Well, you know what they say... If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a Dyson DC25 All Floors Ball Vacuum Cleaner!

We have one of these (DC 24 orange, an older model than being sold) they work great for sucking up almost everything, the exception would be the cereal my niece seems to leave everywhere. It sucks some of it up, but mostly seems to push it around.

Otherwise it is amazing how much dirt it gets. Going through a room once quickly usually yields one full bin. Going through that same room again, but very slowly will yield about 1/3 to half a bin.

Vacuums are mostly all the same. Marketing is huge with vacuums. They all suck. I used to sell Electrolux. What a scam. You put sweepstakes cards in the stores. Call the entrant and tell them they didn't win the vacation but they won a free rug shampoo. They call you and you schedule. You tell them to vacuum their rug really good before you arrive. When you get there you come in with a brand new Electrolux. They say what are you bringing that in for, I just vacuumed the whole rug? You say you are just making sure it's clean. So with a piece of filter cloth stretched over the hose connection, you re-vacuum their rug. Pull the hose apart and show them all the dirt caught in the filter cloth. They are amazed. Then you put a new filter cloth in and vacuum the couch and chairs. You pull the filter cloth out and dump the dirt on the coffee table. They say "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" you say... you are sitting on this stuff every day! Little do they know, their own vacuum would do the same thing when it was new and had a brand new filter bag in it. The other thing you do is pull their upright out of the closet and have them take it into a room that can be darkened. You shine a bright light on the bag and turn the machine on. When they see the dust plume they are appalled. We then shampoo the rug. They don't buy the shampooer but they buy the $750 (back then) vacuum that is no better than a Sears sucker.

In my opinion the whole house vac does the best job. They are super powerful but the key is they exhaust the air through an outside vent. The only reason they even have a filter in the power unit is to keep the motor from getting built up dirt and from having large objects from damaging the blades.

No go buy a $350 Dyson table fan. The moving air from that thing feels better because it cost more.

As far as Rainbow.... are you kidding me? What are they up to $3000 now? And built cheaper than ever! Did you know the Rainbow is unable to remove fine dust particles efficiently? Sure it will catch hair and heavy dirt turning the water to mud but did you know drywall dust and other fine dusts do not break the surface tension of the water? The fine dust actually floats inside on the interior walls of the bubbles and comes out just like it went in. Not all of it but a significant amount. And then there's the emptying of the bedpan.

Mystic` wrote:that is about the least helpful consumer report I ever read in my entire life. It doesn't tell anything about how it performed under various conditions. Sounds more like someone that read an editorial this morning that made them made and now had something to prove.

For me, vortex/bag-less vacuums + kitty liter = :*( sorry woot! I would love something that 'excelled' on my wood floors though =)

Consumer Reports is rated "Worse Than Average"

Save your money... buy a shark! $150 best vacuum you can get.

Bought one DC25, thanks woot.

My refurb experience was not so good. The Dyson ran great and was superior. I clean at least twice a week (Dog hair). It is an awesome vac to pick up hair.
My problem came with the warranty - 90 days on a refurb vs. 5 years on a new.

Yep - mine broke. $100 and 2 weeks later for a part in the handle called a loon (?). Add $35 for a tuneup. The repair lasted a year and then returned.
Not sure if it was a fluke, but the extra warranty would have been nice.

rookaloo wrote:With a houseful of dogs, I need a *great* vacuum, and the Dyson is it, hands down.

Ridgebacks are the best dogs ever bred!!!!!

I regret to inform you that Lab mixes (it's ok, you can call them mutts) are the best dogs ever, followed by Greyhounds. (We've got a lab/doberman and a lab/great dane, and had a Grey for a while).

Also, I think I'm finally going to get one of these. I have a written contract from my wife that if I bought one of these to replace our old Eureka, she'd suck-- er vacuum the floors every week.

Best write up ever!
NIN
Will now have that in my head all day

Bought one of these a couple of times ago. Love it! Have a lot of cats and 1 dog. Sucks up the pet hair like crazy. I have noticed an odor while vacuuming with the old bagged vac. sort of like dog hair and old dust. Don't smell a thing while wizzing around with my Dyson Ball

I have 2, 1 for home and one for my office.

Best vacuum ever. I have terrible allergies and asthma and I can use these without any issues.

As far as emptying, I do it in my garage.

Wish this had come out last week instead of the DC-14 Woot's Dyson DC14 <- still available at $179 +$5 ship *shrug* oh well...

