We have the purple one and we too love it. With two dogs in house who shed, no other vacuum touched the power of this one. When I vacuum our hardwood floors, my husband asks every time if I had mopped! It looks that good!! I don't use all the attachments that come with it but even without them, it works wonders and will suck your curtains right off the rod if you aren't careful.... emptying the thing is the BEST!!

After many years earning a living as a former door-to-door vacumme salesperson as well as a former vacumme and appliance repair center manager, I speak from experience.
Any type of vac with "cyclonic" type action always picks up pet hair (and other fine particles) very well...IF you keep the bag and/or filters clean. If the filters are clogged or the bag is too full, the air flow is constricted and the machine will preform as designed to work. As a ex recent repair center manager, we saw very few Dysons come in for repair. What few Dysons I saw come in our center were for routine maintence check-ups or because of what I refer to as "accidential abuse" or "accidential neglect." Such as, an accidentially crushed hose, or because an exterior plastic part had cracked usually due to being used too frequently. (IE. Being used for commercial purposes instead of used in one home as designed for.) If you are using an vacumme for your home-based cleaning buisness, purchase a vac specially designed for commercial use. By the way...Dysons ARE designed for everyday use in a single family dwelling.
As for my personal oppinion...You can't beat the power of a canister vacumme... unless it is a DYSON!

I have 3 dogs and 1 long hair cat. I purchased the yellow model at Wal-Mart and LOVE it. It's easy to carry up the stairs and easy to empty the canister.

Since really crappy vacuums run at least $100, it didn't seem like a stretch to pay $400 for a really good one.

jerri

I've had the yellow Dyson for a year and half and it still works as well as the day I got it. I have 2 dogs, 2 cats and the pet hair is no match for the dyson's power. I wipe out the inside from time to time and I think I've cleaned the little filter thing like once. My husband sometimes runs it over his pool table to get up the dust, and the pool table looks brand new afterwards. I have hardwoods, tile and area carpets, and the Dyson can handle all of it. The hose is easy to manuvere, long, and is perfect for drapes and furniture. I swear by this vacuum. It has cut my vacuuming time in half!

I bought a refurbished Dyson yellow vacuum on Amazon, and it works like new. I have had it about 8 months, and it does wonders at picking up cat hair, my hair, dust, pretty much anything! I don't know if it is the Dyson, but I am allergic to cats, I have had very little problems with allergies since getting the Dyson.

The Dyson Ball is easier to push then the other two models. Dyson calls it the DC15.

I have had allergies for years mainly due to pets. We have a very OLD carpet in this house and my husband does not want new carpeting because we still have a dog (he is old) - my daughter, son-in-law, and 2 cats just moved out. I have recently been diagonised with asthma and my husband is starting to get allergies. Our dog sheds tremendously (he is an American Eskimio) - he will be with us not more than another year. Is it worth me getting a dyson. Vac repair shops say - no get a sebo or bosch (but that is $900). They said hoovers are difficult because of cahnging the floor setting you have to bend the vac back and bend over sideways to move the switch (which is hard to move) - not my thing. I have plates in my neck and disk degeneration. So, how many people still like the dyson?

Didn't want to pay for a Dyson, I bought the Hoover Fusion Vac at WalMart for $128 last year. It works great, doesn't clog, so far I'm happy with this purchase. Lynn

Whatever you do, don't purchase the Hoover Fusion if you have allergies or asthma. The filtration is terrible and there is no HEPA filter on the vacuum. The Dyson's have true HEPA filtration.

Bought one, tried it, cleaned it and took it back. We have 2 furkids (golden retrievers)and the Dyson just didn't cut it. Literally. We had such a layer of dog hair around the beater bar. It took longer to clean that than it did to vacuum.
I hope your experience is better than mine.
If you don't use a Dyson, what do you use for pet hair?

Regards,
Dave

2 cats, 2 dogs and allergies. My purple dyson handles it all. Best vacum I've ever owned, easy to use, very, very easy to empty the canister, and maintaining it is also very simple. I usually clean the brush every couple of months because of string and my long hair that can get wrapped up on it. It's very simple, I just take a pair of siccors and cut it away. I've had many vacuums, and if this machine dies today I will spend $500.00 and buy another one tomorrow. It's just worth it.

I absolutely LOVE my dyson. I have the yellow one. I have a german shepherd who constantly sheds, a cat and two boys who can bring in quite a bit of dirt. I used to have an Oreck. When I brought home the dyson and vacuumed my recently vacuumed rugs (vacuumed with the oreck) I couldn't believe how much dirt they picked up which the Oreck wasn't picking up. It was shocking. One of the reasons that a vacuum shop OR vacuum repair shop will not recommend a dyson is that they make a lot of their money selling vacuum bags. They'd lose a lot of business if everyone got a dyson.

