Dyson Vacuum review

[UncleJoe]

Well you guys did it to me again. I was reading the posts a couple of months ago about the Dyson vacuum and I decided my wife needed a new vacuum. Her old Eureka seemed to blow out more dust into the air than it picked up. I tried to fix it but it was not to be.

I ordered a ordered the DC 28 Animal from Best Buy because we rescued another dog and with two in the house it just made the most sense.

I have to tell you when I assembled it I was really impressed whti just how well thought out this thing is. It is really neat. Any place a vacuum can get a clog they designed easy access so you can quickly remove the clog. It has been my experience that vacuums tend to clog up with hair and stuff and it is sure nice to see that you can clear it without tools, maybe a quarter to remove the cover to access the beater bar.

I could not believe how hard this thing *****. ( insert joke here) The amount of dirt this thing pulls up is ridiculous. I have been married 30 years and I have never seen my wife this excited about a household tool. She loves this thing.

The extension wand is very well designed and the whole package exceeded my expectations.

Now the bad news. The second time my wife used this she came to me and said it was making a funny noise. I figured something was clogged up and hitting the beater bar. I was able to quickly disassemble the cover with a quarter as a tool. There was nothing there, the path was clear. As I rotated the beater bar and placed a little pressure on it I heard what I would describe as the gears slipping like the teeth are skipping.

Well I can not see anything to fix and I don't like the sound I am hearing so I call Dyson. I had to wait a bit but finally got to talk to a guy named Gary and he was easy to understand, unlike some help desks. He asked a few very intelligent questions and said that it sounds like a part broke and he was very sorry for your inconvenience and we will get a new one. He told us to call Best Buy and they will handle it. I am thinking; The run around begins.

Well, I was so wrong. My wife called Best Buy and spent about 4 minutes on the phone and came out to my shop to tell me they had one in stock and to just bring this one in and they will give us a new one. No hassle, no issues I was impressed. Now I was concerned because my wife had tossed out the box and all the packaging but Best Buy said that did not matter.

I have been around long enough to know that mistakes happen and sometimes parts break right after initial use. I do not like it but these things happen. When it happens I just wish all companies handled it as well as Dyson and Best Buy.

So the bottom line is that Dyson makes one hell of a vacuum and Best Buy will get more of my business.

 

[nate379]

Glad it worked out for you. The 2 we had at work didn't last over a year before they were ready for the dumpster. Replaced with one $200 Costco special and still working great.

 

[powertrip]

Overpriced and they never get top reviews from consumer reports. My eureka has been a CR best buy for years at 1/3 the price. There are better vacs out there for the money.

 

[pipsters]

I too hope it works well for you. We looked and looked, and eventually bought a Sears Kenmore with a HEPA bag on it. It is pretty amazing for the price paid ($130 4 years ago). The bags are expensive but can be emptied and reused.

It was actually, we found out afterwards, a Consumer Reports best buy, and I would agree with that assessment.

Looks like it's this one, with a belt drive system, so a step down. Can't find it on their site, so maybe discontinued.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02031100000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

 

[PaulR]

5 month review on the DC-35 cordless 22V LiIon: Expensive at $300 but if you got three little rug rats making messes constantly it's well worth the investment, we use it daily.

 

[-Brent-]

My wife wants a Dyson but I'm not yet convinced. I've been doing some reading on them and found out that Bestbuy sells a lot of refurbished ones. That's something to keep in mind for others interested in purchasing a Dyson.

 

[W_KY]

I bought this one for my wife from HD when found out the new house we were buying was going to have a lot of carpet.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Fast forward to the week we move in and we discover the previous residents left fleas. If you have never had fleas, it consists of spraying and then vacuuming twice a day for a week (in hour case it was two weeks). We used the wand on every inch of baseboard, lots of tile, and then vacuumed about 2000 square ft of carpet. It amounted to about 4 hours of use PER DAY. I have been impressed by the suction and how easy it is to clean the filters etc.

 

[american lockpicker]

Overpriced and they never get top reviews from consumer reports. My eureka has been a CR best buy for years at 1/3 the price. There are better vacs out there for the money.

