Dyson or Other Vacuum?

Updated on February 21, 2008
N.K. asks from Dallas, TX
50 answers

Our vacuum needs to be fixed and seems to me it doesn't suction as well as it used to. So, I might be in the market for new one. Does anyone have any opinions on the Dyson vacuums? I have two, big hairy dogs that live in the house and a 3 year old that I am constantly cleaning up after. I need one that is really good and super powerful suction-wise. I would be willing to spend more money on a Dyson but I've heard mixed reviews. Can anyone comment on the Dyson or another one (maybe less expensive) that works great?

Thanks!

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C.A.

answers from Dallas on

Definitely get the Dyson. I suggest the DC-17. The only difference in colors (not model numbers) is the tools that come with it. All colors of the SAME model number are the same machine. HEre's a link to where you can find great deals on the dyson. Happy cleaning!!!
http://kitchendailydeal.blogspot.com/2006/10/new-ultra-dy...

Cind

1 mom found this helpful

T.M.

answers from College Station on

I clean houses on the side and one of the ladies that clean house for just bought a Dyson. I absolutely love it! I hope to be able to get me one soon.

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J.R.

answers from Dallas on

I have a Dyson and 2 dogs and swear by my Dyson. I had really bad allergies one year and I got a Dyson and it helped SOOOOO much!!!!! I have had it for 3 years and love it.

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S.V.

answers from Dallas on

Dyson is the only vacuum I will ever use. I bought a Dyson Animal mine in 2004 when I had 5 adults, 7 kids, 4 dogs and 3 cats living in a 1400 sq foot home. If you clean the filters twice a year and the roller once a month and it will still be like new. Here it is 4 years later and I wouldn't trade mine for anything in the world for it still works like new.

Good luck on your decision.

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E.T.

answers from Dallas on

I have the consumer report on vacuums if you want me to send it to you. You'll find that there are other vacuums that do much better than the Dyson. There's column on the report that even talks about dog hair. I have a 10 year old Lab, so picking up dog hair was important to me too. :)

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S.G.

answers from San Antonio on

i got a dyson-yellow one, last xmas. i too have a dog that sheds a ton! i LOVE it! don't bother getting the animal one. it's $100 extra for one extra attachment-for upholstry. i bought mine by cacshing in credit ccard points to bed, bath and beyond. i chose there b/c you can also use the 20% off coupon! i paid @ $90 out of pocket.

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J.B.

answers from Dallas on

I have 3 Dysons and they are AWESOME!!!!! The best vaccuum ever!

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L.M.

answers from Waco on

OMG! I just had to send you a note. I just bought a Rainbow Vacuum system. I love this thing. It is expensive but absolutely worth it. They take payments. Just have the guy come in & demo. Have him show you the funk in your bed. Sold! It is also an air cleaner w/ a lifetime warranty. If I wasn't so busy I would sell them myself. Good luck. L.

A.S.

answers from San Antonio on

Personally I wouldn't spend so much on a Dyson. I bought an $80 vaccuum 8 years ago and if I ever need another one, I wouldn't spend that much because you can probably go through a handful of vaccuums in your lifetime and still not spend as much as you did on a Dyson.

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D.W.

answers from Corpus Christi on

NONONONONO! The BEST MOST AWESOME VACCUUM EVER IS A KENMORE HANDI MATE WITH INTELLICLEAN. We bought it from Sears and it is really great and got way better reviews than a Dyson. It is an awesome vaccuum!! It cleans so good. It has an intelliclean feature on it that will tell you when your floor is clean. It is so awesome please at least check it out.

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T.G.

answers from Dallas on

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Dyson Animal. My neighbor took care of our dogs while we were on vacation and she used it and commented on what a great job it did. I think it is well worth the money.

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W.P.

answers from Houston on

Dear N.:
Before you buy anything, you should check the filters/bags etc. I would also recommend detaching the roll that picks up the dust - long hair can wrap around it and slow it down. Most importantly, unbend a wire hanger and make sure the hose is not stuck on the inside. Sometimes a bigger object gets tangled and the little stuff gets stuck in it. If you can stretch the hose straight, you should be able to see through it. Finally, check the rubber belt to be sure the roll is spinning freely. Those are cheap, but if they become loose they don't turn the roll efficiently and some dust does not come off the carpet as it should.

