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.

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.

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.

^^ This. It makes vacuuming so much easier and doesn't feel like a chore anymore. It's so simple to maneuver (actually quite cool how it swivels), quiet, empties quickly, and does an excellent job picking up dirt and hair. Well worth the money. And not having to deal with a cord to plug and unplug when going from room to room is heaven. We have the animal version. Another point to mention: it comes with a wall mount charge station, which was something I didn't want on display in my house. (We don't have any wall where it could be hidden). Don't let that dissuade you if you feel the same way. This mount is not mandatory for charging, and you DON'T have to use this. The Dyson charges with a supplied wall outlet cord, so you can just stand the vacuum in a corner to charge it, then put it back in the closet when it's fully charged.