I have the one that was $200 on black friday at Sears and I couldn't be happier(well I would be if it was British made instead of engineered...)

 

[JASTECH]

Most Dyson I see are China made, thought Austrailia but he sold out. My Hoover Elite self-propelled has more suction I think? Also I don't like going outside to dump because of all the dust ect. So bag is best. I have a Hoover aniversity edition that does either. Consumers Report put Hoover and Kenmore way above for pet hair and cleaning and less noise and a lot less money.

Thanks, JASTECH

 

[american lockpicker]

Most Dyson I see are China made, thought Austrailia but he sold out. My Hoover Elite self-propelled has more suction I think? Also I don't like going outside to dump because of all the dust ect. So bag is best. I have a Hoover aniversity edition that does either. Consumers Report put Hoover and Kenmore way above for pet hair and cleaning and less noise and a lot less money.

Thanks, JASTECH

I'm pretty certain its Malaysia.

 

[csp]

I overheard a Costco employee telling someone asking about Dysons that while they do sell a lot of them, that brand is returned to Costco twice as much as any other brand.

 

[Danglerb]

I used to only use a Kirby, never a new one, I'd go to the Kirby distributor and cut a deal on one rebuilt with premium parts. Moved to a two story house and we switched to Eureka, Bravo I think, the top CR rated model usually about $100 shipped from Amazon. Lasts us about 5 years or so before new stuff like HEPA filter etc convince us to get a newer one. Best to spend a bit more and get close to the top of the line model as the accessory pack is the bare minimum on the cheaper ones.

Looking at adding a Proteam backpack vacuum and leaving the upright for strictly floor duty. Proteam looks like Chinese, but its just a killer basic design with the biggest motor practical to use. A plastic cylinder with a suction feed at the top going into a LARGE 6 to 10 quart bag, HEPA filter, motor at the bottom and exit to the rear. Goes in a backpack with a power switch on a "wand" that dangles out front, 50 ft cord, 1.5" hose in various sizes and attachments. I've also seen it in a floor stand with casters. Kinda pricey, at least list price, but I've found new basically the same units for $150, used maybe half that. Super suction, HEPA, large capacity, and solid commercial use design have me pretty sold on getting one. Wife thinks I'm nuts, no change.

http://www.pro-team.com/pt/vacuums/default.aspx?style=1

 

[09-JK]

We've had one of the purple Dyson's for about four years and it still works great, I had to fix the hose connection once but other than that it has been trouble free. It performs (suction wise) better than any vacuum I've ever used but the thing I appreciate the most is the thought that went into the design, it is super easy to empty, clean out clogs, switch attachments, etc. you can tell that they did their homework well beyond just making sure it sucked hard.

 

[pipsters]

If you guys are serious about HEPA, consider a model that uses a HEPA bag instead of just a filter. That is what we have, works awesome for all the dander my lab/shepard throws off. The inside of the vacuum is perfectly clean, all the dust stays in the bag. Awesome design.

 

[v7guy]

Another fan of the dyson, we've had one for a year or so and it just works great. Best vacuum we've owned

 

[Porcupine]

Nothing beats a good ol' shop vac. When I had my first apartment, I picked up a shop-vac instead of a "regular" household vac. I loved it - the g/f - not so much. But, for $50 it was a steal. Still have it today. Some of those Dyson's retail for over $400 here. No way I will spend that on a vac.

Glad to hear BB let you bring it back, no hassles!

 

[RKA]

I've got a DC28, a Synergy and a Miele canister vac. I got the Dyson just after we got a golden retriever puppy and it's been my best friend. My intention was to put one on each level of the house, but I just drag the DC28 up and down because it forms a better seal with the surface you're cleaning (more usable suction vs. more suction). Lots of plastic parts (which are going to break someday...just a matter of time), overly complicated for what it needs to do, but I'm astonished by the **** it picks up and how clean the house stays. My only complaint is the beater brush on it's highest setting still isn't high enough for thick carpet. I roll out the Synergy for that room.

At the end of the day, I have a feeling my miele and synergy will outlast the Dyson by decades, but I don't care if I have to replace the Dyson every 5 years (their warranty), it does a great job.

