Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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126 of 127 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Nifty!, 31 May 2005
By A Customer
So far I have been very pleased with this cleaner. This is my 2nd Dyson - my previous model was the DC03 absolute - and I had been thinking about getting the DC14 when The Ball was launched. I did as much research as I could - there is plenty of info available - as this is such a different concept for a vacuum.
I did have a teething problem with this vacuum - the front tiny wheels squeaked from almost the first moment but Dyson sent an engineer out who fixed the problem straight away and the wheels have not been a trouble since.
As far as cleaners go this model is on the heavy side (not as heavy as a DC14 though) and quite large. It can be a little awkward to carry from one place to another, especially upstairs. I also find that the small brush which is housed on the top of the collecting bin can easily be dislodged (I do worry about it falling in the dustbin when I empty it as the complete unit is removed for emptying. There is a push button facility, which means that the bottom simply opens and allows the dust to empty out directly into your dustbin or a bag.)
However, that is where my moaning ends - The Ball whizzes over floors with ease - it really does change direction with a flick of the wrist - and therefore cuts cleaning time. It has excellent rubber protection in a number of areas which protects walls and furniture from collision damage. It also picks up all those bits that other vacuums keep going over and leaving behind, eg coco pops (!), and cleans right to the edges of floors - it is not necessary to use the attachments as I used to have to do to pick up debris from the edges of the floors. This model also picks up more dirt than my previous model which means that hard floors such as laminate and tiles feel clean underfoot - we used to have little bits left behind which would then stick to the bottom of your feet and feel gritty.
There is a push button situated next to the start button that de-activates the brush bar - far better than my previous model where the dial was located near the floor.
We do not have pets but decided to purchase this model as it is better value with the attachments included. The small brushbar that comes as an attachment is excellent for cleaning stairs as well as upholstery - far better than using the normal stair cleaning attachment.
So long as the weight of this vacuum is not a problem this machine is to be highly recommended.
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130 of 131 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pricey but worth it, 23 Mar 2005
I have never used a dyson before and was quite put off by the price. When my Panasonic packed up only after 3 years of normal household use, I decided it was time to fork out the extra pennies. After reading all the very helpful reviews on Amazon, I was going to get the DC 14 Animal but I saw "The Ball" on the second day of its launch at the shop. It can reach lower than the DC 14, and seems easier to manoevre round the floor. I couldn't wait to try it out as soon as I got home, and wow, it simply delivered what dyson said it would. I have finally managed to lift off 6 years of cat's hair, and my daughter stopped sneezing the first morning after her mattress had been vacuumed. On the down side, the dyson is definitely heavier and harder work for the arms, especially after pulling the extension hose up the stairs. I was surprise to see the machine keeping quite stable at the bottom of the stairs despite the constant pull on the hose. Another small problem was the small animal head that attaches to the end of the hose for use on the stairs and on any upholstery came off quite a few times during use, but compare to a few other vacuum cleaners I have used, this DC15-animal is undoubtedly able to go an extra mile, and gives huge satisfaction.
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48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best, 19 April 2006
I have heard so much negative views about this Dyson. It makes me wonder if the competition are spreading rumours. I basically spoke to a work colleague and mentioned I was going to buy one. Then he starts barking on about his 'Which magazine' review which said Dysons are no good as they break down and are not reliable. So against my wifeys wishes I started thinking about getting a Miele Allervac. He owns a Miele Cat & Dog. My wife & I had been looking at the DC15 Animal not because we have any pets but I have allergies and she seems to shed hear like a cat anyway. When I read the 'Which' review & it said Miele are rated top and that Dysons arent good with allergy sufferers. How they could make this assumption when they hadnt even reviewed the DC15 at all I just dont know.
So I (stupidly) listened to my mate anyway not wanting to follow the Dyson crowd and bought a Miele. BIG MISTAKE! I got the damn thing, turned it on and struggled just to glide it over my carpet. Its a cylinder vac with bag. It has this fancy traffic light gizmo on the steel arm so you can see that red = loads of dust, amber = almost gone & green = no dust. My wife sat there looking at me unimpressed and I was quickly becoming less starry-eyed with my new purchase too. Skip forward a few days, I've returned the Miele and ordered the the DC15 Animal.
We unpack it, and check the lovely craftsmanship. The colour, shape & design fit perfectly into our newly decorated flat. I turn it on, and it starts whizzing away much quieter than the DC02 we had prior. What I love is the pedal that you press that releases the ball into action. My first reactions is, 'this is a serious bit of kit'. The Ball really 'works'. Its so easy to glide around with a flick of the wrist you're changing direction, back-forward-left-right with ease and cleaning a room takes a matter of minutes. I pull back all the sofas and can see the carpet looks new as its not been trod on but with a slight grey tint. The Dyson just glides over it with ease, and Im amazed after cleaning my Living room and landing that the cylinder is full! yes full of dust that the Miele struggled with. My wifes hair and fine particles of dust enough to fill a big tea cup. Thats a lot and it was in my carpet! This hoover is amazing and I believe if you look after it properly rather than smashing into walls and sofas carelessly that it will last for ages & not break down!
My only gripe is that I thought there was a big difference between the Animal and the Allergy Model due to the mini turbine head. Its not electrically powered rather it traps air in a small vacuum to propel the brush-head, but I find if you press the carpet on your stairs hard enough it stops spinning. So instead I use a smaller attachment to do the stairs and tight spaces instead. I preferred the white and yellow DC15, the Missus likes the Lavender! All in all, money well spent. The dust is a doddle to get rid off, as is detaching it from the main body. You simply press a button and whilst holding the base inside a bag it releases the bottom of the unit & just drops the dust inside. Fantastic.
A lot of thought has gone into making this Vacuum Cleaner and Im impressed with all the features. Another notable is the button you press when going over hard floors or rugs which is located near the power button. It turns off the spinning brush which is good as I have laminate flooring. The handle can now completely be removed from the tube which makes cleaning a car for instance easier. If you try this with older models you can only clean so much as the handle is quite long.
The great thing is, you can tell a room has been vacuumed after using the Dyson and the air does seem cleaner as i dont sneeze so much, the Miele doesnt have a spinning brush to kick the debris out of the carpet pile either and it certainly didnt look as if I had vacuumed. I need to buy the Matress Tool now and my other gripe is that for spending that much money they could have thrown it in.
All in all, dont believe the negative press this recieves the only person that can make a proper judgement is you. And as I said before, Hoover and all the other companies that turned James Dyson away are kicking themselves now, so you never know where all these dodgy rumours are coming from. Buy it now!
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