Dyson - DC45 Animal

My dad gifted me a Dyson DC45 Animal Pro in 2014 and it’s the only Dyson I ever used, simply because it’s still working. Still the same battery and all. It was great for my room in university as vacuum but wouldn’t have enough charge for my current flat. It is still great for small tasks, the corners my roborock can’t reach and mobility in general. That’s the main point I can contribute to your question: it probably depends a lot on the use case.

I have one of the original Animals, and it still keeps up with 2 cats who shed and track litter all over the place. I thought it was dying, but I replaced the big secondary filter. It's back up to speed now. I also have a cordless V8 or v10 that I picked up a year or two ago, and it's complete crap.

Yes the original Animal is a workhorse. The newer ball I don’t like as much.

Dyson Animal stick vacuum and a Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum that runs every day. I also have an older Shark Navigator upright that still works great and was reasonably priced.

Dyson. The brush bar is very easy to remove and clean. With the amount of hair that you’re describing, you should probably get something like the Dyson animal that’s made for pets. It also has attachments they’re just like a miniature brush bar head for furniture, stairs, and cars.

I replaced my Dyson animal stick with this Shark version, and haven’t had any complaints. It’s a solid 7/10 and good bang for the buck Was a Dyson die-hard since they came out, but had to replace the same battery 3 times in 24 months on my last model and felt the price / value ratio has fallen off.

Dyson Animal stick vacuum. Husband took over the vacuuming in retirement, and he loves it more than my Dyson upright with all the tools. Has replaced the rechargeable battery, said it was just pop in, easy. Note: animal and people hair can twist around the beater bar, so watch that and keep it clean. Take the whole thing out of the head. Get the hair hidden in the gaskets. [ I only say thus because I assist at a senior center thrift shop, and someone was donating it. I pointed out that the filter and head needed cleaning and it would work. Thank the goddesses that he challenged me. I told him I would fix it for $25 donation to the center. He went for it. I had it running in 5 minutes. Don't throw away vacuums until you have cleaned it! ]

I’ve had three Dyson Animal Stick vacuums that I liked enough to replace (refurbs each time) but I’d never depend on them as my only vacuum. Good for quick pickups. Bought a refurb Shark Rocket (with the plug) for a small cabin and I actually prefer it to the Dyson—especially LED lights on the head.

I’m dying at this. When my husband and I had been dating for ~6 months or so, he mentioned he was ordering a new Dyson and the animal stick. Why? The suction didn’t work as well anymore. This is when I taught him about filters and taking apart the vacuum to clean. Our cleaner mainly does this for us now as a side job (we have a Roborock that runs 1-2 times a day, stick per floor, one for master only, larger Dyson animal for once/twice weekly “deep cleans”. We have a Shark sticks for the garages/basement for the carpeted areas.

I love the Dyson animal cordless. It’s been an awesome little one. We got it on sale at Costco so we could take it back easily. I’d pay full price.

Cordless vacs are a real convenience, and a real compromise. Barely there power. - A Kenmore cordless stick vac was immediately returned, as completely useless. - A Shark here is barely adequate, with a pipe that broke in less than three months, and required replacement. - A Dyson Animal ran for a couple of years, but the very expensive batteries failed within several months. If you’re accustomed to corded uprights, you’ll be shocked at how much worse cordless vacs are. I use a cordless vac daily, because I really like the convenience and I’m not fussy. but it’s necessary to keep the upright on call. Definitely not up to heavy duty. Maybe okay if you have hard floors or very short carpet, and your mother-in-law doesn’t judge.