I'll be happy anyway as my current Siemens only lasts for 5 minutes of vacuuming before dying and needing a rest (lesson learned: never let your teenage son clean the litter box without checking WHY he's decided to turn the vacuum on). But, it looks way cooler sitting there than any dyson. ;)

My problem with these Dyson refurbs are the piddly 90 day warranties. These things carry a 5 year warranty when bought new, what exactly about Dyson's refurb process makes these so risky that Dyson only warranties the repaired units for 3 months? That scares me. Would be livid if I spent nearly 300 on a vacuum that died 91 days later, then what. These cost an arm and a leg to get fixed. If Dyson doesn't trust their own refurb process for more than 90 days then I certainly don't.

I don't know who's worse in these kinds of threads; the Dyson lovers or the Dyson haters.....

I have a different model dyson, I like it fine. It’s not perfect, but I like it better than a bagged model and much better than the previous attempt at a bagless that I owned before it. I would not bother to replace a perfectly good one with a new shiny dyson, but they are perfectly good. just dont expect the miracles that are marketing. The one I’ve got has both a washable filter and a hepa filter so dust and allergens are not as much of a problem as others have stated. Emptying the canister though is better done outside if you’re concerned about such things. And if you imagine that it picks up germs then you need to learn a bit more about microbiology ;)

Can anyone provide a good comparison of this DC25 and the DC14 that woot has listed for $179.99 on deals.woot? Besides the ball technology, how do the two compare for suckage and the like?

xninjagrrl wrote:My problem with these Dyson refurbs are the piddly 90 day warranties. These things carry a 5 year warranty when bought new, what exactly about Dyson's refurb process makes these so risky that Dyson only warranties the repaired units for 3 months? That scares me. Would be livid if I spent nearly 300 on a vacuum that died 91 days later, then what. These cost an arm and a leg to get fixed. If Dyson doesn't trust their own refurb process for more than 90 days then I certainly don't.

Then you'll be happy to hear this has a 6 month warranty, not a 3 month.

xninjagrrl wrote:My problem with these Dyson refurbs are the piddly 90 day warranties. These things carry a 5 year warranty when bought new, what exactly about Dyson's refurb process makes these so risky that Dyson only warranties the repaired units for 3 months? That scares me. Would be livid if I spent nearly 300 on a vacuum that died 91 days later, then what. These cost an arm and a leg to get fixed. If Dyson doesn't trust their own refurb process for more than 90 days then I certainly don't.

I'm not sure how common this is, but I purchased the DC14 last time it was offered (I absolutely LOVE it), I registered it with Dyson, entered the serial number, etc, as prompted, and I received an email back telling me I have a 5 yr warranty on my new Dyson!! I guess it was never registered before? Of course nothing has gone wrong with the unit yet, but I saved that email for when/if it does!

Can't comment on how well it perfoms, but a couple of design features to consider:

Brush on/off switch: This model does have a switch that allows you to turn off the brush, a very useful feature when you're vacuuming bare floors (a moving brush tends to scatter dust and other debris before it can be sucked up by the vacuum).

Pile adjustment: This model does NOT allow you to adjust for different pile rugs, which will make it harder to push on a high-pile rug (and may also cause more wear since the brush will be closer to the carpet surface) and may not clean very low carpet as well. Personally, I won't buy a vacuum without this feature.

Ball design: One issue with the design is that while the ball may make the machine easier to steer, it also mean you won't be able to vacuum under lower-clearance furniture. Most vacuums can recline to nearly a flat position, allowing you to reach under nightstands and at least partially under the bed - the ball on the Dyson adds extra height that will limit access to some of these areas.

From the CR review:

Overall, this is a good upright vacuum that is best suited for cleaning bare floors and picking up pet hair with very low emissions.

Highs: The Dyson was excellent for cleaning bare floors, keeping emissions low, and cleaning pet hair. It had very good airflow for tools.

Lows: This model scored only "good" (middle of the scoring range) for carpets, unlike most upright vacuums we've tested. Its small bin often needed emptying during our tests.

This light, 16-pound bagless upright has a 25-foot manual-wind cord and comes with a HEPA filter designed to block fine particles and benefit people with respiratory problems. HEPA filters provide the highest level of filtration in vacuum cleaners, although some models without HEPA do just as well at blocking dust emissions.

The Dyson DC25 Ball All Floorsalso has an easy-to-reach power switch and a brush on/off switch for moving between carpeted and bare floors without scattering dust and debris. Its full-bin indicator marks when the bin needs to be emptied, reducing the chance that the machine's cleaning ability will be compromised.