I always wondered about those expensive Dyson vacuum cleaners. I have two of the $70 Dirt Devil bagless vacuums, one for upstairs and one for down stairs. Had them for about two years so far. I also have a dog (shephard mix) that is always shedding. The DD does a great job of picking up the dog hair and whatever else is on the floor. I have a canister full of hair to dump out every time I vacuum. So what does those big expensive one do that mine doesn't? Just wondering.

Does the filter on the Dyson have to be cleaned regularly? I spend a lot of time with my currentbagless washing the filter after each session.

I'm not sure how the Dyson would compare with your canister - I've never had a canister. But the thing that was surprising to me was how much DIRT it picked up. I mean brown flour-like dirt or dust or a mix of both. Like a bowlful from each rug! It made me feel like I was a horrible housekeeper, but I had been using my Oreck regularly. It's suction power was definitely much better than my Oreck. I think they recommend that you clean the filter quarterly. It never clogs. It is expensive, but to me it is worth it, just knowing how much dirt is no longer sitting in the bottom of my rugs!

The beauty of the Dyson is that it actually spins out the majority of fine debris in the high speed cyclones it produces. As a result, the motor prefilter only requires cleaning about every six months. That's right, you can get up to six months before it requires cleaning. Try this with any other dry bagless vacuum on the market! You're lucky if you can get one use before they start clogging.

Dyson's are the best dry bagless design available today.

FYI....the Dyson website is offering a FREE car cleaning kit with the purchase of any new vacuum. This car cleaning kit is bascially what makes the purple animal vacuum different from the yellow. It offers the mini-turbo brush, along with the other accessories. It is an $85 value, and you get it for FREE. Just go to the Dyson site to redeem it.

So, you see...you can save some cash here by buying the YELLOW, but you are really getting the PURPLE, by getting all the FREEEEE attachments!!

You are welcome!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Dyson FREE car cleaning kit. (Pet hair brush, etc...)

One of the oldest vacuum gimmicks around is to have a person use their vacuum to clean a rug, then take another one (usually the one they're trying to sell you) and go over the same area to see what it picks up that the other left behind..
It works both ways, though, vacuum first with the fancy vac, then go over the area with your old vac and you'll find stuff in it the fancy vac left behind, every time.
Dysons are ok vacs, too plasticky for the money, and most importantly they are NOT the best vacs out there for cleaning carpets, but if it works for you that's all that matters really.

I have owned the original yellow Dyson for about 3 years. I demoed many brands in my home before buying it. The Oreck at almost 2 times the cost performed no better than many $50 vacuums. I also own a self propelled Hoover wind tunnel, Hoover bagless, Hoover Fusion and Rainbow. The Dyson is as good as any on the market in my opinion. The Fusion cleans as good but is too much trouble to empty and clean. The bagless Hoovers with the pleated filters are the worst I have ever used. The filter and screen become so clogged it is almost impossible to clean them. Dyson filter only requires washing about every 6 months. This vacuum is almost maintenance free.
As for the plastic. It is a high quality plastic. Most all of today's vacuums have a lot of plastic.
Dysons are not usually sold or serviced by local vacuum shops so do not expect them to have good things to say about them.

Yes I have the DC Animal and I love mine.. but my question is can you clean the inside part of the cyclone mine is purple as with the yellow ? I just cleaned the filter as required every 6 months, but the cyclone is still very dusty inside. The clear plastic dirt bin rinses well.

I have 5 cats and the dyson is amazing! All the different color dysons are really the same machine - only the attachments are different,

I just bought a Dyson DC-14 and I love the thing.

I thought it was hard to choose through all the various models out there. They come in 3 main colors, and then have variations on that...mainly due to the accessories they come with and the store they were purchased at. I did a bunch of research and go over all the models, prices, colors and where you can purchase them. It seems like every major retailer has their own version... from Target making one for the Car to Best Buy making one in the store colors.

I do not have a pet, but I could imagine the beater brush getting full/knotted quite easily, but it is easy to cut the hair/fur off and move on.

Here is a link that might be useful: Types of Dyson DC-14 Vacuums

So what does those big expensive one do that mine doesn't? Just wondering.

I've had a purple one for 18 months. What attracted me to it was the idea of no bag and no filter to replace. Have you priced filters? How many of your filters does it take to get you up to $500 price of the Dyson? I just cleaned my foam prefilter for the first time this past weekend. We are remodeling and have had sheetrock dust in the house for a year, so it was dirty, but I didn't notice any change in suction before or after cleaning it.

