Dyson DC14 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner
by Dyson
|
List Price: Our Price: $298.99 You Save: $361.00 (55%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Dyson DC14 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Customer Review: Amazed
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband just surprised me with the Dyson pet vacuum. We've been married for 20 years so this does qualify as a romantic gesture. We have three kids who don't shed but who leave trails of mess where ever they go, two 80 + pound shepherd mixes who shed constantly, and a cat. In addition, we live in a house with 18 year old carpet, and we own two 8 year old brown upholstered couches that the dogs believe are their personal beds despite the fact that I run them off of them every time I see them on them. I refuse to replace the carpet or couches until some of said children move out and said dogs die.
I'm constantly disgusted by the level of dog hair and dirt in my house at any given time. I have cleaning people who thoroughly clean my home every other week and I and my family vacuum, sweep, and swiffer at least 2 or 3 times a week just to keep the disgust level at a minimum. I've owned a myriad of vacuums and tried all of the major brands on the market, but it is still a big hairy mess.
Last night I popped my shiny new Dyson out of the box. I'm one of the most technologically challenged people you will ever meet. I put the whole thing together by myself with minimum reference to the manual, that is filled with lots of user friendly pictures, in well under 15 min. Then I started vacuuming.
We had just vacuumed our family room the night before and both of the big brown couches that are in it. Three pushes with the Dyson and there was a clump of pet hair and dirt the half the size of my fist. I vacuumed the carpet and one of the couches and near filled the canister with crud. It was amazing. We weren't sure if we were just giddy with excitement or delusionally tired, but my husband I both thought the carpet and the couch looked newer.
We left one couch for comparison in the morning light and for after we had a good nights sleep.
This morning both the couch and carpet looks positively newer. I'm thrilled and can't wait to clean the rest of my house. So, far I've used the vacuum as an upright and the handy dandy attachment for cleaning stairs and furniture. It was easy to attach. It doesn't appear that the attachments (there are several) attach to the vacuum itself which means I'll have to store them somewhere and fetch them as needed, but if this baby continues to suck dirt and hair out of my house at it has so far it'll be a small price to pay.
Needless to say, I'm thrilled and impressed and hopeful that I've actually finally found a tool worth the price tag.
Customer Review: It'll suck the paint off the walls!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had my doubts about paying this much for a vacuum at first, but my mother bought one and asked me to try hers out. It was AMAZING and I had to have one.
I put this machine to the test the first day I got it. First, I vacuumed a bedroom carpet with my beloved Hoover, then went over it again with the Dyson. The Animal produced a full container of dust, dirt and loose fiber that the Hoover missed.
I then used an older version of a Rainbow vacuum (about a $1500 machine that I "inherited" from my grandmother) on the living room carpet. I had always though very highly of this machine and expected little to be left behind. But again, after using the Rainbow on the room followed up by the Dyson, I got another cannister full of dirt, dust and fiber.
In short, this is probably the most powerful vacuum I've ever used, bar none. The hardwood attachment is a godsend (although the extension tube could be just a *little bit* longer. The air-driven pet hair removal tool is okay, but since it is not electrically driven, it doesn't have the adjitation I had anticipated - still, good for short pile area rugs and furniture.
Possibly the greatest feature of this machine is emptying the bin. I've always dreaded this process with other vacuums, but with the Dyson, one simply holds the bin over a trashcan and push the release button. That's it! No mess, no bags, no touching the dirt and dust and other disgusting things you're likely to pick up with this powerful machine.
The ONLY shortcoming of this machine that I can honestly point out is the documentation/instruction manual. It is very light on content and doesn't go into how to use the attachments properly (the hardwood floor tool has two settings and I'm certain that there must be an easier way to engage it than picking it up and using one's thumbs to click it in and out of place, but there's no mention of it in the user guide). This also makes assembling the machine for the first time only slightly challenging and not so intuitive, but these are minor gripes.
I can honestly say that this is the most powerful, quiet, convenient and easy to use vacuum that I've encountered. It truly does not loose power, even when the collection bin is full, and does everything that it claims in the TV, magazine and web advertisements.
Only time will tell if it is a long-lasting machine, but for now, I'm VERY satisfied with its performance and convenience.
Customer Review: Awesome Vac - Worth Every Penny!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I finally gave in and purchased my Dyson Animal after a couple of months of research and "test driving" several different brands and models to be sure I got a good one. We previously had an Electrolux that never lived up to the hype and weighed a ton to boot, so I knew that a high price didn't always equate to a great product. I really liked the way the Dyson performed in the store, though, so I gave in and purchased it about a month ago. We have a Cairn Terrier (non shedding) and a cat who should be bald, he sheds so much, so I was looking forward to seeing how much cat hair this thing sucked up.
