Quote from C.H.R.I.S.   on 07/15/06 at 10:35pm:

 
Just maybe some day you will realize that HOOVER does not make "Carpet Killer" vacuum cleaners.   What testing have you done on this NEW HOOVER WT2 that shows it is what you say?
 

And the winner is HOOVER Windtunnel 2 with both the premier PARADE space (compliments this week to LOWE'S) and BEST BUY.  LOWE'S has the Extra Reach for $298, good price.  And an array of other HOOVER vacuum and floorcare products including 2 from Murderers' Row: The Self-propelled HOOVER bagged WT with Filtrete bags only $228, a great buy.  And for the bagless fans, the bagless WT for $158 WITH a free extra HEPA filter, a $29.95 value.  It gets better.  The second Murderers' Row floorcare product the HOOVER SteamVac for $298 and the all new Elite HEPA rated upright with 24 foot cord rewind for $99, a buy since the regular price is $130.  Nice thing about this dirt bin the components easily undo for complete cleaning and drying.
 
Not to be outdone, BEST BUY has the HOOVER WT 2 Surface Command for $305, reduced from the MSRP of $339.  A nice feature of this particular WT is the electronic rug height adjustment introed on the HOOVER Z.
 
Target has the Vibe bagged upright for $89 regular $99.  And the DC14 Animal for $549.  Sorry no discounts or creative marketing to make it more attractive.  A better buy at Target, if you are not affected by the past year's soaring gas prices and not worried about oil going to $100 barrel, in other words money is no object, is the dyson DC14 Drive.  At $459 it is a much better buy than the Animal.
 
Carmine D.  

On the warranty subject, while grocery shopping the other week, I walked by the floorcare section and noticed a promo for free 5 years extended warranty on all Dyson models. It was a time limited in-store promo, but backed with Dyson POS - most likely to counter the reliability claims, so less likely to appear in the US, with mid-term reliability surveys there still to be completed. On this note, I'd like to think more newly designed models sold in the US will show a truer picture of Dyson's reliability performance. As ever, we shall see... soon.

Quote from old-timer on 07/23/06 at 3:07pm:

 
This is nothing new for HOOVER.  In the 60's and 70's when it was becoming impossible for the independents to match the big retailers' prices for new HOOVERS, I started a consortium of small independents who were authorized HOOVER sales and service.  We pooled resources and ordered in 24 lot quantities to get the best deals (price and promotions) so we could compete price wise with the big dogs.  I stored and delievered new pieces (or the HOOVER rep) to stores as needed.  It worked well.  And we were able to provide parts and service too.  Win win.
 
Wrt dyson, both.  More attractive warranty and prices.  We've already seen their prices discounted as much as 20 percent by some retailers and BEST BUY with the DC15 ALL Floors even more.  It has to happen.  Why?  Contrary to what some would like to believe discretionary income for appliance purchases like vacuums is getting squeezed by the higher fuel prices.  For working class people they are feeling the crunch of the higher gas costs in their budgets.  A $400 plus vacuum becomes more difficult to buy.  And with prices going to $100 a gallon, the economics is worse not better.  For every increas of $1 a barrel, the price at the pump goes up a nickel a gallon at a minimum.  More with state, local taxes and tariffs.  
 
Carmine D.

The two year warranty that Dyson has on it's machines are dictated to them when they take their tests to be sold in Europe. It is not by their choice but government.