I've also had my Dyson for about 6 years and haven't had any problems with it. I even dropped in down about 5 stairs and it still held up. The only thing that gets annoying is I have to empty the canister every time I use it because it picks up so much dirt, cat hair & litter!

I also have an Oreck for the upstairs part of the condo and I love that one as well. I love that it's lightweight and has great suction.