In love with my Dyson at first....
I've had my Dyson canister for 2 years and can give an honest opinion as the "novelty" has worn off. 

I must say out of the box the Dyson looked somewhat cheap in quality compared to my Miele.  However, when I turned the Dyson on and began vacuuming my rug, the WOW factor in seeing all the debris/dirt accumulate in the clear, plastic container is hard to describe.

Watching that canister fill became an obsession.  I couldn't wait to hit the next area and see what it could suck-up.  I STILL enjoy seeing that canister fill up.  It's satisfying to literally see that something is working.

Because the Dyson sucked up so much debris it 'seemed' to work better than any vacuum I've ever owned and I was almost convinced it was the best sucking machine ever built.  However, I began to get suspicious when the Dyson had trouble picking up small items on my wood floor when using the floor tool.  Or cleaning edges with the power head.  My Miele never had issues. 

Dyson is a bully on carpets!
Hmmmm, how could something that supposedly has so much suction miss so much?   I noticed the Dyson Power Head's bristles were so stiff that they resembled the wire brush I use on my Bar-B-Q!  The Mieles were somewhat stiff, yet soft and pliable.  Dyson's had no 'give'.  

Bells go off in my head as I realize the Dyson was filling the canister quickly because it was beating the living s*** out of my carpet!  So much for the whole cyclonic action doing the cleaning.

This theory was proven when I used the Dyson on a small spot on my most expensive wool carpet.  It is a low-pile loop that resembles a tightly woven Berber.   The area I tested ended up being 'fuzzy'.  (Imagine using a stiff brush on a wool sweater, or teasing your hair with a stiff brush.)  I was shocked that just a few minutes created that damage.  My carpet manufacturer said I absolutely cannot use a Dyson power head on it.  Needless to say, I only use my Miele vacuum on that rug.

So why did I keep the Dyson?  I have some oriental wool area rugs that constantly "shed" fibers, even years later which drives me crazy!  But the Dyson is so brutal on the rugs that it hardly sheds anymore.  The downside is that so much pile has been removed by the Dyson that the rugs are quickly losing denseness and becoming hard & matted down.  I'm ok with that as I plan on replacing them once my budget allows.

Other negatives about the Dyson: 
*         On-board tools constantly fall off.
*         No carpet height adjustment.
*         The wand is bulky and unwieldy- using the tools with it is a joke. 
*         The hose is too short to reach much of anything overhead.
*         The power cord is so short that I often yank out the plug on accident.
*         The canister doesn't always fill up evenly, and fibers back-up in one area.
*         Emptying the canister must be done outside...messy! 

Do you feel lucky?
You may be a lucky one who has carpet that won't be affected by the aggressiveness of the Dyson's bristles.  Conversely, you may be on the other end and watch your investment literally get sucked away.  It damaged one of my carpets right away, the others took a few years.

Also keep in mind that the DYSON will void certain carpet warranties because of its brutality on the fibers.  I'm not kidding about this!  Check with your manufacturer.  Also do NOT use the Dyson on low pile loops made of wool, Berber or any looped carpet that is not securely glued/tied to its base without testing. 

The Dyson's pitch is brilliant.  When you see all the debris filling the canister as it's spinning around, you believe 100% your carpets are clean.  Just remember that much of your carpet got there by the force & rotation of stiff brushes ‘scrubbing' your carpet.   It's NOT due to suction.  If your carpet can withstand that, then great...you'll love your Dyson every time you get to see all the junk in the canister!

Personally, if you've invested a lot in your carpet/floors I'd steer clear of any Dyson product.  I'd save a bit more and invest in a higher end product with more features.
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Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 386