I am continually amazed at several things. We have 3 cats and a dog. With previous vacuums, when I vacuumed I could smell the pets. With the Dyson you don't smell anything. That filter even filters out odors?? The second thing is the pet hair attachment. It is a small beater brush. Our cats like to sleep on a black velour chair cushion. One pass with the pet attachment and all the hair was gone. Another thing is that I know the trick about passing one vacuum after the next and collecting more dust. But with this one, if you sweep, dump the dustbin, and sweep again, you don't get any more dirt. And the last thing that amazes me is how small the particles of dust are it pulls in. It's like talc.

We have carpet, hardwood, and tile floors. I never change anything and roll from one to the other. I dump the contents of the dust bin once a week, which makes me wonder how much dirt I was collecting in the Hoover bag?

I also cleaned the guts of the machine using my kitchen sprayer. I probably should have taken it outside and used a little more force from the pistol grip hose nozzle, but you live and learn.

There is no need to buy the purple one. Get the yellow and then order the apppropriate accessories that the animal has. Same thing.

All the filters on the dyson are cleaned by the person who owns the vac. They don't require any replacement. So the vac "repair" shops are full of it. Plus, as far as I know, they all sell vacs as well.

It is a very good, but very heavy machine. It is not for the person who cleans for a lving. It is too heavy.

I've had the yellow one for about 3 years and it still works great. Not one problem.

if this is still open, I can't argue with the shop owners/repair persons/people in the know about other types of vacs, because I don't know too much about those other things. What I do know is that I got the dc14 the summer before last, and I have ALWAYS had allergies every spring like clockwork, mostly the dust and the pollen together that get me.

Fluffed or not, some of the nastiest crud came out of my carpets/furniture/miniblinds--it had WEIGHT to it when I emptied it out into the bags... and there was nothing spilled. I used it regularly and then, last spring no allergy issues.

No flonase, no itchy eyes, no allergy attacks. NONE.

It might not be the absolute best out there based on everyones opinion, but it DEFINITELY works. I would highly recommend it, and if it breaks... it was well worth it and I'm saving up for another one.

I've seen that vacuum shop owner's message before. Looks like sour grapes to me.

The Dyson at this point has an average life of three years. The belt will break or the bearings in the brushroll will seize (due to hair being caught in the roller) after about two years of use. The repair bill on either part is over $100.

He makes it sound like the loss of a belt is a total loss of the machine.

Another thing that is mentioned in earlier posts is the amount of dirt that these vacuums catch in the dust cup. A bagless vacuum is a gimmick. It fluffs the dust, similar to a cotton candy machine, to make a small amount of dust, dirt, and carpet fuzz look like a larger amount. A bagged vacuum with the new style hepa bags will hold about 30 times more dirt than a bagless vacuum's dust cup. This is because it compresses the dirt, rather than filling it with air. People who purchase bagless vacuums, most notably the Dyson, are impressed with the amount of dirt they are seeming to get out of their carpet the first time they use it, when in actuality it can be less than their old vacuum got up, but it looks more impressive.

I wish that guy hadn't been so wordy. I agree the bagless fluffs up the dust. I don't see where that's a problem.

A company representative from Hoover once told me that their company knows that bagless vacuums blow out dust and don't deep clean, but it is "what the consumer wants". It looks nice on the shelf." Bagless vacuums also blow out dust. Once a Dyson is used for a few months, the seals that hold the dust in start to break, and dust leaks from the cracks and crevices in the vacuum. Bagless vacuums are very bad for people with allergies, asthma, and respiratory problems because it puts fine dust particles into the indoor environment which can cause pulmonary irritation.

If there was dust leaking anywhere, it would leave streaks of dust at the leak. I don't see any on mine. Anyone see any on theirs?

Another claim that Dyson makes, their vacuums do not lose suction. Well that is great, but suction is not what moves dirt. It is AIR FLOW. Dyson's claim about suction is true, but it doesn't matter how much sealed suction a vacuum has, it is the amount of air flow that determines how well a vacuum can deep clean. Dysons DO lose air flow. A new Dyson will pull a 5 on an air flow meter, but a used Dyson (less than 3 months old), will only pull a 2 1/2 on an air flow meter.

Is this relevant? If mine is pulling a 2.5 on the flow meter after a couple years, it's still pulling a heck of a lot more than any other vacuum I've ever had.

What is the point of vacuuming if you are not deep cleaning, holding in the small particles of dust (down to 0.3 microns), last a long period of time, and be convenient to use??

That's my question, too.

I'm sure the Thermomax is a great vacuum. So is the Dyson.

Someone else said..."There is no need to buy the purple one. Get the yellow and then order the apppropriate accessories that the animal has. Same thing."

With all the attachments and extras that come inside the box with the purple one, the cost of the yellow plus attachments/extras is about $30 more than the purple one. Shop around.

