My wife is the vacuum destroyer (and destroyer of skirting boards, microbore radiator pipes and tiled fireplaces – yes she has broken all of these with a vacuum at some poin I the last 10 years, I am not joking!!)
She is very heavy handed with vacuums, she also doesn’t understand as well as emptying the filters need cleaning etc
We used to get through one every 8 to 12 months and have tried 2 different Dyson’s, Hoover, Vax and even a Meile
We have a Lab that sheds hair like its goin out of fashion and a 3 year old with an affliction for glitter
Now on our second one of these, first one lasted over 2 years and was still going but she had snapped every accessory attachment point off it and I got fed up of coiling the power cable around the handle but she then managed to get some duplo stuck in the hose and I couldn’t get it out so it was time to replace!)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/BISSELL-24R5E-Eraser-Upright-Cleaner/dp/B00A37KQHC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1392153190&sr=8-5&keywords=bissel+pet
Picks up pet hair great, isn’t to heavy and even has a light so you can Hoover in the dark!
Picked up our last one for £50 brand new in Amazon sale a few months ago so worth keeping an eye out
Would also 2nd a Henry unfortunately a drag along is out for us as it got dragged sideways through walls (why carry it through doorways when it can be dragged so it bounces off walls first!)