We have a basic Dyson.... ( I think we got it at Walmart for @ $300) and we love it. We have to long hair sheeding cats, and I'm a very long haired shedding blonde ( we have to cut my hair out of the beat bar every 6 months or so).We have had it about 3 years.... ( and hubby is a compulsive vacummer) It's still going like wild!. It even ate one of the cats mini toy mice, kept right on going. ( no mice were hurt... we retrived said toy mouse from the " tunnel" and all was happy. ) I was funny to see the cat sit in front of the vacum and watch his mouse go round and round and round....LOL