[veidr]

I always thought Dyson was crap, based solely on their obnoxious ads and garish design. Then I bought my wife their cordless upright vacuum for her birthday (I know, I know, but she asked for it).

I was astonished when the vacuum became my favorite piece of tech in the whole house.

We have a roomba that works fine, but it's extremely hard to imagine that I won't buy this thing immediately.

[skrebbel]

You forgot to include your core argument - why did the vacuum become your favorite piece of tech in the whole house?

EDIT: for the downvote mafia: I genuinely want to know. Not every short comment is a snark.

[veidr]

Hmm, yeah, why? I haven't reflected on that, so let me do so now:

It's super light (a grown man can operate the vacuum and hold a beer with the same hand, while holding a baby with the other arm), and yet it is SUPER powerful (I just leave mine in MAX mode, which only lasts for 6 minutes between recharges -- but that's plenty).

It's extremely, unbelievably easy to clean/empty (just push one button while holding it over the trash bin) and also somehow doesn't accumulate film of disgusting 'dustbestos' like all other no-bag vacuums I've experienced... so it stays clean.

It seems to be extremely durable... having survived many combats and forced marches at the hands of my 2-year-old son.

It has an instant trigger, seems to go from of to full power in 10ms or less (I mean you can't detect it; squeeze the trigger in quick staccato bursts, and it's just all like VREEEEEEEEEEEER!!! VREER!! VREER!!)

Despite the light weight, it is extremely POWERFUL. Much better than the $600 tow-the-pod-around corded Hitachi we had before, at a fraction of the size, weight, and yet it doesn't even have a cord.

Um... I think that's all.

OH WAIT THERE'S MORE!!! I almost forgot the awesome wall mounted charger. Like an idiot, I didn't bother to screw the wall mount thing to the wall for the first few months. Finally, I did. Once you do that, any vacuum that isn't conveniently mounted on the wall is a ridiculous piece of shit. (Note that ours is mounted on the wall inside the kitchen closet; doesn't have to be shown off like some piece of very ugly art.) The wall mount makes it more convenient to access and replace than any vacuum I've had previously.

So what are the cons? For one, it looks ridiculous, like a space weapon from a $300-budget high school sci-fi movie. But hmm that's about it.

Love that thing.

EDIT: some of the downstream comments seem to be talking about some other model. (I think maybe 'upright vacuum' doesn't mean what I think it means.) The one I have is either this one or a very similar model: http://www.amazon.com/Dyson-DC35-Digital-Slim-cordless/dp/B0...

[2muchcoffeeman]

So what are the cons? For one, it looks ridiculous, like a space weapon from a $300-budget high school sci-fi movie. But hmm that's about it.

And that's arguable. It's also probably not as powerful as you think. You can't use the Dyson handheld for vacuum bags, but any "drag a pod" vacuum will probably do the job. I think the spinning bristles really help to pull things of the ground or out of carpet fibres.

That said, I too have the Dyson handheld and agree, one of the best appliances I own. I really like the soft brush in the extra attachment kit you can buy. Now I can dust and vacuum the dust up at the same time.

[IshKebab]

I have one too (DC59). Parent it right, it is pretty amazing (no more "ugh have to get out the vacuum cleaner and plug it in, so much faff"). Only cons are:

* Bin is too small - you have to empty it a few times per clean which kind of sucks (unless you clean every other day or something). It also means the dust sometimes gets stuck in the bin and you have to pull it out. * Bin opening mechanism is a big unreliable.

Battery life and suction are both plentiful. And the hassle of emptying the bin frequently is still miles less than the hassle of getting out and plugging in a corded vacuum.

[veidr]

+1 bro, I did not even know about that soft brush attachment! Ordered.

[codezero]

The size and weight are big time wins for me too. We have a plugged in Dyson and we haven't used it since we got the cordless. It allows for a lot of fast micro-cleaning without the necessity of hauling out a giant vacuum, plugging it in, waddling around and then winding it back up.

There's zero commitment, and like you said, on MAX, it really does the job, there's rarely much I need to clean that will take longer than the charge, and if there is, I just split it up into two sessions.

[skrebbel]

Thanks!

[deanclatworthy]

There was a recent reddit AMA by a vacuum repair guy, talking about the best brands: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1pe2bd

He was not impressed with dysons: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1pe2bd/iama_vacuum_rep...

