While visiting friends, I was introduced to a vacuum that shows all of its parts — like one of those anatomy models that reveals the bone structure under the muscle structure under the skin structure. The Dyson DC14, which costs from $350 to $516, has two features going for it that are really useful in a vacuum: It doesn’t need bags and it never loses its suction. Plus, it has a telescoping wand that lets you do stairs or walls up to 17 feet. That’s handy, because the machine weighs a whopping 18.6 pounds. (My friend — no weakling — had a tough time hauling it up to her second floor to do a spot cleaning.) The electrical cord is 35 feet long, and the manufacturer’s warranty a remarkable five years (even though PriceGrabber reports a two-year warranty, which may be what the seller offers).

Reviewers are mostly quite positive. Caicom98 from California ran a test, vacuuming over an area with a “$60 Hoover,” then following up with the Dyson. The conclusion: “It truly sucks up the leftovers.”

Errickson from Texas finds it easy to empty the canister, and littlelovinghome reports, “It works great with pet hair and with little children’s crumbs.”

But all is not perfect in VacuumLand. Several reviewers comment on the weight. Marinedjp doesn’t like the fact that the vacuum can’t be adjusted for different carpet heights — one height fits all. Gijoelavan from Maryland wishes it had a wider path, so the work could get done faster. Fluker from Arizona wishes the cord were retractable. (It just winds around little arms on the back side of the unit.)

Bottom line: pricebullet from Nevada says it best, “This vacuum really sucks, which is actually good in this case.”