I have an older bagless vac (don't even know the brand), and as long as I maintain it every now and then, it is as good as new. I prefer bagless for cost reasons AND easy of emptying. I actually do it more often than when I had a bag vac, because it is so easy.

BTW, take the whole thing apart over a carpet. It will make a mess, but when you are done, you can - of course - vacuum it up easily, and the dust is only on the surface then.

Regards,
W.

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B.C.

answers from Wichita Falls on

Another vote for Dyson! I tried many other less expensive and moderately expensive vacuums before I got my Dyson. I have the Animal that is for pet hair (we have 2 long haired dogs), and I LOVE IT! I will never have another vacuum! It is worth every penny, and then some. My favorite part is that it even leaves "vacuum marks" on my rugs - something that other vacuums never did before, meaning they just weren't suctioning hard enough on the short nap of the rugs. It is insane how much stuff the Dyson picks up - I love the instant gratification of seeing it whirl around in the see-through container! Again, worth EVERY PENNY - especially if you have inside pets!!!

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S.H.

answers from Beaumont on

Dyson! I have the purple one (I believe that's the animal one) and I loooooove it!! Go to Sears or Conn's or something and they will let you try them out on their rugs. I loved that it has such great suction and doesn't weigh a 1000 pounds.

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L.A.

answers from Austin on

Hi N.,

My husband and I purchased a Dyson vacuum last year. I was a little hesitant to spend so much on a vacuum, but it has been money well spent. My understanding, from a friend who used to work for Dyson, is that the suction isn't the most powerful, but it is the longest lasting. Many other vacuums start out strong then gradually lose their suction power. The Dyson's suction stays constant, it never loses it's suction power.

Hope this helps.

I'm a mom of two girls, 7yrs & 3yrs, and two house dogs.

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A.S.

answers from Corpus Christi on

I recently walked into a vacuum cleaner sales/repair store to have the belt replaced on my 1996 model vacuum. I saw the Dyson on display and asked the salesman about it. He said, "I don't know why you would want that one when you've got the best one that we sell." I told him, "Oh, you're just saying that." He said no, really, I had the best one they sell. Mine is a Riccar and it has worked great since I got it. I loaned it to a lady to clean our hunting camp. She must really be rough on things...it came back squeaking, so I took it in. It was the belt. That's the only thing I've done for it in 11 years, so I guess I got my money's worth. As for bag or bagless....I like the bag. I think emptying the cylinder would be messy! Good luck with your decision!

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M.P.

answers from Dallas on

We LOVE our Dyson "Animal" Ball. We have three kids (3,2,and 4 months) and two big dogs, so believe me...we've put it to the test. This particular model is made for pet hair, and the ball allows you to reach in those hard to get spots. I would higly recommend it. Buy it on Amazon and you'll save some money. It should be free shipping, but if not I would also suggest looking into Amazon Prime which costs money for the year, but will be cheaper than paying shipping on such a large item! It was hard for me to cough up the money (I'm pretty frugal!), but it is SO worth it. You can't smell any pet hair odor in the house at all...and the telescoping handle makes it so easy to get the creases between the carpet and wall. (Something I used to ignore!) It is also very easy to take apart and clean...piece by piece. Best part is, my husband loves it too which means I do less vaccuuming! hahaha.

Good luck! I hope you get it!
:)

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A.D.

answers from Dallas on

I don't have a dyson but I have a bagless and I wish it would DIE so taht I can buy a NEW vacuum that HAS a bag. I absolutely HATE having to empty the canister. It's disgusting and messy.... I have 2 kids and 3 dogs -- one that sheds HORRIBLY (the dog, not the kid) ;) the vacuum I have does a fine job (It's a Hoover Windtunnel... it works fantastically)... I just wish I had one that was a little easier to change... and to do my stairs -- this is quite heavy and cumbersome to move between floors -- if you have a 2 story, that's something you should think about.