 

[coolhands]

all the negatives but I have two. One in my house and one in my girlfriends. They are both still still great; still work; not broken; no problems.

Sometimes I think people slag them off more than other makes cos they are more expensive. But for me, as a private individual, they have been very good, faultless, and work as expected. They pick up well, I like the fact I can empty and there's no bag etc; you can wash out the filters in warm water; they do the job.

 

[jjkrjh]

We also bought a Dyson after reading about it on here. I think that it is the DC28 animal. We have been very impressed with it and have zero issues with it.

The bad side is that I'm getting tired of the bragging about it that my wife is doing. Somehow it's always being brought up in conversation. Then, the mother inlaw borrowed it for her house and she's talking about how "great" it is. I'm glad that they are happy with it----but it is just a vacuum.

 

[jdcompman]

I have had a Dyson Animal for about 4 years now and it has performed flawlessly and seriously picks up more dirt than any other Vacuum I've used.

About the comment about Dyson's being returned the most...
I used to work at Best Buy actually and can tell you that 99% of them that people tried to return, were simply clogged and the user made no attempt at all to clean the clog EVEN THOUGH IT'S SUPER EASY! They just don't put any effort into anything. The Dyson's are also the best selling Vacuums.

At Costco I know they do not test any of the returns to see if they actually have a defect or if the customer is just incompetent. It would likely reduce most all returns if they just stopped and educated the customer a little.

In all my years at Best Buy I bet I saw a total of 12 Dyson's that were legitimately broken that needed to be repaired. So yes they do break but all products do...

YMMV

 

[Displaced Hokie]

We have a five year old purple DC16 Animal and I absolutely love it.

Very well made, works great, and zero repairs. Although it has awesome suction, Dyson never said it had the most suction, just that it never changes as you run the machine like a bagged machine will. I'm very impressed with the engineering that went into it and the attachments. I'd buy another for sure.

I think they get slagged just like any other top brand, like Apple, John Deere, Snap-On, etc. Folks like to take shots at the top guy.

 

[c_mccann]

We have hadours for 3 years, great machine, gets daily use.

 

[bigpasta]

Overpriced and they never get top reviews from consumer reports. My eureka has been a CR best buy for years at 1/3 the price. There are better vacs out there for the money.

I've had my Eureka BOSS SMARTVAC for around 10 years and it still works (and *****) great. It even gets used for my cars and some outdoor work. No air leaves the vacuum without passing through the large HEPA filter on the front. I think it's still the best vacuum deal out there today.

BOSS SMARTVAC UPRIGHT VACUUM CLEANER

I haven't tried a Dyson. Maybe I'll pick one up at Costco next time I'm there just to test it out. I won't keep it though. At those prices, they should come with a full line of pleasure attachments.


-Bp

 

[DHCrocks]

I got the Dyson DC23 Animal canister and love it. It's much better then the filter queen, panasonic and eureka we had it really does pick up dog hair better then anything else I've used. It's easy to maneuver, got great suction, what I like best is how easy it is to see when it's full and needs to be emptied. it's easy to empty too, I just take it to the 33 gal trash can in the garage and dump it in...quick, easy and best of all no bags. The main problem with other vacs we had was that after a couple of weeks it would start to smell so we had to empty it even if it was not full wasting filters and bags. With this thing after each use just empty it out so no bacteria from the pet dander will grow and no odor.

 

[Ign]

Any place a vacuum can get a clog they designed easy access so you can quickly remove the clog. It has been my experience that vacuums tend to clog up with hair and stuff and it is sure nice to see that you can clear it without tools, maybe a quarter to remove the cover to access the beater bar.

My condolences on your purchase. Dyson is testament to the theory that good marketing trumps a good product everytime.

IMO they have to design to easily access clogs because it clogs so easily. Our Dyson is the most over-engineered piece of plastic I've ever seen. The convoluted routing to finally get to the canister means frequent clogs.