I have had the Animal for 3 years now and not one single problem. The amount of animal hair and dust it sucks up never ceases to amaze me!

It's a little clunky at times but I will take that because of it's great performance getting my rugs clean.

I must be a freak - I have a red one.

Three years later it still draws air so hard I have to have someone stand on the other end of a runner ( no wimpy thing either - wool and 8ft long) as it will pull it right off the floor.

The machine snaps apart - if you need something you can "fix" it yourself. This is one reason repair shops hate these machines. I have had to make sure that the beater bar is free and can rotate as I have long hair and no matter what kind of machine I have had - that still needs to be done.

I have three small short haired dogs - no problem cleaning up after them. You'd never know I had them.

When a package of Hoover bags costs $10 - and I was changing them bi weekly the cost of the Dyson was cheap in comparison.

I just came across this thread. My yellow Dyson is AT LEAST 3 years old, I got it ages ago as a refurbished model from Amazon. Paid about $200. Before that I would go through a vacuum a year, paying about $120 for each of them. This thing has saved me money and I have a cleaner house with less agravation (OMG - cleaning those Eureka filters - what a waste of time!). I hate vacuuming but have a shed-o-matic doggy and 2 boys, this thing rocks!

This message is in response to saxman_04 comments and I would like like to ask the person's opinion. I have a Hoover Wind Tunnel that I have had for several years and it finally started to die. I recently purchased a Thermax AF2 and I am trying it out right now. I do agree with the allergy portion of the machine. I can actually vacuum without my nose and sinuses burning. I do have long haired chihuahua's which shed alot of hair and boy does it pick it up. It is a machine that takes some getting used to if your used to an upright. It does take some extra time cleaning the unit after you vacuum, but it's not too bad. I also purchased the Mini Max and love the way it helps my house smell wonderful. Compared to all the air fresheners and plug in units, it makes my house smell great and probably saves money for the long haul bacause those plug in units do not even last a month and are quite expensive after awhile. Not to mention the Mini Max helps clean the dust out of the air at the same time. I just wanted to know your take on the Thermax AF2 versus the AF1.

Love my Dysons. I actually have two (one red, one purple). The only time the filter has needed washing was when I vacuumed a bunch of construction (drywall) dust with it instead of using the shopvac, and then I just rinsed out the filter and we were as good as new. I dropped one stair tool and broke it, but no biggie, I can just use the brush tool. Every so often I clean the roller brush. Not too hard. Yes, the Dyson is heavy, but for the clean, it's worth it. I have no hesitation in recommending it. I bought both times off ebay, too - a bit cheaper than the stores.

I just bought a Dyson DC-15 Ball - All Floors and I
LOVE IT!!!

The first area I vacuumed was my family room. I was both amazed and grossed out to find out just how much my other vacuum had missed. I actually emptied the canister 3 times!

Emptying the dirt is a dream. It has a max level line to show you when it needs to be emptied. The canister pops out so easily and with a press of a button, the bottom drops down and all the dirt comes out. I usually empty the dirt into one of the plastic bags I get from the grocery store. Tie the bag into a knot and you're done. No mess --couldn't be easier.

How does the ball compare to the wheeled version? The ball is so easy to maneuver that the first time I used it I kept calling my husband over to show him all the tight turns I could make. Now, with a flick of the wrist, I can get the vacuum to almost turn on a dime. I'm only 5'2" and if I say this is easy, it really is. With my other vacuum, I would have to go back and forth to get into the right position. Now, I'm just there. Wow, how easy can it get?

The model I got has a slimmer front so it gets under furniture easy. I like that too.

The cleaning tools come out easy and I love the fact that when you use them, the vacuum doesn't fall over or worse, on top of you. Can't tell you how many times my other vacuum fell on me.

As far as maintenance goes, I will really take care of this little beauty. Dyson's now come with a 5 year warrantee so I'm feeling good about that.

On a final note. While I was trying to talk myself into buying this vacuum, I found out that lots of my family and friends own one all of them loved theirs. That really made me feel confident about buying mine.

My husband was still hesitant about spending so much money for a Dyson but after seeing what this vacuum does, he said that it was worth every cent.

I picked mine up at Linen's 'n Things with a 20% off coupon. Was $499.99 so I paid $400 plus tax.

I have the Dyson Yellow Ball, I got mine in 2005, it has the best suction of any vacuum I have ever had, and it is a synch to manuver because of the ball. I hate emptying any vacuum, and the Dyson is no exception. Changing bags on my Ricard, Kenmore and Panasonic were all the same, and only used a bag till about half full, as I would hate the loss of suction, all those bags added $$$$ up. When I had my Kirby I totally hated the bag, it was cloth and you had to scrap it out, it was really nasty. Although I paid a lot of money for it back in the early 80s I got rid of it a few years later, even though it had better suction.

