle.

My room is so much cleaner, fresher now.  It doesn't have that just vacuumed, stale vacuum cleaner smell.  It smells clean!  I was able to dust the mini blinds, ceiling fan, TV, top of the mirrors, light fixtures, even gave a light dusting to the top of my curtains, all with the Dyson and minimum trouble changing tools.

I love the way the Dyson hose, wand and tools work together.  At first I thought it was weird, but it is so easy to reconfigure, unlike the Kirby!  The DC17 Animal came with 3 onboard tools and 3 additional tools.  The crevice tool, brush and small head upholstery tool are pretty standard with all vacuums.  I wish the brush were angled, but I have ordered an angled dusting tool.  The Dyson Mini Turbine Head Tool was a wonderful surprise.  I was able to vacuum ny sofas and pillows, removing all evidence of pet hair and more dust than I thought  sofa  should hold.  The DC17 Animal also comes with a low reach tool for reaching under furniture, I found it was perfect for use on hard floors too.  The DC17 came with one additional tool meant to be used with their dry cleaning solution.  I haven't used that one yet.

I really didn't expect to be giving the Dyson a 5 star review.  I expected to be returning it.  But I have to say that I have never used a better machine.  The suction is incredible, emptying the canister is too easy and changing the setup is a piece of cake.  It has a 5 year warranty, but for kicks I priced replacement parts at the mfr website.  A replacement canister is $35.  Other replacement parts are reasonably priced as well.  I read some reviews where people thought the canister would break easily.   It seems sturdy and well designed to me, and a replacement is reasonably priced as well.

I also read a review where a gentleman claimed the suction was so strong it ripped up his berber carpet.  Now my carpet is in sad shape, but I will not replace it until my kids move away with their dogs.  I already have a couple of frays and the Dyson did not make them worse.  Granted I had trimmed the excess material and even sealed the edges with hot glue, but that was because I knew my old Hoover would damage it if I left the fray alone.  I also have an expensive Turkish area rug in my living room.  The Dyson did a wonderful job on it and did not harm it in any way. 

The Dyson does have stronger suction than and is more effective than any vacuum cleaner I have ever owned, borrowed or used (including Kirby Kenmore, Eureka and Hoover).  If I had it to do over again, knowing what I do now, I would pay full retail price and consider it worth every dime!!