Dyson DC07 Animal: The Purple Dirt Eater
Written: Feb 08 '09
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Pros: Great suction, bagless
Cons: Heavy, expen$ive
The Bottom Line: Good vacuum but a bit over-priced and over-hyped.
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| clooneyfan's Full Review: Dyson DC07 Allergy Blue/Turquoise Bagless Upright ... |
Our Hoover was 20 years old. It still worked but barely. Technology has advanced so much over the years that I convinced my husband to check out a model that might be more efficient.
I was fascinated with the bagless vacuums. I was tired of running out of bags and then having to go to the store only to find they were sold out of our brand.
At the time, the Dyson commercials were running on TV hot and heavy. I was sold by the "It won't lose suction, ever" tag line. I must admit, I also liked the cool purple color. I know, I know..... color is a dumb reason to buy a vacuum. Fortunately, hubby was with me to check out the specs and make sure I wasn’t buying a pig in a poke. We were initially hesitant due to the exorbitant price and the cheap plastic shell. However, I've got allergies and figured it'd be worth it if it lived up to the claim.
I’m happy to report that we’ve had the Dyson Animal for several years now. It really excels in sucking up the massive amounts of cat hair my two fur kids produce.
The biggest asset about the Dyson is their see-through, bagless dirt canister. It’s designed to be held over a trash can. You simply pull the release lever and the bottom opens up. All the dirt tumbles out and you can close the bottom up. I use my tall kitchen trash can and stick the canister way down in it. That way I have little problems with the dirt escaping. The canister is large enough that I can typically vacuum my entire 1,200 sq foot town house before having to empty it. I love not worrying about a bag. It’s also gratifying to see how much dirt gets sucked up into the canister. (Yes, I know I have no life.)
The Dyson has a 17 foot telescoping hose for vacuuming the stairs and other high places. It’s long enough to reach all of the 12 steps in my townhouse. The only complaint I have is that I sometimes pinch myself when retracting the hose.
It has a motorized brush bar that does a very good job of whisking the dirt out of the carpets. It’s so powerful that I can’t vacuum our throw rugs or floor mats with it. It eats them up and makes a terrible racket that will stop your heart. Ditto if you accidently suck up a penny or a shoe string.
The biggest drawback to this vacuum is its 20 lb weight. Having to drag it up and down 3 flights of stairs in my townhouse is no treat. Also, one day I accidently hit the wand release button while carrying it up the steps. I still had the handle but the rest of the vacuum had disengaged and went tumbling down the steps into a wall. Amazingly, it didn’t break but that incident made me a little wary about how I carry it.
The Dyson has both a carpet and bare floor switch. Although it does an impressive job on carpeting, I wasn’t overly impressed with the results on my kitchen tile or hardwood floor. Like many vacuums, dirt tends to scatter on a bare floor.
It has a long (35 foot) power cord, which is both a pro and a con. I love that it reaches just about anywhere but it frequently gets tangled up. It seems to take forever to rewind so I wish they would make one that was retractable.
This unit came with a low reach floor tool, an animal turbo tool and a carpet care kit. I occasionally use the animal turbo tool on the steps and I am amazed at how well it cleans them. The only thing I can honestly say I have never used is the carpet care kit. Powdered items make my chest tight so I don’t particularly care to put any on my carpeting. I'd rather get out my steam cleaner and clean my carpet properly if they are that dirty. I think the carpet care kit is a waste.
I've enjoyed having the Dyson all these years. Overall, it has worked well. However it is heavy and expensive. I can't help but think there are cheaper units out there that can also do a good job.
• Specifications:
Dirt Capacity - .89 Gallons
Cord - 37 ft.
Motor - 12 Amp, 270 Air Watts
Weight - 19 lbs.
Dimensions - H 46 1/8" x W 14 1/16" x D 13"
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 450
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Epinions.com ID:
clooneyfan
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Location: Baltimore, MD
Reviews written: 206
Trusted by: 169 members
About Me:
I've worked in health care all my life.
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