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J.H.

answers from Abilene on

You can't go wrong with a Dyson. I have one (the animal, I think) and absolutely love it. I have three large dogs who shed a lot and am pregnant with twins and I got this so when the babies come I can lay down on the floor with them and not be covered in hair. You will be amazed at the dirt it will pull out of your carpet. I would highly recommend it. I hope this helps.

J. H.

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J.J.

answers from Dallas on

I have the Dyson "Animal" and love it. However, my housekeeper prefers my older vaccuum which is a Miele canister. The Dyson seems to do far better on carpet (especially at getting dog hair), but the Miele seems better on the tile and hardwoods. Miele has a new one available now that is designed specifically for animal hair, so if I were looking for a new one, I would look into that. Warning though, they are even more expensive than the Dyson unless you can find a really good deal somewhere.

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L.M.

answers from Houston on

I have a Dyson and LOVE it!! I have 2 dogs, one which sheds. Also have 2 kids. I find that the Dyson does the best job when compared to others I have owned. Mine is the purple dyson. The attachments work great, especially on stairs!! Great suction power and it works great on hardwood and tile as well.

Hope this helps!

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S.L.

answers from Amarillo on

I have no idea about the dyson, but I personally went from bagless to bag! Bagless is way too messy for me! I love my Oreck XL21... a bit more expensive, but worth it to me.

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K.M.

answers from Houston on

Definately look into getting it fixed. I have taken mine in twice and both times it only cost around $30 to repair. It was a lot cheaper than buying a new one!

K.

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L.S.

answers from Sherman on

We LOVE our Dyson!!! We have the normal yellow one but with pets you'll want the purple one. We just moved into our house and had it professionally steam cleaned before we moved in. My husband still saw dog hair from the previous owner along the baseboards so he used our Dyson. It got it all up! You won't believe all the gunk it gets up each time - scary to think you could be breathing that in. I REALLY suggest you get one. We used a 20% off coupon to Bed, Bath, and Beyond since we get them in the mail all the time. If you don't have any, eBay is a great place.
The best part of all is that my husband loves the 'power' of the motor in the vacuum and I'm not allowed to touch the thing - he does ALL the vacuuming! Good luck!

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S.C.

answers from Dallas on

When my vacuum went out I also wanted a Dyson my husband did not want to spend the money for the Dyson. We ended up getting a Shark Infinity they are carried at Bed bath and Beyond. Much cheaper than the Dyson. Two models are avalable the upper model is made for animals. He would not let me get the upper model so we got the cheaper one it is $179 plus you can use a coupon. It works great ( I have two dogs, three kids and six cats in the house). In fact it works so good it is a little embarrassing how much it picks up. I am very pleased with it. Bed bath and Beyond has a very good return policy so if you do not like it you can take it back. Because of the return policy is why I ended up buying it so if it was a bad vacuum I could take it back and have my argument for the Dyson with my husband. Good Luck

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J.J.

answers from Austin on

I had three dogs and two cats when I bought the 'animal' Dyson. It worked great. I think it was sucking up stuff that my Hoover had left behind for a long time. My daughter now has the machine (and most of the animals!) She loves it, too. Good luck.

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A.S.

answers from Lubbock on

Kirby is awsome.I have a Kirby and it does everything imaginable.I cleans great and the new ones arent heay because they are automatic and basically push themselves.It has a shampooer they works great to.it dries instanly so you can wlk on it right after oyu clean.It also comes with some other crazy things.A back massager,a thing to unclog your drain,a carpet fluffer,and a ton of other attachment.The most important thing is that it cleans great.Get on and I am sure you with love it.they have a Kirby store here in lubbock if you are from here.I think it is by sams I cant remember so you would have to look it up.

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R.M.

answers from Dallas on

I have nothing but praise for the Dyson vacuum. With two big, hairy dogs, you want to get the one for pet owners. We have the regular one but with our golden retriever, I find that I must turn over the vacuum often and clip the hair out of the wheel. Even with that, I have never lost suction. We were amazed at the amount of gunk that we vacuumed up the first time that we used ours. Could not believe that we were living in so much filth that our old vacuum was not picking up.

We got ours at Target with a coupon and a sale so keep your eyes open. Best Buy and Frys also runs good specials.

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M.M.

answers from Dallas on

Don't buy the dyson, it doesn't do well with pet hair. Read the consumer reports on the dyson. I think there is one called Hot Shot Biesel or something that works better and is $300 cheaper.

