The Dyson DC 17 Animal: Amazing Results After The First Use.
Written: May 04 '08 (Updated May 07 '08)
Product Rating:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Ease of Cleaning:
Style:
Pros: Powerful Suction, Bagless, Helps People With Allergies, Onboard Attachments and Suction Hose.
Cons: Heavy, Pricey but worth it.
The Bottom Line: This vacuum is great for the people that are owned by their pets. The amazing power for picking up dust and fur makes this a must have.
Steelfan's Full Review: Dyson DC17 Animal Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum
After many years of denying that any vacuum could pick up all of the hair and dirt in our carpets, we finally decided to spend the money on a Dyson. Our carpets are used very hard and the combination of cat hair, dirt and dust from our pellet and coal stoves made any vacuum groan with fear. We literally wore out two Oreck vacuums in about 4-5 years and the carpets never really looked that good. The difference in the clean power of the Dyson was never more apparent then in our sunroom where the light is extremely bright. Our sunroom carpeting went from a dull grayish tan color to a very bright new looking carpet. I do need to really give the credit for buying the Dyson to my wife. Honestly I don’t know how she keeps the carpeting looking so good with 6 cats and the two dusty stoves in the house.
This Vacuum is an Animal.
The Dyson DC17 Animal is based on a design that includes what Dyson calls a “Level 3 Root Cyclone Technology”. The idea is that 8 smaller suction cyclones will create more suction power than 1 or 2 larger ones. This technology is easy to see if you look at the top of the dust collection area. The 8 individual cones in this area each create a suction cyclone causing about a 45% increase in suction. Also the motorized brushbar on the bottom of the vacuum is great while working on any carpeting and can be turn off for use on wood or laminate floors. This brushbar area has an automatic height adjustment for different surfaces and carpet heights. There are two switches located about halfway down the handle. The red colored switch turns the vacuum on and off and the silver colored switch turns off the brushbar. Almost everything that you will need for cleaning the house is located on the vacuum itself. Some of the attachments can be stored on the vacuum and the telescoping suction hose for these attachments is located inside of the handle. It is simply pulled out of the top and has a 16 ft. length. Attachments included are a crevice tool, a brush attachment for cleaning drapes and such, and a small brushbar that some would call a “cat’s paw” for cleaning furniture and hard to reach areas. This vacuum also helps people with allergies with a lifetime HEPA filter that can be washed. Emptying the vacuum is very easy since there are no bags and is done by the press of a button causing the dust receptacle to open on a hinge. The bagless dust container has a 5/8 gallon capacity. The cord is a very generous length of about 35 ft. long. This Dyson comes with a 5 year parts and labor warranty. The vacuum also comes with a carpet cleaning kit that includes Zorb for absorbing dirt in carpeting and Dyzolve spray for spills and stains.
What we like.
The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that the end result after using this vacuum is the best thing about it. I mentioned our sunroom carpet before and the rest of the house looks just as good. The suction is very powerful and stays that way no matter what you are vacuuming. Also having the wand onboard for cleaning corners, cobwebs and such things is a wonderful improvement over our Oreck. The dust bin is easily emptied and can be held right over a garbage can to save from spills. Also the idea that there are no bags to buy or replace is a very welcome feature. I find it very important that this vacuum has an allergy filter built in because I do have allergies. The combination of the cats and all of the dust particles makes this a very important addition for our vacuums. Going from room to room is very simple since this vacuum has a 35 ft. cord. We can almost do our whole downstairs without finding another electric outlet.
A few minor negatives.
It’s very hard to build a product that will be perfect for everyone. While the Dyson DC-17 is the best vacuum that we have ever owned, there are some complaints. We live in a two story house and carrying this vacuum upstairs to do bedrooms and our upstairs rooms can be a chore. This vacuum is quite heavy. Another small problem is the inability to vacuum under furniture and other low items. You will need to use the small brushbar attachment and get down to the floor level to do cleaning under lower things. Also the small brushbar attachment is not electric and rotates by forced air. It could be more powerful if it ran electrically. The last complaint is the price but as with most things, you get what you pay for and this vacuum is worth the money.
Now for a few warnings:
1. Be sure to turn off the brushbar is soon as you are on hardwood or laminate floors. The beater bar can harm the surface of these floors.
2. Be very careful around loose items such as throw rugs, drapes and other loose items that can get caught in the beater bar. The vacuum can damage these items and will make a very scary noise if something is caught in it.
All in all: For people with pets or extraordinarily high traffic areas, this vacuum will make your carpets and floors look like new. The incredible suction power coupled with having the convenience of the attachments and telescoping hose onboard makes this a great deal at the $459.00 price that we paid. I must say that the biggest gauge of a product’s worth is the results that it gives, and the Dyson DC-17 gets an A rating.
Also be sure to check out my fellow Epinion buddy criteeker’s review:
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