Vacuum cleaners

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

Comment:

My house has lots of spanish tile with wall-to-wall carpet in the bedrooms. We had been using an upright vacuum, which was a mistake. The upright was very good on the carpet but hard to maneuver around and under beds and furniture. It was horrible on the spanish tile. We decided instead to try a canister this time, and after researching on Consumer Reports I decided to buy the top rated Kenmore. Unfortunately I really disliked it, especially the head. It definitely was not going to work on our lumpy spanish tile. The salesman suggested we try the Dyson which he said had the fewest troubles/returns, but I really didn't want a bagless cleaner. Instead I went to another store intending to buy the Miele, but backed out when I saw the price and the average tools. We went home without buying anything.<br /><br />I decided to do more research on my own, and what impressed me most about the Dyson was the quality build, small size, and superior tools. Unfortunately the tool I really wanted for our spanish tile was the articulating hard floor tool, which you have to order separately at extra expense. <br /><br />In the end we decided to give the Dyson DC39 Animal canister a try. It has turned out to be perfect for our situation. The standard trigger head tool actually does a great job on carpet, but probably not as good as the best upright. It makes up for it by being so easy to use around and under furniture. I no longer have to move the furniture in order to vacuum every bit of the room's carpet. The standard tool is good for smooth tile, but for me the optional articulating hard floor tool is essential, and well worth the extra money. Combine it with the DC39's small size and manuverability, and you have the best vacuum I have ever used on hard floors. Nothing comes close to it on spanish tile. Realizing how important having the right tool for the job is, I sprung for the optional Asthma and Allergy Kit. It's mattress tool is one of my favorites for all upholstered funiture. The combined package is not cheap, but it is a quality, well engineered product. <br /><br />I was hesitant to get a bagless vacuum, but the Dyson's design makes it a snap to clean out. You will get dust on your hands if you wipe it out with a paper towel, which I do on the seals. But with our old bagged vacuum we had a tendency not to change out bags after every use (costly), thus the stale smell when you use it again. Our old bagged vacuum was not any cleaner to change than the bagless Dyson. I find the Dyson so easy to take outside and dump that I do it every time I use it, which is much better than having the dust mites take up residence in a bag.<br /><br />Another reason for buying the Dyson: ergonomics. I am 6'4 and my wife 5'6. The DC39 Animal adjusts perfectly for either one of us. It is just a beautiful piece of engineering.

How long have you owned it:

Three-to-six months

Bottom Line

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.

Comment:

We just bought the Dyson DC39 knowing that CR did not rate it highly but from a retailer that would accept a return if we found the vacuum unsuitable. After just a few days of use we noticed that it clogged really easily. Vacuuming up Fruit Loops clogged it. Also the suction powered beater wand did not work at all on door mats, it would suck the mat up and stop the beater and even if you release the suction using the easy manual trigger in the handle, it would just drop the rug and not suck at all. It also seemed that you had to have the wand/beater in front of the dirt and pull it backward to get it to pick up anything. Going in a more comfortable forward sweep just pushed the dirt away. This made vacuuming very time consuming and frustrating. We didn't really keep it long enough to comment on the ease or frustration of dumping the contents.

How long have you owned it:

A month or less

Bottom Line

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

Comment:

Very easy to use and has lasted a long time with heavy use. Very portable, and the small size makes it easy to use on stairs. The powerful suction makes up for not having a powered head...for the most part. The biggest handicap, IMHO, is the small size of the container that makes it imperative to dump after every cleaning. But if the canister were larger, it wouldn't be so portable.

How long have you owned it:

More than six months

Bottom Line

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.