Customer Reviews

Dyson DC14 Low Reach Upright Vacuum

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I just bought this vacuum after buying Fantoms in previous years. Don't get me wrong my first Fantom was a good vacuum, but my second couldn't live up to the original. This vacuum is better! It's easy to push, use and it brings the dirt to the vacuum with so much suction power yet gentle on your bare floors and rugs. You will never find a better vacuum anywhere!

So many people have reviewed this product that I initially felt it was unnecessary. But now that I've had more time to use mine, I can't keep quiet any longer. This vacuum is fantastic. It cleans far better than my Bissell upright did, it's quieter, and it's easier to empty. I'm a stickler when it comes to how well things work, and the Dyson lives up to the hype. I resisted for 2 years, and I wish I hadn't.

This vacuum is so strong it literally sucks itself to the carpet, which can make it difficult to vacuum small area rugs. As long as you move at a moderate pace (as with any vacuum, you'll get better results if you're not doing the Indy 500 with it) this thing eats dust and animal hair. I don't know whether to be excited at how much the Dyson sucks up, or disgusted at what is in my carpet.

Here are good reasons to buy the Dyson:
* It works as well as it should for the cost.
* It's extremely well-engineered (you can access every area on the thing that could potentially block without using a screwdriver!)
* Dyson was ripped off by the other vacuum manufacturers (namely Hoover). He had to take them to court-twice-and won both times. Support the good guys, not the thieves.
* It's very easy to clean, and you never have to touch the messy stuff.
* You don't need to buy replacement filters, which can be quite a cost savings.

Reasons not to buy a Dyson:
* It's expensive. Don't get me wrong, it's worth every penny, but not everyone can spend $400 on a vacuum. If you can, though, you'll never regret it.
* If you are a neat-nut and germophobe, seeing what the Dyson sucks out of your "clean" carpet may cause a nervous breakdown.
* The mini turbine tool accessory doesn't work and shouldn't even be available. But that has nothing to do with the vacuum itself.

Like many buyers, I bought this after my Eureka started to work poorly (after only 5 years.) I hesitated, because of the price, but you get what you pay for. Also, I had spent as much on filters as I had spent on the previous vacuum.
My house is mostly carpeted, so I am glad I spent the money on the Dyson. It really picks up a lot and is very maneuverable. The attachments and the long reach wand enable me to clean areas that were previously inaccessible. I also like the fact that is is really easy to empty the dirt cup. Equally important is that the face plate over the brush can be removed for cleaning. I have long hair and there's no avoiding the fact that it will wind around the brush eventually. The tree-hugger in me appreciates the washable filter- no disposables in the landfills.
The only problems are that the crevice tool falls off whenever I use the hose and that the floor tool has to be stored separately. (That's why I only gave it 4 stars.) In spite of that, it's money well spent!

We have owned two Dirt Devil vacuums (one bag, one bagless) prior to this Dyson and we are very pleased with the Dyson so far.

Pros: This vacuum was engineered, not slapped together. Every connection, latch and compartment are easy to access and fit tightly when closed. Dumping the canister is extremely easy. Removing the lifetime filter for cleaning is simple. Being an engineer, I am quite impressed with how this vacuum was designed when compared to others we've owned.

The vacuum feels pretty light to carry around. We have a 3 story townhome so the vacuum is constantly carried up and down a couple flights of steps. The carry handle is near the middle of the vacuum, so to carry it around, your arm stays down along your body and you only have to lift the vac a couple inches off the ground to move it - less strain on your arm so it doesn't feel like it requires as much strength to lift it. I believe the vacuum weighs about the same as one of the old ones we had, and a little more than the other - but this one feels lighter when carrying it around.

The suction power is very good - but not going to "knock your socks off". It's about the same or a little bit better than a brand new vacuum. However, after 6+ months of usage, you can tell that the suction has not diminished, unlike other vacuums we've used.

We have two medium-long hair cats, and the vacuum-wand works very well on furniture and so forth. The vacuum does a great job at cleaning up the cat fur from our carpet too - a big plus compared to our old vacuums.