This model lacks a manual pile-adjustment feature to raise or lower the machine for different carpet pile heights; there's also no suction control to make it easier to clean delicate curtains and upholstery.

We have this vacuum and it DOES NOT PERFROM WELL ON FRIEZE CARPET. It does pick up a lot of dirt and and pet hair, but does not pick up the carpet pile. I generally have to go back over the carpet with my Eureka boss which does the trick. Otherwise I would say I am satisfied with the vacuum, but like others, I dont think Dyson vacs are the bee's knees.

We bought a Dyson over the summer. To test it out, I went over our bedroom with our three year old, supposedly high end Electrolux and then vacuumed again with the Dyson. Not only did the Dyson pick up more dog hair than the Electrolux did, it also pulled out a whole bunch of dust that the other vacuum had been missing for the past 2 years since we moved into our house.

We have 2 Dysons. One is over 6 years old and still sucks like a.....well, it sucks great! The other is for the upstairs that I bought referb from Woot. Also a great machine.

Here's my take. Dysons are great machines. Are they TWICE as good as the next best machine? Probably not, but a Dyson keeps my wife happy. If she's happy, then I'm happy and I'll spend the extra money.

Man, great write up; good way to wake up. I recall listening to the pre-release (I was in college radio) in the production studio, thinking "did he just say that?" and "how do I broadcast this?" Using a reverse-splice on a reel-to-reel did the trick. I want to LOOK BEHIND YOU! woot like an animal.

spent way too much time on this post, as I did reading it. From a current dyson owner and user - these are the best vacuums, and for this price, the easiest decision you can make buying a vacuum. Also, please provide proof that bagged vacuums provide better air quality than the 3 high-tech filters in these dysons...just sounds absurd.

Costner wrote:Queue the "this woot sucks" comments!

Seriously though... Dyson is the Bose of the vacuum cleaner world. It is all marketing but when put head to head with others they never come out ahead.

I know it sounds old school, but if you are concerned about air quality and want the cleanest air possible you really have to go with a bag style vac. Miele makes some amazing ones and they have been rated number one in head to head tests. Granted you have to pay a premium for them.

If you want something a bit less expensive, both Hoover and Kenmore make vacs that perform better than the Dyson for the same or less money.

I'm not saying Dyson makes a bad vacuum by any means, but they just aren't incredible. For $250 this isn't a bad deal, but keep in mind it is a refurb. You could spend that same money on a new model of another vac and probably get a longer warranty.

Don't buy into the hype. James Dyson is a marketing genius, but his vacuums aren't anything special. They are just vacuums.

Oh yea and before some Dyson owner responds to accuse me of never having used a Dyson I can assure you that is incorrect. I also do not work for a competitor. As to what I personally own... well when I bought my house it came with a central vac system by Nutone, so that is what I currently use. Previously I had a cheap Hoover and before that I had a expensive Electrolux. They all worked fine but the central vac has more power than anything around (which stands to reason considering the size of the motors), so I'm happy with it.

gartland291 wrote:We have 2 Dysons. One is over 6 years old and still sucks like a.....well, it sucks great! The other is for the upstairs that I bought referb from Woot. Also a great machine.

Here's my take. Dysons are great machines. Are they TWICE as good as the next best machine? Probably not, but a Dyson keeps my wife happy. If she's happy, then I'm happy and I'll spend the extra money.

Amen!

My next vacuum will be a robot... probably a roomba. Sorry Dyson.

Bought the re-furbed DC25 6 months ago; it's certainly as good as advertised: light, maneuverable, easy to dump (and very satisfying to see the schmutz you quarantined fall into the dust bin after a cleaning). It all goes together and comes apart like a bloody Lego system. Contrary to the light and plastic-y feel, it's surprisingly durable. My only issue whatsoever: The hand vac attachments are effective but slightly cumbersome to use.

Just another data point, I bought a very highly rated Hoover bagless when we needed another vacuum for a summer house. It works. A part (fortunately inconsequential part) also broke on it within the first 2 uses. Every time I empty the bin, I grumble at what a pain it is.

The refurb dyson we use most of the time at home works far better. If these had been 250 when I needed one, I would have bought in a blink.

