jaxsun's Full Review: Dyson DC17 Animal Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum
Dyson Animal DC17
Background We moved from a house with a built in Nutone Central Vac System. My wife didn't want another Central Vac primarily because you have to drag out a 25 foot hose to do any vacuum job, big or little. In looking for a new vacuum and from all the hype, we jumped on buying the DC17 without hesitation or looking at the competition for that matter. Big mistake in our particular situation primarily because our new house has almost all wood or tile floors. So I'm trying to alert you to some potential downsides to buying this vacuum so you can avoid my mistake and make a better buying decision.
The Good: Not to repeat the hype but it doesn't lose suction. The key to this is that the air flow through the Dyson is not restricted by going through the debris that's vacuumed as the case with bagged vacs. The debris is spun to the outside or bottom of the bin. This also helps to provide a cleaner smell and not have the stale vacuum cleaner air that a lot of vacs have. (That was a great advantage with the built in vac in our last house.) The biggest selling point to me on the Dyson was someone told me when they got their Dyson, they vacuumed with their old vac first and then re-vacuumed with the Dyson and according to them, they pulled up a bin full of dust. This would be a great test if you can borrow a Dyson before buying. Here are some of it's good points: •· Great suction •· Picks up pet hair •· Clean smell - well filtered •· No bags to buy •· Easy clean bin - clear debris bin let's you see what you're picking up and how full it is. •· Washable - permanent HEPA filter (nothing more to buy/replace)
The Bad: I hope I don't sound too negative but again I'm trying point out some facts and information that should be considered.
The first clue should have been that the sales person couldn't figure out how to remove the hose to connect the attachments. Once you know the trick, it's pretty simple though.
The first discovery in using the Dyson was that it's single speed. Pedal to the metal if you will. You can't adjust the suction for more delicate things like throw rugs or drapes. And unless you're in the upright, locked position, the beater bar comes on when you turn on the vac so it starts whacking away at whatever surface you're on at the time.
Carpet type should also be a consideration. The only carpet we have is in a spare bedroom upstairs and the carpet is a low pile Berber (builder's grade). The second time we used the Dyson on this carpet, the beater bar grabbed a loop and pulled up a two foot runner in the carpet ($75 repair job). The carpet man said to not use a beater bar on this type carpet - Duh!
Next problem: try pushing the Dyson across carpet without the beater bar. It's a struggle to say the least. If the store where you shop has a carpeted area, try pushing the vac over it even without power to get an idea. With or without the beater bar, the Dyson is a bit unwieldy and it's too big to get under most furniture. So now you have to pull out the assortment of attachments.
The only other carpet we have is on our stairs. The DC17 has a neat little beater bar attachment just made for stairs. So you pull out the expansion hose and hook up the attachment. First thing you notice is the hose is pretty taut and as you stretch it out, the DC17 tries to follow you. The hose isn't long enough to get all the way up the stairs so you have to do it from both the top and bottom. The DC17 is not a lightweight vacuum either which you particularly notice when carrying it up and down stairs. Oh, and you remember my saying the Dyson tries to follow you when you stretch out the hose? Keep that in mind when you start vacuuming from the top of the stairs down! Boom boom! And not to beat a dead horse, but again, you need to consider the type of carpet when considering the mini beater bar. Ours is another low pile type carpet. But since this mini beater bar works off the vacuum suction and not electrical power, I suspect it will not rotate well on thicker carpet or shag.
The debris bin is easy to remove and you can hold it over the trash can or a garbage bag, push the release button on top and the bottom lid opens to dump the debris. That works pretty well but often stuff is trapped and you have to dig it out by hand or tool. So much for all the allergy protection the DC17 provides since you're now breathing in all the debris you've just dumped.
It has a long power cord - 35' which is nice for getting around larger areas without having to shut down and move to another electrical outlet. You'll discover how long the cord is when you have to hand wind it back on the vac's handle. And then smile as it falls off when you move it to the storage closet and you get to do it again.
The Ugly: OK, vacuum cleaners aren't sports cars so they don't really have to look good. In fact, I don't really mind the looks of the DC17. I'm actually intrigued with the clear cyclone debris bin and all its chambers. Some parts of the vac seem well constructed. The bin assembly snaps in and out with a crisp click and feels solid and well done. The HEPA filter chamber under the filter seemed more fragile as does the flip lid affair that you open to pull out the hose assembly. I was also surprised that the attachments are just pressure fit connection to the extension hose - no mechanical locking mechanism. The power cord holding tabs are weak and ineffective at holding the cord in place.
What's Included: The DC17 comes with a host of attachments. Quite frankly, I studied the documentation at length and initially couldn't figure out what most of them were for other than the obvious ones. I had to go to an advertising brochure to get a better idea of their purpose. You get the standard crevice tool, dusting brush, upholstery tool, a hard surface floor tool and the mini turbine beater bar and another square brush. In addition you get a bag of carpet powder for sprinkling in the carpet prior to vacuuming and a can of liquid carpet spot-cleaner.
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