CONS:

COST! Has to be at the top of the list, because it is expensive. Time will tell if is going to be cheaper to buy this one compared to buying a new cheap one every year or so for several years. Personally, I would prefer to buy something that is built well and going to last rather than buying cheap stuff and throwing it away in a year. Landfills fill up faster, more natural resources are consumed, more energy is wasted to dispose of so much junk. I really do hope that this vacuum works as well as it does now in 5 years...

An annoying "grinding" "clicking" noise happens sometimes if the plastic shroud on the front makes contact with the spinning bristle brush. This happens occassionally if you try to set the vacuum upright after having the vacuum leaned back and the vac running. Also, if you bump the nose of the vac into a couch or wall or something you may hear that sound.

The vacuum works very well, and it picks up a lot of hair that others have missed. This means (for pet owners or long-haired people pehaps) that you'll have to dump the canister more often and clean the spinning brush more frequently as it picks up and holds the hair.

We spent about $410 for this vacuum.

I just bought this vac, and tried it on carpet and bare floor. This vac is well designed - most parts are snap on, and fit to each other very well. It is heavier than other vacs, but lighter than my old self-propelled one. So, I can live with that. Somewhere on the web, I read a review saying that the dust will pass the cyclon and be stopped by the HEPA filter, when the air flow has not form the right stage yet. I agree with this. Also the manual says turn on the vac first at the upright position, then pull the handle and move the vac. At the upright position, the vac pulls the air from the top of the handle. This (cleaner) room air will give the vac some time to start the cyclone action before you pull the handle when the air is sourced from the carpet beater area. Yes, it collected a lot of carpet lint. I believe that this depends on the quality of the carpet. My old hoover picked up a lot too. I feel more suction power from hoover, when I block the hose. This is just a static pressure (water head), and the suction power should be the product of pressure and air volume per time. Well, I do not have a flow meter handy, so I can not measure the air flow. I just hope that dyson sucks more air than hoover, as the manufacturer claims more suction power. I am glad that I do not have to buy any more dust bags and HEPA filter. The cost added up, especially the 10 dollar HEPA filter. Even if I have to wash the dyson HEPA filter every month (manual says every 6 months) I would gladly do it. No smell of the fine dust came out from the vac. I love it. The only question is, how long will this vac last? I will find out, and put another review.
I am very satisfied with this one.

After reading all the horror stories about the other bagless vacuums it just made more sense to bite the financial bullet and get the dyson. I don't have any prior experience with bagless machines that have filters that need to be replaced and lose suction almost immediately, according to the many postings, but I don't need to. The only thing that I read negative was that these machines have to much suction and are expensive. Once assembled, which was easy, this thing picked up everything. I know our German Shepherd sheds, but this is ridiculous. This is very easy to manuever, empty and to use the expandable hose. The expandable hose is a must if you have stairs!! Have the store demo all of the buttons and how everything comes apart it will save you some reading and time. My opinion is to spend the extra money and get one of these they work and work well. And if you can, get the DC14 line instead of the DC07. The 14 gives you a larger vacuum area and the expandable handle. The models are all the same just the accessories are different, the low reach was the best value for the accessories and if you wanted to get the animal attachment you save 10.00 off of the animal price, trust me we shopped it and compared. Yes they are expensive, but break down the cost of a decent bagless and the cost of replacing filters 30.00/yr or every six months like they recommend. And most people's bagless needs to be replaced within 2-3 years and they are dissatisfied after the first year as they lose suction. By the time you buy filters and 2 vacuums you have spent the same money. If you are not impressed with this machine then I feel sorry for you because nothing will make you happy.

