Strengths:
1. Best suction even among other Dyson models due to new Level 3 Root Cyclone.
2. Excellent build quality. Each piece is not an after-thought.
3. Best design shape, color, material and operation.
Weaknesses:
1. Price but you do pay for the technology it has to offer.
2. Heavy!
3. The cones gets clogged from fine dirt in time.
Summary: This is arguably one of the best "bagless" household vacuum cleaners money can buy. Dyson''s root cyclone technology really does perform. And this latest Level 3 Root Cyclone trumps even its other models.
If you''re serious about having a real clean environment, this is THE product to buy. I just moved into an apartment a month ago and they replaced the carpets in most of the area and steam cleaned the others that they deemed need not be replaced. I used the vacuum in both and I can tell you that steam cleaning old carpets may get rid of surface dirt and stains, but Dyson is your friend if you want to suck out most (if not all) the dirt hidden below the surface. I could not believe how much dust it was picking up in such a small area. The bin filled up pretty fast so I was on to round 2 in the same patch of rug. This time it was picking up very find dust. Dust that may have been stuck for years and was never sucked out from other vacuum systems. Round 3 time and you will smile when you realize there is nothing else that''s being collected in the bin. As for the newly installed carpets, I could only collect find dust until no more could be collected.
Unlike other vacuums in the market, this is one heck of a quiet vacuum in a relative way. Of course it''s still noisy, but as with other brands this won''t hurt your noise environment. In fact I am able to vacuum even at night with no fear that my neighbors beside and above my unit will hear me.
You''re not only paying for the suction technology, you''re also paying for the build quality. Each part has quality reflected on it. While the design is modern.
Of course nothing is perfect. This thing is heavy. DO NOT vacuum the stairs while the machine is on the top stair because if this thing falls on you, there will be serious injury and damage.
The quick-draw expandable hose is a good idea. But it''s also not as flexible as I would have imagined it to be. It''s easy to expand and retract, but the long handle commands that the vacuum is at a distance from where you want to use the telescope handle if you want to operate it comfortably.
Among other bagless vacuums, this is the easiest to dump the contents. But just like all other bagless vacuums, dust will certainly be flying away from the trash unless you have a very deep trash can. Plus the fine holes around the cyclone technology gets clogged from fine dust in time so you will need to clean those tiny holes from time to time if you want the Dyson to perform it''s best everytime.
The lifetime Hepa filter is a great addition below. They recommend only washing with water and drying at least 24 hours near a heater/radiator and they really do mean 24 hours. It''s big and thick so it won''t dry out quickly. So if you find the need to frequently vacuum the next day, I recommend getting an extra Hepa filter to use.
The motorized brush bar helps pick up stuff from the carpet. This can be turned off for delicate rugs and floors. Just like other vacuums, hair and other long items can be trapped around the brush bar and need to be removed from time to time. It is also belt-driven so this can snap and break especially if inadvertently caught on a loose item. So be careful of this.
Overall, Dyson is a wonderful machine to have and will surely last longer if properly taken care of.
If you are extremely allergic to dust, I believe a better alternative is to go with Oreck XL as it ensures you will not be in contact with the dust particles due to it''s ingenious bag design that closes shut when removed.
Bought a refurb model here on Amazon after hearing so many good things about Dyson. We have 2 dogs, German Shepherd & a Chow. Needless to say, they leave a lot of hair all over the place.
We had 2 different vacuums when we bought the Dyson and neither came close to doing what the Dyson can do.
The first day we tried it out on an area rug it literally picked up a canister FULL of hair that our other vacs missed earlier that day!
Pros: Quieter than most other vacs, accessories snap in tight, amazing suction power, long power cord.
Cons: hose wand can be unwieldy.
Would love to see an automatic retractable cord.
Overall, my wife and I are extremely happy with this purchase.
Buy Dyson DC17 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner Now
Once in a great while a company gets it right.
They make a tool that transforms a task into something you actually WANT to do.
