Customer Reviews

Dirt Devil M0105 Purpose For Pets Hand Vac

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

All right...here's the skinny.

Two weeks ago I ordered a Dyson "Animal" handheld from Amazon after agonizing about which handheld to buy. I need something for my carpeted steps. My little Kone handheld wasn't doing the job, and my big Dyson is too bulky to maneuver up and down the steps. The Dyson handheld pulled up that cat hair like whoa.

But the Dyson has this stupid, stupid design feature, which is that there's no on/off switch. Instead it has a trigger-like thing, which you have to keep held down in order to keep the vacuum powered on. If you let go then it shuts off. Trying to maneuver that heavy handheld around the steps without letting go of the trigger was near impossible. I emailed Dyson about it (surely there must have been a trigger lock somewhere?) but when they failed to answer I sent it back to Amazon and ordered this Dirt Devil.

The Dirt Devil does just as good a job as the Dyson, AND it has a proper on/off switch. The cord is long enough that I can reach from the base of the stairs to the landing, and then I take it out, plug it in at the top of the steps, and do the part from the landing to the upstairs hallway. The Dirt Devil is really loud, but I do it when no one else is home so that hardly matters. The only place where the Dyson was better is that its nozzle was narrower. I can't turn the Dirt Devil sideways to do the stair risers, because the brush is wide and the stair above overhangs the riser part. But I can do short strokes up and down the riser instead of going across. This is a fine machine and I'm very, very happy with it.

Just for the record: Dyson finally responded to my email with a "Thanks for the suggestion of a trigger lock"! They said they have over 300 engineers and scientists evaluating customer suggestions like mine and will look into it. I can't believe that with a team of over 300 engineers and scientists nobody tested that thing to see how ridiculous it is to hold a trigger down while you vacuum.

When I first looked for this on Amazon, it was not available, so I bought it somewhere else. I love it. I have 3 vacuum cleaners but nothing would really get all the pets hair off my dark carpet and sofa.The Purpose for Pets worked like magic. After taking it out of the box, my capet and sofa were clean in 10 minutes.

I like the suction on this little handheld vacuum cleaner. It really picks up.

What I don't like about it, however, is the very small dirt cup. I have a large dog, and I have to empty the cup every 4th or 5th step when he's shedding heavily.

It also gets very hot, and doesn't really get into the corner of the stair. I've tried the attachments, but could not get them to work well with the lack of instructions that came with it.

All in all, it's a good handheld, but it's not perfect.

On the good side, the motor and beater are powerful. The unit is nice in its compact size, but that means the dirt cup is really small. IMO the dirt cup should be twice the size it is.

Biggest complaint is the the hose attachment: cheap plastic and does not connect tightly to the base. The first hose broke almost imediately, but we got a free replacement. However it has very little suction in the hose.

Lastly, the first belt broke after just a few months, and it's really a pain to change. This must be a known flaw as a special plastic "finger" tool came in the box.

For this price I cannot recommend this unit.

I recieved this item as a gift. It is amazing at picking up pet hair. I have a long haired cat whose hair is constantly stuck in the carpet. I also have a short haired dog who sheds an awful lot and whose fur is spiky and sticks into everything. Until now the only way to get it out of my couches and car was to use a pet roller which can get expensive. I used this vacuum and was amazed, my stairs, couches and car have never been so clean.

I recommend this hand vac for anyone with pets. I own a dark blue rug and have two house cats who love to lay on this rug. This vac removes the pet hair easily. Pet hair does not stand a chance. Hope this model is never discontinued...!

I received this hand vac today and have used it to remove pet hair from one very fur balled cat bed and to do some litter clean up and general cleaning in the bathroom.

