We use an old carport frame, covered with the metal house siding. We divided it in half-3 rungs & 2 rungs I think it is. The smaller one is attached to a permanent building & is used as a loafing area, the other is very lightweight and movable. We just moved it out of our winter pasture to be used as a shelter for a maple syrup operation. We move ours with chains & a backhoe. If you were to strengthen the legs & put "skis" on it you could pull it with a tractor very easily without bending the frame. Ours is only 2-sided. If your weather dictates more you could over one end with a tarp 3/4 the way down to stop driving rains & snow. We obtained our carport free off of craigslist. Hope this helps, Brendasue

No, I find the DC34 comfortable and easy to use with no issues getting into corners or tight spaces. It's pretty well balanced. I home-roast our coffee, 3lbs every two weeks, and the chaff is a pain to clean up after. Out of out of pure luck, the long narrow DC34 attachment fits perfectly in between the cage and walls, and other nooks of the roaster, making it a little easier to keep most of the chaff contained. The powerful little Dyson has become an important tool in the roasting (cleanup) process, and dumping the collection bin is quick and easy. Probably not a reason for most people to buy one, but it is one reason why I'd buy another.

msi9670, I would welcome your "reliable" source for that information re: Miele motors are made in China". I think that is completey incorrect. I've read over and over again the following: Miele's Vortex Motor System is developed and produced in the Miele factories in Germany. A 1200 -watt powerful performance Optimal usage of power through the airflow The result: great cleaning performance with superior dust intake. All Miele Vortex Motors have a seven year warranty. Also very interesting: Miele Vortex Motor vs. Previous 2-Fan Motor 1200 watts vs.1100 watts 26% increase in maximum suction 111" of water lift vs. 88" of water lift 10% increase in maximum air flow efficiency 29% decrease in weight (3.439 lbs vs. 4.85 lbs = 1.5 lbs) 20% increase in typical life expectancy to 1200 hours 7 year warranty vs. 5 year warranty How the Miele Vortex Motor is Designed In keeping with Miele's promise of "Immer Besser", meaning "Forever Better", Miele has created the new Miele Vortex motor for use in their canister and S7 series upright vacuums. For years they have been known for their high performance, durable canister vacuums with powerful 2-fan suction motors. While most manfacturers downsized their motors to single fan versions to save costs over the years, Miele and a few other manufacturers continued using the more efficient 2-fan motors, prefering to provide higher performance to their customers. Traditionally, these canister motors used fans which were a constant height from hub to rim. With this configuration a 2-fan motor typically develops about 1/3 more suction compared to its 1-fan counterpart, even at the same amperage rating. The new Miele Vortex motor is an outstanding model of "thinking out of the box." They designed it with all new fan parts that are aerodynamically designed with no parallel surfaces and nine long fan scoops compared to the typical six shorter ones. These scoops are quite wide near the hub of the fan and become more narrow toward the outer edge similar to that of a jet engine compressor. This single stage "compressor design" optimizes the air flow and increases the overall motor efficiency. In addition to increasing the efficiency of the fan and its chamber, Miele also increased the power of the motor itself from 1100 watts to 1200 watts. By incorporating these features into the new Miele Vortex motor, Miele has produced a suction motor which develops 111" of water lift instead of the 88" of water lift developed by the 2-fan motor that they had been using. The maximum air flow efficiency has even increased by 10%. Beyond redesigning the fan and its chamber, armature and field, Miele changed the overall layout and construction of the motor. The motor brushes have been moved forward so they are directly behind the fan and before the armature and field, where the air is the coolest. This extends their life by keeping them operating cooler. The motor housing is made from a high tech material called Duroplast which resists temperature and vibration effects while reducing the overall weight of the motor. The Miele Vortex motor is another shining example of their making good on their promise of "Immer Besser." It is now 1 1/2 pounds lighter but having a 26% increase in maximum suction, 10% increase in maximum air flow efficiency and a typical life expectancy of 1200 hours. Miele is proud to be able to provide an outstanding 7-year warranty on this very special motor. Here is a link that might be useful: Powerful Miele Vortex Motor

The Miele Naturell would work for you, if you wanted a basic Miele canister. You are the only one to judge if the Naturell is too heavy for you. I would suggest that you compare them in person, since you are the one who is using it. I do not think that you would need to purchase the Miele S4(Galaxy) series canister unless you thought the weight was much better. You said that you have "90% floors" and a few rugs. I was wondering how big those rugs are? Are they something like small rugs(3x5) or are they room sized rugs? You could get by without a brushroll attachment if you have the smaller rugs. If you had roomsized rugs, you might want to consider a vacuum with the brushroll attachment. A turbo brush will have a slight advantage over a basic combination rug and floor tool. Look to Simplicity and its sister brand the Riccar. The Simplicity Jack and the Riccar Moonlight canister will work for the types of jobs you listed. They will not be as quiet as the above Miele, but they are not loud. The Riccar or Simplicity bags should not cost you as much as the Miele bag. The vacuum cleaners themselves might cost more than the Miele Naturell though. Tacony, the company that owns the Riccar and Simplicity brands, markets some very good vacuum cleaners. They are not going to seem popular to some, because they have not heard of them. They have been around for a while. They are only sold in vacuum cleaner shops. They are very good vacuum cleaners.