Delta''s Unisaw, Stihl Chainsaw, All-clad pans and now Dyson DC 17 vacuum are among those few.
Until yesterday, I figured all vacuums were more-or-less an equal pain. After all, the Bissell (junk) we bought had the same 12 amp, bagless design as the Dyson. I figured "How different could they be?" ( Answer -LOTS!)
I bought the DC 14 "Animal" yesterday, not realizing there were _2_ Dyson "Animals". (I should have paid closer attention and also realized Bed/Bath/Beyond and Linens-n-Things carried out-of-date merchandise.
They neither one can even get the DC17. )
The DC14 was a good machine. The finest vacuum I had ever used.
As I was about to write my Amazon view (which I should do more often thanks to all you who take your time to do), when I discovered there was a newer, better, machine -this one, the DC17. I figured "what the heck." After going over living room 3 times with the Bissell then going over it with the DC14 and being amazed at what it picked up, I thought I had thoroughly cleaned the house with the DC14. After my discovery and subsequent return of DC14 and pick up of DC17 I re-cleaned the (I thought) clean house and was amazed as the dirt the DC17 picked up that the DC14 left behind. Multiple compartments worth!
The DC17 has significantly better suction than the 14, has a more powerful (wider?) head, puts out cleaner air, ...
Buy the DC17.
Be happy.
Read Best Reviews of Dyson DC17 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner Here
This is an excerpt of my review from another board I frequent:
This is compared to the DC14 that I purchased on the 3rd of Oct 2006. Now I realize there are many Dyson haters, Hoover haters, Electrolux haters ect. I have NOTHING to gain by sharing my results. I am a Midwest housewife that likes a clean house and this includes clean carpets. Our carpets are professionally steam cleaned every 4 monthsget a great deal because we own rentals and use this service alot. Additionally, the steam kills any dust mites in the rug. For the last 4 years I have had a Hoover windtunnel that didn''t seem to be picking up after the two Chihuahuas Long and Short hair, (NOW I know it sucked) and was THRILLED to get the DC14 a Linen''s and Things for about $ including tax. I used the DC14 EVERYDAY since my purchase and was pleasantly surprised and disgusted at the stuff that ended up in the bin. Husband and sons just shook their collective heads at my delight and constant running of the Dyson. But eventually there was no more dirt to be had from my carpets. Just alittle fine powderI smiled smugly! LOL! The ranch house we were about to move from will be clean for our tenantsso I thought!
Anyhow, since the DC17 was available I wanted one for the upstairs of the new house (which is in the process of being built). Why two you ask? The house is 5,500 square feet so I didn''t want to lug one up and down the stairs. So yesterday I did some googling for Best Buy coupons (since that is the only place I have seen them) and found that I could get the DC17 for $ online and schedule an in store pickup. The store price was $ so I saved about 5%-not much but it helped. Within 90 minutes of ordering it I was home vacuuming.
I was truely speechless at what the DC17 pulled out of the carpets with ONLY 12 minutes of vacuuming. (The Steelers were about to play and I didn''t want to miss any of the game.) It was soon obvious the DC14''s brush was not up to snuff because of the dog hair that was pullled from the berber weave by the DC17. Add to that the grit and fine, fine powder in the bin. The DC14 is a bit difficult to push on my bedroom carpet but the DC17 feels more self propelled than my Hoover. It really moves itself!
Another great feature is the bare floor/carpet buttonit is now located by the on/off switch. Additonally the wand set up is GREAT and easy to use. The noise of the DC17 is clearly quieter than my DC14not so shrill.
All in allI would trade my DC14 for another DC17 anyday.
BTWThe really long red hair in the bin is mine (the short red/buff hair is my LH chi''s)NONE got caught in the rollermuch to my amazement!
NOTE: I posted photos with this review. Not sure if I can post them here so I will leave them out so the review will show up.
Want Dyson DC17 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner Discount?