This vacuum is a great performer and leaves your floors ultra clean. It picks up dust, dirt, sand, hair and then some.
I was amazed at how much dirt this vacuum picked up from my carpets! especially since I had vacuumed them just yesterday.
What makes it so outstanding is that it cleans so much better than other vacuums on the market.
The low reach tool is a must if you have furniture. However the other optional tools are not necessary unless you have animals.
Yes it's pricey...BUT at least when your finished you know that things are clean. One proof of this is that you will find youself dusting less often.
The telescopic wand is a big improvement over the DC07 although it takes a bit of getting used to.
The cord could have been retractable, but then there would be no improvement for the next model.
Overall it's worth the money and you will NOT be sorry that you bought this.

Pros:
Easy to use. Very adaptable system. Tools and manual cleaning system are at your fingertips. Very long power cord and attachment hose. Incredible suction. Emptying the bin is trivial, and essentially a clean process. Contrary to competitor claims, Dyson vacs do *not* spew dust into the house. In fact, the lifetime filter is user cleanable making the whole unit basically cost free--again, a trivially simple process.

Cons:

This thing sucks so hard that it's difficult to push on deep pile carpet. I called Dyson about this and they had me remove two very thin seals from the beater-bar head. The result completely fixed the issue. There was no apparent loss of cleaning capability. The power cord is exceptionally long. Unfortunately, it does not automagically retract. The long cord can get in ones way, however one does not have to move it from plug to plug as much. Yes, it's plastic. But other reviews have indicated reliability and good support from Dyson.

Both my wife and I find the Dyson to be an excellent purchase. We've had lots of problems with vacuums because of three dogs and long haired humans. This machine does a much better job of things and is much easier to use.

Worth the money? Time will tell. The reason why we selected Dyson is because of all the good reviews all over the Net. So far, it has exceeded our expectations.

I respect everyone's opinion and believe that I am entitled to my own as well - this is the best vacuum cleaner I have ever used. Period. On Saturday we went to Best Buy and got it, it was on sale (check it out). We contemplated about the Purple (animal) version but it is exactly the same unit and the difference was in accessories. I always asked our son to vacuum the house; on Sunday I tried it and could not let go of it. My house is always very clean and I could not believe the awful job our old vac was doing: I emptied 1 can PER ROOM. After cleaning the carpets just shined. This thing creates unbelievable suction. If you wonder about differences between it and DC07, get the 14; the wand extension from the top is so useful, and the filter is at the top now. I could just extend the wand any time, pop the accessory on it and clean everything. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it is made in Malaysia, but hey, what isn't? How many crappy vacuum cleaners have you bought so far? They say "We are not rich enough to buy cheap things" and I can attest to that 100% of the time. Bite the bullet and get this baby, you will know the difference in vacuuming.

Like:
-Suction. It is strong. It is more than a little disconcerting to see your filth fill up the clear container...be warned!
-It is lightweight, esp. compared to a Kirby.
-Buying refurbished for $309. Unit looked absolutely brand new, not a mark anywhere. Don't pay full price if refurb is available. (I'd have a tough time giving 4-5 stars if I paid over $500)
-The hose and tools work pretty slick. About three more feet of hose would be handy for doing stairs though (I have 10 stairs, a 90 degree bend, and 4 more stairs. Can't quite get to the last step.) We used it to do our ceramic floors and the unit rolled along with us without tipping over. It is overall a better implementation than I have seen on any other vacuum, but they are all a bit awkward to use, esp. if you get in tight spaces.
-No bags. Ever.

Could improve-
-Quality of latch that holds lid closed on clear dirt container. When you close it after opening, the plastic tab does not firmly snap into its retaining groove. Sort of just slides in, but does not give you positive feedback thing is securely closed. Durability over time is my concern.
-Others have said this. But a con of good suction, is that it will now pull up rugs and things you had no trouble vacuuming before. Hard to count this against Dyson, but it really disrupts your wokflow when you constantly have to stop and free the rug...and awkwardly attempt to hold it down to vacuum. SOme way to reduce suction (bypass airflow) when desired would be a great feature.
-Tools not real secure on top of dirt container. Especially the fabric tool. Sets in place ok, but with a very weak snap. Falls off occasionally.
-Switching the low reach tool attachment from bare floor to carpet mode is tricky to do with your foot. I always have to pick it up and fiddle.