Hey Alex - great buy, and great price, too! That extra section of pipe is an adapter; you can use it in conjunction with other Dyson tools, like the soft dusting brush, stubborn dirt brush, etc.
I never took the plunge with the DC16; I liked the concept, but I was bothered by the price vs. runtime. I was waiting around for a bargain like yours, but then the new generation of Dyson handhelds came out.
This Autumn, the DC30 and DC31 handhelds are heading for the US, and they're definitely worth the wait! They use the Dyson Digital Motor V2, which gives them more power and a longer-runtime.
- DC30 gives 10 mins runtime @ 45 airwatts
- DC31 gives 10 mins runtime at 38 airwatts, or 6 mins at 65 airwatts
The Digital Motor means the cleaner is lighter and more compact than the DC16, and a number design details are based on user feedback from the DC16; ie, they've fixed any issues customers had with the '16s design.
Aside from a Black&Decker handvac I got for Christmas one year when I was a toddler, I never owned a hand-held cleaner until a couple of months ago, largely because I thought they were all useless! Since being given the DC31, I'm a complete convert! I find myself using it all the time - with such powerful suction, you can get a lot of cleaning done in 10 mins! And it's constant, too - full power until it switches itself off, rather than it trailing away to nothing.
The DC31 Animal is the ultimate rechargeable hand-held cleaner; they won't come cheap, though!
