Dyson DC07 Cyclone Animal Upright Vacuum, Purple
by Dyson
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Dyson DC07 Cyclone Animal Upright Vacuum, Purple
Customer Review: FINALLY BEAT THE PET HAIR MONSTER
Summary: 5 Stars
I was concerned about some drawbacks mentioned in previous reviews. However I got so sick of being embarrassed to have company because of dirty, dusty hardwood floors and fur-ridden carpet that I bought the Dyson (I have 2 rabbits who shed, eat hay and like to shred newspaper).
I like the Dyson because it doesn't mess around! It has that powerful, no-nonsense industrial strength quality that my old Rainbow had.
The Rainbow was great and lasted a decade but it was really cumbersome and I hated emptying the water tank so I sold it. I didn't really appreciate what I had lost until I bought one of those $100 'bagless' jobbies. What a joke!
Sure, the bagless was more maneuverable but it had this idiotic 'HEPA' filter smack dab in the middle of the dustbin. Trying to clean the dustbin entailed whacking the filter on the side of the trash can, which spewed dust and dander everywhere (negating the supposed benefits to allergy sufferers!). Because it picked up pet debris, the filter quickly started to smell but the instructions said you couldn't wash it. Filters cost more than bags so the supposed cost savings of going bagless was also a joke. To top things off, it smelled like burning plastic and it started to spark and smoke after a year, at which point I set it by the dumpster. My friend bought a bagless Phantom (considerably more money) and hated hers too for similar reasons).
The Dyson was expensive, but like the Rainbow, it is a worthwhile investment. Unlike the Rainbow, emptying the contents is a breeze - it's what 'bagless' should be (but usually isn't!).
I would have designed the hose/wand/attachment mechanism differently so that it is easier to switch to that mode. However some of the complaints I'm reading about can be worked around:
1) AWKWARD SWITCHING BETWEEN UPRIGHT AND ATTACHMENT MODE
This is partially true. To use attachments, you have pull the metal wand out of the hose, detach it, turn it around and then reattach the opposite end to the hose. Once this is done, you can't click the wand/hose back back to the main unit w/out reversing the whole process.
WORKAROUND: You can connect attachments directly to the end of the hose (ie. wand is optional). Also, when the vacuum is in tilt mode, the beater brush rotates. Once you position it upright, the suction automatically switches to the attachment hose. As long as you don't mind holding the attachment hose in one hand and pushing the vac w/the other, it is easy to switch back and forth.
2)TO USE THE HOSE YOU HAVE TO UNROLL THE POWER CORD.
WORKAROUND: The upper 'clip' that you wrap the power cord around rotates downward, which enables you to unhook the entire cord w/o unwrapping.
3) DYSON LOW REACH FLOOR TOOL DOESN'T WORK WELL
WORKAROUND - The floor tool pivots both ways, when you reach under a low object, you can reverse the pivot direction to maintain contact w/the floor. Also, the floor tool has 2 settings (bare floor and carpet). When I didn't have the tool positioned correctly, it didn't have very good suction, which could lead a person to believe it was ineffective. Once you position it properly, it almost glues itself to the floor because of the suction. This makes for effective cleaning but a physically weak or frail person may find this too much.
4) STAIR CLEANING DIFFICULT
People complain that the hose won't stretch the full 17 feet or that the wand is too awkward. I didn't have any problems w/the stairs. Also, as noted before you can attach to the hose directly if the wand is too awkward.
5) HOSE WON'T STRETCH
The industrial strength hose + strong suction made it difficult to extend the hose (except at the base of the stairs when it couldn't move). Otherwise, the unit follows you around like a clingy child. Kind of annoying but would I want less suction and a weaker hose?
6) RATCHETING NOISE ON AREA RUGS
On area rugs, the suction pulls the rug into the beater, which triggers a warning 'ratcheting' noise.
WORKAROUND: I just ignored it. Other reads contacted Dyson and were told to remove a gasket or pull the sweeper in a reverse 'S' pattern to solve the problem. My salesman also recommended trying the low floor tool.
Customer Review: The Beloved Dyson Vacuum (Five Stars, from me too!)
Summary: 5 Stars
[...]I really HATE to admit how much money I've invested in, buying cheap to expensive vacuum cleaners. I was really wishing for quality. I've owned everything from a Hoover to a Eureka to an Electrolux and back to again to Hoover, a Wind Tunnel which I HATED, for the same reasons that everybody else does! (See the above Consumer's Reports Article). Why was I never happy, because they were all a bunch of plastic crap! I even have a central vac (which is also expensive and very disappointing too).
