Say hello to Dyson’s newest product in their line-up: The Ball.
The major difference between this and older models is a huge, yellow ball positioned in the base of the vacuum. The manner in which Dyson is pushing this huge yellow ball is laughable, and the television commercials are almost insulting. It’s a shame too, because this appears to be a pretty good vacuum.
The Dyson Ball vacuum is almost half the size of the companies previous model, and it weighs less to boot. As well as acting as a pivot-point to help you steer your vacuum, the tonka-yellow ‘ball’ actually contains the motor assembly and in so-doing lowers the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner itself. While this extra maneuverability isn’t exactly ground breaking, it just might be enough reason to upgrade if you own an older Dyson and find it cumbersome and hard to use. The new Dyson Ball Vacuum is also much smaller than their previous models.
These Dyson’s are the biggest piece of @#$^ we have ever bought. They constantly clog up and the plastic pieces break left and right. The slim model is junk and the hand held dies in 4 minutes of cleaning. Who can clean up big messes in 4 minutes? Do yourself, and your pocket book, a favor and buy a Hoover. I am so fed up with this Dyson junk; I think I am going to melt them down.
I just had a go w/ Ganell on the Dyson products chat line, over having gotten back an upright pre-“ball” model I had purchased for my mom a bit over two years ago (at close to $500!). The upright handle release was never working properly, and got to the point you needed two people to get the darn thing to release; one standing on the suction head, and one yanking on the upright handle. Well the last time, the power button was pressed during the struggle, and it sounded like a six-year-old had tried to shift a model A Ford, without any idea how a non-syncromesh transmission worked. Gears for the gear reduction unit that drive, or should I say once drove, the belt drive roller brush now in a small smoldering pile, and the drive belt smoke were like a Hollywood special effects scene. I, being of sound engineering background, started to disassemble the lower unit… What a piece of junk! Ill conceived, ill engineered, ill manufactured, ill quality controlled, as if the entire concept was derived start to finish by some zippy pinhead full blown horror nightmare. Ganell told me to reassemble it, gave me an address of a nearby repair shop, and a repair number to deliver the corpse with (like a toe tag)… He then told me that if the shop thinks my opening up the deceased had caused any further damage, I’d have to foot the bill (like they wouldn’t say that to get paid twice… right!). I texted back, “Bu-bye”. Tomorrow I feel the need for a full autopsy is in order. First, the song of the Sawsall will open the scene, bits and bobs flying in all directions. It will be bloodless, and quick. The next few scenes might need an R rating, oh the horror! The final scene, will be like “The Vikings” with Kirk Douglas. A fiery funeral pyre, so as to never inflict this abomination on mankind again! Then I’ll take the old bagless Dust Devil out from the spare room, which still works quite well, ’til I search out, internet wise, the new, not-so-ill-conceived wonder of tomorrow, probably a Shark, as I hear their a darn good appliance… Ah, that was cathartic… PEACE.
Dyson’s are overpriced and underwhelm. Stay away!!!
We have had the ball Dyson vacuum for three or four years. Nothing has broken on the vacuum and it has not failed on us. It is easy to move around and we are very happy with the way it cleans. I clean it about two times a year. I wish that I had some air to do it, but I take a wet cloth and wipe it down. Many of the parts will come off easy and so they can be washed. I think it is like anything else, you have to use it for what it was intended for. It is running strong for us and we would buy another one.
We have had a Dyson for three years now. It still amazes me. I live in a dry dusty area and the amount of dust it vacuums up from deep in the carpet is a life saver for my allergies.
I have had the Dyson canister vac for three years and love it. I’m a lazy cleaner and use the canister vac to dust and do the floors. For the money, this is the best vacuum cleaner I’ve ever used (and I’ve had some really cheap ones and some really expensive). Dyson doesn’t advertise their canister vac, but they do make one. We have two cats and two dogs which stay indoors; and I have allergies. I haven’t found a surface in my home that the Dyson canister won’t clean. Also easy to clean the interior of the vehicles with it. I tried several of the Dyson models before I chose the canister, including their “ball” model. My advice is to keep the carton and use whatever vac you buy on trial. If it doesn’t do the job you want it to do, take it back. Most stores will take back a vac as long as it’s less than 30 days old.
I’ve had my big Dyson for 10 or so years. Would never buy another brand again, tried them all, Eureka, Phantom, Miele, Shark, even Oreck. I own a B&B. I just bought another Dyson for my housekeeper. Her comment: “Finally one that WORKS.”
Please don’t buy Dyson, they’re junk. Please Mr. Dyson, no more garbage for our planet.
Try to find on older Tristar or a Compact vacuum. You can buy parts anywhere for them.
Dyson is all about marketing hype and sh!tty products.
I gifted four of them last Xmas, since I have had to return all of them for repair – two of them had the plastic at the base break and the other two kept breaking where the handle pulls out of the top.
Dyson says from an engineering prospective nothing is wrong.
I can’t be the only one who has had to send them back more than once. In fact, one of them broke the first time it was used- “RIGHT OUT OF THE FRIGGIN’ BOX”
Dyson said it was due to the unit’s age? They claim the plastic had dry rot, WTF, google DRY ROT – idiots…
It was not even one-year-old from time of manufacturing.
BEWARE DYSON – PLEASE CONTINUE TO POST SO OTHERS DON’T FALL PREY ..
