I got my Dyson DC04 from a friend 3 years ago (ie; second hand) and it still works like a dream, or it did till my mum dropped it down the stairs and broke the handle! (it does still work though) I have 2 dogs so as you can imagine it gets a workout at least twice daily. It picks up great on both laminate & carpet, the hose reaches to the top of the stairs, and the attatchments are easily changed & close to hand. An all rounder, nothing fancy. Its been a solid reliable machine for me. ( oh and i've never replaced the belt yet)

The Dyson DC04 is simple to use.
very adaptable.
great at hoovering beds.
it's changed my life!

Being a technical guy I removed the revolving brush bearings and cleaned and lubricated the 2 bearings that support the brush roller. This cured the ratchet noise. I rang the helpline re the burned out motor. My call took almost 30 minutes to be answered but staff were helpful and arranged an engineer callout under warranty.
I find it difficult to apply an accurate rating to this product due to the 2 Out of Service incidents within 18 months. When it's working it's the best thing since sliced bread but I wish I had taken the 3 year extended warranty.