Vacuums - Dyson, Hoover, Bissell???

white cat lover

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I'm lost!!

I've read rave reviews on the Dyson vacuums....not sure the $600 Animal is in my budget. Looked at the Dyson DC14 one, not sure if it's worth the $300, though.


Looked at Bissell's Animal ones....Lift Off Revolution Pet Vac & Pet Hair Eraser Dual Cyclonic Pet Hair Vacuum. Anyone own one? (They're $170 & $140 in comaprison to the Dysons)

I currently own a lovely Shop Vac of an unknown brand that has a long extension of the hose so I'm not worried about hose length. I have cheapie carpet on the stairs/family room/office/hall. However, I have expensive/once was nice carpet in the living room (which the dogs are doing mega damage to) as well as in 2 of the bedrooms.

Otherwise, we have a Dirt Devil bagless & an ancient blue one that is the "bag" kind....I think is a Hoover.

I'm OK with using the shop vac on the stairs & cheapie carpet....works fine for me. It's the dirt dad/the dogs have tracked in on the nice carpet upstairs & the cat hair on the bedroom carpet that I need a good vacuum to get up!!
 

cheylink

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I very recently went through this very same inquiry! I had a definite budget challenge and was relying on past personal experience as well as advice....... Dyson was the most recommended but to expensive. I favor Eureka and Hoover brands from past experience and bagged seemed more efficient in the price range I was looking into. Basically I found some great refurbished vacuums on Amazon.com at amazing prices. For some reason I decided to jump the gun and pick up a Hoover, upright, Windtunnel, from Home Depot....... Hoover isn't what it use to be!
First and most irritating is that the extension hose and pieces are way to short to use, they want you to buy another piece for easier cleaning, when really they mean to use it this way at all!
Second most and very irritating was the front panel that covers the base, where you change the bag, falls off, doesn't hold! I have to put a couple of pieces of tape on it!
Third is the warranty is shorter then the one offered for the refurbished Eureka that was originally twice the price!
If you purchase something your not satisfied with, don't hesitate to return it! I decided to deal with it, mistakenly!
 

sarahp

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Well, you know everyone who buys a Dyson absolutely raves about it, so if you can afford it, it would be a good investment.

You can buy factory reconditioned ones for a (relatively) good price: here and here
 
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white cat lover

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I'm not sure if the Dyson is in the budget....if it lasts, then it could be. But, we bought a new Dirt Devil 1-2 years ago & it's shot.
It depends on how easy the Dyson is to repair, etc.

I'm curious if anyone has tried the Bissell pet ones....as if I get a cheaper vacuum, I can afford to get a steam cleaner at the same time. If it doesn't last, then it's not really worth it. Getting a steam cleaner would be a big plus as I have a puppy who will probably never fully housetrain....she occaisonally has "poor aim" in regards to the piddle pad.


I definately want a bagless, I hate changing the bag in the vintage one I have.
 

starryeyedtiger

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The Dyson Animal DC-17 is the model DH got me for my wedding present -and i can not rave enough about it! It's fantastic!!! I will never have anything else now that i've used a Dyson. It's awesome on picking up fur and great for asthma/allergies!

It's not cheap, true- but it is a huge investment that should last you ages!
 

sarahp

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We've had our Dyson for 3 years with no problems whatsoever and regular use if that helps at all.
 
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white cat lover

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I was just worried that it would be such an expensive investment to make on a Dyson & then have it break in 3-5 years. We shall see what mom thinks. If I go for the Dyson, that means I'm stuck with the old steam cleaner....but I can live I suppose.
 

cheylink

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

I'm not sure if the Dyson is in the budget....if it lasts, then it could be. But, we bought a new Dirt Devil 1-2 years ago & it's shot.
It depends on how easy the Dyson is to repair, etc.

I'm curious if anyone has tried the Bissell pet ones....as if I get a cheaper vacuum, I can afford to get a steam cleaner at the same time. If it doesn't last, then it's not really worth it. Getting a steam cleaner would be a big plus as I have a puppy who will probably never fully housetrain....she occaisonally has "poor aim" in regards to the piddle pad.


