My penultimate final thoughts...
Yes HiLo but the Turbo Power or Jazz type uprights are heavy. The Vax Mach Air Reach rules supreme because of its size, agility and compactness - sorry but it does.
Keith, the main problem here is that whilst your opinion outlines what most members know about Chinese built bagless vacuums, the only other alternatives are to consider vintage vacuums or go down the premium bagged vacuum cleaner route. That's where you will find a better separation of things that aren't so copied, even if premium brands like Bosch, Miele and SEBO all use Wessel Werk floor heads. Other European brands are beginning to use the same as a way to up the ante in quality tools.
End of the day a few members including I have suggested the Vax Mach Air Reach model. Clearly, it offers something better than all the rest; the brand also have more widespread spares than Hoover do with their bagless parts required. Vax also still have their 6 year guarantee as the final bonus for any buyer.
Also these vacuums are all merely machines. They're designed to offer the vacuum cleaner principle for buyers, NOT Collectors, You can't change what the brands are doing in so far as producing what they are doing per spec, but as a buyer you have the option to check out what you want.
Finally, I must refer to your "occasional use" phrase. If it was the case that you were really up for a Dyson for occasional use, then give it a second thought. I think you would be asking for too much with an "alternative to a Dyson," where originality is concerned and where bagless, cyclonic filters are different from one to the next. If you have the money, what's stopping you from buying a Dyson?? They're not all £300 - the latest price slash on the DC25 upright is £219 FROM £299.
Or a refurbished Dyson? Either way, if you are serious about buying something for occasional use, you need a simple design that is going to perform well. ALL of the bagless alternatives can do that, but there are some which are better designed than others. You just need to put in the research to know the difference and be prepared to put up with compromise.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4069494.htm
