We were shopping for a replacement for our good, but heavy Kenmore cannister. My husband does the vacuuming and after back surgery last year the Kenmore was difficult to use. Many of the highly rated (and less expensive) machines were very heavy, so we looked at the light weight Dyson and decided to get it, despite the nearly $400.00 price tag. We have a shorthaired dog that sheds 24/7. The Dyson picked up an unbelieveable amount of dog hair that was still in the carpet, despite previously vacuuming twice per week -- two containers full! And, the carpet looks so much better! The container was very easy to empty, just hold it over the trash can and push a button. The HEPA filter works great -- no hot dusty smell. It is very light, easy to push and the onboard tools are easy to use and the hose is long. My husband swore he'd never pay that much for a vacuum, but he agrees that it is worth every penny. Better than the canister and better than my Oreck upright. Expensive, but if you want a machine that really cleans and is light and easy to use this is the vacuum for you.