I definately want a bagless, I hate changing the bag in the vintage one I have.
Even bagless, you have to clean out the canister, more often then change bags, and some clean filters as well...........
 

sarahp

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Say it lasts 5 years, and you get a $300 Dyson. That's $60/year, or $5/month. Is it worth $5/month to have fabulous looking fur free carpet??
 
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white cat lover

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I'm worried with the sheer numbers here, I don't know that even a Dyson can survive 5 years. I've got at least 5 cats & 3 dogs....plus fosters.

Dang, I'm the World's Most Indecisive Person!
 

cheylink

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

I'm worried with the sheer numbers here, I don't know that even a Dyson can survive 5 years. I've got at least 5 cats & 3 dogs....plus fosters.

Dang, I'm the World's Most Indecisive Person!
No matter what you decide on, you are going to have to be consistent with the maintenance. A Dyson will definitely last if you properly care for it. If you are looking for something you don't have to maintain, good luck! With a multi pet house hold, you have multi home cleanup challenges. More cleaning needs calls for higher performance cleaner. Regardless you still need to maintain the needs of cleaner to obtain highest performance......
 

natalie_ca

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I have a Dyson Animal. I think it's model 14. It's a nifty purple colour anyway


I absolutely love it! I've had cyclonic vacuums in the past, but the suction on this one is absolutely amazing. It claimed to never lose suction, and I put it to the test and didn't empty the cannister until it was full to the very top, and that vacuum had the same suction when full as it did when empty!

There is an attachment that comes with it called a "Turbine Brush" or something. It doesn't have a motor in it and is driven purely on the suction of the machine. It has a brush like the brush in the power head of a cannister vacuum. That tool is so amazing! Between the suction, and the rotating brush, it makes vacuuming my furniture an absolute snap.

I've got a bad back and vacuuming furniture is very hard on me, and just to do 1 love seat, 1 couch, 4 kitchen chairs would sometimes take me 2 or 3 days because of the push pull action required with the regular bristle style furniture tool on my other vacuum. Now with the Turbine Tool it takes me about 15 minutes total to do all of my furniture.

The first time I used it I couldn't believe how much cat dander it got out of my couch and love seat. There was more than an inch of what looked like drywall dust packed into the bottom of the cannister and that was after my furniture had been vacuumed with my old vacuum cleaner, which was also a cyclonic vacuum called a Phantom Fury. I also hadn't realized that my black furniture had been looking grey-ish because my other vacuum was only doing surface cleaning.

I have allergies to dust and cat dander and even after vacuuming with my old vacuum, I was constantly stuffed up and sneezing in my living room. The only time I stuff up and sneeze now is towards the end of the week when the cat hair and cat dander build up.

The girl who comes to clean twice monthly absolutely loves my vacuum. In fact she likes it so much that she wants her husband to get her one too. She can't believe how much hair and dust/dander that it picks up each time she's here, and that's with 2 cats. She has 6 cats.

It's an awesome machine! I was very fortunate that I managed to get mine absolutely free using my air miles rewards. I didn't even have to pay for shipping costs.

I've had it since November last year and it's been a total dream. Chynna even likes it better than my old one. She absolutely loves getting vacuumed with the turbine tool
 

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I decided the cost for the dyson 18 was too high so I opted for one I paid about $300 for (Hoover).

I've regretted it almost from the beginning. It's just not the best. I can tell it's cheap. Well cheaper made than the dyson. It requires more maintenance than I'd have imagined, and the worst part, oh the worst part, I have a fairly new area rug in my living room. when vacuum it i get TONS of red fuzz in the vacuum. It doesn't just come out either. I have to take the canister apart, and use tongs or something to get that high up to get it out. And it also gets in the tube on the foot, as well as the little tubs on the back. I literally have to take it apart each time i vacuum or it will clog up so bad it doesn't even suck.

Never again. I live my life with a pretty stupid but end user friendly process. "You never regret buying the best". But to me, the first time I've ever had to buy a vacuum, I decided it was just a vacuum, who cares? so i got one for half the price...

Never again. next time it's dyson, and i've only had this hoover for 8 months now and I'm strongly considering replacing it.
 

meoww88

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The Dyson is very good, I have had one for about 3 years now ,I bought mine second hand and it works like a trooper, if you can get one second hand it will be a lot cheaper but I reckon it will be worth it.
 
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