Criticism over a Dyson being expensive! (?) NOPE! Believe me I am a huge tightwad; my friends even make fun of my frugalness! Nope, a great vacuum is worth every NICKEL (reasonably priced, I might add) when it has wonderful qualities! Buying several vacuums... and wishing for quality! That's EXPENSIVE!
The Dyson's lightweight housing is a huge benefit over my sis-in-law's heavy and bulky Kirby. Not one of my other vacuums can even compete with the amazing suction power of her's or a Dyson I found out. I have always COVETED her expensive Kirby; I just couldn't justify having to mortgage a house to afford one (no lie, they actually did). Well no more coveting, I now own a Dyson "Animal".
*****Maneuvers Easily, Bag-less and High Rating*****
My hubby is a clean freak and I am a real gadget freak... thus the Dyson keeps us both happy. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, so my DH vacuums for me all the time. In fact I actually bought the Dyson partly out of guilt, in the first place, because of this malady. Now I love how lightweight and easy my Dyson maneuvers. Anyway he and I vacuum all the time and (Wow) we are always AMAZED how quickly the bag-less dirt chamber fills to maximum! No kidding, my kids are dirt-magnets (think Peanut strip's Pig Pen character). LOL! Good thing the Dyson's bag-less, because we'd be going through bags with every use!
My hubby laughs at this vacuum and calls it my "TRANSFORMER!" Remember those toys the kids would "TWIST and TURN" a car into a futuristic robot? Well, the Dyson may be very different from every other vacuum, but that difference in technology just may be what makes it amazingly powerful and efficient. You get use to the "method to its madness" (be sure to read the directions, otherwise you'll be lost). Hehehe, even with all their quirkiness, these vacuums have the highest satisfaction rating by consumers.
*****Space-Age Plastic, Hard Floors and Onboard Accessories*****
While shopping, months ago, I watched a video with this British fellow beating the snot out of a vacuum with a metal pipe. I laughed so hard... but bought one right on the spot (due to that store's satisfaction guarantee policy, plus I got the General Manager to give me a much LOWER price, another story).
ALL vacuums need regular maintenance, especially if you have hair any longer than one inch (and my girl's have long hair)! Quick Tip: No problem, simply switch the vacuum to "clean hard floors" (turning beater bar OFF). Suck up the loose hair, and then switch it back to clean carpets (or just use a hard-floor accessory vacuum head to pick up the hair, first.)
Now the Dyson isn't perfect, cuz the roller bar cover doesn't come off real easy. A quarter does the trick to twist the bolts (Lefty-Loosey and Righty-Tighty)! LOL! While using a pair of scissors, simply cut the long-twisted hair (or strings) from the beater bar and its crevasses, pop roller back in place and replace cover!
The Dyson "Animal" (specifically named for its ability to efficiently vacuum animal hair) includes all sorts of helpful vacuum heads and accessories! I love the dusting brush for my baseboards, blinds and everywhere dust lurks. I really put it through its paces. Because of my painful hands, I even vacuum around the toilet (with the "transforming" extension wand). Now I clean the brush with my Anti-Bacterial spray recipe before I dare store it back onboard the vacuum:
[...]
The Dyson is WORTH ALL those FIVE STARS... and I whole heartedly agree!
Customer Review: Pleasantly Surprised
Summary: 5 Stars
What a machine!About a month ago, my expensive vac took a dive. Desperate for another, as I had company coming that night, I trucked off to Sears for a quick replacement. I initially bought a Kenmore bagless (the green one.) I was fairly impressed w/ it, but after two uses, it went kerploohey! Thinking it was just `one of those things', I took it back and exchanged for the same model, which lasted all of two weeks before it went the way of the first. The clerk told me there must have been a design flaw in the Kenmore as she had a stack of that particular model that had come back w/ the same problem.
Now, unlike everyone else here, I had never heard of Dyson, seen the apparently infamous infomercial, nor did I know anyone who owned one. I just knew that it was in the price range I was looking for and that the clerk went on and on about its warranty. I bought it, had the clerk assemble it on the spot, and took it home.
