I'm glad I found this worthy alternative to Dyson's pricey cordless vac.
Pros:
* Lithium-ion battery that doesn't fade (runs at full power until dead). Has LED guage for battery life left.
* Motorized brush works great at "fluffing up" my newly carpeted stairs and picking up the dog hair. The brush attachment also swivels, making it stay in contact with the floor as you move it across the stairs. The brush roller is designed to easily unsnap for cleaning in case hair, string, etc get wrapped around it.
* NO HEPA filter -- a gimmick for a hand vac (IMO) that just lessens efficiency and requires frequent cleaning. The filter in this is foam and can be washed in cold water.
* Not nearly as noisy as my cordless Black & Decker vac was.
* 2 year warranty?! Wow.
Cons:
* Have to take battery out to charge it in the charging stand --- it is really easy to do, but still would be easier to have a stand that the whole vac plugs into.
Notes:
* After a few weeks of use, the flip down crevice tool broke off. It was a poor design. I mainly use the vac with the motorized brush, so I wasn't too upset. I continue to use my Black and Decker cordless vac for the smooth floors, and I use the Hoover for the carpeted floors and stairs.
Edit: 6/9/2011
* battery charger broke -- the blue light flashes fast. Hoover tech support confirmed that it was the charger. Instead of sending out a new one, Hoover made me take it to a service center. The service center guy said we'd be lucky to get a new charger in 4 months because Hoover's warranty service is so slow. My stairs are gonna get awfully dirty. What's the point of the warranty??? BTW, I only use the thing once a week, so having the charger break is disappointing.