We don't have animals or brick dust. But I do have 4 DC, and I have a thing about very clean carpets. Since Sebo and Miele both have 'bags' (are the bags easy to reuse, btw?), can they really suck up as well and hard as a Dyson? As reliably and for years to come?

(Either we service our DC04 which has cracks in the casing as well as a broken belt, or treat ourselves to a whole new vac-cleaner).

Yes it would pick up more if you use their bags but I doubt you could keep reusing them as the special allergy ones are very very fine IYSWIM.

MIL has had dyson and miele, and says the miele is better.

Miele is very good, but I've never had a Dyson to compare with. Bags would be a real struggle to reuse though, I've never even tried, and always got several uses out of the bags for my old vacuum (Electrolux which came out of the Ark)

I <<heart>> my Miele.

It makes a REAL difference.

Miele don't advise reusing the bags.

DP has used Dysons and says our Miele is better.

I love my miele too and just buy the cheap non-branded bags to use with it. You could pick out stuff though but the filtration would eventually be compromised I think?

I've always had Dysons (cream carpets, 2 cats, 3 dcs) but it really doesn't get the cat fur up well. Despite their 'never lose suction' claim imo they always do. But I'm not great at keeping the filter clean.

Holding off switching to Miele because hate having to buy bags forever afterwards, they don't come cheap.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who worries about this kind of thing on a Saturday night

How long do you find the bags last? They cost #1-#2 each (I think, trying to price up). We fill the Dyson about once a fortnight, so that suggests... minimum 25 quid/year to 'run' the Miele? Over a 5 year period an extra 250-500 quid. All I have to do for Dyson is rinse out the filter once in a rare while.

The Dysons are made of cheap plastic and poor wiring ime, if handled gently they can last ok.

But I have 3 boys so 'gentle' not the rule in the house, lol.

My new SEBO much better than previous Dyson

I love my Meile Cat&Dog (don't actually have a cat or dog though ) as you can vary the power and when its on 'very powerful' and scoops up everything. The attachments mean I can also hoover the curtains, couch, telly, toy garage and doll's house......you name it, I can hoover it

Can't compare as I haven't had a Dyson.

I've got a Miele (virtually the same model as Cat and Dog, but the blue one), which I bought to replace the upright Dyson that I've had for about 12 years.

The Miele definitely SUCKS (in a good way) - is vv powerful but also has good variable suction for furnishings, rugs etc).

I always found the Dyson upright brilliant for hoovering carpet via the 'main' upright bit, but the hose attachment was utterly rubbish on the version I had - very weak suction and naff plasticy attachments.

Miele's attachments are great - the only complaint I have about it is that it's really hard to push across thicker carpets, even with the 'motorised head' attachment. How people with arthritis for example manage, I have no idea. The Dyson upright was much easier. So that may be a consideration if you have vast swathes of thick carpet.