Hi Karen,
I got a Dyson, not the animal one though (maybe the all-floors
model?). Then I bought various accessories for it, including the ones
that come with the animal model. I love the performance of the vacuum,
with a few nit-picks.

For hard surfaces, you really need the hard floor attachment (for the
hose portion), especially for harder to reach areas. The main sucking
portion of the vacuum is large and doesn't fit under things well or in
tight spaces.  I think the smaller rotating brush attachment is a
waste - it is not separately powered, and stops spinning the moment it
contacts the thing you want it to brush/suck (for me, the stairs).

If you are tall (I'm about 5'8"), the handle on the hose portion is
positioned a little too low. I wind up holding the flexible hose
behind the handle so I don't have to stoop over.

It does clean well, but it may not be worth the price for you if you
have no rugs at all. You might be fine with any vacuum with the hard
floor brush head component.

Cheers,
Caroline S.

It doesn't seem to me like you'd need a fancy vacuum for hard floors.
It's not that difficult to get animal hair off tiles (I know, because
I have tiles in the bathroom). With a decent hose attachment for tile,
linoleum, etc, you should be fine.

Getting fur out of rugs seems to be the big challenge. I've had my
vacuum cleaner for 9 years, so I'll probably be getting a new one in
the next couple of years. I might spring for one that's good with
animal fur. Trying to get Smudge fur out of carpeting is a real pain.
Licky and Roxy both have smooth fur that comes right up, but Smudge's
is kind of "sticky" (which is probably why she gets mats), and I have
to go back and forth, back and forth, many times over a clump of
Smudge fur to get it sucked up.

Joyce

Are you talking ceramic tiles?

Tweed

I probably didn't need such an expensive vacuum but Amazon had it on a
really good sale, so I bought one. Now I don't have to worry about it
any more - it's bought and paid for. (and since it wasn't even my
money in the first place - it's my christmas/birthday present from my
parents - I really shouldn't be worrying too much about how much it
cost!)

I use a pair of Oreck's for chasing pet hair.  Mostly on tile and laminate.
The upright is very light and easy to use but doesn't get into where all the
fur hides.  The small vacuum that comes with it is also light and easy and
reached everywhere else.

Light weight and strong are what really matter to me.  Arthritis makes house
work even worse, and I hated it before.

Jo

I have a Dyson "The Animal," and I love it.  It's fantastic for getting fur
out of carpets, and (unlike the experience that Caroline has had), the small
rotating brush has been great for upholstered furniture.  However, I don't
know if it is worth spending that much money for hard floors.  You don't
need the "deep down" power for tile, so you might want to look around at
some less expensive models.  Mine has worked well on my vinyl floors, but
they are a small percentage of my overall layout.

MaryL

I absolutely *love* my Dyson but it comes into its own on rugs and carpets.
I have wall to wall carpeting everywhere except my kitchen.  It's good on
upholstery and curtains and I often dust with it too!
However, as you say, they are expensive and if I had all tiled floors I
doubt I would have bought one.  I would have swept the tiles with a soft
broom to get the hair into piles and then vacuumed it up with a cheaper
model.

HTH
Tweed