My mother had the oldest style Thermax; I remember it as a young girl, I think this is why to this day I still love the smell of eucalypts, as you could put a fragrant ball in the receiving container and it made the room smell nice. Yet to empty the vacuum was pains if not worst then dry vacuums. You have all this dirty water, and we ended up with problems within the drains from all the hair etc that was being flushed down them, which then caused the change that you had to empty the dirty water container outside. We would throw the muck out in the garden, yet on rainy, snowy or really cold days we would leave the muck in the vacuum only to find it drying out in the container, and then it was hard to clean out later. The second thing that the water vacuum was not great for, was moving it to other floors of the home. We had to empty the vacuum before we climbed stairs, and then the awkward walk with the dirty water back up or down the stairs to empty the contents outside. Once my mom splashed dirty water on the stairs, and almost slipped on it to fall down the rest of the stairs. Otherwise this vacuum was good, but within a few years my Mom switched to a Eureka because she hated the immediate messy clean ups after doing the chore of vacuuming the house. She liked it that you could leave the mess in the bag and change it a few times when needed.

Yea every vacuum has the messy emptying chore. Yet with the Dyson I find it takes a while before you have to as the suction is ongoing, yet when you do I have found it to be the easiest. On bad days when I canÂt go outside, I get a huge clear leaf bag and put the dust container completely in it and close the bag around its belly, and then I hit the release button that drops the bottom door. After removing the half of container I then twist tie all the vacuum debris to the very bottom of that bag, can reuse the same leaf bag many times before throwing it away. On a good day, I go outside and let the debris go by the garden, in the spring the birds love it to make nests. I have used a small shop vac with hose to occasionally vacuum up inside the dirt container, as a maintenance preventative. I have a lot of cat hair, woolen rug fibers and very long hair strands, which has caused other vacuums to lose suction, or break beater brush belts. (LOL, thereÂs a real tongue twister say that three times.)

The Dyson so far is my favourite vacuum. I have been in two car accidents, and have a bad back because of a birth defect; although any vacuuming is a real chore at times for me, I find it is still possible for me to do with the Dyson ball. The only negative thing about the Dyson; although the hose was made long enough to reach to the top of a second story flight of stairs, it isnÂt easy to do, you feel like you are having a tug of war with the hose, and for me that is scary as I do feel like I could fall backwards. Plus the Dyson ball is not good to carry up each step as you vacuum either. So I had to go and purchase a small portable vacuum to do the stairs, as they were getting neglected.

I spent alot of time looking at the Dyson recently. I went to Sears and they made it sound ( as many here have) like the best thing since sliced bread. I also went to several vacuum shops, including one that sells the Dyson. I asked the sales person to show me a Dyson, and he obliged. I then asked him to give me his honest opinion of the machine and was told that it was one of the poorest carpet cleaners in their store, citing lack of air flow and good agitation. And as far as not losing suction, he showed me with a suction gauge that vacuums dont lose suction, they lose air flow. He did this by measuring the water lift on a Central vacuum that was on display. It measured 140 on the gauge. Then stuck a cap on the end of the suction inlet with a pinhole in the end. The gauge still measured 140. I also found that the dyson hose and attachments arent what I would call user friendly, awkward actually. And they are engineered with built in removable elbows that help you unclog the machine should it become clogged. Some models have a clutch that involves 2 belts and if not a warranty job can cost up to $75.00 parts and labor. This same shop changes my belt free of charge if I purchase the belt from them at $1.99. While I was there, they showed me 6 Dysons that were owned by a national Pizza chain, they were less than 4 months old and the repair bill for the 6 machines was in the $350 dollar range. They made the mistake of buying household machines that arent covered for commercial use. They also showed me 2 DC15 "The Ball" models that were in because of bad rollers. Hair had gotten into the end and melted the roller and ruined the endcap. ( brushes are wear items and not covered under the warranty)
I did find the Dyson to be good at cleaning tile or bare floors but it was pretty obvious to me that it is a poor carpet cleaner, which is my main concern with a vacuum as I have an old Filter Queen that I use for my attachment duties. I did this research after hearing from 2 good friends wives, how great their Dyson is.
I smile every time I vacuum with my $135.00 vac (Eureka 2094 sold at Sams Club)that will clean circles around the Dyson on carpet, period. My investment will be with me long after many of your Dysons are in the landfill.

LOL I found this website after searching Miele 4840 reviews. Now I am typing about vacuums.

Duajones,

There is no way I would use my Dyson constantly within a commercial place, and you might be right that your vacuum will out last other peoples' Dyson.