I couldn't wait to get home and try it. It was easy to assemble (the wand was a bit tricky, but once I got my husband to actually read the directions, we were set). We had just vacuumed with the old cleaner and tried out the Dyson to see what it would pick up. Sure enough, the canister filled right up!! Yuck - it's hard to imagine we were living with all that gunk. I vacuumed everything - the carpet, the drapes, the furniture. The machine was easy to manuveur and the wand was great for me to reach high places (I'm 5'2"), although on the furniture it was easier just to remove it and hook the attachments directly to the hose. The one thing I had an issue with was having to use an attachment to clean under my side chairs - the vac's too bulky to slide under. It wasn't difficult to attach it though - much easier than the process I went through to get the hose on the Electrolux.
I read the previous review (from Oct 18th) and had a couple of things I disagreed with. I'm not sure if his vacuum is like mine (it should be!) but here goes:
1. The wand is not "hard mounted" to the hose. Mine comes off at the touch of a button and attachments fasten easily.
2. The roller bar on the vacuum head switches from carpet to bare floor mode with a touch of my foot, no need to bend over.
3. I had no trouble using the vacuum perpendicular to walls or furniture. The little brush on the head actually brushed out some dust next to my wall that I had never been able to get out before.
I recommend this vacuum wholeheartedly and have chunked my Electrolux ball and chain into the garbage. The Animal is awesome!
An additional benefit - it looks "cool" according to my 15 year old and she actually wants to vacuum. Huzzah!!!
Customer Review: Lives up to the name "Animal"
Summary: 5 Stars
Having recently purchased the DC14, I feel compelled to write about it. I've never felt eager about using a vacuum cleaner, but with my wife's severe allergies I needed to try something different than my current vacuum that just kept getting its paper filter clogged and was a total mess to clean.
Initially, I was disappointed as the suction seemed quite low and I figured something was wrong with the unit. I basically followed the disassembly instructions to check for a clog and then re-assembled everything and checked again. The suction is amazing. It easily beats my other bagless upright (a well known brand that is also the name of a dam). I spent an hour cleaning my living room with my old vacuum and then ran the Dyson over the same area and promptly filled the canister. We have a very prolificly shedding long haired cat and we live in a very dusty area with a lot of tree pollen so I felt good to see all the stuff being pulled out of our carpet.
Since my wife is asthmatic and does suffer from serious allergies I hope that time will prove this vacuum to be the help I hope it is. I did notice the air smelled a lot cleaner using the Dyson than the other vacuum.
Another positive is how easy the thing is to take apart to clean and empty the canister. Everything snaps into place and while the fit is somewhat loose for some parts, when the vacuum is on, it pulls things together with the force of the vacuum.
To me the manual is also a plus. Then again, I'm an engineer and I like short, sweet directions. Yes, it is terse and it shows illustrations to do things versus step-by-step instructions, but they worked fine for me.
Now, onto the cons, and yes I noticed a couple. One is the hose/wand. The wand is stiff to extend from the hose and the hose itself doesn't stretch very easily. The cord is very long, and somewhat unwieldy, it would be nice to have an automatic cord winding system. Maneuvering is a bit difficult as well, but that's something the DC15 seems to have corrected using Dyson's uniball system from their wheelbarrow's from the UK.
Overall, though, this is a five star vacuum. Is it worth 500 dollars? I paid well less than that at a local store, but if I had to answer that question, I would say yes, it is. The lifetime filter is a nice touch and the fact it keeps suction is also huge.
Customer Review: ABSOLUTELY NUMBER 1 IN MY BOOK!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not a person who normally writes a review but I just have to comment on this vacuum. I just received mine 3 days ago and I have never used one quite like this. I had been searching for a new vacuum for quite a few months when I came across this one and read all the reviews. Then I went to Sears where you can try them before you buy. By the way, Amazon was the best value in purchasing this vacuum.
I have had many vacuums over the years and never was really happy with any. When I built my home I installed central vac thinking my dust and dirt problems would be a thing of the past. I was wrong. I liked the ease of the central vac, no cords and it was lightweight but living with a pug who sheds more than any two sheppards, it didn't clean up the dog hair very well.
The reviews I read were correct. It is very embarrassing the first time you use this dyson. I decided to try the living room first with my central vac and then with the dyson. Well, I have a small living room and when I got done with the dyson it was 1/3 full with hidden dust and dog hair! I emptied it and started over doing the entire house. The canister was full! I would never of believed it. I can't believe the look of my wall to wall now that I have cleaned them with this vacuum.
My biggest concern in buying this vacuum was the weight. Being used to the central vac, I was afraid it would be too heavy. I have not found that to be a problem, maybe because of the dirt I see coming out of the carpet! But a good test is to try one at a local Sears store. I actually think it is easier to use on my plush carpets than it was in the store with their flat ones. Don't try area rugs, the noise is terrible when it sucks them up! The other problem I have always had with a vacuum is that I have very long hair and it is always a problem to cut it off the roller of the vacuums. It isn't nearly as difficult on this one because the roller isn't round, more flat to be able to cut it out easier. The wand is easy to use and I like the fact that it is always at hand. I know this is a big investment but I feel it is worth every penny.
As always, Amazon shipped quickly, they had free shipping and $25 off when I bought mine. I am also looking forward to receiving my free car cleaning accessories!