Remanufactured Dyson DC17 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner
by Dyson
|
List Price: Our Price: $353.94 You Save: $195.06 (36%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home See more product details |
|---|
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Remanufactured Dyson DC17 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Customer Review: Dyson Animal DC17 - Makes Vacuuming Easy!
Summary: 5 Stars
I settled on this vacuum after reading a number of reviews. I am not disappointed!
I used the Amazon 2 day free shipping to a US address (I live in Canada)then brought it across (cost an additional $35 to get across for gst, pst and duty as item is made in Malaysia).
The vacuum came in a brown box and was very well packaged. It was amazing pulling all those attachments and extras out (never seemed to end!). The instructions booklet was well written and in multiple languages.
Did some vacuuming (of course!) and was impressed. Loved the pull out hose. That is a great feature for me. I actually only have 3 area rugs, but the vacuum also did very well on bare floors. The mini beater bar attachment worked fantastic for the couch. We have a cat and a dog and the hair sometimes make it's way to the couch (cat is allowed, but dog isn't - since when does a dog listen anyway?). Then went over to my mother's and vacuumed her house (wall to wall carpet). She was very impressed. She admitted that she vacummed the day before and I pulled all the carpet up and collected a container full of debris. Then I brought it to a commercial property that we own. Cleaning was a breeze. The pull out handle worked like a dream on the stairs and in tight spaces. People that we hire to clean also loved the vacuum. Yes it is heavier than most vacuums, but to me is didn't matter as the other features more than made up for the weight.
So far really impressed.
One of the marks of a good company is its customer service. The only problem that I have encountered is that one of the attachments was missing a small wheel. I called the 1-800 number in the booklet and the person on the line was professional and courteous. He directed me to the Canadian 1-800 number. I then called that number and the female on the other line was upbeat and sounded like she truly enjoyed being a customer service agent. I explained that I was missing a part and she took my number and said that a technician would call me back. The technician did call me back in about an hour (customer service agent said within 15 min) and informed me that the vacuum I purchased was made for the US. Apparently they are made or packaged differently for Canada, Europe and the United States. Nevertheless, he was professional and understood which part I was speaking about. He said it would be shipped, at no charge to me, via Purolater and would arrive in a couple days. The part is now here as promised.
I recommend this vacuum because it is very versatile. It has fantastic suction and does the job whether you are doing carpets, floors or cleaning up those cobwebs in the ceiling corners. The reconditioned description didn't worry me and it also came with a 6 month warranty (as opposed to a 5 year for a non-reconditioned vacuum). The vacuum that I purchased was in brand new condition.
The cons so far are few. Be careful vacumming around stringy items (mother's bedspread had a fringe which the vacuum quickly wrapped around the beater bar). Also although the vacuum comes with an appreciated long cord, it would have been nice if it retracted. Vacuum is a little on the noisier side as well, but I suppose that is to be expected for the power it generates. The debris container does fill fast with the heavier items (dirt, sand) falling to the bottom and the hair sometimes congregating between the cyclone and the plastic container. Most times it does come out when using the very simple push button to open the bottom hatch (I give it a gentle twist back and forth and it dislodges). Otherwise you can separate the canister from the cyclone and clean it out there.
5 out of 5 stars for this Dyson DC17.
Customer Review: Buy it - you won't be disappointed!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been considering a Dyson vacuum for over a year - the high price was always a concern, along with wondering if the performance was really THAT GOOD. I was hoping a friend would get one so I could borrow it, but my friends haven't cooperated! We just got a dog about a month ago, and she's started shedding, so I thought that it was the perfect time to take the plunge into the Dyson pool of satisfied customers. I was a little conflicted about the re-manufactured Dysons, but until I see how the brand performs, spending over $500 was beyond my budget. I bought from Amazon because an extra one-year warranty is included.
I ordered the vacuum YESTERDAY and it arrived today (thanks to Amazon Prime free shipping!). Assembly took about 5 minutes after unpacking all the accessories. The manual is a little strange, but you can figure it out yourself by just looking at the unit. All you have to do is put the handle with the telescoping rod into the main body. My vacuum seems to be in new condition and still has that new-plastic smell. It's actually quite pretty with its purple highlights.
