OK - WHICH Dyson ?? - Update

[Doug Shepard]

Like Joe Tonich a few months ago, I also find myself ready for a new vac and went back and took a look at this thread.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27423&highlight=dyson

I'm ready to take the plunge on a Dyson so started price surfing and realized there's a whole bunch of different Dyson models. For all you folks that recommended the Dyson, which one ??

DC14 Cyclone Animal ?
DC14 All Floors Upright?
DC15 Animal - The Ball ?
DC15 The Ball - All Floors Upright?
There's more. I didn't realize they made so many models.

[Dave Richards]

I just picked up a new DC14 Animal off of the auction site. I wanted the mini turbine head and it was cheaper to buy it that way than to buy the yellow one and add the head. At least it was from the seller I bought it from.

My sister in law has a doggie daycare near Milwaukee. She's been using a Dyson DC07 Animal and just added a second one. They vacuum 6000 sq ft of rubber horse stall mats 5 nights a week. The first DC07 has been going for over a year and the only probelm she's had with it is wearing out the little rollers on the bottom. With those rollers gone the vacuum sticks to the floor and you can hardly move it.

I figured her testimony was good enough for me.

Another thing I liked about the DC14 over the 07 is that you don't have to turn the handle around when using the wand and hose. I think the hose is longer, too. Nice for doing the stairs.

[Jim Hager]

My wife just got hers about 3 weeks ago and really likes it. She got the 15 animal ball. It was a little intimadating for her at first but I think she is getting all the gadgets figured out pretty well.

If you have animals in the house the animal accessorites are nice to have, otherwise you wouldn't have much use for all the stuff make to pick up hair and dander.

[Jim DeLaney]

We've got the 14 Animal. Can't say enough good things about it. It replaced a Kirby and an Oreck, with no regrets.

[Vaughn McMillan]

We've also got the Animal, but it's a bit of a hybrid. I bought mine online a couple years ago, and mine is apparently not the standard Animal kit...I think this kit was originally marketed in the Europe. The smooth floor brush in our set is a bit smaller than the ones I've seen in the store, but it's actually handier to get into tight places. Our big dog also likes to be brushed with the floor attachment, but he's a weird unit. The "Animal" attachment works well on the upholstered furniture (a.k.a. the dog lounges), although if you press down too hard you can stop the spinning brush pretty easily. If you have a dog or cat, I think you'll appreciate having the Animal kit.

HTH -

- Vaughn

[Bill Lewis]

We too have the Animal, but for the life of me I couldn't find any difference between the models except the number of attachments/accessories when I bought one. Since we have plenty of animals, I figured this was the model to get. So far, my wife loves it, and it has essentially replaced the Kirby G4 we have. The Kirby was relagated to upstairs use, but I never see her use it anymore.

[Doug Shepard]

Think I'll order up the DC14 Animal after price shopping. The Ball thing just seems a bit too wierd. Thanks for all the input everyone.

[Joe Tonich]

Doug,

I got LOML the DC15 The Ball - All Floors Upright and she loves it. The ball turns so easy and really cuts around furniture and things........'Turns on a dime'. She has Fibromyalsia (sp?) and it makes it lots easier to turn it than a reg 2-wheel model.

Joe

[Paul Prescott]

No naysayers on the Dyson? First a disclaimer - I don't own one, and wouldn't. Why? Dyson's have never ranked high in Consumer Reports or other testing sites. The March 06 issue ranks the Dyson DC15 9th, and at $500 ther are 8 others that are cheaper but clean better. The Dyson DC07 and DC14 rank 20th and 21st respectively. The DC15 is the first one I recall ever ranking above near bottom. But for the price I'd go with a higher rated vac.

[Dave Richards]

Paul, I don't want to argue but I'm happy with my Dyson and my sister-in-law's positive experience with Dyson means a lot to me. See my previous post.

As to Consumer Reports, I am not inclined to give them much consideration. For 15 years I sold photographic equipment, both professional and amateur, in a large retail operation. Many times the cameras, both still and video that ranked highest on their lists surprised us. It went counter to our experience with the equipment. Usually there were cameras available that had better track records for reliability as well quality. After seeing the top picks from C.R. and comparing them to our real life experience with the various cameras out there, we concluded that their testing left something to be desired.

I'm not saying they're wrong about the vacuum cleaners. Maybe they know more about vacuum cleaners than they do about photo equipment. ;)

[Doug Shepard]

I ended up ordering the DC14 Animal on the 6th from Amazon as they seemed to have the best price I could find. They also had a $25 promotion going on that didn't hurt either. Due to the fact that it shipped from somewhere in Ohio, UPS tried to deliver it today even though I opted for the slower free shipping. Only problem - it was shipped requiring an in-person signature, so I've arranged to pick it up from the UPS terminal.
So within a few days I'll get a chance to test it out and see how good/bad it sucks.

[Doug Shepard]

Well I picked up the Animal at UPS on the way home. At the risk of sounding like a happy housewife commercial - this thing really sucks.:D It's positively disgusting what I vac'ed up after just using the old vac Sunday. Maybe it's just the fact that you can see it all through the clear canister. At any rate there's LOTs in there. Haven't had a chance to try out any of the attachment gizmos. I'm really surprised how quiet this thing is in comparison with the old one, especially given how much better it works. And despite some reviews on Amazon that beefed about the weight, it's a lot lighter than my old one too. The only features from the old one that I miss are the cord retractor reel and the small light on the front of the base.
I'm so glad I didn't go to a housewares forum for advice on vacs. SMC is much better for that IMHO.:cool:

[Dave Richards]

Good on you Doug. Did vacuuming make you feel like putting on a frilly little apron? :D

My brother was telling me that they have a woman come in to do some cleaning every other week because he and his wife are so busy with their jobs. The cleaning lady won't use their Dyson because she's afraid of breaking it. My brother will run it though after she's been there and he's always amazed at how much stuff her vacuum leaves in the carpet.

Oh, and don't stick the hose on your neck when it is running. You'll have to explain it at work the next day. You and I are too old to be having those sorts of marks anyway. :D :D

[Lee DeRaud]

I'm really surprised how quiet this thing is in comparison with the old one, especially given how much better it works. And despite some reviews on Amazon that beefed about the weight, it's a lot lighter than my old one too.The quietness is my favorite feature. And it is fairly heavy (about 2lbs more than my old Hoover), but the big wheels and the good balance make it feel lighter than it really is.
The only features from the old one that I miss are the cord retractor reel and the small light on the front of the base.In case you want to vacuum in the dark?!? (Ok, ok, I stole that line from Tim Allen...so sue me.:p )

[Doug Shepard]

... Did vacuuming make you feel like putting on a frilly little apron? ...


:eek: Man, thats just too lucky to be a guess. I'm getting my house swept for bugs and cameras ASAP!!


...In case you want to vacuum in the dark?!? (Ok, ok, I stole that line from Tim Allen...so sue me.:p )

I'm afraid to turn on all the lights for fear the neighbors will see me through the windows. Course when Dave posts pics and outs me on the internet, the jig is up anyway.:D

[Dave Richards]

Doug, I can be bought. :D