Bosch Formula Pro Pets 2000w

This is a fabulous vacuum, I've owned it for 3.5 years and never had one problem with it.

I have 4 cats in the house and therefore use it daily, it's always been excellent apart from picking up all of my white cat's hair.

I've just bought a new vacuum so that I can pass this one to my parents. Recommended.

This is my second Bosch Pro-Pets 2000 as the original one had to be returned due to an over sensitive thermal cut-out. I don't have a very large house and only have one cat but the Bosch can't manage to survive cleaning without overheating and stopping, this results in a minimum of ten minute break whilst I wait for the Bosch to cool down and work again, after cleaning all the filters and unplugging.

I'd recommend it to anyone - and have done so, I'm sorry the other person commenting had such a bad experience but I have had none of his/her problems.

I bought this cleaner on the recommendation of the Which? group. For the first few weeks it was fine. It picked up pet hair and general house dirt. The revolving brush in the head loosened dust in the carpet and the reasonable vacuum sucked it up.

The machine then started to break: the mouldings around the handle came apart and was reluctant to stay fixed. A tiny plastic part in the cable return mechanism broke which meant the cable was continually trying to return to the comfort of it's drum resulting in a battle for control of the cleaner; I want to go this way, the cable is trying to drag it back in another direction, hiding behind the sofa for example. I fixed that with some superglue but it has broken again. The cleaner also has a habit of rolling onto it's back. This has the effect of restricting airflow through the rather stressed motor, which runs hot at the best of times, causing it to overheat and shut down. Now I don't hate housework but I can do without the flipping cleaner acting like a demanding toddler and making the job harder!

I found that the filter in the bag compartment needed changing frequently to keep the suction up. I have now resurrected my old Miele Revolution 600 which had been put into the garage. Even without the powerhead, which had broken, it still picks up better than the Bosch!

The Pro Pet is a machine built to a price with no reserve of power or robustness. It works fine straight from the shop but it's downhill rapidly from then on. I'll just check the Which? site for their latest recommendation... then buy something different!