Now, to the test...I had just vacuumed (previous vacuum is a Eureka) the strip of carpeting from our kitchen into the living room, which is the main high-traffic area in our house. The berber carpet is beaten down, even though it's only about 5 years old, because we walk over this area many times a day. The nap is pretty shot, so I wasn't expecting a great result. But I was surprised and pleased to see that the carpet looks cleaner after using the Dyson.
When you first turn on the vacuum, it seems quiet compared to other vacs - I have a Eureka Boss SmartVac, and the Dyson is much quieter in comparison. But it does have a high-pitched whine in operation that might bother some people, so ear plugs or a set of headphones might be a good thing. I usually listen to the radio on a Walkman (remember those??) while I vacuum, so it won't bother me. The dog doesn't seem to enjoy it, though.
I got a LOT more dust, dirt and hair up from the carpet. In fact, I wonder if all that hair is from the dog we just got, because she hasn't been here that long! OK, well, so far, so good. I emptied the bin of the Dyson, which is easy and quick, just one button and done. I changed the bag on the Eureka and vacuumed the hallway from the living room to the bedrooms. The Eureka really sucks down onto the carpet *hard* when the bag is changed, but I'm not sure it is still getting ALL the dirt. It's hard to push and feels as if I am almost pulling the carpet up as I go.
The Dyson is much easier to push and as I vacuum, I wonder if it's really even doing anything, yet once again, when I go over the same area and check the dust bin, sure enough, there is another pile of dirt, dust, and hair. I wondered as I read other reviews whether people were just not used to seeing the stuff their vacuums picked up, because of the bags, so they merely *thought* the Dyson was getting more, but my two little tests have convinced me.
I also read Consumer Reports and they do not give the Dyson a very good score, not compared to other vacuums. That gave me pause, because I do take their reviews into consideration. But this time, I'm glad I didn't let their reviews keep me from buying this machine. Everywhere I went on the 'net, it was people absolutely RAVING over their Dyson. Now I'm one of them!!
Customer Review: Multiple cats? This is the one.
Summary: 5 Stars
I hemmed and hawed about getting one of these for months, then finally went for it. I just finished vacuuming the house with the Dyson D17 Animal, and I love it. I got the remanufactured one for $319.99, and shoot, I just saw that it went down to $299.99. (EDIT: Due to the post-price guarantee I should be able to get my $20 back) That's the best price I can find anywhere, (especially with super saver shipping and no tax). I ordered it using super saver shipping and it arrived in 5 days. First, the remanufactured item: I was a little concerned, but found that I needn't have been. The box was a little weird, turned inside out so the pictures were on the inside. The box was also a little damaged, but everything was inside, all sealed and packaged like new, not a scratch, and it works perfectly.
Next, getting used to the thing: it took me a while to figure out you just stomp on the front end to make it go (what I get for not looking closely at the diagram). My old vac had a thing on the back end to release the front. And using the wand takes a little getting used to, but once you've got it, it's actually easier than my old vac (which was a Dirt Devil upright). The Dyson is quieter, lighter, and stronger than the Dirt Devil, and so much easier to dump the dirt, which is good because it picks up more, so you might have to dump it out more often. If you're used to losing suction as a signal to dump the dirt, you won't get that signal here - it really does keep suction power constant all the time, and you'll have to check to see that it's full.
I have three indoor cats that shed a lot, and two tall cat-condo things with platforms. Anyone with those knows how furry they get. This definitely does the job.
ATTACHMENTS: There are three attachments that don't fit on the machine, so you'll have to keep them somewhere else. The low-reach floor tool is kinda weird, not sure I'll ever use that. The mini-turbine head is cool, and works great on carpeted stairs. Then there's another brush suction thing - another one I probably won't use. The rest of the attachments fit on the machine and work great - crevice, brush, and stair tools.
