Thanks for the replies

I won't go back to a Dyson, for what we paid for it it just wasn't worth the $$. I was cleaning the filters every single day and washing them once a week and it just didn't have the suction. It was also terrible for blockages, a tissue would block the pipes and that's just annoying! The vacuum we have now did a heaps better job than the Dyson, it's let-down is that it hasn't coped with regular vacuuming lol. I'd prefer one that doesn't have the normal tube hoses. It needs to be a reinforced hose however the only one we've been able to find was $1600.... OUCH! lol

We live on a farm, so lots of dust & animals lol we also have very old carpets and the house is mostly carpets so we need a machine with a motorised head.