My wife bought this brand new at Target. Not only does it pull up more dog hair than any other vac we've owned, it also effortlessly moves from carpet to hardwood to tile without any adjustments. And even though the ball is kinda tall, the way it extends in the front allows you to get under a lot of furniture. It's easy to use, fairly light, easy to empty, and cleans like no other.

Mystic` wrote:that is about the least helpful consumer report I ever read in my entire life. It doesn't tell anything about how it performed under various conditions. Sounds more like someone that read an editorial this morning that made them made and now had something to prove.

You realize his entire post wasn't the consumer report review, right, hence why he used quotations?

enantiodromia wrote:Someone said to check Consumer Reports. So I did:

"Best bagless upright vacuum: Dyson DC28"

"In our tests, the DC24 excelled at cleaning bare floors. It also produced extremely low emissions when vacuuming, and did not redistribute any of the dust it collected back into the air."

The review stopped there, the rest was his own personal input.

Just received my DC14 and used it for the first time and it was amazing. The Dyson picks up so much stuff you wonder if your old vacuum actually worked to begin with.

This Dyson DC25 is smaller, but more mobile and is a great price. I was at Target last night and the DC25 was clearance priced at $384.95. So if you don't have a Dyson yet should should get one.

Costner wrote:
I'm not saying Dyson makes a bad vacuum by any means, but they just aren't incredible.

Thats YOUR opinion. I have had Hoover, Red Devil, Rainbow yadda yadda...my first Dyson throughly amazed me with the engineering, design and forethought...very Apple like in both design and usefulness...
Bag vacs suck and not in a good way.
As far as Bose, again...opinions are like anuses...everybody has one. Some people have tin ears and God himself would sound like crap to them. I LOVE mine and would buy another in a heartbeat if I needed one.

In for one. I'm glad I held off on the past few Dysons that have come up on here. This is the one we've been wanting. The wife and I keep looking at them in the retail stores and always drool over them but can't get over the price.

I really hope this thing SUCKS as much as everyone says.

A few weeks ago I bought another Dyson model on Woot - not the DC25 - a factory refurb - and I must say, it works extremely well. Compared to the old vacuum cleaner we had been using, the difference is definitely noticeable, and it was, let's say, revealing - to see how much dirt that the old vac left in our carpets. The bottom line is, I would give a big thumbs up to Dyson.

SharonBR wrote:Electrolux used to be the Rolls Royce of vacuum cleaners. I don't hear much about them anymore.

They were bought by a different company - the same company that makes Eureka I believe. They are now made in China, so everything with the Electrolux name isn't the "real" Electrolux. This explains why you started seeing Electrolux uprights a few years back because obviously Electrolux was known for their canister vacs for decades.

There is a company that does make the old canister Electrolux but goes under a different name. I guess it is the same exact design and uses the same engineering specs etc. Not sure how they stack up against modern vacs or anything... but then again I've never been a fan of canister vacs so I wouldn't even consider buying one.

I did used to have an Electrolux though... it was my father's. I will admit it was a fantastic vac, but what I liked most was it came with a small electric power head for stairs and furniture etc. Most of the vacs these day come with air drive small heads but they don't work nearly as well.

ksapp82 wrote:Just received my DC14 and used it for the first time and it was amazing. The Dyson picks up so much stuff you wonder if your old vacuum actually worked to begin with.

This Dyson DC25 is smaller, but more mobile and is a great price. I was at Target last night and the DC25 was clearance priced at $384.95. So if you don't have a Dyson yet should should get one.

Good to hear about your DC14! Mine's "in transit" per FedEx. Still whining to woot for not offering this DC25 first.

Woot's Dyson DC14 <- still available at $179 +$5 ship

Here's a (pro Dyson) site that details a few of the differences between the All Floors and the Animal.

http://www.dysonreviews.com/dyson-all-floors-vs-animal/

The writer does not recommend the Animal variant over the All Floors based on cost.

I bought one of the Dyson DC25's the last time they were on Woot, and I've loved it. I'm in for another one because I sold the vacuum to my parents, and they won't sell it back. Bagless, lifetime washable filters, powerful suction...excellent product.

Still, we are being asked to pay 250 dollars for a vacuum that has previously broken and has been repaired.

No thanks.

note2001 wrote:Good to hear about your DC14! Mine's "in transit" per FedEx. Still whining to woot for not offering this one first.

I'm the opposite. My wife and I were discussing buying one yesterday and seeing the DC25 for $70 more than the DC14 when it actually has less sucking power convinced me to buy the DC14 instead. I'm also glad to see the previous post has good things to say.