As described above, the test doesn't sound unreasonable. From prior descriptions I thought the test involved actually sucking clean the contents of a barbeque pit. Eight ounces of fine dirt is not a lot, and I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a vacuum to be able to handle eight ounce of fine dust. If a homeowner used something like Capture, the vacuum would be asked to pick up a lot more than eight ounces. So long as dual is willing to keep vacuums that are capable of handling a reasonable amount of dust, I don't see anything wrong with returning ones that can't.  
 
Interestingly, I note that a couple years ago Dual forecast that we would see cyclonic bagless vacuums taking an ever-increasing market share, with other makers jumping in with copies, while Carmine predicted that cyclonic bagless vacuums would be never take a significant market share, and would fade away as people returned to bagged vacuums. One reason I periodically drop by is to see how these radically different projections would play out in the course of time.

You also projected that Dyson would never have significant market sales in the US, and that they would be a specialty item instead of a mainstream item. I'm not sure if you forecast that Dyson would follow in the footsteps of Fantom, but that certainly was the tone of your posts. By contrast Dual forecast that Dyson would quickly become the number one vacuum in the US.  
 
So far what has actually happened was that Dyson quickly rose to number 1 in terms of dollar sales, a position I believe it still occupies. That would certainly make it more than a fringe vacuum. On the other hand, it hasn't become number one in unit sales. What we seem to be seeing now is other vacuum makers coming out with cyclonic vacuums. Thus far we haven't seen any evidence of cyclonic vacuums losing market share, and in fact to the contrary new cyclonic vacuums from all makers seem to be gaining market share. That would include both the Hoover Fusion and the Iridium.
 
So far I'd have to say that Dual's forecasts have been much closer than yours, but I will continue to drop by from time to time to see how this plays out. The battle between bagged and bagless is far from over.

Dual, I have a question.  When you say you use barbecue ashes to test these vacuums, do you mean an actual barbecue on which food and meats are cooked?  If so, not only is that a very difficult test for any machine to cope with, but it also raises a lot of ethical questions, if you are returning these machines to the store for credit!
 
I am in agreement that Dyson has made a lot of headway in recent months because of very aggressive pricing of their base model (the yellow DC07, a machine I personally loathed) which is turning up in a lot of outlets I would have never expected it to be in (such as Macy's, where I saw it prominently-very prominently-displayed).  Macy's is really the first store in my neck of the woods where the store really made use of what has actually become an iconic brand identity.  The purple one is generally $100 more (I believe it's called the Animal) but that's not going over well, even in households without pets (and I have no idea why).  
 
I do not think owning this Dyson will give owners in heavily carpeted suburban homes much pleasure in terms of day-to-day ease of operation-but I do believe it is far more reliable than any of the alternatives presently available.
 
It's not Dyson against Hoover around here.  Here, Hoover competes primarily with Oreck, who senior citizens overwhelmingly choose (or, they overhaul their old-school  models at the local repair shop!).  The Costcos around here inadvertantly killed Hoover's rep off around here by selling mass amounts of the "Savvy", which turned out to be a catastrophe, quality-wise (handles cracked, plastic holders snapped, yet "it cleaned great, while it lasted").  Folks that bought these were motivated primarily by the fact that you could go bagged or bagless, and expected something like their old WindTunnel models.  On bulk day, you do see Savvy after Savvy, more than any vac I've ever seen, put out for pickup.  When I talk to people and point out they are still under warranty, they've either had a nightmare with Hoover repair and/or customer service, or actually believe the machine is unsafe around children, which is sad.
 
Yes, I know from figures and stats, but there's just not much interest in the Fusion from what I see.  Those people go for Dysons, or some Dirt Devil-type bagless.
 
Mieles are wildly popular with a select few, but they haven't gone mainstream yet, nor has the canister revolution yet taken place.
 
Carmine, if you have any possible input with anyone by Hoover, PLEASE encourage them to focus on developing simple, yet sturdy, quality uprights.  They already have the distribution network, and every supermarket has space to carry Hoover belts or, at the least, bags.  The Savvy retailed for I believe over $200, and I've never seen such anger at a mass-market release that was defective.  The brushroll design, etc. is timeless and will vacuum carpets very well.  But they should stick to the tried-and-true and enhance the level of the fit and finish of their simpler models, and leave the innovations to the young Turks for now, until Hoover has time to regroup and set the world on fire.
 
Dyson, I have the same complaints, bulky machines, too many times going over the same stretch of carpet to come clean, pretentious advertising promotions....but I'll reserve judgement until the new models come out (or rather, penetrate retail outlets and are widely distributed).
 
I continue to be enraptured by my new Iridium.  Everything I'd ever wanted in an everyday canister.  If a Kenmore upright counterpart is introduced, and it's similar in performance, you won't be able to get me into the store fast enough!
 
I do not understand why Sears does not aggressively promote it, however.  I know Sears is not known for that sort of thing, but the machine has a distinctive, quality, perhaps even masculine look and feel to it, and it really is that good.
 
Incidentally, a woman I know who is emigrating to Israel with her large family asked me for advice between buying the Hoover red canister (the model name escapes me at the moment), the Oreck, or a Dyson upright, and I recommended the Dyson!   (Americans who move there frequently buy 220V appliances stateside or through UK intermediaries, because the costs over there are outrageous, choices and quality frequently subpar).  My rationale was that the UK-made Hoover canister was definitely of lesser quality then the Dyson, and the Oreck, while good for their mostly-tiled flooring, might prove expensive to operate over the long term if supplier relationships for the bags and belts might break down, over time....did I get it right?)
 
Thanks for letting me o-pine, as always!!

Quote from Carmine_Difazio on 10/17/06 at 8:30pm:

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Who would expect Miele to recommend bagless?  Surely you can do better Carmine.  You (and other anti Dysoners) have constantly preached about the health issues associated with bagless vacuums.  I know from your many posts that you are a proponent of statistics and facts.  Could you please direct the forum members to documented evidence from the medical profession showing that bagless is harmful to one's health.
 
If you live with the filth every day where is the icreased health hazard of dumping it?  No worse that taking out the trash or cleaning a commode.  Germs and bacteria can thrive in a warm climate.  When you store a bagged vacuum all those germs continue to live and escape from the vacuum.

My guess is that Carmine is trying to ascertain whether dual is a supporter of bagged vacuums, or bagless, and he's interested what might have made him change his position, if he did.