P.S. For all the people who thinks it’s great!
Try using it more than once a month and you will see what people who actually use the POS are talking about. If you only use a vac once a year, it’s probably a great vac.
I’ve owned my Dyson DC07 for about 5 years. The section is great, but the plastic parts started breaking after about two years. Now, I’d have to spend $115 on parts to even make it work. I called Dyson twice and they couldn’t care any less. I won’t ever buy one again and definitely don’t recommend them.
I have used many Dyson’s over the years and would NEVER buy one, here’s why:
First and foremost, a $400+ upright vacuum that doesn’t go flat and doesn’t fit between the legs of most chairs, that’s just ridiculous. Good luck vacuuming under your bed with this vacuum; you will be on your hands and knees with an attachment in hand. They are made of low end ABS plastic while most other high end vacuums use Polyoxymethylene (POM for short, or Delrin, which is DuPont’s trademark); this is why so many people complain about parts breaking off. They clog easy, in the worst possible places where it’s impossible to get to the clog without taking the dam thing apart. Emptying the thing is OK at best, dirt always gets stuck in the parts that hold the canister, and those parts are a pain to clean. Customer support SUCKS to say the least, they will do anything they can to avoid fixing their product, like tell you the warranty is VOID because you used it for a commercial application (and they assume this because?). Dyson is the perfect example of great marketing, they took good technology, put it in a cheaply made and aesthetically appealing product and shoved it down everybody’s throats…. and it worked! Oh and don’t forget, they are made in Malaysia. I own a SEBO, it goes totally flat, I can vacuum under most anything, I rarely move furniture around because it fits under or between most anything and it’s made in Germany, not Malaysia. Not saying get a SEBO, just saying DON’T GET A DYSON!
I ruined three vacuums up until my Dyson. Between the cheap carpet my builder used and my two cats, they burned the motors up. The Dyson Ball DC24 is easy to use, clean, and repair. It’s the best vacuum I’ve ever used.
Dyson is the most expensive piece if junk. The ball technology doesn’t work. It often gets stuck. The vacuum is way to heavy. The ball doesn’t roll well and takes a lot of effort to push. Its really loud. Most of all, it clogs
We have had the smaller “ball” Dyson unit for a couple of years now, and by and large, it has performed very well. The “ball” is no gimmick — it turns with a flick of the wrist and the small model, anyway, fits under, around, and between most obstacles in our smallish 3/2 house. The design of the extender “wand” is the best I’ve seen by a long shot. Just pull the handle straight out of the unit, stretch out the generous collapsible hose, and you’re off. Because the unit is so light, it’s no problem picking it up in one hand to reach ceiling fans and high corners.
Likewise, the “no loss of suction” claim appears true … to a point. The small model has a very low volume dust cup, which collects a LOT of carpet hair, dust, and fiber very quickly — a testament to the unit’s power. But that also means emptying the cup after vacuuming even one good-sized area rug, or one to two rooms. And now, the unit has clogged. I found this site looking for solutions. There’s suction at the nozzle closest to the motor, and it looks like a little tiny tube near the side of the unit is full of hair. Not sure exactly how to clear it out, although I’m sure there’s a way. I’d also agree that, with the exception of the very sturdy “ball,” the grade of plastics used in the unit is not great. Everything has a brittle, ultra-light feel that does not inspire confidence, and even on first use, the “on” button was so wobbly that it can take a few tries to depress it correctly.
Bottom line: This vacuum cleans very well, is easy to use overall, and includes several excellent engineering ideas. But it is in need of better materials and execution, and the price is on the high side. I would recommend the small “Ball” for smallish houses with these caveats.
I have a Dyson ball that I bought about two years ago. $500.00 – it works well when it works – the plastic things are always coming off, and o-ring thing keeps falling out. I have to have my husband ‘operate’ on it every time before I use it. And the tube thingy for suctioning furniture and stairs? Forget it, that part doesn’t work at all.
What do you people that keep breaking them do with them, bang them against a metal door or something? I’ve had my Dyson Animal Ball for 2 years and it is working just fine, with the exception of a clog I can’t find right now (only the second clog since I got it and I have four kids and two dogs). How many vacuums, $500 or less, have a five-year warranty? You guys go ahead and keep buying those Hoovers, Bissells, Eurekas, etc. You’ll figure out what everyone else I know has figured out: you’ll be buying one every year because they break.
I had been contemplating getting a Dyson because the commercial makes it seem like a person should not be living without one, but after reading so many negative reviews I don’t think it’s worth it. Believe it or not, my Hoover (with all of its pieces) has been working perfectly for the past 10+ years with the exception of a couple of broken belts here and there from snagging things like telephone cords. But I am also one of those people who is pretty good at maintaining things. Hell, I still have an old Sony 27″ television in my bedroom (that still works perfectly as well, I might add) that I bought in the early ’90s. I think I’ll just wait until my vac breaks down to the point where it is irreparable and get another Hoover.
You’ll all be pleased to know you’ve stopped one person from buying a Dyson. The marketing really is genius because it almost worked on me!
Thanks so much for the negative reviews. The criticism is consistent enough between the various sites that I think the Dyson is all hype and no substance.
I will look for something European-made because I think their consumers still have standards. Or at least higher ones than North Americans.
