Just purchased one of these, remanufactured, from Ebay for $375. I am SO sorry I waited this long to get one! I have gone through an Oreck and a Eureka in the last very few years. I have two dogs and 3 cats: the dogs are retriever/chow mixes. The fur in this place looks more like tumbleweeds. NO MORE. There are only 2 potentially negative considerations that I have found so far, neither of which apply to me.
1) VERY noisy which may bother some. 2) Heavy. On the positive side is ... everything else! No bags to bother with, you easily empty the bin in your bin. Suction is fabulous, my carpet looks new. Onboard hose and attachments are great, the fabric chair in my office looks like new also. I love the attachment that is specifically designed to remove pet hair from furniture.Oh. I just thought of another potential negative. Don't let a long-haired cat get too close to the wand. Do not ask me how I know this :-)
TammyM