Dyson DC15 Animal, suction is great, but the ball is the best

We bought this vacuum 3 and 1/2 years ago.  I was very hesitant to pay as much as these are.  Just before this I had owned what I thought was a very nice Hoover.  But, we heard great things about the Dysons.  I just commented to my wife the other day that it's been worth every dime.  It has very powerful suction.  We have a dog and his hair has never come up as well.  I remember right after we bought it I noticed that it would pick up twice as much hair and debris in one vacuuming as our old $200 Hoover.  My favorite thing about this vacuum is the ball.  It maneuvers so smoothly.  You don't have to go in a straight line; you can curve around anything in one smooth motion.  I love that when I'm vacuuming our big rug and around furniture.  It is a heavy vacuum, but who cares, I'm not back packing it.  The ball makes the weight irrelevant.  The way the canister empties is great; I don't mind doing it like I did on my old vacuums (bagged or bagless).  I also like how the attachments store right on the top of the vacuum.  I like that the hose is expandable.  I guess it's a little tricky to figure out at first, but that's because it is innovative as well.  It is an expandable hose that stores right on the vacuum.  It has the option of putting attachments right on the end of the hose, or using the extension wand, which are nice options.