I've been a skinflint for years, getting £50 hoovers, and scoffing at those that fork out £100+ for something with a fancy design.
Well after the semi-useless VAX drag around was relegated to the garage for car cleaning, and the Electrolux one really couldn't be excused any more, my wife finally persuaded me to get this DC04. Now, I'm not one to get excited over vaccuum cleaners as a rule, but the difference is amazing. Areas of the carpet that we thought were stained have now been restored to their original colour. Bits of fluff that had become part of the carpet pattern have been removed, and it's a total doddle to hoover up.
This is well worth the extra money. It makes you feel quite sick the amount of extra dust and fluff it picks up compared to previous hoovers - but at least you feel like now you're clean. And it's a breeze to do the stairs, because the handle detaches and becomes an extendable hose - which gets to the top of our 15 step stairs.
Get one, you won't regret it.