We bought the DC24 about 2 1/2 years ago because we were going to have a baby and we wanted to make sure we picked up EVERYTHING off the floor so he wouldn't put it in his mouth. I agree with others that the suction is poor. Not only that but the brush at the bottom CONSTANTLY needs to be fixed/cleaned, the filters and canister are a hassle to clean, the tubing used to clean difficult areas isn't really very long at all and flips the vaccuum over if you pull too much, it overheats easily, if hair gets really caught in the brush, it burns the hair/lint somehow and makes the entire room smell awful, it's endless. We clean our vaccuum after almost every use and it still doesn't fuction correctly. I wish I had done my homework before buying this vaccuum. Maybe others work better, but this particular model is horrible. Don't waste your money, PLEASE.

I received my Dyson as a gift from my mother in June 2009 (who has had her dyson animal for 5+ yrs now) and was probably the most excited I've ever been about a household appliance. Much to my dismay, I had to send my vacuum in to dyson just 6 short weeks later because the engine had burned out. Just after 6 weeks!!!! I have an 1100 sq ft house with only about 850 of that carpet. We're not dirty people. Luckily for me, the Dyson customer service rep. that I had spoken to understood my frustration and offered to replace my engine free of charge, one time only. I sent the vacuum in, got it back, and it was good as new! Now, fast forward to about a month ago (November 2010). As I was vacuuming, the vacuum started to make this really loud high pitched squeal, and when I checked the engine, I saw sparks! I called customer service and have sent it in to be repaired. Luckily for Dyson's warranty or I would have been more furious than I already was. Afterall, I've only had the thing 18 months, and had to send it for repairs twice. It's been over 2 weeks since I've had my Dyson, and I honestly can say that I miss it. I'm not sure why I'm having so many problems with such a respected, and expensive brand (I don't use carpet freshner, no shoes in the house, vacuum 3 times a week, clean the filters monthly). But yet I still miss it when it's gone. I do have a dog and 2 cats as well as a 3 year old, so maybe we're just too much for this vacuum to handle. I'm hoping this is the last of the issues, and if it's not I'll have to invest in a cheaper vacuum until I can afford a Dyson Animal. Which seems to be the only reliable one.

As all Dyson vacuums, this vacuum features a magnificent amount of power and suction and make my hard wood floors and tile floors feel like they have just been vaccumed AND mopped! It leaves NOTHING behind which is wonderful! Some drawbacks to this machine are the short power cord and attachment hose. I find myself having to unplug and replug in the vacuum very often which is difficult as I have a toddler in the house and many of our outlets are covered. Additionally, I cannot reach the ceilings in my home with the short attachment hose and I could reach them just fine with my previous Dyson vacuum. I do, however, love the light-weight design of this vacuum cleaner. I have had three surgeries this year and am currently pregnant, so a 12 pound vacuum cleaner is perfect for me since my previous Dyson wieghed 26 pounds and was entirely too bulky and heavy for me to push around. Lastly, this vacuum cleaner does not tip or fall over when the attachment hose is in use, which is a wonderful improvement over my last Dyson that used to fall and bruise my feet while I was vacuuming shelves or around the tub areas.