I have owned just about every vacuum made, including Kirby, Rainbow, Hoover, Kenmore and many more. If it’s not easy to use, I find no matter how great it is, I won’t use it. Now, my Dyson is easy to use; my house has never been this clean. I have two of them: a canister for deep cleaning and a small ball upright (the DC24) for everyday, which is lightweight and fun to use. The thing I love the most about Dyson is that it never smells; having two dogs, this can be a problem. I’m reading all these negative reviews and I’m kind of shocked because I know a lot of people who own Dysons and they all love them; not like, love. I would never buy any other vacuum again.
All these idiots who spout crap about these vacuums have obviously never owned one. Buy one, try it out and you’ll finally get it.
If not, then just return the thing; why put off buying one just because you read about idiots who like to bash what they can’t afford.
We have had the Dyson Ball For Pets for about two years now. We use it twice a week, due to our one-year-old and having four dogs. Never had a problem at all with it. As long as you clean it the way it is suppose to be cleaned, I can’t imagine everyone having all of these problems. Twice a week, every week for two years – that is 208 times; we do four rooms – two good-size rooms, one average-size room and one small room. No problems at all. Still has great suction. I clean my car with it every two months, plus all of the extra times we use it for messes.
I grew up with an Electrolux canister vacuum and last owned a Rainbow for 15 years, but after it died, I got a Dyson canister. It seems more powerful and I like the whole no more bags or water to change deal. Seems like good ideas involved in the design, but I can not see anyone used to normal canisters being happy with their tools.
The shape of their tools are very impracticable. Changing the design of canister suction units is smart, but redesigning the tools we all have used for 50 years is a bit stupid. I understand needing to make residuals off the sale of replacement parts, but if the parts are so ill-fitted for the jobs, I don’t see people being happy enough with it to buy another Dyson. My suggestion, which I can not find a place at Dyson to make one, is to offer couplings or sleeves of tools or hoses from other manufacturers. Presently, I used a piece of PVC pipe and a dado blade to notch out the pipe and it fits into the locking units of the Dyson hose. With this I can use all my Rainbow tools that I love instead of their poorly designed aberrations. Soon I will play with the use of a collar to connect my old Rainbow hose to the unit, as it should be easy. If you are handy and have some skills, the Dyson can be altered to make a good vacuum. It is sad the engineers didn’t see fit to better design the tools or at least offer conversion units. They could say, “And now we offer choice for those who hate change!” Then again, what do I know?
To restate, good canister vacuum, but bad tools.
I bought a used DC14, and The entire base broke today. Cheap plastic parts! Stay away!
I have had my current Dyson cylinder vacuum cleaner for approximately 10 years, and it has been used almost every day during that time. The motor has finally burnt out, but after the heavy usage this machine has undergone, I’m only surprised it has taken this long! Not a single piece of plastic on the cleaner has broken, and I have never had a problem with clogging, despite having rabbits, a dog, and a child. I am now in the process of buying myself a new model and hope it will do me for the next decade!
Bought one, tried it, sold it again. What a flimsy piece of junk! I bought he DC23 canister and would not recommend it to anyone; save your money. I have a $79 Dirt Devil Upright that does a better job, and we have three cats in the house.
The hose kinks, the canister bottom opens without button being pushed, the cord is way too short, power head is way too big and bulky, the wand is too fat and awkward, and it is hard to pull around.
To those of you that had no parts breakage, consider yourself very lucky. Or maybe you are just not using machine much.
Finally, don’t even get me started on their so-called “customer service”- that’s a joke.
I have a DC25 animal that is two years old. I have never had a vacuum that is so easy to use, and cleans deeper than any vacuum I’ve ever owned– and I’ve owned many. I have a farm, a dog and two indoor/outdoor cats, and we drag in DIRT. My Dyson deep cleans, and because it cleans so well, I don’t have to go over and over and over the same places on the carpet. I can vacuum the whole house in about 20 minutes less than before with better results and best of all, my back doesn’t feel like I’ve just wrestled an alligator! Customer service has been excellent whenever I’ve had a question, and I’ve recommended it to my friends. In fact, I bought mine on the recommendation of a friend. I do wish it would lay flat, but that is a small price to pay for such a good vacuum. I highly recommend this product.
I have had a lot of problems with my Dyson. I took it back to Sears (where I purchased it) and it comes back and worked for a very short while. I think this is one of the most expensive pieces of junk I’ve ever bought. My intentions were – you get what you pay for, right? Don’t fool yourself like I did. This is expensive junk that doesn’t deliver what it promises. The company won’t make it good and neither will Sears, so guess who is stuck with the payments? Don’t waste your money or your time. I intend to put it on Angie’s list as a piece of junk.
I have a DC-25 Animal. This is a $600 vacuum cleaner that acts like a $200 vacuum cleaner. We had a Sears central vac in our previous house. When we moved here, three years ago, the CVS was not working. We found out that the plumbing for the CVS was very badly done and decided to buy a vacuum cleaner rather than fix the central system. Big mistake. While the Dyson does a reasonable job, it does not stack up against the central vacuum. I find the suction to be good, but not great. The extension hose (if you can call it that) is a real pain to work with – it’s not very flexible or forgiving and the whole vacuum unit usually falls over and slides across the floor. The canister is small and hard to clean. The last straw came the other day when the unit would not return to the upright position. This is a problem that occurred with annoying regularity – I tried everything, but it just would not latch up. On the last try, it spit out a plastic piece from somewhere underneath and that was it. The unit will not latch up at all now. We have decided not to fix this boat anchor and install another central vacuum system. In my opinion, this is an overpriced and under-performing vacuum cleaner that is more marketing hype than substance. I will never buy another, and I would not recommend it to anyone.
