DC17 Animal

I have a DC17 that’s been trucking along for ages. Probably needs a new belt but that’s about it. Clean the filters, clear the brush. Golden. Have a DC44 and V10 that I bought when they first came out. They’re doing just fine. Did have to eventually replace the batteries with Amazon Chinesium knockoffs…and they’re fine. I’ll look into power tool conversions in the future, but I mostly have Ridgid and don’t really want to adapt the adapters for Dewalt or Milwaukee. Gets bulky.

Same. We have a pink model from 2007 or 08. We had to replace the hose since it eventually cracked in a spot, but other than that it’s a beast.

Over the past 25 years I've owned three Dyson's (two uprights and one little hand-held. I purchased all three at Bed Bath & Beyond. When my last upright died I wanted to take it for repair (which I've done before) but it seems that there are no more repair places in my city. So when I saw a recommendation on CNN or the New York Times for a Dyson Original Animal upright for about the same price as having my existing vacuum repaired, I jumped on it. Cutting to the chase, it does not vacuum on carpet; I cannot drag it across carpet. It weighs a ton. Video conference with customer service, etc. Assembled correctly, moving parts functioning correctly. The upshot - they told me that it wasn't designed for my carpet (a mid-grade 1/2 inch twist which should NOT pose any difficulties for ANY vacuum). Customer Service guy told me to pack it up and return it. Ye gads! That is not a simple proposition. Anyway, I will never buy a Dyson product again. I know that I shouldn't personalize or emotionalize this but I feel seriously betrayed. EDIT: Three years ago after back surgery, I bought a no frills $400 Roomba which handles my carpet without any difficulty. I also use my mother's old 1960s-era GE canister vacuum in an emergency; the carpet attachment has been successful with several different grades and types of carpet that I've had. Mr. Dyson - you are a loser. I believed in you and I believed in your story once upon a time.

I have the original Dyson pet vacuum. It’s been working great for close to 20 years. I just kept up with filter changes and regular maintenance like any machine you own.

Very long answer: Every vacuum has their pros and cons, it’s really about your personal preference and needs. These are my opinions- please don’t come at me with pitchforks. Miele- I have never owned one but I have used them at clients homes. Pros- they last an incredibly long time. If you like bagged vacuums they have some pretty hefty bags that really trap fine dust. Very long cord, some models even have a retractable cord that winds up with a button, which is insanely helpful. Cons- they are expensive but if you’re having to replace vacuums often then it can pay for itself after a few years. It’s a bagged vacuum, the canister size and bag capacity couldn’t hold up to some of the houses I do. I have one client that I have to empty my canister vacuum twice in every room. You have to either manually empty the bags or replace them- which is an added expense. Look at the style, it’s not an upright vacuum, it’s a separate canister vacuum. I personally despise this style of vacuum, yes they have uprights but they are battery powered with a run time of about 60-90 minutes. Canister vacs like these are very difficult to maneuver, you have to pull it around like a resistant dog on a leash or if you are vacuuming out of a room you have to kick it behind you. It’s very difficult to do large sections of carpet, especially if you are trying to leave nice carpet tracks, because you have to deal with the vacuum head and the canister separately. Rainbow- they are very similar to the Miele. Pros- no bags. Its uses a canister of water for filtration which in principle I love. I think it has the absolute best filtration method of any vacuum. Cons- all of the cons I listed with Miele. However you don’t have to replace the bags, but you do have to empty, clean and refill the water reservoir constantly, usually after every room. I really don’t recommend using them for a house with stairs- huge pain. Kirby- Pros- ? Um great warranty? Good if you skip the gym and need to do some strength training? Really good sales people/ pitch. I was almost tempted to get one even though I can’t stand them. Cons- expensive, heavy, loud. No attached hose. You have to use it like a transformer toy every time you want to use the attachments. Belt driven, and the belts are a pain to change. Dyson- Pros- They last a decent amount of time, not too heavy or bulky. No bags. Pretty good filtration. Have all of the attachments on the vacuum. Most vacuum repair shops will work on them and they have a decent warranty. Personally I really like the older dc models without the ball, but they are hard to find. Cons- expensive. The newer models have a very wide vac head track. It can be a good thing if you are doing a large open area, but it’s way too wide to get into tight spaces. The suction. It has very strong suction which should be a good thing but on the newer models you can’t adjust it. You need 2 people to move it across high pile carpet. I consider myself to be decently strong and it really hurts to use it because of the suction, unless I’m only using it on hard surfaces. Sharks- Pros- large variety of styles. Good suction, but it can lose suction if you don’t change the filters often. Prices range from $150-400. The lift away models are great for stairs and getting to very high up areas. Lightweight. Not very loud until they start to get older. Ok warranty 2-5 years. Overall not a bad vacuum if you take care of it. Cons- I’ve never used a warranty on them because they usually die at the end of it. However I am using them on 2-3+ houses a day, 5-6 days a week. I really run them into the ground. Like everything they are being built with cheaper and cheaper materials. I really wish they would stop trying to come out with new features and just stick with a good solid design. Over the years there have models that I loved but then they discontinued them. Nobody will work on them, and if you find someone who will, it’s usually cheaper to just buy a new one. Oreck- Pros- variety of styles including canister style like Miele. Super suction- the commercial that showed it picking up a bowling ball is no joke. But because of the suction they can be very difficult on high pile carpet. Decent price. The uprights are pretty light. Good warranty and every vacuum repair shop will fix them. Because they are very light they are actually ok on stairs. Cons- I’m not a fan of bagged vacuums. The uprights don’t have a hose. It’s belt driven and the belts break often. Hoovers and Bissell- Pros- inexpensive. Been around for a long time, so people must like them? Cons- they are just kind of meh. Poor suction. I’ve cleaned clients carpet with them and then vacuumed again with my shark and can pick up a whole canister of dirt and hair. Hair wrap. Every vacuum has the problem no matter what they try to do but Hoovers and Bissels are the worst. Loud, bulky and clunky. Difficult to get into tight spaces, forget trying to use them on stairs. Sorry for the long response and hopefully this helps.