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70 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy it - you won't be disappointed!, April 23, 2008
I have been considering a Dyson vacuum for over a year - the high price was always a concern, along with wondering if the performance was really THAT GOOD. I was hoping a friend would get one so I could borrow it, but my friends haven't cooperated! We just got a dog about a month ago, and she's started shedding, so I thought that it was the perfect time to take the plunge into the Dyson pool of satisfied customers. I was a little conflicted about the re-manufactured Dysons, but until I see how the brand performs, spending over $500 was beyond my budget. I bought from Amazon because an extra one-year warranty is included.
I ordered the vacuum YESTERDAY and it arrived today (thanks to Amazon Prime free shipping!). Assembly took about 5 minutes after unpacking all the accessories. The manual is a little strange, but you can figure it out yourself by just looking at the unit. All you have to do is put the handle with the telescoping rod into the main body. My vacuum seems to be in new condition and still has that new-plastic smell. It's actually quite pretty with its purple highlights.
Now, to the test...I had just vacuumed (previous vacuum is a Eureka) the strip of carpeting from our kitchen into the living room, which is the main high-traffic area in our house. The berber carpet is beaten down, even though it's only about 5 years old, because we walk over this area many times a day. The nap is pretty shot, so I wasn't expecting a great result. But I was surprised and pleased to see that the carpet looks cleaner after using the Dyson.
When you first turn on the vacuum, it seems quiet compared to other vacs - I have a Eureka Boss SmartVac, and the Dyson is much quieter in comparison. But it does have a high-pitched whine in operation that might bother some people, so ear plugs or a set of headphones might be a good thing. I usually listen to the radio on a Walkman (remember those??) while I vacuum, so it won't bother me. The dog doesn't seem to enjoy it, though.
I got a LOT more dust, dirt and hair up from the carpet. In fact, I wonder if all that hair is from the dog we just got, because she hasn't been here that long! OK, well, so far, so good. I emptied the bin of the Dyson, which is easy and quick, just one button and done. I changed the bag on the Eureka and vacuumed the hallway from the living room to the bedrooms. The Eureka really sucks down onto the carpet *hard* when the bag is changed, but I'm not sure it is still getting ALL the dirt. It's hard to push and feels as if I am almost pulling the carpet up as I go.
The Dyson is much easier to push and as I vacuum, I wonder if it's really even doing anything, yet once again, when I go over the same area and check the dust bin, sure enough, there is another pile of dirt, dust, and hair. I wondered as I read other reviews whether people were just not used to seeing the stuff their vacuums picked up, because of the bags, so they merely *thought* the Dyson was getting more, but my two little tests have convinced me.
I also read Consumer Reports and they do not give the Dyson a very good score, not compared to other vacuums. That gave me pause, because I do take their reviews into consideration. But this time, I'm glad I didn't let their reviews keep me from buying this machine. Everywhere I went on the 'net, it was people absolutely RAVING over their Dyson. Now I'm one of them!!
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Multiple cats? This is the one., May 3, 2008
I hemmed and hawed about getting one of these for months, then finally went for it. I just finished vacuuming the house with the Dyson D17 Animal, and I love it. I got the remanufactured one for $319.99, and shoot, I just saw that it went down to $299.99. (EDIT: Due to the post-price guarantee I should be able to get my $20 back) That's the best price I can find anywhere, (especially with super saver shipping and no tax). I ordered it using super saver shipping and it arrived in 5 days. First, the remanufactured item: I was a little concerned, but found that I needn't have been. The box was a little weird, turned inside out so the pictures were on the inside. The box was also a little damaged, but everything was inside, all sealed and packaged like new, not a scratch, and it works perfectly.
Next, getting used to the thing: it took me a while to figure out you just stomp on the front end to make it go (what I get for not looking closely at the diagram). My old vac had a thing on the back end to release the front. And using the wand takes a little getting used to, but once you've got it, it's actually easier than my old vac (which was a Dirt Devil upright). The Dyson is quieter, lighter, and stronger than the Dirt Devil, and so much easier to dump the dirt, which is good because it picks up more, so you might have to dump it out more often. If you're used to losing suction as a signal to dump the dirt, you won't get that signal here - it really does keep suction power constant all the time, and you'll have to check to see that it's full.
I have three indoor cats that shed a lot, and two tall cat-condo things with platforms. Anyone with those knows how furry they get. This definitely does the job.
ATTACHMENTS: There are three attachments that don't fit on the machine, so you'll have to keep them somewhere else. The low-reach floor tool is kinda weird, not sure I'll ever use that. The mini-turbine head is cool, and works great on carpeted stairs. Then there's another brush suction thing - another one I probably won't use. The rest of the attachments fit on the machine and work great - crevice, brush, and stair tools.
HOT TIP: Use what they call the Stair Tool on almost anything, with the little attachment put right on the hose. The red lint-brush strips on the bottom are fantastic, and it works great for de-furring cloth covered furniture sooo much better than brushes.
ANOTHER TIP: Sometimes I need to use just the hose with an attachment and clean 'by hand'. The wand needs to be removed to use just the hose. I thought, where am I going to put this wand? Answer: Right back on the machine where it usually goes. I can pull the machine around if I need to and then quickly reassemble it for floor cleaning.
BOTTOM LINE: Since the price just went down some more, if you've been thinking about getting one of these, go ahead because you'll be glad you did. You get the extra year warranty as part of the deal, so why not?
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!, April 22, 2008
I'm so glad I bought this vacuum! I wouldn't be able to tell that it was refurbushed if I didn't know better. It's kind of gross but seeing how much dirt gets picked up makes vacuuming fun! It's not a light vacuum but I expected it to be much heavier after reading the reviews. Seriously it's awesome and I wish I would have bought one much sooner.
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