Dyson DC 04

It is worth paying the extra money for a machine that works so well and seems to have more power than other vacuums. This comes with a 5 year guarantee, which is a good thing (the hose on our last Dyson perished after a couple of years). The colour range tends to be a bit luminous for my taste but I haven't had to resort to a kitschy cover for it! The attachments work and the machine is easy to manoeuvre over large surfaces. Less effective when it comes to dragging it up the stars or smaller spaces-it is heavy and tends to knock into your ankles. However, it is easy to empty-with a quick release switch mechanism, and simple to operate.