What a pleasant surprise! With black carpet, and 3 white cats, this thing did an impressive job of not leaving a single hair behind. A few years ago, for three years I sold vacs for a living, so I've used just about every brand out there.(Part of the demo was to have owners get out their old vacs for a comparison.) At any rate, I have a very good idea of what the flaw in most vacs are, and a loss of power after they get a bit of dust in them is a biggie. For those reviewers that say that a Hoover is better than a Dyson, I can't help but think back to those sales days when I would practically jump for joy if I knew that a homeowner owned any of the Hoover line. It meant that their house was going to be filthy, and I was going to make a sale! ;) There is ZERO comparison between the performance of the Wind Tunnel and the Dyson. The Dyson pulls more dirt than I have ever seen, including the very brand that I used to sell.
Bottom Line
What this vac does well:
1. Wall to wall carpet gets as clean as carpet can get. No vac will ever pull all of the dirt from a carpet, that's just the nature of the stuff. Nevertheless, the Dyson is very thorough. With black carpet, it's extraordinarily easy to see what a vac can do and not do. It cleans great. Nuff said.
2. Stairs are much easier with this vac than my old one, which was a canister. The beater brush attachment works like a charm, and the vac itself carries up and down the stairs pretty easily. I have had no problems with it `getting out of control' and dropping on my foot.
3. The car. I cleaned the upholstery and floor in record time using the beater brush. It was much more thorough than a trip to the vac at the car wash. The car really looked nice when I was done.
4. It's a breeze to push and pull around the house. I've read some people complain of how hard it is to move, but I've really noticed none of that. I would put it on par with an Oreck in this particular department.
5. Once I got used to the way the hose and attachments work, I find them easy to manipulate. Also going from carpet to wood floors is pretty straight forward, and it does a nice job at getting the dirt out from between the slats of the wood floor.
6. It really does get at the dirt. I vacuum every other day due to said cats and was still amazed at how much dirt was left in my carpets.
7. It doesn't stink my closet up! Since emptying the dirt bin after I clean is a habit that I have, there's no noticeable smell when I store or use the Dyson.
What stinks about this vac:
1. The crevice tool stinks. Now to me, this is no big deal as I'll just use my old one. The tool has little `air flow' holes in it to lessen the suction power. However, I don't appreciate that feature.
2. The upholstery tool has no bristles on it, which means that it's hard to get the agitation necessary to clean properly. Again, to me, no problem as I'll just use my old one.
I really enjoy this machine. It does what the box said it would and has surpassed my jaded expectations.
On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 9. It's not perfect, but nothing is.
Customer Review: It deserves 5 stars, and I don't work for Dyson
Summary: 5 Stars
I've owned and used the DC07 Animal for three months now, and was just checking Amazon's prices for gift giving. Yes, I intend to buy this monster for someone else, as a gift, and I don't think that person will be disappointed.
Some of the lower-rated reviews mentioned a few "problems" with the Dyson, most of which are addressed either in the documentation, or by just using the thing a few times.
This machine will suck everything out of your carpet, but you may need to use it a few times to get the best "clean carpet" effect. It does remove most dust, hair, particles, and whatnot with a quick first-pass, but it does not usually leave the carpet with "vacuum tracks" with a quick push and pull. You should let it do its work, and vacuum slowly. Fill the canister, empty it, and do it all over again. Keep doing it. You'll be amazed at what it can pull out of a "clean" carpet.
You can't simply push the machine from carpet to area rug and/or tile or hardwood floor. There's a simple lever on the base section that is used to disengage the beater section. This requires you to bend over--if this is a problem, by all means, don't buy it. Also, any way you have it set up, you can no longer expect to vacuum fringes of area rugs--these will be sucked up and taken into the vacuum. Use the attachments, and read the instructions. Granted, Dyson chose to make the instructions universally idiot-proof, which means there are a lot of diagrams and pictures, so it isn't as clear as it could be for some who expect detailed word-for-word instructions.
You can expect the Dyson to fill up its canister quite quickly, unless you vacuum every few days or so. The canister is easily removed, and is easily emptied. If you have problems with dust particles flying around, simply read the instructions BEFORE doing it, or remember this: if you're vacuuming an area with a large amount of small particulates (e.g. sand, dirt, cat litter, etc), expect the smallest particles to be attracted to anything with a triboelectric charge. This includes the plastic of the canister, your clothes, or whatnot. Use some common sense, and empty it into a small bag held around the body of the canister. Several complaints in previous reviews could have been negated by that.
OTHER CONCERNS:
1. Yes, it is heavier than many, if not most, other upright vacuums. However, it does a better job of sucking than most, if not all, of them. It takes a few uses to get used to the heft of the machine.
