For me, vacuuming is a chore that I avoid whenever possible. I just don't like to vacuum. I hate how my ten year old Oreck smells like something is burning whenever I use it. I hate how I can never get close enough to the baseboards so I either have to use a handheld vacuum in addition to the upright or live with gray stripes of dusty carpeting next to the walls. I especially hate changing the bags.

We don't have a lot of hair about the house despite my follically challenged husband with more hair on his back than on his head. We have a dog too but he's a miniature schnauzer. One reason we chose a schnauzer is because they don't really shed the way most dogs do. We take him for grooming once every couple of months and don't find dog hairs all about the place. We have a couple of kids running around but they don't tend to track in mud and such. Our floors and carpets get dirty just through the process of everyday life.

So, after dealing with the stinky Oreck before a recent parental visit, I decided I had enough. I wanted a new vacuum and I wanted it last year. Perhaps I'd even be motivated to use it if it was cool enough. There is no vacuum cooler than a Dyson so that's how I decided to buy one.

Did I come running to Epinions and other sites to read reviews? No. I simply remembered the word of mouth from my friends who purchased purple Animal and yellow All Floors and "The Ball" vacuums.

I marched myself into Bed, Bath and Beyond with a 20% off coupon and walked on back to the vacuum cleaner section. Nice selection of Dysons they had there and all were less than I had spent on the Oreck a decade ago.

Again, I did not put much thought into the selection process other than to rule out the couple of vacuums that were most expensive. I liked the purple one because of the color but thought it was pretty big and looked sort of heavy. Then I looked at the boxes. All of the boxes for the Animal vacuums were up on the top shelf and would require an associate to come over with the big ladder to get it down for me. On the bottom shelf, there were three Dyson DC18s - otherwise known as the "Dyson Slim". Easy enough. I can get out of the store faster if I buy the smaller vacuum. So, I did. This is not the way I'd advise others to make buying decisions and if you're reading this, researching a vacuum, you can give yourself a gold star for being much smarter than I am.

The primary difference I see between the DC18 and the other models is that the Dyson Slim is just that - slim. It's smaller than the others and weighs less at 15.8 pounds. That's still more than I was used to but it's less than the other Dyson upright models. It's definitely eye-catching in gray with bright yellow accents.

I unpacked my Dyson when I got home and quickly was able to assemble it. I immediately started to vacuum the same area that I had just done with the Oreck before leaving the house. I was both amazed and repulsed by the huge amount of dust, dirt and nastiness that the DC18 picked up.

I find this vacuum very easy to maneuver. It's heavier than the Oreck, but it glides effortlessly across all of the surfaces in my home: carpeting, hardwood, linoleum and tile. The vacuum pivots on a ball, just like the DC15 models so I'm able to get up close and personal with those disgusting gray spots near my baseboards. The vacuum also has a low enough profile that I've been able to get to some of the dust bunnies under the beds without needing to use the telescoping wand handle!

Speaking of this incredible handle, it's my favorite feature of the Dyson DC18. With the Oreck, I couldn't use attachments with the upright at all and could only use them with the funky little handheld that came along with it - the one in the commercials that showed the spokesdude vacuuming up a bowling ball. Even then, they didn't attach to the vacuum and I always managed to misplace them so always just went without.

Now with the Dyson, my accessories have little clip on spots right on the upright chassis. They are right there with me all the time so it's a breeze to attach them to the wand and actually get things clean! The wand allows you to adjust the height of the handle and also effortlessly switch between vacuuming the floor and getting cobwebs out of the corners near the ceiling. I just love this!

The DC18 is only available right now in an "All Floors" model. Mine came with two accessories: a combination crevice and hard brush where the brush slips up and down the shaft to either be used or get out of the way and a stair tool. I've used the stair tool along with the wand to do the stairs in my house (and it is so much better than the "bowling ball" vacuum) and also to get dog hair off the comforter in my guest room. While my dog does not shed, my parents have a dog that does and they brought her along with them during their last visit.

Best of all, the Dyson DC18 has no additional costs involved after the initial purchase price. You don't have to buy those messy bags or extra filters. The included HEPA filter is washable and ought to be rinsed out every three months.

Emptying the "Clear Bin" canister is super easy. It simply pops off the vacuum with the press of a button. You then press another button on the canister which opens the bottom hinge of the canister, allowing the nasties to fall out into your waste receptacle. I haven't found this to be dusty or difficult at all and I don't even get my hands dirty. Reattaching the canister to the vacuum is a little more difficult and it usually takes me a couple of tries to get it exactly right but it's by no means onerous.

Overall, I've been very happy with my purchase of the Dyson DC18 Slim Vacuum. I find myself actually looking forward to vacuuming in my house which is something I thought I'd never say.

Specifications (courtesy of Dyson)
H 43.7 x W 12.1 x D16.34 (HxWxD)
Weight 15.8 lbs
Suction power(airwatts) 200 airwatts (constant)
Motor wattage: The power of a vacuum cleaner is best measured in airwatts (suction power). Motor wattage simply tells you how much electricity a cleaner uses.
Bin capacity .45 gallons
Cord length 25 ft
Maximum reach 41.58 ft

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 369 (coupon)