I have not, obviously, posted anything since the vacuum cleaner post and it has been a couple of years since I even visited it.  There is now a notice about something that has to be posted for European visitors - from what I can glean, it is about cookies and data gathering.  Should anyone actually end up on this page, the only cookies involved are those imposed by Google and the only data collecting is, likewise, done by Google.  I do not impose either of those.

I moved into my house in Jan, 2010.  It's a two story with tile and laminate on the first floor and carpet on the second floor and on the stairs.  I didn't have a decent vac and so I purchased a Dyson airmuscle.  I had used my granddaughter's Dyson and was impressed with it.  It didn't take long to realize I was not going to be hauling it up and down the stairs all time (I was 66 at the time).  So I got a Dirt Devil canister for the downstairs.  Don't ask my why - I really prefer uprights - but for some reason the Dirt Devil appealed.  For maybe a month.  Then I realized it was really doing a poor job.  I continued to use it for awhile however, as how many vacuums can you buy within a couple of months?  I did, after awhile, purchase a Shark Navigator Lift Away to use downstairs on the hard floors and the two area rugs.  I also used it on the stairs and was impressed how much easier it was to use and how much pet hair it picked up.  (2 dogs and 1 cat, all shedders, makes vacuuming frequently necessary).  After about a year, as I was vacuuming the upstairs with the Dyson, I noticed it was leaving a LOT of pet hair behind.  So I took it all apart to see if something was jamming it - nothing.  Checked all the filters - they were fine.  So I went downstairs and got the Shark.  I started with a clean dust bin and had to empty it twice before I was done.  Over the past several years I have tried this again, with the same results.  The Dyson simply is not doing the job.

Some things I like about the Dyson:

• The long cord. 
• The ease of emptying the dust bin.
• I like the long attachment tube - it makes it fairly easy to reach high areas as well as using it on the stairs.

Things I dislike about the Dyson:

• It's too heavy.
• I can't say it losing suction, but it certainly isn't picking up all the animal hair.
• The stair attachment is way too narrow.  Plus it's not especially effective with pet hair.

Things I like about the Shark:

• It's very lightweight.
• The lift away feature is perfect for stairs and high ledges.
• It is great at picking up pet hair.

Things I dislike about the Shark:

• It tips over too easily (a drawback of it being so lightweight).
• The cord is too short.
• The stair attachment is too narrow.

 I'm looking forward to the day I can ditch the Dyson and purchase a second Shark.