After my 6 year old Sharp died I began a search that took much longer than I expected. I read Consumer Reports, went to 2 vaccum cleaner shops, cleaned the floor at Sears with everyone of their floor modles and even sat through a Rainbow demonstration. Who knew finding a vaccum cleaner would be so time consuming and quite frankly expensive????
I tried a Riccar upright....sale price $399 and took it back the same day. After the home demo of the Rainbow, and not wanting to spend $1895 for something I might not like, I borrowed a friends (she is s really good friend to lend me her relatively new Rainbow) and tried it for a weekend. I found it to be combersome and after it was all said and done I had strined a muscle in my neck with all the cleaning I did and had to see a chiropracter. The Rainbow did not cause all my muscle problems as I have been treated by a chiropracter for a little over a year, but I can certianly say it didn''t help it either.
I have a 2000 sq ft home with hardwood floors throught and several antique rugs...all with fringe (this vaccum will automatically shut off the beater bar if I accidently suck up the fringe....that was worth $500 to me). My husband is an oriental rug dealer and these rugs are very old and have lots of deep down dust in them I''m sure. So I wanted something that would clean the wood floors and rugs with as much ease as possible.
January 17th was my birthday. I met my mom for lunch but before we ate we went to the mall. I was making one last ditch effort to find the "perfect" vaccum cleaner. And there it was.......the Dyson 17. I had looked at it once before but for $500+ was it really worth it? The salesman was quite patient as I asked quesiton after question as I vaccumed most of the appliance department. Still a bit uneasy I sucked it up and made it purchase.
When I got back home I put it all together (not hard at all) and began to vaccum.........WOW!!! I could not believe what I was seeing? The Rainbow was just used on that some rug and the Dyson still picked up more dust and dirt. Then came time to empty the canister. I expected this to be the point at which I would pack it up again to take it back, but no, it was so easy and the dust didn''t fly everywhere. Yeah a little flew back into the air so now I have started using a plastic shopping bag and I just empty it and tie it up and throw it away. Very little , if any, mess is made now.
The attachments are terrific. I love the low floor tool for getting my bathroom floors and it even fits behind the toilet. The dusting brush is great for my plantation blinds and even ceiling fans. The upholstry tool is great for throw pillows. I have leather furniture and that is all I have used it on so far.
I know this is a bit lengthy but if someone else is out there reading reviews like I did I wanted as much information as anyone was willing to give, especially when you are considering spending $500+ for a vaccum cleaner.
One of the most important things to me was getting one that would suck up pet hair. We have a 1 yr old black lab and he sheds, not too bad but enough that my husband thinks our house is never clean. The greatest thing is that after using the Dyson 17 he said everything looked cleaner to him. WOW! He is a wonderful man and tries to be supporative but spending $500+ on a vaccum cleaner was not top on his list of things to do but he is glad I did it now. I have yet to try the mini turbine tool but I think it will be great for vaccuming out the car.
I would strongly recommend this vaccum to anyone who wants to make cleaning a little easier. I have not had a problem with the hose as some people have stated. It is easy to pull out and has a very long reach. The cord is longer than most I have tried. Auto shut off of the brush beater bar is a huge plus for me as is the bagless feature. I just cannot say enough good things about it. Go ahead.....spend the money and enjoy cleaning for a change.
I bought the Doulton Countertop Water Filter a couple months ago and I''m sorry I did. I can''t drink the water from it given the ceramic filter continually discharges something into the water that is gritty. My mouth is coated with a film of grit after drinking the water. The ceramic filters, when new, are coated with some type of powder which looks like residue from the manufacturing process and it appears this is what ends up in the drinking water. The directions require a new filter to have water run thought it for 10 min followed by a 24 hour rest period and then another 10mins of water but after doing that and running lots of additional water through the filter before I fill up a glass it still is gritty. I''m on my 2nd cartridge. The first had the same problem but got better but returned to being unduly gritty as I used it more. All in all a grossly unsatisfactory experience.
