I have been using Dyson vacuum cleaners for many years and I don't think I could be persuaded to change to another brand.
They are by far the most powerful and effective cleaners I have tried, so when we decided to make life easier and buy another vac so we could keep one upstairs, Dyson was the obvious choice.

As we have two dogs we chose the Dyson DC27 Animal as it designed for improved pet hair pick up and this particular model had money off as it was ex-display.

Packaging
This came boxed and the vacuum was in two pieces, plus the accessories
You also get a user manual, a quick start guide and details of the 5 year product guarantee and a card to register this.
I have only used the Quick Start guide which is very clear and easy to follow in a series of diagrams. The pictures are large and the steps are numbered. The diagram is very clear and everything you need to know is shown here. I find I only ever refer to this when I clean the filters.

This particular model is primarily grey, with flashes of red on the end of the telescopic wand, the on off switch and the button you press to release the bin for emptying. The top of the bin is a brushed gold colour.

Assembly
This is really easy as there is a very large diagram that shows how to connect the two pieces together and they simply click into place.
What I find about Dysons is that normally everything clicks into place really easily and if you take it apart to clean the filters or empty the bin, it comes apart with no problems and putting it back together is a doddle. You hear a satisfying click when you have positioned and inserted things correctly.

There is one exception to that with this model and that is the Quick draw telescopic wand you use with the tools. More about that later.


The product
This is an upright model that is bagless, all the dust and dirt is collected in a clear cylinder bin which you simply empty when it becomes full.
It has cyclone technology which means as you are vacuuming all the dirt and hairs spin around the cylinder and it is this technology that means there is no loss of suction or clogging.

What I find is that this does not work as effectively if the plastic bin that collects all the debris is too full and you can tell, because all the dirt stops spinning. I empty mine as soon as I spot this.

Emptying is so simple, simply press the red button at the top of the bin to release, and lift off with the handle .To empty hold over a waste bin or bag and press the same red button and the bottom of the bin opens fully and all the dirt is released. The bin simply clicks back into place. This is really easy and you will never get your hands dirty. It takes less than a minute to do this.

What you will find is that there are arrows and small diagrams on the actual vacuum to show you how to empty the bin and release the accessory wand which are really useful when you are familiarising yourself with how everything works.

Everything you have to press or pull to release in a Dyson is a different colour to the main vacuum so it is easy to spot what you have to do.

To use simply press the red on off switch positioned at the front of the vacuum and put you foot in the groove at the front and pull the vacuum handle towards you and off you go.
This model is quite heavy and noisy, but boy does it suck up hairs and dirt. I have 2 dogs, one that moults continuously and loves to wriggle on her back across every surface, so her hair is spread far and wide in our house. You only have to look at her and one wag of the tail releases another batch of hair. So I need something than can cope with pet hair and the additional dirt that comes hand in hand with dog ownership.
I use this primarily on carpet and it very quickly sucks up anything in its path but it isn't the easiest to manoeuvre and I personally find it quite heavy and when I do replace will probably go for a Dyson ball or look at a lighter model.
It doesn't have any side brishes so doesn't pick up at the edge of carpets well, but I use the attachments to do that.
I do use this on hard floors but find that it does blow the dirt around, so follow up using the accessory tools to pick up as well. The vacuum adjusts itself to whatever floor type, but I find it more effective on carpets.

The only thing I am not too keen on with this model is how you release the wand so you can use this as a hand held with the tools/accessories to get into all the nooks and crannies and clean upholstery and stairs.
This is supposedly a quick draw release in that you lift the red wand upwards and the hose is meant to seamlessly detach itself so you can use this as a handheld and vac skirting boards and the like.
It doesn't quite work like that for me and I have to pull rather more than I would like, but I think at some point someone who shall remain nameless has used this and perhaps because of unfamiliarity with this cleaning device has forced the wand back in slightly the wrong position, as this did work perfectly well before.
That being said, I think I prefer the release mechanism on my old Dyson which seemed easier to me.

Another great feature of Dysons is that you don't lose any suction when you use this with the tools. In fact be careful as I often unintentionally find this attached to curtains and socks, which is why I am a dab hand at taking this apart to retrieve socks in particular. This particular model has suction power of 255, compared to say the DC24 Animal which has 100 suction powers. So this is one of the most powerful in the Dyson range.

This model comes with tools that include one for upholstery and stairs and one that you use for getting into nooks and crannies, this one converts to a brush you can use to dust , you simply slide down the brush part when needed. In addition you get a mini turbine which is a small attachment that you can use for stairs that spins around and in theory this will make cleaning your stair carpets easier.

The tools click into the wand easily and to release you press a button. I like that they fit together easily and are stored on the vacuum, as I use them all the time to get into corners and use the brush for high dusting.
I don't find the turbine attachment very effective and it is quite weighty and I find it quite awkward to manoeuvre on the stairs, so I don't use this very often. this is an added extra with this model.
I use the other tools all the time, they are stored on the vacuum securely and neatly , simply detach when you need them and like everything on a Dyson they click back into place easily once you have finished with them.

The wand at 14.64 metres reach is long enough to reach from top to bottom of a standard staircase, but when you do get to the top, I feel it becomes harder to manoeuvre as the hose is at full stretch, but it is safer as no balancing the vac on the stair steps, and no need to carry upstairs to do the top steps. So in theory it does reach, but expect some resistance when you have it at full stretch.

This also has a long lead at 9.3 metres and the bin capacity is 2.3litres, but I empty frequently as I find it performs better. I like the fact that the bin is clear and you can see when it is full.

This weighs 8.3kg and it is heavy, so I would not recommend this to everyone. I have pain in my arms, which makes things I used to do easily more difficult now, so I will be getting a lighter model.
I would say this isn't suitable for elderly infirm as my mother really struggled to use this.

Would I recommend?
I wasn't sure when we paid the extra for the Animal, that we would be getting something that performs better than the normal Dyson, but as I have another non Animal Dyson, I can compare and this does pick up more effectively than the other one, so I would recommend on that basis.
They are expensive, but they are sturdy and last for ages. Mine take quite a battering as one of the dogs moults excessively all year round, so I need something that works quickly and effectively and this fits the bill.
Some reservations about the Quick draw wand and the weight, but I think that is an issue for me because I have developed problems in my arms and suffer pain when I lift or do lots of cleaning.

You probably don't need this if you don't have pets, a Dyson in the normal range will be more than adequate. Mine is 6 years old now and is still going strong sadly too strong for me now. So I would recommend seeing how you get on with this and try it in the store before you buy.
I did once buy another brand when our Dyson bit the dust as it was used to clean up some heavyweight building debris. So I thought I would save money and bought one at under £100, I realised my mistake as it performed at about the same level as the Dyson I was replacing which had lost its suction power. Luckily I was able to return and swap for a Dyson, so I do think they are worth the extra money as they are so much more powerful and ultimately do the job and save me time.

Price and Availability
This is £329.99 from Dyson but Argos sells this at £319.99 and currently has taken £60 off.
Shop around as there are always deals to be had.

A 5 star performer, but 1 star deducted because it is really heavy.