I was shamed into buying a Kirby system just after we got married - 5 years and still going strong! I've only changed the bag a few times, but for most of that it was just the 2 of us and no pets. It is pretty heavy, but I'm happy to deal with the weight for such a brilliant machine. And it's the whole system too, so you can shampoo your carpets as well. I haven't tried it, but I'm pretty sure Limeslice has one and shampoos her own carpets.

I definitely think it's worth $3k - I share it around with my sister and Mum, and they love it too!