My Dyson ball vacuum is about two years old. I use it once a week to clean my small apartment. It takes about 15-20 minutes to do the job. I keep the canister and filters cleaned. After two years of use, the motor shuts off after about five minutes. I’ve inspected the hoses and filters and have not found any obstructions. I question the quality after only two years of use with proper maintenance. I thank you in advance if you can shed any light on this problem.
I have had two Dyson vacuum cleaners; a Ball Animal and an older model Animal. The Animal Ball has worked perfectly for my family for the last 3+ years with no loss of suction whatsoever. The ball vacuum is much easier to maneuver than the older model that I currently use. The attachments don’t fall off of their storage places on the vacuum as frequently as on the older model either.
That being said, both of the Animal vacs that I have used have been extremely effective at removing dirt from deep within the carpet. Upon first use, my carpet changed color (about a shade lighter, two shades right along the floorboards) despite having been vacuumed weekly with a Kirby before using the Dyson.
I am certain that there are other vacuum cleaners that can do a comparable job, but expect to pay more as well. I think my dad paid around $350 for his Dyson Ball and I paid around $180 for my refurbished Dyson Animal (older model).
I vacuum 2-3 times a week and have just vacuumed my house (2 BR, 1 LR) and the canister was full after I finished. The amount of dirt in the carpet is shocking! The canister is full nearly every time that I vacuum with chunks of fuzz and dirt, and there is always a huge amount of very fine dirt/dust collected at the bottom of the canister–We aren’t the first users of this carpet and I doubt any of the tenants before us used a Dyson. I am just happy that all of that dirt is out of the house, as I have allergies.
The emptying of the canister can be a bit of a hassle, but I just bang on the side of the canister toward the top to bang any extra dirt loose. Otherwise the plastic canister detaches easily from the top part of the canister unit.
I don’t use the Dyson to clean any of the hard floors in our house, but I use it for the carpeted stairs, upholstered couch and the carpets.
All in all, both of our Dysons have been low-maintenance, easy-to-use and very effective at their job. The plastic doesn’t seem to be the highest grade, but I haven’t experienced any of the problems that others have.
I bought the DC 41 Animal in August of 2012 for $600 and it suddenly won’t stand up on its own. I bought the hype and now regret it. Customer service sent me to a Vac. repair facility that said I would wait three weeks if it needs a part. He said he is very busy, and showed me numerous Dysons waiting for warranty service. The 5-year warranty is a joke. When the hassle of getting it fixed is this great, you don’t want to bother. Piece of crap.
Dysons are cheap plastic vacuums that break easily? That’s news to me. I’ve had my DC07 for 10 years, and I’ve yet to find any flaws or replace anything.
Careless American consumers…that’s all I can say. The same kind of people who’d by an expensive car and claim poor product quality when the engine seizes up because the oil hasn’t been changed for over 35,000 miles are buying Dysons and treating them like trash. It’s no wonder why their warranty claims are exponentially higher here than in any one of their other major markets in the world.
Our Dyson ball no longer stands up. Common problem due to a design flaw/failed part. It broke under warranty and was reported with a work order opened by Dyson. When we tried to take it in just after warranty, Dyson refused to fix it under expired warranty even though it broke and was reported under warranty. Stay away from Dyson. They are dishonest. A $400 vacuum cleaner should have a better design and customer support.
I have a Dyson DC50 and it is the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned.
I purchased this DC 24 Dyson vacuum cleaner two years ago and have had nothing but problems. After three months of use, the brush head went out and they walked me through it over the phone. I had to push the reset button and found out that I have to do this every 2 to 3 weeks or so to reset the brush head. Six months later the brush head would not work at all, even after pushing the reset button, and the unit had to be sent out for maintenance. We got it back three months later, the same thing happened to brush head and it had to be replaced. Yesterday my wife states the brush head will not work anymore even if she hits the reset again like it did when it was fairly new. Today the vacuum is a year and a half old and Dyson will not warranty this unit. I think these brands and specific model are overpriced and would not recommend this to anybody I care about.
I have had an animal cylinder for about eight years, which I only use 2-3 times per month and the hose in the contact head had split. It is definitely a design flaw. I’m not getting anywhere with customer service. I won’t be spending cash fixing it; I’ll be putting it towards buying another brand. Don’t buy a Dyson thinking the high cost means long lasting quality – that is simply not the case.
I have a cleaning service and I’ve used Dysons before, although never owned one. What I would like to know is WHY can’t it vacuum up a toothpick or a small piece of tissue? What’s with that anyhow? I own a 29-year=old Kirby and a Sanitaire, both of which work perfectly, and yet a new Dyson won’t pick up the smallest things. Yes, I have cleaned the entire vacuum and all of it’s filters. Maybe they just bought a bad model!?! I would NEVER waste my money on one.