2. The attachments and the hose usage take a little bit more time and effort than some other vacuums. Then again, they do a much better job than most others. The extra time it takes to disengage, clamp, and re-engage the hose attachments is more than made up for by the fact the hose attachments pull the same suction as the base unit.
3. I can't comment on the complaints about attachments cracking, breaking, or otherwise failing, because all the attachments that came with my DC07 still work, and work well.
4. The unit DOES take more time to assemble for first use compared to the average vacuum cleaner. Expect a minimum of 30 minutes just to set the thing up for the first use (and, since I'm an engineer, you may want to adjust that time). If you do it right, it will make perfect sense to you, and you'll be happy.
5. Yes, it is quieter than a comparable vacuum with the same inlet suction. It DOES make noise, however. Don't expect a silent vacuum cleaner.
6. Caveat emptor. If you expect a $500 vacuum to work twice as well as a $250 vacuum, you'll be disappointed. However, you should review the features and the reliability of the $250 vacuum, and compare it to the Dyson products. If the low-rated reviews that point out the difficulty in assembly, and the lack of "vacuum tracks", make you think twice, then you shouldn't consider this item.
Customer Review: Tired of BS ratings
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay, I'm going to set the story straight. I'm tired of seeing bogus ratings on Amazon. I think the manufacturers or representatives are having too much fun trying to bash each other. I just bought my Dyson from Best Buy and received it via UPS last night. I am an engineer in Kansas City and I have NO relationship to any vacuum manufacturer-I'm just a customer. I was hesitant after reading the complaints. Let me summarize:1. "The Dyson is very hard to put together"---Wrong. I had it assembled, skimmed the instruction book, and tested it in less than 10 minutes.
2. "You can't store all of the tools onboard"---Lie. All of the tools store with the exception of the large floor tool. Most vacuums don't come with this anyway, so this is an irrelevant complaint.
3. "Damaged in shipping". I suppose this could happen. However, mine was shipped via Best Buy and there was not a problem at all.
4. "Consumer Reports only rates it number 14."-Well Consumer Reports is the world's largest rip off. Who cares what they say.
5. "Unit tips over when using hose attachment"---A total lie! This unit is sturdy as the hose is anchored at the bottom of the vacuum! I tried and couldn't get it to tip.
6. "Can't clean close to the wall"---Perhaps. But I'm sure it's no worse than any other vacuum.
7. "Poor suction"-Well, it's suppose to be the best suction on bare floors (even per Consumer Reports). I'm not sure if it's great on carpet or not, but it was picking up dirt that my old Dirt Devil bagless had never picked up! Rather gross actually!
These were some of the complaint I read that concerned me. However, they're totally unfounded! Here are the positives that I see over any other vacuum cleaner-despite the obvious things:
1. This thing is EXTREMELY quiet! My wife and I could literally carry on a conversation from two different levels of the house while I was using it! And the kids were sleeping!
2. It just looks cool despite the funny colors!
3. Lifetime filters
4. An awesome method for dumping the "debris"! The bottom drops out and everything falls into the trash! Simple and clever!
5. Never have to adjust the unit for different pile heights!
6. This thing can steer and turn on a dime! My 4 year old could literally push it around with ease!
7. This thing was pulling dirt out of the carpet that I never knew was there! I think the suction is absolutely sufficient!
8. The hose and its attachments are extremely versatile! They can be attached three different ways!
9. Very ergonomic handle compared to anything else on the market.
10. Dyson was sued by one of the leading vacuum manufacturers. Dyson won because of the uniqueness of their design! Then, Hoover infringed on their patents and they beat Hoover!! Even Hoover tried to steal the idea because it is superior to their own products! I think this says a lot! Support the small company over large corporations.
Now, to be constructive, I list some of the negatives that people may "perceive":
1. The hose attachment is so versatile that it could be difficult to use. It's not a "quick-draw" style like on so many other units. But the versatility can really not be overlooked!
2. No headlight----but who vacuums in the dark anyway?
3. Expensive---But for $100 more than the nicest Hoover, I think you get what you pay for.
4. No automatic cord reel----I think these things break anyway, so the standard "wrap" is fine with me. But, when the cord is stored/wrapped, you can not use the hose attachment!
This is a totally unbiased review. After 10 minutes, I was already glad I bought this unit! Don't believe the other lies you read on Amazon.com. This unit is definitely a 5 star unit!!!