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V.T.

answers from Houston on

The Oreck XL21 comes with 21 years of annual service check ups absolutely FREE. The vacuum costs a little more going in, but I love mine. Prior to this I had a lesser model Oreck for 15 years without one problem. Great vacuum!!!!

Good luck in your decision making!

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C.S.

answers from Amarillo on

I have a Bissell Total Floors. It is bagless, very easy to clean out. Hepa filter is easy to change. The "total floors" makes it great for non-carpet areas. I have tile throughout my house except for bedrooms and I can use this one all over my house. I LOVE IT!!

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T.Y.

answers from San Angelo on

Alot of people have said this already, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our dyson! We have the animal (the purple one) and it works so good. We don't have any carpet in our house so sweeping is just a lot of work. They are expensive, but I think it is totally worth it. It is funny how powerful the suction really is. I have sucked up many things by accident thinking they couldn't be sucked up because normal vaccuums won't do it.(Shower curtains, cat toys, wash rags) silly me. Anyways they were easy to get out and the you don't need replace the filter only wash it and let it dry over night, I think every 6 months.

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M.S.

answers from San Antonio on

I have a Hoover Windtunnel 2 and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT...it's amazing what it picks up and it actually tells me when my carpet is clean. I couldn't imagaine a Dyson working better. My sister has a dyson and does really like it though. I have 3 kids, 1 furry dog and 2 cats...

GL

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P.S.

answers from Dallas on

I LOVE My Dyson. It takes a beating and keeps going. I love that I can pick up anything and everything. Should something get jammed, it is fixed and back together in just a few minutes. We have three girls in the house and all of us have long hair. We shed more than anyone else :) About once every other month, I take the beaterbar out and clen it. That was always a pain in my older models, but with Dyson, it is done in about ten minutes. It is great! We have had our about two years, I vacuum at least once a day, and we have never had any problems. Well worth the investment.

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K.R.

answers from Dallas on

I have the Dyson Animal and we love it. I bought it at Linens & Things with a 20% off coupon via internet and picked it up at the store. We have a lab that really sheds and three kids. It is amazing what it picks up. We also researched before we bought it and found that is was rated very good in consumer reports a year ago. Maybe that has changed? Good luck. Also Linens & Things has a good return policy on it if you are not pleased.

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T.C.

answers from Amarillo on

You might want to try something simple before replacing your vacuum with a potentially pricy alternative. Get a new belt for your current vacuum. I have saved myself a lot of money in the past by just getting a new belt. If you don't still have the owners manual that would list the size, most places that sell belts have a catalog of all the vacuums they cary and their replacement parts listed. Your vacuum should work like a new one if it really was the cause of the poor suction. Of course, if you want a new vacuum...go for it!!

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N.C.

answers from San Angelo on

I have a Dyson and I LOVE IT!!!! I do know that Dyson makes one that is specially done for pet hair. I would recommend that one. The standard one that I have is sooo well worth the money! I can vacume an area with another cleaner and then go over it with my Dyson and get even more in the canister! I would just make sure that you get the one for pets.
N.

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S.Y.

answers from Houston on

Hi N.,

I can tell you from personal experience that the Dyson Animal version is great. I am one of those people that can shed a ton of hair everywhere without ever noticing a difference in the top of my head. I have owned my Dyson for a little over a year and it still suctions everything like the first day. It leaves the imprints on the carpet like a steam cleaner would do, as long as you don't have stains. I was recommended this particular brand from my neighbors who own 2 Huskies and have had the same DYson for over 5 years.
Another thing, I just had my carpet washed for all of the spills I've accumulated from my 2 years old son and my guys from the carpet company were asking about the Dyson. Apparently they all own one personally and would love to use it for professional use but the brand I have and they want to use isn't for commerical use. They kept raving that for the price the DYson is one of the best vacumms around.

Hope this helps.

Silvia

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J.T.

answers from Houston on

We have a very hairy, all year round shedding lab-mix dog AND a toddler and we just bought a Bissell Pet Hair for $180 from Best Buy. This thing is awesome - it pulled up everything our old vaccuum missed. For the first time since having our dog (5 years) when we get down on our knees and inspect the carpet, there really is no dog hair!