I have kept my other upright vacuum the Ricard for everyone else to use, as I don't want them to do something that will break it. Yes I hate the way the hose and attachments pull out of the Dyson too, yet I like the way the air flow comes out of the top handle, and I use my Ricard hose on top, it fits the Dyson attachments too. Now it is so easy to go from upright to attachments.

My Dyson has a beater brush button, so at a quick touch I can stop my beater brush or put it back on. I have broken belts with my other vacuums, but so far because of the on/off button for the beater brush it has really been handy.

My daughters and I have long hair, and it has tangled many other vacuum beater brushes before, so I know that you have to check it occassionally and cut and pull the stuff from around it. So every type of beater brush gets tangled with stuff.

Maybe the Dyson isn't for everyone, but I love what I call the suction, although you were told it is air flow. What ever you want to call it, it is the best of any vacuum I have owned and I have had 6 other makes. I really wish I got it with a 20% coupon off $499 from Linen and Things like the other who posted here, but I didn't. I do think mine was a bit pricy, but my husband drove me across the boarder from Canada to the States, as we didn't have the Dyson in 2005, and since 2001 I was wanting one I didn't want to drive home without one. LOL

(Yes the con I agree with - some design improvments with the upright hose is needed.)

Actually, I think that works with just about any vacuum. If you vacuum with your old vacuum after your new one, it will probably still pick up stuff. Most people move way too fast to do a really thorough job. I've seen posts on this forum about this too. Someone here (don't remember who) posted about pulling out their old vacuum and going over the rug that (I believe) a Kirby? Salesperson had just vacuumed to show what a bad job their vacuum did. They still picked stuff up with the old vac. I tried to find the post, but when I searched, none of the old links were working.

this thread is worthless without pics

pedobear approves this thread

heres a good video comparing the dyson to a oreck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU

I just purchased a Dyson DC-17 Animal. I was reluctant and kept telling myself that NO vacume is worth the $ that dyson is asking, but after going through a kenmore, a hoover and lastly a dirt devil in the past four years, I finally caved in. I'm glad I did. I have three dogs and two cats - lots of pet hair, and the vacume really does pick up much better than any other vacume. The only thing I don't like about it is the pet attachment (mini-turbine head) doesn't really fit properly onto the hose - it fits, but you have to be careful in that when you are using it the hose can easily disconnect (it isn't designed to clip on to this particular vacume hose, which doesn't make sense to me at all). I think the part is interchangable with another model that it was probably originally designed for, because the turbine head attachment has a clip on it, but there's NOTHING on the DC-17 animal that it can clip on to. Otherwise, I love it. It is a little bulky and on the heavy side, but the hose extends pretty far which is a nice change from the piece of garbage hoover that I had that fell on top of me every time I had to use the hose (and I used to be a big hoover fan until my most recent one that broke down just a few months after the warranty expired). Is it just me, or don't you remember your Mom having vacumes and appliances that lasted for years at a time? They just don't make products like they used to, unfortunately.

I think in most places the Dysons are sold for $599 - and I've had people tell me that they are never on sale - not true - I shopped around and actually found it on sale at Sears for $469 - not a bad deal at all, so I caved in. Kohls was the most expensive when I price searched.

I'm comfortable with the 5 year warranty as opposed to hoover's and kenmore's 1 year warranty (which in both cases they broke down just after the warranty was up). Bissell vacumes now have a 5 year warranty, but they probably realize they are now competing with the dyson market and didn't have a choice.

Buying a Dyson is well worth the $, in my opinion, especially if you have a lot of animal hair. It really does pick up hair well - you have to empty the cartridge out more often, but it's easy enough to do.

Love it, and it cost me a lot more than what I wanted to pay, but I think it's well worth the $$.

Thought I would post a recent finding on the Dyson Hepa filter for the DC07 models. I have 2 friends that own this model, one yellow and one purple animal. I changed out the Hepa filter for one friend a while back and other than one being clean and the other dirt, no difference in the filters. My other friend asked me if I could change the one in theirs and I agreed to once they purchased a new filter. Once I removed the old filter and went to put the new one in, I noticed that the new filter didnt have a gasket around the bottom of it like the old one and previous ones did. I also noticed that the filter cover had cracks in it where it attaches which I now believe was caused by pressure because of the dirty filter. I may be wrong but it appears that Dyson has discovered that there is a problem with both airflow and probably broken filter covers caused by the sealed filter. By eliminating the gasket there is less pressure and increased airflow. Does that mean that it is no longer true Hepa? I think so

The filter may be a hepa but with 5 plus seals and a dust bin spewing dust through your house, it was never a truly effective hepa system. You need a vacuum that has a "SEALED HEPA SYSTEM" to get the full benefit of a hepa filter.