I have to say in my experience, having had 2 dysons - they both broke within 2 years.

[noir_lord]

Had a DC07 for ~13 years never had to touch it beyond rinsing the filters once.

Of course the plural of anecdote is not data.

[bithush]

I had the same experience. Can't remember the exact model number but it was a normal upright model. That thing was amazing. Shame the wife got it in the divorce :( (heh)

The only things that broke were simple to replace (and pretty cheap to be fair) parts like the hose which split because I over stretch it one too many times. Can't really fault it for that though.

I have had wood floors everywhere now so make do with a dirt cheap hoover but if I had carpets I would buy another Dyson without question. It did such a fantastic job and maintenance was as easy could be.

[colmvp]

I 2nd his recommendation of Miele for canisters. Very high quality and excellent filtration. And if you read the Whirlpool forum, there also a ton of people who have switched over to Miele after using Dyson vacuums.

[aed]

This guy got pretty popular on reddit due to his knowledge and willingness to share.

Just in the past couple of days he started a YouTube channel and posted his first video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEJSACjCL2g

[Fuzzwah]

Amazingly, that was one of the most entertaining AMA's I've read though. Thanks for the link.

[allegory]

You're in the "dyson love" period. It'll wear off, then it'll be:

a) they go wrong which happens very often with uprights from experience. The hose goes as does the roller belts and the motor. Also on multiple models, the clips on the can are so bad that the moment you detach it from the unit, it pours its suckings all over the floor again. All parts are expensive.

b) they suck the wallpaper off or the floor tiles up causing damage.

c) you do your back in hoovering with the damn things as they weigh so much.

Bought a Numatic Henry and have been happy ever since, and considerably better off.

[dfc]

If you point your vacuum at a wall and wallpaper comes off the wall or vaccuum the floor and tile comes up, I do not think the vacuum is the problem.

If you want to be upset with someone/something it seems like you should be upset at whomever did the crappy WP job or yourself for pointing a vacuum at something you did not want sucked up.

[uptown]

"you do your back in hoovering with the damn things as they weigh so much."

My Dyson is the lightest upright I've ever owned. It's also far-more maneuverable requiring less lifting since it can usually navigate around furniture.

My only complaint is the angle of the hose when using the attachments. Since the hose comes straight-up, if I'm trying to clean something low, I find the angle to be awkward for that purpose, and it sometimes interrupts the air-flow to the hose. I'd prefer the hose come out at an angle, or perhaps pivot on a swivel as its used.

[PhrosTT]

I had a canister style dyson. The hose indeed ripped all the time.

[fastball]

You hoover your walls?

[allegory]

Yes. To get cobwebs off the ceiling and walls when they inevitably appear (using the brush attachment).

I did a spot as a cleaner a couple of decades back and that was the best way of tackling the problem.

[mrexroad]

put a tennis ball on the end of a broom handle and wipe w/ the ball. works awesome.

[sourc3]

I hoover the moldings but use a dry Swiffer for the walls. Much faster and less scratching. Highly recommended.

[colinramsay]

I've had two Dysons and my latest Miele one feels far better. They also seem to get the best reviews, which is what led to this purchase.

[noir_lord]

I have a Dyson DCO7 which was manufactured in 2001 (my gran bought it and I inherited it).

It is literally as good as the day I got it, I recently had to "service" it (removing two foam filters with two clips and run them under the tap is hardly servicing) and that is the only time I've had to do anything to it in over a decade.

They cost more but are worth absolutely every penny, they also prove that a focus on quality, design and longevity can command a margin that customers will happily pay if you can get that message across.

When it dies I'll by another immediately.

[teach]

I think you'll be sadly disappointed if you buy a new Dyson.

My wife and I bought one about a year ago. It was great for a week, but now suction is average and we are constantly having to remove and clean various filters to get it to work well.

I suspect Dyson did use to focus on quality, design and longevity but that a few years ago they started selling quite average vacuums but still charging a premium for their "good name".

[encoderer]

FWIW, I bought one in Nov 2012 and have been delighted. Not a clogged filter or any other issue in that time. Not saying Dyson's are the best vacuum you can buy but it's not as if your experience here with a later model is unanimous.