I too have a cleaning service. We do restoration and cleaning of fine fabric items. We also do carpet cleaning for our clients. I incorporate one 35-year-old Eureka Sanitaire and one 56-year-old Kirby, both of which I got used. The Eureka has been rebuilt four times and the Kirby once. Both are serious commercial machines. If you notice, you will never see a professional cleaner using a Dyson. They don’t hold up well, they don’t clean well, they throw dust all over and they are hard to use. The ball thing is a gimmick. I can turn either one of my two vacuums a shorter radius than Dyson. If either one of my sons purchased a Dyson for their home, I would have to disown them.
We decided to purchase a Dyson DC24 Roller Ball machine because of its lightness and ease of use, and because of my wife’s painful arthritis. This proved to be the case, however after a while the machine became very noisy and finally the brush stopped turning due to the brush drive cog or clutch being excessively worn. The machine was under warranty and was reported to Dyson. They said that they would have to send someone to collect it for repair and that we may be without it for an unknown period. Calamity! It was much more convenient to purchase the Dyson part (cheap and nasty plastic) and fit it ourselves. Problem solved for a while. The machine has again become very, very noisy. Same problem due to cheap and nasty construction and direct drive design; maybe Dyson want their vacuums to break down early? My wife has returned to using our old vacuum. We will certainly think twice about buying Dyson as in this case it seems that they sacrifice all in design for economy.
Ok so the Dyson was a gift; the person gave me their old one as they had bought one with a ball. “It still works great,” says she… well if that’s great, give me a Hoover, Vax or anything else. Yes, it ‘sucks,’ but it doesn’t clean. I have a sheddy dog and everyone said a Dyson is what you need…well, no, it isn’t… back to stiff brushing the stairs.
Thanh’s comment from June 20, 2009 is right, try to find a second-hand Compact or Tri-Star. I worked on vacuum cleaners from 1990-92 and saw the shift from basic design to gadgetry, as well as from metal to plastics, and the trend has been downhill since. The Compact and Tri-Star kept with a simple design that works extremely well – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
I’ve used friends’ Dyson vacs and was thoroughly unimpressed. Construction and quality of plastic are terrible – several of my friends’ vacs stopped working within two years. I’ve seen their bladeless fans and can’t help laughing, especially at $399 a pop. I’ll hand it to Sir James Dyson for knowing how to get over on dupes. THE PRODUCT DESIGN AND COMMERCIALS WITH PSEUDO-SOPHISTICATED BRITISH VOICE-OVER ARE GIMMICKS, PEOPLE! There’s a vibe surrounding Dyson’s product line that you’ll somehow become part of a more intelligent and superior class by spending more on would-be breakthrough products; not so.
I recently found a 1949 Compact Interstate canister vac which had been left to mildew in a basement. The design is so simple that a good cleaning with Simple Green was all that was necessary. The 60+ year old machine was revived and had extraordinary suction; this after 20 years of service through the 1950’s and 60’s. The design is two aluminum/magnesium halves (clamshell design), gasket and motor – that’s it. They look like turtles or piglets, straight out of the streamlined era of American-made goods.
Tri-Star eventually began making vacs with the same design. I have a 1992 machine that will outlast me, even though I’m only 42 – I paid $35 with power nozzle. With proper care, a second-hand Compact/Tri-Star, or almost any model pre-1985 by Hoover or Eureka is a better bet than ANYTHING made post-1990. Too much plastic and complexity in the newer models.
Anyone here who says it cleans deeper than any other vacuum has got to be a Dyson troll – someone who is paid by Dyson to give positive reviews on sites. Cleans deeper? Does that sound like something any regular person would say or an advertisement? I bought a Dyson, used it for a few days and then returned it. It was heavy, clunky, and too bulky to fit under furniture. I wasn’t impressed, the suction wasn’t anything special either. I didn’t like the tools it came with; it wasn’t for me. I found the thing to be over-designed by a man who doesn’t do the cleaning. I find this to be the trendy vacuum for people who don’t have any tight spaces to get into.
‘They don’t hold up well, they don’t clean well, they throw dust all over and they are hard to use. The ball thing is a gimmick.’
Dysons are not commercial vacuum cleaners – they don’t claim to be. Most of the claims Dyson make are semi-true. They seem to be the only company that is doing anything innovative with machines.
Yes, there is the argument that cheaper plastics are used – but that’s the case with all other vacuum cleaners. If you want a proper heavy duty commercial vacuum, it’s unlikely you will find one for the price of a Dyson (new).
I am looking at getting a DC54 – I just don’t understand the whole upright vac thing (any brand) – unless you live in a totally square box barren of furniture they are bound to be awkward.
I had a DC41 snap in half. I broke it down using T9, T10, and T15 driver bits. The only mechanical support for the load bearing handle is 3 inches of thin plastic; one plastic box on the motor housing, and one ring of plastic with a hose through the center. I believe a normally robust section was thinned down to make mechanical clearance for the two ball halves. I looked for replacement parts online; the plastic section can not be bought without also buying the motor, as the motor house assembly is considered all one part. This part costs about 130 USD, the cost of most high end shop 5HP shop vacs. I would be more forgiving if I could buy the plastic housing without spending the throw away cash on the motor as well. I do plan to repair it because of the high initial cost, but in the future I will look at different manufacturers.
My sister is now on her fourth Dyson. They keep breaking. She buys another. Go figure. I often visit her for extended stays and help out around the house with some chores, like vacuuming. For the life of me, I don’t get why she keeps buying Dysons other than she falls for the hype that the price tag must mean it’s the best out there. Every time I use one, I can’t help but think that this machine was designed by someone who just doesn’t vacuum on a regular basis. They are extremely awkward, difficult to figure out how exactly to use the extender hose unless you are over six feet tall. It’s a horrible vacuum. For the love of God, please do not buy this vacuum. I never comment on web sites. But I just finished vacuuming again – some purple ball model this time – and had to shout to the web world: don’t spend money on these awful vacuums!