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J.M.

answers from Houston on

I have a Dyson and I love it! I bought it about 3 years ago. Until I got a Dyson I was replacing our vaccum every year almost. I have a family of five so we have to clean a lot! I have got my money out of the Dyson and if it broke today I would go buy another one. I highly recommend the Dyson!

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T.M.

answers from Amarillo on

We have the Dyson animal and we love it. I vacuumed the floor with our old vacuum and then vacuumed with our dyson and could not believe how much stuff it still had to pick up. Also, with our old vacuum, my hair would get wrapped around the roller and it was a hassle to get off, but I have not had that problem with the dyson.

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H.

answers from Dallas on

I have a Dyson and I LOVE it! I used my 20% off coupon at Linens and Things and got $100 off. I highly recommend the Dyson.

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L.D.

answers from Dallas on

sounds like your vacuum is stopped up with a lot of gunk. if it's still sucking up but not strong you have a stopped up tube that's going from the floor to the bag or basket. it's easy to take off and clean, i've done it several times. it will save you money in the long run. good luck.

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M.S.

answers from Dallas on

I have 3 kids, 3 dogs a cat, oh and a wonderful husband. i asked for a good vacuum cleaner for my anniversary and he got me the purple dyson. It is called the animal. It is the best vacuum ever. I love it. Would not trade it for any other vacuum. It has great suction.

M.

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J.F.

answers from Dallas on

Hey N.,

We have 2 boys and 2 large dogs that shed everywhere. I have the dyson that's made for pet hair. It's amazing. It doesn't leave pet hair trapped in the carpet. It's not quite as good on the tile but I still love it.

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A.C.

answers from Dallas on

I have a Dyson "animal" - the purple one. It was very pricey at the time, but it has been one of the better vaccuums, I've owned as far as it's ability to clean.

Some tips if you get one:
Empty the cylinder regularly. Although it doesn't lose suction, it doesn't seem to pick up as well when the cylinder is full.

Also, watch out for the noisy plastic in the front of the vaccuum. Occassionally, when it touches furniture, it starts making a very awful noise. From what I found when I was shopping for a vaccuum, it appeared to be a design flaw, not a mechanical problem. It is, however, midly annoying, but it doesn't happen all the time. It is possible that this may have been resolved in upgraded models. When I bought mine several years ago, there were a number of complaints about that noise.

All things considered, I would recommend the Dyson if you want to invest the money.

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G.F.

answers from Houston on

We have an indoor German Shepherd. Hair everywhere!!! We bought the Oreck XL about a year ago. It is great at sucking up the hair off of the carpet. On the hard floors you can actually see the dirt and hair being sucked into the vaccuum. The only thing that bothers me is that the attatchments are on a seperate vaccuum. It's a good/bad thing. They aren't handy b/c you have to get the other vaccuum, but it is very small and great for the cars.

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M.P.

answers from Dallas on

Hi N.!!

I am actually the rep. in the Dallas area for Hoover. I can tell you how great the Hoover vacuum is and I can also give you the downlow on every vacuum on the market, but you pretty much said that you have 2 very furry dogs and a small child and need really good suction. First, no vacuum loses suction.....doesn't matter what brand or what price point. If the filter on the vacuum is dirty then it WILL lose suction, that is all vacuums. Hoover does have some great vacuums including the Windtunnel Cyclonic and the WindTunnel 2 bagged model. For getting pet hair and throughly getting your home clean I highly suggest a bagged model. The Bissell does have a Healthy Home model and a Pet model, both have mixed reviews and are super heavy. If you are looking for something that will last a long time and really give you great suction I would have to say you should go with an Oreck. Definitley check out the consumer reports. They will help alot! Good luck finding the right one!!:)

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C.N.

answers from San Antonio on

I have a Bissell Healthy Home and it does great with my hair and my cat's hair. We both shed quite a bit. It was about $200 at Wal-Mart and was very highly rated in Consumer Reports. A year of use and it is still great.

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K.D.

answers from Dallas on

I can not tell you how much I love my Dyson. I would recommend it. No regrets.

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