Love Dirt Devils! Have old one without brush roll and was overjoyed to see new model with this feature. Have 2 furry pets.Works great for hardwood floor, for rugs in bath and entry, and stair carpet. Yes, you have to empty it often. This, I feel, is offset by light weight and good power. Instruction page packed with the unit does not explain there are 2 switch positions for the "on/off" power to the brush roll. It stopped rotating and I was worried it was broken until I consulted this site!