I bought a dyson upright in March of this year. I have been miserable ever since. I have to vacuum twice… first with the upright part, then I have to go back and fight with the wand part to get into corners, furniture and every place else the cumbersome upright part can’t get too. I am sooooooo disappointed with this machine. IT IS AWFUL… I find myself sweeping the floors because the thought of fighting that awful machine makes me sick. DON’T BUY A DYSON VACUUM!!!!!
I’ve had my older version Dyson for 8 years. I had an issue with a part and Dyson sent it for free no questions asked. The vacuum is still going strong. I think it’s a DC18 animal. I could be wrong about the model though. It’s not a ball.
My parents bought a ball, and the thing is awful. It’s cheap plastic parts flop all over the place. The plastic covers fall off, and the brush wears out quickly.
I thought my wife was crazy for spending $500 on our Dyson. That was a good purchase. My parent’s $250 ball, on the other hand, is a piece of garbage. Too bad. Dyson had a good product. They must have watered them down to hit a price point.
When my husband passed away, and I had to chose the new vacuum by myself. I purchased a Dyson DC41 Animal Complete with All-the-Fixin’s. I have several animals, so I thought this vacuum, called an “Animal” would have been designed to handle things, like hair, more efficiently.
My husband had a lot to say about our appliances, because our roles were reversed. I worked, and since he couldn’t, he took care of the house. (I always knew how very fortunate I was to be married to a man who not only was a great cook, but also was a very capable house-husband!) During our 32 years together, we had purchased just about one of every brand: Eureka, Hoover, Kirby, Rainbow, Tri-Star. Unfortunately, we were never really happy with any of the machines. The Rainbow came closest, but I’d forget to dump the water, and…ohhhh WHAT a smell!
Not long after I got my pretty purple Dyson, I got a new husband too. He offered to help with the cleaning and snatched up my purple pride & joy. Next thing I knew, I no longer the heard machine from the other room, but many loud, and angry words and some odd banging sounds instead. Immediately, I went to investigate.
There, in the middle of the room was my new husband going at it with the Dyson. (If the bout was being scored, he would have won by knockout.) I feared for my Dyson and offered to “tag in.” Tom was so frustrated, and angry, that I don’t think he heard me. I watched in horror as the Dyson took a horrible beating. I considered my recent choices, and decided that perhaps I had made an error.
Tom is not much like my first husband; he refuses to assist with any of the housework now. I have managed to get my Dyson operational again, but am afraid to use it. Like any newlyweds, we have had some moments, but are nearing our first anniversary. Nevertheless, it was not until I read all of these posts that I knew, with certainty, which choice was the mistake. Hint: It was not getting married to the man who takes me out to dinner!
I’ve had my Dyson for years now; never had problems with it. No broken off parts; always keeps sucking like it should. I don’t understand all these people complaining about it. In fact, there’s so many negative reviews here, it makes me wonder if you can trust anything on the internet nowadays. I know there’s people that are paid to either say good or bad things about certain products for the manufacturers themselves, or their competition, but the comments in this thread are ridiculous to the point that it becomes harder and harder to believe neither the good nor the bad reviewers since there are so many shills on both sides. Disgusting…
I can only say this: try one. Or ask people you know in real life that have one what they think of it. One way or the other, you’ll be better off than putting your trust in these reviews/comments, be they positive or negative.
PS: I’ve got the Dyson DC20.
PPS: I wouldn’t want to trade mine in for this ‘ball’ model. It may be even more compact, but I don’t like the design. Doesn’t look like it is very handy for cleaning anything above floor level or between tight spaces or under certain furniture. But maybe that’s because I’m missing something.
I was amazed reading through the negative comments on here that I felt I had to say something.
I inherited my mums Dyson DC07 in 2005, but I originally bought it for her in 2002 and had been using it to clean her flat on a regular basis for those three years.
It’s now 2014 the DC07 is still going strong and apart from the red catcher strips on the stair tool coming off, replacing a filter and having to change the belt a few times, I haven’t had to replace anything. I use it every other day to clean the cats room and his bedding, my workroom, our bedroom, the bathroom, the stairs and hall, then I empty it, give it a shake and put it away. Once in a while I give it a more thorough clean and brush down, but that is it.
I am a soft sculpture artist so I work with fur fabrics, fillers and wool fibres, have waist length hair and a cat that sheds fur everywhere, all of which often spell disaster for vacuums, but the Dyson easily copes with all of that.
We also have a Kirby that hubby still uses to clean the living room, the down stairs hall and the kitchen, but it’s really heavy and I can’t lift that any more so the Dyson, being much lighter, has been a godsend.
Ok, perhaps it doesn’t quite have the concentrated beating power of the Kirby, but the Dyson still picks up everything we throw at it and it does a decent job around the house, far better than the countless Hoovers we went through before getting either of these, which isn’t bad when you consider the Dyson was only £159 while the Kirby cost us over a £1000 and costs far more to repair, especially given we have had to replace more of the Kirby parts over the years as it’s frightening how much they cost – they wanted £149 to replace a 50p bearing the last time they came to service the Kirby!