The other evening I saw the Shopping Channel here in Canada was having an hour of selling the Dyson canister vac so I had to watch, being the vintage vac collector I am LOL. I was especially waiting for when the demonstrator showed how to empty it. She, the demonstrator had just vacuumed the demo strip laden with white cat fur and you could see it all whirling around inside the canister.
So she removes the dust bin from the machine all the while saying how easy it is and you just hold it over a garbage can and shake it out. Well as she shook out all that cat hair you could see some of falling back into the air and onto the floor. Quite a few clumps were sticking/static clinging to the metal "screen thing" inside the dust bin and so she said you also have to "give it a little tap on the sides of the garbage can" And so she tapped but stuff was still clinging. Thinking quickly and probably not wanting to show having to put her hand in and grab the stuff off she said "I'll leave some in there so people can see it" or something to that affect.

I've had my Dyson Animal model (the purple one) for about 4 years now and I love it. You cannot beat the mini turbo tool it comes with for cleaning pet hair off of the upholstery. We have two light haired cats that LOVE to shed and lie on my dark micro-suede, chenille sofas and chairs and this tool cleans all the fur off of them in no time. I use this vac on my carpet, hardwoods, area rugs and tile and have never had any problems. We also have a lot of litter dust from the litter box and so once in a blue moon I'll take the dirt cup outside and tap it on the concrete to expel all of the dust that collects in that tube or my hubby will blow it all out with his air compressor. The filters are a breeze to clean too, just rinse them under cold water and let them dry. I just can't say enough about this vac.

Carpets can look pretty clean, but once Dyson-ized it's hard to believe what's in that bin. It makes you vacuum even more often, because you start thinking, "I know that rug looks clean, but my daughter sleeps in here..." Carpets require a ton of upkeep, or they are unhealthy. Don't wear your shoes inside. Feel like a jerk telling people to take them off? Me too, so some places in the house we allow it. But mostly I ask right inside the front door.

We have 2 Dysons, a DC17 Absolute ("All Floors") and a lightweight. The DC17 has 7 royal blue cyclones and 2 wheels. My DC17 is an amazing piece of equipment and I love it. So don't take these comments as bashing. I highly recommend the product.

Some things to know about Dyson -
**They have different models in USA and UK, with the US models sporting stiffer bristles that were developed especially for carpeting sold here.

**Count the "cyclones" on your Dyson. These are the molded, hemispheric cones encircling the top of the waste bin. The best Dysons have 7. (Unless they make even more now.) The cheaper ones have 5. It makes a difference, not only with how well it cleans, but also on WHAT you can clean. Fewer cyclones are not good with very fine powdery dirt, except in small amounts.

**I'm not a big fan of the ball. The lightweight upright has a mini-ball. It doesn't stand on its own so well for storage anymore, and the ball, when you are maneuvering, is not always best, I find.

**If your Dyson doesn't have the telescoping wand, you are missing one of the coolest features ever. It puts anything within easy reach. Stinkbugs, bees - not just walls and drapes. I use my DC17 as a "canister" at least as much, maybe more, than a traditional vacuum. The "low reach floor tool", another must have, combined with the wand, makes this vacuum a true convertible, and it follows you around as you clean non-fixed items like area rugs that are too much of a hassle to try to vacuum with the tornado-like suction of the main powerhead. A very fast and convenient method to have as an alternative to regular upright use, especially in the kitchen, under the table, etc.

**You may notice an annoying trait of the Dyson - sometimes it pushes dirt along the floor instead of picking it up. I imagine the latest "air muscle" models are even worse, as this new feature ensures an even greater seal between the vacuum and the floor. And this relates to your "so much dust in the bin" comment - Dyson's are great for picking up dust, allergens, dander. They don't do so well with bigger stuff that doesn't easily squish under the powerhead. You're better off making a quick sweep (or pickup) of big debris first, then vacuuming.

**Emptying them. Ha! Don't fall for the images of the nicely dressed woman or man sticking the bin well inside the garbage can, pulling the trigger, and walking away clean. Yes, you can do this, but if that's all you ever do, you will soon notice that more and more nastiness remains stuck up inside. To really maintain the suction and capacity of the bin, you have to release the clear bin from the top cyclones, and brush the top clean. Do this OUTSIDE. It's GROSS. Dust flies EVERYWHERE. I wear an N95 mask religiously, but If I'm caught without one, I hold my breath. If it's a windy day, GOOD. At least you can choose a direction and get the dirt to blow away from you. This is such a dirty, dusty, nasty job that you wouldn't want to do it in a really nice outfit. A vacuum with a bag (which I would never go back to) is so much more convenient to empty. Once in a great while I either use compressed air to clean it (horrible!) or I run water thru it. Either way, it's like I'm Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs. I have a woodstove that dries anything near it, so I don't worry about getting the water out.