HOT TIP: Use what they call the Stair Tool on almost anything, with the little attachment put right on the hose. The red lint-brush strips on the bottom are fantastic, and it works great for de-furring cloth covered furniture sooo much better than brushes.
ANOTHER TIP: Sometimes I need to use just the hose with an attachment and clean 'by hand'. The wand needs to be removed to use just the hose. I thought, where am I going to put this wand? Answer: Right back on the machine where it usually goes. I can pull the machine around if I need to and then quickly reassemble it for floor cleaning.
BOTTOM LINE: Since the price just went down some more, if you've been thinking about getting one of these, go ahead because you'll be glad you did. You get the extra year warranty as part of the deal, so why not?
Customer Review: Great Vacuum-One of my best purchases ever
Summary: 5 Stars
After researching the hell out of a number of vacuums, I decided to go with the Dyson DC 17 Animal. I will admit, if I wouldn't have been able to get it on Amazon for $319 I probably wouldn't have purchased it at all. I received the vacuum within a few days of ordering it, even though shipping was estimated to be over a week. (positive)
The vacuum was packaged extremely well. Even though this vacuum was listed as "refurbished" I'd be willing to bet the vacuum couldn't have been used more than half a dozen times prior to being repaired. The appliances were brand new, not even a single scratch on them. Oh yeah, this thing comes with a bunch of tools, I'm pretty sure I won't even be able to use all of them anyway! (positive)
The directions were a little hard to figure out-I'm a man, I don't read directions, therefore I rely heavily on pictures! Maybe that's how they do things in Germany, but here in America it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to figure out how to put a vacuum together. I guess you have to be smarter than the piece of equipment you are trying to assemble. (negative-probably mostly my fault though)
Now about the vacuum's performance.....this vacuum is f'ing awesome! I wish I would have purchased one a long time ago. Prior to this I had a Dirt Devil and never really felt like the carpet was "clean." Different story with this thing! Here's an example for you...I'm a fireman, so I took this thing to the station. After spending numerouse hours vacuuming throughout the course of the day, and filling up the canister 5 times, one of the night shift guys came in and said he noticed somthing was different about the carpet. I hadn't even mentioned anything to him! That's pretty impressive for a guy to notice the carpet being clean! The only real complaint I have is that this thing does not have a light on the front, but then again, it's not like I'm vacuuming in the dark! (positive)
To sum it up, this vacuum is all it is hyped up to be!
Customer Review: The Animal is a BEAST!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this machine! My sister has had 2 Dyson Animals and has sworn by them since her first purchase (she has 2 Dalmatians). I have traditionally been a canister type of person and have used Sears Kenmore canisters since I was a child. Now that my 30 year-old canister started sounding a bit rough, I decided it was time for a new vacuum. With a cat, a dog, an 8 year-old, light-colored carpets, and a man that loves his back yard, I knew I needed a quality vacuum. I've had the Animal DC-17 a little over a week now and just love its performance. The comments about the amount of dirt left from other vacuums were NOT exaggerations! I wasn't ready to really clean my house but wanted to try the machine. So, I did a quickie sweep-through over the high-traffic areas without moving furniture or runners. WOW! I was amazed at the amount of dirt and animal hair that the Dyson picked up since I had just ran the vacuum 2days prior. I did notice a lot less dirt in the chamber after the second use in which I did a more thorough job and moved furniture. Now I'm not sure that the Dyson really picks up more dirt than a bagged unit or if it's just the fact you can see what you've picked up. But the unit maintained suction and filter left the air smelling clean. My son even commented on the fresh air without knowing that it was a by-product of the Dyson system. So now I don't have to buy costly vacuum bags, my carpets look great, and the Dyson leaves those nice vacuum lines that make it look even nicer to the neurotic. I did get the refurbished model with the extended 2-yr warranty. The unit looked like new and performed like the Animal it was hyped-up to be. I think this was a good investment for the money and hopefully my words hold true. Will let you know if anything changes since the unit is only a few weeks old. Will also comment on the warranty company if I ever need to use their service.