That tool-less design of which you're so fond gets you about 1% into the vacuum. After that it becomes MUCH harder than it needs to be, which according to my local vac repair shop is because they don't want anyone servicing it but them. Call around to your local vac shops and see how many service Dyson. Most won't touch them. Some will do basic stuff (like mine). Ultimately Dyson wants the unit sent back to them, so you either pay their repair charge OR buy their extended warranty.

The truth? We've had our Dyson since '06. It's been "ok." The problem? It doesn't perform like a $400+ vacuum. I'd be thrilled with a cheap Kenmore canister, and it would give identical or better results.

Housewives like shiny plastic and a guy on TV w an English accent telling them they can't turn their vacuum so they need a ball. Damn, I never knew I had problems turning my vacuum until he told me I did..............

create a problem and then sell a product to solve the problem you never knew you had.

 

[archirelic]

The wife and I have had our Dyson Animal for close to 6 years now, and have never had any issues with it. And as a testament to its capabilities, we own both cats & dogs and it's still running like the day we bought it.

 

[back2class]

What kind of dirt do Ya'll have? I am a slob and my $40 Bissel picks up the worst dirt we can throw at it more than fine. Is about 8 years old and works good as new. Someone left a Kirby at the hosue when we purchased it. That thing was junk! Threw it away as it had almost now power. Only later did I find out how much those things cost! My inlaws have a Dyson vac. Will have to try it out to see if I am somehow missing cleaning Narvana

 

[archirelic]

What kind of dirt do Ya'll have? I am a slob and my $40 Bissel picks up the worst dirt we can throw at it more than fine. Is about 8 years old and works good as new. Someone left a Kirby at the hosue when we purchased it. That thing was junk! Threw it away as it had almost now power. Only later did I find out how much those things cost! My inlaws have a Dyson vac. Will have to try it out to see if I am somehow missing cleaning Narvana

LOL, I live in the Panhandle region of Texas, where there's nothing but flat land, 35mph wind is considered a 'breeze,' and where it rains very infrequently. All of that said, it makes for a fine accumulation of dust, everyday, on everything! Couple that with all of our animals, and voila! recipe for needing a Dyson!

 

[catfish]

I have the one that was $200 on black friday at Sears and I couldn't be happier(well I would be if it was British made instead of engineered...)

'Henry' (Nu-Matic) vacuum cleaners , the last vacuum manufacturer in the UK.

We've got a VAX from the 1980s that can wash as well as regular vacuum , you still see plenty around as they never break.

 

[GSteg]

I have a DC24 and so far it's been okay. Bought it on clearance for $175 so I have little to complain but at $450, it's overpriced as hell.

 

[Jononon]

That tool-less design of which you're so fond gets you about 1% into the vacuum.

Yes, after which you need to own a Torx screwdriver

 

[PrecisionTools]

Got a Miele "Cat & Dog" here.

http://www.miele.com.au/au/domestic/products/floorcare_models_43437.htm

Had it for over ten years, great for asthmatics & approved for hospital use.

Not sure if you can get them in this style in the States tho...

 

[Danglerb]

Nothing beats a good ol' shop vac.

Shop vac is dandy for suction, but you can't really clean a carpet without a good roller/beater which generally means an upright even if the canister has a fancy or powered floor thing, its not the same power.

All vacuums seem to have a LOT of returns going by the swap meet guys that sell Best Buy etc stuff they get by the semi trailer load. They move as much as they can on ebay, but have so much a lot still goes cheap at the swap meets.

 

[Jaguar Fan]

We picked up the DC25 Animal at Costco several weeks ago after the vacuum thread. Then it went on sale at a lower price & they gave us a refund of the difference.

So far, so good. We like it a lot.

 

[JML2]

For far less money, and great performance, try the Shark Navigator. The reviews are many, very positive, and as far as I can tell, accurate.

 

[bigdummy30]

Consumer reports aren't always what they seem.....kenmore makes NONE of their own major appliances yet CR constantly ranks them much higher than the OG manufacturer of the product....explain to me how or why Whirlpool would make a d/w for someone else that would be better ranked than their own model,especially when the W/P didn't crack the top 10....

My dyson has survived an attack from my pitbull and several headers down a flight of stairs all while keeping a bachelor pad pretty tidy...