Even up against the Kirby, my Dyson does a grand job, how many other vacuums can say that. So as I said at the outset, I really cannot understand the negativity about these cleaners.
We’ve had a number of cheap vacuums, but my wife decided to splurge & buy a Dyson DC25 ball vac. It was very expensive. It worked ok for a while, but it has been a real pain since maybe six months after we bought it, and now, only a couple of years old, it is just about useless. Dyson may not make a good vacuum, but they do make convincing commercials. My advice is to look elsewhere. Either buy a quality competitor or a series of cheap ones. At least you won’t feel like you’ve been ripped off by some British guy who’s sold you a pig in a poke…
Dyson Cleaners are a product that used to be OK (never great), but are now just cheap rubbish. I’ve got a DC08 Origin that has worked borderline-acceptably since new (2004-ish). Given that it was a Malaysian-manufactured machine, the plastics have actually held up well, and the motor took 10 years to die (brushes fine, but bearing failed). I took the opportunity to completely disassemble the machine, including the radix assembly. From an engineering perspective, there are some really sloppy bits of design in the unit. It’s sole purpose is to be cheap to manufacture — performance is a secondary consideration. Dyson is all about industrial design (what it looks like), rather than engineering design (making it actually work). Anyway, I put it back together and it is still a borderline-acceptable vacuum cleaner, exactly as it has always been (albeit the slightly more powerful 1600W motor helps). Now, you will read lots of comments from people who have had older machines, such as mine, saying how durable they are. Here is the rub, the old ones were pretty tough (although maybe not $600 tough), the new ones simply aren’t. The plastics on the new machines are laughably flimsy and brittle, and if 50% of reviews are commenting on bits breaking off, then it is probably an indicator that quality has dropped a long way. A new motor was cheap, so mine was worth keeping going (and it was fun to pull apart), but I wouldn’t have another one in a million years. Dyson will either have to lift its game or slowly die, I suspect. A company can only live on past reputation for a while (especially when the reputation was fabricated through marketing)…
Summary: Buy something else. Or if you really want one, buy a dirt-cheap old DC08 on eBay and clean it/replace the motor. People throw them away all the time, but the early ones are very easy to fix following instructions on YouTube.
I bought the Dyson DC41 hoping for the last word in vacuum cleaners and an end to wasteful disposable bags. Dreadful decision and very expensive mistake. Bulky, heavy, noisy, hard to maneuver, fiddly bits, requires dismantling and cleaning every use – sometimes twice in one tour of the house; thoroughly impractical unless you really enjoy taking household appliances apart as well as doing the housework. NEVER AGAIN!
We have owned the Dyson DC07 Animal for 10 years with nary a problem until about a month ago. It has maneuvered well, has been easy to use, easy to clean, and has held up under the rigors of four girls with long hair, a dog and a cat! Prior to our Dyson, we owned two different Hoovers over the course of about 4-5 years and neither one had long-standing suction. We finally decided to invest in the Dyson and will never go back! We recently purchased the Dyson Ball DC65 Animal because we noticed that the old one was beginning to lose some of it’s suction after 10 years of hard work. The other issue that occurred just recently was that the latch holding the canister closed was no longer functioning, therefore, requiring us to hold the bottom of it when we took the canister off of the vacuum as not to dump dirt and hair all over the floor. Slightly inconvenient, but not a deal breaker until we weren’t getting the suction we were accustomed to, which led to purchasing the new one. We have no reason to believe this new Dyson Ball will perform any differently than the DC07.
Dyson vacuum cleaners are total pieces of garbage and that’s being unbelievably kind. I’m on my fourth one and thank God warranties replaces all these pieces of crap. I have used them extremely lightly because I know that they are absolute pieces of utter junk. Do not buy one at any price whatsoever. Even if you pay $1 you will have to go through the pain of returning it within about 1 month. Utter garbage!!
P.S. These vacuums are absolute total junk. Even though they have given me 4 new ones after unbelievably light usage, I will absolutely turn the next replacement down (which should be due any day now) and spend my money on a vacuum cleaner that actually works for more than a few weeks. I honestly don’t care about the money any more as I don’t even want another of these total pieces of crap in my house ever again!! There honestly should be a Class Action Suit or an Investigation by The Better Business Bureau.
Dyson is a scam and not worth the high price point. I have had my dc41 animal for 4 years. The first year everything was great. After that, one thing after another breaks and it constantly clogs up. The pieces that broke off are around $150 to replace and are not covered on the warranty. Save your money and don’t buy these over priced pieces of crap.
I’ve been around a lot of Dyson’s because every gullible lady in my family has fallen for the hype and spent the big bucks to buy one, and I’ve used them when I visit. I’m here to claim that they are the biggest pieces of cumbersome junk of a vacuum that I have ever experienced. Test drive a Miele if you really want a good vacuum. Dyson’s are a joke. They don’t last and they are a pain in the ass to manipulate, plus they look hideous and take up a lot of room in your house. Just say no to anything Dyson. Overpriced pieces of junk that break. The first thing to go is that it won’t stand up on it’s own.
