Anyone know how to get one of these bad boys locally in Canada? Nobody carries Dyson and I don’t feel like paying duty from buying one in the states.
Been reading about the Dyson for quite awhile, and have started to covet.
Now that I’ve got a bunch of happy Dyson owners handy, here’s my big question: Is it worth it for someone who has just hardwood floors, no carpet? Everyone praises how it manhandles carpet, and it stands to reason that the incredible suction power would be most useful for carpets. But is it that big a benefit for smooth floors?
I was thinking that perhaps, on smooth floors, its mighty suction might pick up stuff that the head isn’t even directly over, therefore reducing the number of passes it takes to pick up everything. I think maybe I’m reaching with this theory.
Maybe I should mention that our number one problem is cat hair. It ends up drifting around on the floor like tumbleweeds, forming drifts in the corners. I’m not kidding.
Sounds like my kitchen. Yes, the Dyson is similarly outstanding on hard floors. Removed all traces of the scoopable kitty litter from my bathroom floor, which I had been trying to do for months with the old vacuum, and broom, and the Swiffer.
Now you got me all blushy. And as soon as I posted it, I read it the same way. So, I’m a huge dork myself.
Indeed not in this case. The wand on it accidentally sucked onto a gallon jug of water that I had sitting near the front door of the house. When I went to pull it away from the jug, the vacuum picked the jug up off the floor. :eek: So, I highly recommend keeping it away from stray body parts.
For those of you who are proud Dyson owners, here’s a question I haven’t seen addressed. Just a bit of background: I have a dog who sheds…a lot. So much so that we have to take apart our current vaccum (a Bissel, which wasn’t cheap either) at least once a month to pull out clumps of dog hair. It’s a huge pain in the butt to have to pull out the beater bar, pop out the belt assembly and dig around for compacted balls of fur not to mention trying to pull all the hair out of the brushes as well. Oh, and I have really long hair so it’s just not dog hair that I’m having to untangle from the brushes. The Bissel is still relatively new but I’ve already noticed a drop in its performance and our previous vaccum didn’t last very long at all because of all the hair.
So, those of you who have pets, is the same thing going to happen with the Dyson? Because, as nice as these vaccums sound (and I’ve been thinking about buying one), I just can’t see spending the money on one that’s going to clog up as much as what we have currently.
I bought the basic (yellow) Dyson about 4 months ago. By far it’s the best vacuum cleaner I’ve ever used, I just love it. We even did a comparison with the old vacuum cleaner and the Dyson, and it was amazingly frightening how much dirt/dust/hair, etc. was picked up by the Dyson. It’s kind of sad that I actually look forward to vacuuming!
But back to your question, hair is the nemesis of all vacuum cleaners. Hair will get caught/wrapped around the main brush with the Dyson (sorry, there may be a special term for the main brush but I’m too tired to think of it right now). My boyfriend and I both have long hair so our hair does get caught around the brushes. I have to cut it out with scissors every now and then. We also have a dog and a cat, but I haven’t had any problems with animal hair getting caught. You may have to cut out the hair from the brush which is really easy to do every now and then, but I doubt it would get caught anywhere else in the Dyson.
My only complaint about the Dyson is that it’s kind of heavy.
The Ringworld is unstab…never mind.
Stranger
I have coveted the Dyson ever since the first round of ads, where he says “the bags and filters were hopelessly clogged” and “a few thousand prototypes later, I had it.” I have a Dirt Devil upright now and it’s terrible. My aunt recently bought a Dyson (she’s got an American Eskimo and a Japanese Spitz, so it’s dog hair city over there), and her friends would come over to watch her vacuum.
Does the yellow Dyson pick up cat hair? I don’t see why the greatest vaccum ever needs a better version for cat hair. I was kind of mad that they had a pet version for $100 dollars more and there is no way I can see myself spending 500 bucks on a vaccum.
Zebra the basic yellow Dyson upright vacuumed up enough cat hair to knit another cat, if I knew how to knit. I’ve never tried the animal model.
I’ve been amazed at the dust and dirt that thing has sucked up.
Another Dyson devotee checking in. We have four cats and a dog and the “Animal” model is worth every penny. We got ours on ebay for around $500.
No. It’s unexceptional at best on hard flooring.
IME the vacuum output (exhaust) blows the cat-hair tumbleweeds et al. around on the hardwood as much as the superior suction pulls 'em in.
It’s a good machine, but there are other quirks, too - like the fact you need to dissasemble the handle if you want to use the suction hose alone. Blimey, that sounds both rude and entirely unintelligable.
Anyway, the best thing about the Dyson is its wonderful retro-space age look. TBH, I never use it, I just occasionally fondle it’s air-rotatory gyroscoptor triangulation escutcheons and mutter ’ Ah, The Future Is Now’.
The main difference between the basic yellow model and the “animal” is that the “animal” comes with a bunch of accessories for furniture and such, plus some carpet cleaning chemicals that the yellow model does not have. You can order these accessories separately, if you find that you are in need of them at a later time and they will attach to your yellow Dyson just fine.
In answer to hair and the belt and beater/brush bar, hair does indeed wrap around the brush, but it’s not as likely to cause problems with the belt, since the belt is enclosed in a plastic housing that should keep it clear for a long time, if not permanently.
Iris and DirkGntly, thanks for the answers. We do have a central vac system but it’s a big pain in the butt to go to the basement and lug all the hoses, pieces and parts upstairs, which is where we do most of our living. I’ll probably stick with my Bissel since it’s so new but once it’s defeated by the dog and human hair, I think I’ll be getting a Dyson.
We got a LOT of dog hair out of our carpet. We should say right now that we do not own a dog. We have been here for 6 months. Professional carpet cleaning before we moved in. Dysons suck like you wouldn’t believe.
The way it is constructed, I doubt it will clog from hair.
Oops. Very sorry. I have a female dog named Bambi, and I suppose my lazy mind was attributing femininity to all creatures of that name. My apologies, Bambi. You can send Thumper and Flower over to pummel me if you like. 
Upright or canister?
I’ve heard that upright vacuum cleaners do a more efficient job than canisters. I’ve always had a canister but only because it’s easier to store. However, if I do fork out the megabucks for a Dyson, I want the best of the best. So it the upright better?
I am now addicted to that damn game. I hate you all. 
(I’m only kidding. About the second part anyway. I really am now addicted to that game.)
I have the best husband ever. Last night, I got home from work. I go to throw away some trash in the pantry, open the door, and there’s this big box in front of the trash can. It didn’t even register at first, that it said “Dyson” on the box.
Woo-hoo! :: does the happy dance::
He said, (and I quote,) “You work so hard, you should have the things you want.”
Altogether now: Awwww!
(I then asked him if he wanted some sex. 
) Hee-hee!
After I vacuumed the living room floor, I wondered if he bought it just so I would vacuum…
Nah!
Was it everything you dreamed and more?
How delightfully 1950s!
(Damn, I want one too, and I’m a guy.)