**The HEPA. Dysons have a washable lifetime high efficiency particulate airfilter in their final stage. You are supposed to wash it out once every 6 months. God forbid you decide to do this when the weather is overcast and damp. Since you are specifically warned to NOT use a direct heat source to dry it, most of us would place it in the sun or a warm, dry area. It takes days and days to dry without nice, radiant gentle heat! I can dry it in 3 or 4 hours on the mantle above the wood heater. 12 hours outside, in the summer.

**Eee gadz, the PRICE!! I almost forgot. I got mine from a floor display at Bed Bath & Beyond for almost $200 less than what they were selling for in other stores, and I used a 30% off coupon too. It cost something like $330 tax incl., and I was elated because the thing sold for $500 or more everywhere else before tax. Yikes! Not for the faint of heart!!

I'm sure there's more. Sometimes you have to take apart the powerhead and clean the brush roller. (You don't have to. The Dyson UK Bobbies won't come to fine you. I'm just fastidious this way.) Disassembly and re-assembly is a breeze. Wonderful. Cutting the stubborn strands of extra-thick USA carpet out of it is tough, though.

One year for Christmas my MIL gave me a Hoover Windtunnel, which never worked well, it had carpy suction. Hated it, finally threw it away and fully intended to buy a Dyson, but the appliance salesman talked me into a Bissel upright instead.It kept breaking, I was paying to get it fixed over and over, it went the same way as the Hoover. Third, my daughter gave me her Eureka Boss, which works "fairly" well. I noted Consumer Reports magazine was not impressed with any Dyson. Howver, I take that magazine with a grain of salt. I no longer subscribe, I read it for free at my local library. If I get $700 together, I would like to go back to an Electrolux canister, which I owned many years ago and really loved. It got lost when we moved. I think Electrolux has chanmged its name to something like "Aerus."

I have the orange?yellow?I call it Mike...Didnt you ever hear of Mike Dyson?I find it big clumbsy but it does clean well.

The HEPA. Dysons have a washable lifetime high efficiency particulate airfilter in their final stage. You are supposed to wash it out once every 6 months. God forbid you decide to do this when the weather is overcast and damp. Since you are specifically warned to NOT use a direct heat source to dry it, most of us would place it in the sun or a warm, dry area. It takes days and days to dry without nice, radiant gentle heat! I can dry it in 3 or 4 hours on the mantle above the wood heater. 12 hours outside, in the summer.

Maybe you are not squeezing the water out of the filter before you set it somewhere to dry? I just squeeze it in my hand. I have never had a Dyson filter not dry overnight in the house just sitting on a counter top. No special heat needed.

decent machine but not worth the money. need parts? good luck with that one......i have had mine less than 2 years. have had to order replacement parts 3 times once on their on their web site. twice by phone to insure i got the right part....got the wrong part sent all 3 times which cost me extra shipping charges every time as they claim it was my fault. customer service people are horrible. rude, never let you get a word in.

sorry but i will never buy one again and highly advise you find a different machine to buy to redude your stress level

Hi Can anyone help. I have an upright proline vacuum cleaner model UVC8. The flap door or trap door which you open to empty the dust tank has broken, so that Inow cannot use it. Do you know anyone who has one that they would sell to me for the spare part? I have contacted many spare parts companies without success. I went back to Comet where I bought it to be told there are no spare parts for this cleaner. Many thanks Pamela.

Pamela;

You are probably going to be out of luck, unless you can find a used one(for parts) at your local charity shop. What you have is a very cheap Chinese-made upright, which is branded under different names. In the USA, we had it under the Euro Pro Shark.

In your country,you can find the same vacuum cleaner under the Dirt Devil name(see link below), as the DUC023. Your Dirt Devil brand is not the same company as our Dirt Devil/Royal/Hoover/Regina brand.

What I would suggest to you is to go to your local vacuum repair shop, who repairs Dirt Devil and ask them to order the part. You should bring the vacuum with you and give them the model number I gave you. I would not call Dirt Devil UK and tell them you need a part for your Proline, because they will tell you that "we make our own vacuum cleaners and do not make them for Proline" or something like that. Like I said before, this is a Chinese-made vacuum, which is made for different companies.

If you cannot find a part, what you will need to do is "bandaid" the vacuum. I do not know how "broken" your dirt bin door is, but it might be saved if the door is intact. If the latch holding or securing the door does not work, you can find strong tape and tape the door shut. You will no longer be able to use this door to dispose of your dirt. When emptying the canister, you will have to twist the top of the dirt bin assembly, lift up the cyclone assembly and dump the container(similar to dumping a drinking pitcher; dirt empties from top). That should keep your vacuum useable, for the time being.

Hope this helps and let me know how things go for you.