I have a Dyson DC41. It came with a 5 year warranty; I still have 2 years left on the warranty. I have the little red PLASTIC piece on the canister replaced at least 3 times. It keeps breaking when the cleaner is picked up by the handle on the canister (which is where one is suppose to pick it up). Dyson now says they will not replace the canister and little red piece again even though I still have 2 years left on the warranty. SO WHAT GOOD IS THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY if the plastic pieces break? The plastic pieces are just not strong enough to be able to pick up the heavy cleaner. I am in my 60’s and am certainly not hard on a cleaner. They need to use better materials and stand behind their warranties, otherwise, don’t make the claim about the warranties.
I had a Dyson vacuum — I thought it was terrible. My housekeepers would bring their own vacuum cleaner (a low cost no name model) to our house because they didn’t like to use the Dyson and didn’t think it pulled dirt up as well. They ought to know, all they do is vacuum peoples homes all day…
My conclusion is that Dyson is a phenomena of an incredibly slick marketing campaign that has convinced the public it is innovative when in reality it’s just nicely shaped plastic that doesn’t work well, breaks frequently and is just plain overpriced. Being an engineer, I find many of their “technology” claims to be mumbo-jumbo terms just to make the public feel there is some deep level of technology in the product that just isn’t real.
Let me start by saying – this vacuum cleaner is awful and certainly not worth the price. I have the DC41 Animal, and the same part on the cleaning head keeps breaking over and over. The sol wheel and sol axle are cheaply made. At first I could deal with it because the combined cost for those two parts was about $7.
Here’s where it gets bad. They don’t make those parts anymore, so every time I have to replace them (which is every few months), I have to buy the entire brush assembly which costs about $54 – 60 . And… they did not change the design of the assembly!
I’ve been to review sites, and evidently this is a major problem. The next helpful thing I can tell you is that a vacuum parts place “expert” told me that Dyson parts are not made well and things do tend to break.
If anyone one wants a Dyson DC41 Animal, with a $7 missing part for $25 plus shipping, it’s yours. Just contact this site and I’ll keep checking.
I have used the Dyson dc 41 animal vacum, which does a very good job at picking up dog hair from carpets. My dislikes about it are that the cable is so short and a grey cable is so hard to see if hoovering during a dark Irish winter. Unlike the older DC 09 which had loads of space for a lot of dirt and was a cinch to empty, if the animal bucket was a few inches wider, it would hold a decent amount of dog hair. Worst of all, it is so fiddley and a nightmare to empty, which is a problem here in Ireland where it rains so much. Forget the space looks and concentrate on making it more user friendly. What about providing wider buckets for those who have long-haired dogs and don’t like having to empty the bucket every five minutes.
Junk, as are all Dyson products. Great marketing, but overpriced, cheaply made tat aimed at people who like the look of it rather than how it works.
I concur that Dyson is overpriced piece of junk, especially for those that use it regularly. Cheap plastic construction; have to force the upright to stay up, and the battery powered unit runs less than 5 minutes (with suspect suction) – also had to get switch parts from Dyson under warranty and constantly clean the battery terminals. Was a fool, got two – wife bought into the Dyson hype. I’d love to shove both of them up Dyson’s (if a real person) you-know-what.
DC50 sucks or doesn’t; that’s the problem. It’s overpriced. Sold by people who don’t know (Dyson, if you care, choose your sales people more carefully).
Rang support and they said the DC50 had about half the suction of the big ball; our house is 120sqm with predominantly hard floors and this vacuum is inadequate.
Dust capacity: poor. Rating 1 star.
Suction: poor. Rating 1 star.
Help line: poor (read: argumentative). Rating 1 star.
Blockage resistance: poor. Rating 1 star.
My wife uses this vacuum, not me. I just try and get it working and now I need to buy a new one.
We owned one previously and it was ok, but as with most things, these companies seem to get too clever to sell more.
Rating 1 star.
The Dyson DC24 upright is just under the five year warranty, and the brush handle stopped spinning, and now the hose has split open…by the time you buy the replacement parts, you have put in almost half the price of buying a new vacuum. Also noticed the engine does not sound as strong, which is another reason I am not going to invest in the parts…who would build a vacuum with such cheap plastic parts…noticed their hand dryers are no longer around in public places anymore either. Not worth the high price especially since we have a 60 + year old electrolux that still works like a charm…as it has metal parts. Tired of the throw away into a land fill mentality of manufactures…make better longer lasting products!
I am having the worst time using the stiff retractable hose and wand for the ceiling; it wants to jump back into the holder and when I pull it out it goes right back in, only about 8 inches will stay out and it’s impossible to use; it has no flexibility at all. It also makes the vacume tip over. What am I doing wrong? This can’t be right, the vacume is also heavy to maneuver, bottom heavy, but not heavy enought to not fall over when you try to use the wand. I really don’t think this design is any good. I need my daughter to hold the hose out when I clean the couch.
I expected much, but the Dyson ball came short! Heavy junk, and the plastic ball has weak linking parts. I had a Hoover that lasted me years, and I got rid of it thinking Dyson is cutting edge. Even I fell for its slick marketing, and I am the cautious one. Mine fell apart in less than two years.
I just bought a new vacuum, and safe to say, it is not Dyson. The new one is light, and it picks up dust easily, and it has easy maneuverability. Let me see how this one performs before I freely give it publicity it may or may not deserve. But someone has to call out Dyson that pretends it is a scientific revolution, while it simply is a heavy, inefficient behemoth with contrasting flimsy plastic parts. A bunch of Dyson Ball-oney!