Pros: Excellent at cleaning up cat hair from furniture.
Very Very powerful suction when used with the beater bar base unit
Cons: Very heavy to carry
Cumbersome and clunky to maneuver when using attachments
Attachments do not give the same powerful suction capabilities

Summary: This unit is expensive and really only intended for it's titled purpose, to pick up pet hair from upholstered furniture and area rugs. For this purpose the unit is excellent as can be seen by result and in the collection cup. I am a little disappointed because I wanted this to be more versatile. It will not be an effective substitute for the regular large vacuum because the attachment tools do not cut the mustard. The exhaust for the motor blows very powerfully from both sides of the unit while trying to vacuum, so for floors with loose debris, most of the debris gets blow around before you can suck it up, so the chore is futile. One would really have to sweep the debris into a pile and then suck it up with the tool. You also cannot use the vacuum directly on hardwood or tiled floors because of the beater bar. So it will get the ground in cat hair up and out of the house and off my cat so she won't choke on too many hairballs, but the big vac is staying for the big jobs.

I have to agree with Brenda "Mother of two", the dirt cup is tiny. Also, if you're using it to pick up pet hair, be prepared to have to reach into the cup with your fingers to pull the pet hair out when you empty it. Of course, instead of using the little trap door, you can take the entire cup off, remove the rear panel with the filter and dump it that way. You will want to do that on occasion to knock dirt off the filter.

Over all, however, the suction is acceptable for a hand vac, though not stunning. The motor is powerful enough that the brush turns easily against carpet without stalling. And, because the belt is in the middle of the brush, you can get equally close to corners and inside edges on both sides. My last hand vac had the belt on one end making that side ineffective for vacuuming close to walls.

It has a good long cord, but no place to store it. I'm surprised they didn't put any features in the design that specifically facilitate cord storage. Bringing the handle forward a bit in an upward arc, would be all that's needed to spool the cord around the body of the vac. Maybe they'll read my review and incorporate my suggestion, sending me a big fat juicy check in appreciation. haha!

Anyway, it's a good product for the $55 I paid for it, especially with the free shipping. It beats the one I used to have that used bags. If it had a bigger cup, I would have given it five stars.

We have 4 cats, a dog and even a pet duck! We also live in the middle of the woods. This handheld is truly amazing. If I didn't already own it, I'd buy it today!

I have mixed feelings about my Dirt Devil Purpose for Pets hand vac. I use it weekly, and have had it for almost a year. I use it primarily to keep my stairs, rugs, and furniture clean, and it's been very functional and helpful in that regard. But there are a few flaws I can't quite get past.

Here are the pros:
- LONG cord. I live in a townhouse with two full flights of carpeted stairs. For this purpose alone, the vacuum has been worth the money! You can vacuum a full flight of stairs without having to change where you plugged it in. And oh, to not have to lug my big vacuum up and down two flights of stairs...... It's heaven!
- Lightweight.
- Very powerful. It really, really does a good job in picking up pet fur.

Cons:
- It doesn't get into corners or crevices. One would think that this wouldn't be a problem seeing as there are attachments that come with the vacuum for smaller spaces, however, the attachments are designed very poorly and get little to no suction. So from my perspective, the attachments were a complete waste of my money. I wish I could have just purchased the vacuum and not the attachments. This is my biggest pet peeve about the vacuum. It leaves me wondering if anyone at Dirt Devil actually tested the attachments before they sold the thing? They just don't work. At all.

Other things worth noting:
- I noticed several reviewers had bad experiences with the belt. Defective belts aside, I've found that it's extremely important to have the manual out when fixing a slipped belt. The belt on my vacuum has slipped off about four times since I purchased it, and there is a special tool included for putting it back in place. However, if you don't orient the belt exactly as shown in the manual, it will slip off again in short order. If you put it on right, you're good to go for months.

So to sum it up, if I had only paid for the vacuum, I would have given it four or maybe even five stars. It does it's job, and well. However, I didn't just pay for the vacuum. I paid for the vacuum and some completely useless attachments. The attachments get no stars whatsoever. They get a free trip to the recycling center.