BEST EVER CLEANER! ......TERRIER PROOF?

ATTENTION ALL TERRIER OWNERS! This is the first vacuum I have ever owned which my Jack Russell won't attack. It may be that the motor has a different tone, but apart from an initial bark (JUST HAD TO!)she ignores it and lets me get on with the job and it picks up every hair!! This is my first Dyson, apart from my handheld. This is truly the best ever cleaner, light and easy to use. I reeled with shock at the amount of dirt it removed from my carpet which had been cleaned the day before with my old cylinder. I can't believe how I have struggled with my old cleaner all these years, now I am actually enjoying what used to be a chore. Amazons price as ever was excellent, as was their free delivery.

Over-rated. Cleans well but flawed engineering

Yes, it cleans well but ignore the hype, it's no better than many other cheaper models now available.

Good points:
* Good"suck"
* Cleans carpets and wooden floors well
* You can see when it's getting full
* No bags

Bad points:
* It's quite heavy
* It's poorly engineered, in particular, the tools are very flimsy
* The hose splits very easily and is a pig to repair
* Spare tools are quite expensive
* Fitting new drive belts is frustratingly difficult (I'm a professional engineer!)

In summary, we got terminally fed up with ours after 2 years and threw it out with the hose split for the 5th time and the drive belt gone (again) and some of the tool connections damaged beyond repair. I can't imagine being built in China will improve Dyson quality. We've since bought a Vax which is far better built and cleans just as well. Shame, we wanted to buy British but this Dyson is a great concept with British Leyland circa 1977 build quality.

Very Compact

After our DC04 gave up the ghost we decided to look around for a new vacuum - I like Dysons but my wife found the DC04 to be heavy and cumbersome. This new DC25 Animal is great - the same"Ball" concept as the DC15 but much more compact - not too tiny like the DC24 which would only be of use in a flat due to the tiny dust bin. The only downside with these latest Dysons is they have shorter power cables so you need to change socket for different rooms but that's just me being lazy. In short this is really powerful cleaner and with a 5 year guarantee should last a bit longer than the DC04.

So it sucks

I can't understand the fuss. As a renowned design this is just about the most awkward vacuum I have ever used. Cumbersome, heavy terrible for taking apart to clean stairs so annoying the whole process. Never again buy this label!!!!

Oh joy!!

Yes, after 14 months of sheer frustration with a Hoover Dust Manager-Pets (see my review of THAT one!) I have finally given up and bought myself another Dyson.
What can I say - but I have just used it for the first time and it is an absolute JOY to use. It sucks like a demon - you can physically see it lifting the carpet as you go. Lovely big dust/dirt chamber that empties with the flick of a button.
I got about 10yrs faithful service from my old Dyson (DC01) and just wish I'd stuck with the brand instead of opting for the horrid Hoover.
Just can't recommend Dyson enough - FANTASTIC!!

A Very Good Cleaner

I bought one of these a few weeks ago and it is very good - does exactly what it says that it does. Emptying the dust out is now just a push button job, and changing floor surface from hard floors to carpets and back is a simple rotating switch. For some reason the wand slips out of the tube when it is stretched, which I haven't managed to solve yet, so I have given it four stars not five. Although Dyson are generally so good that it wouldn't surprise me if this is my mistake not theirs!

Excellent!

Easy to put together and picks up even more after old vacumn was used minutes earlier.

Easy to handle and move.

Only drawback is a bit noisy.

Delighted with Sebo 4x

I have just purchased a Sebo 4x vacuum cleaner and I am delighted with it
very easy to use the dusting brush also good on hard floors and the long lead is very useful.

great suction

i previously owned a dirtdevil hoover which was absolute rubbish as it didn't pick up at all.
This hoover has excellent adjustable suction. Our carpets look really clean now and you can hear it picking up bits. you only have to go over an area once and it was so quick for me to hoover the whole house, i saved so much time. the turbo tool is good for doing the stairs and it also comes with a dusting tool and crevice tool. I found it easy to use and very efficient. the only downsides are that its a little heavy and you have to assemble it yourself. However on these points the assembly took us 10 mins with two people and was very straightforward. The weight of it is slightly more than some other hoovers but lighter than my last one and still very easily manouverable and has swiveling casters to get round corners etc. I would lightly recommend this hoover to anyone looking for a hoover with great suction.

better than bissell.............

Nearly bought a dyson a year ago but for some reason ended up with the lift off Bissell..... Well thet lasted a full 14months before it blew up and so we now have what i should have got in the first place, the dyson dc14... Light, quiet does what its meant to do with no fuss, what more can I say, PERFECT and for £149.00 from amazon what a deal but it shot up £80 the day after I got one????????

Powerful Sucker!

I ordered this vacuum to replace a 10-year old Panasonic upright on which the drive belt to the rotating brushes was slipping so that the brushes rarely rotated. With a house cat who joyfully and liberally distributes her fur wherever she walks, a powerful suction and best quality filter were vital. As I am an asthma sufferer I'd decided against one of the popular bagless vacuums, preferring to be able to detach and dispose of a bag of dust without the risk of being engulfed by clouds of the stuff!

The Electrolux Z2256A appealed to me at first glance on three counts: at 1800w it was even more powerful than my existing variable 1400w cleaner (which, when it worked well, was very efficient), it had a HEPA filter, and a large capacity disposable bag. What finally swayed my decision to go for it though was the additional 'turbo brush' that fits on the hose - at last my stair carpet could be fur-free too - and something referred to in the specification as a 3-to-1 hose, a 'super stretchy' hose - no more being biffed on the back by the vacuum as it topples backwards each time I reach away from it with the hose!

The vacuum arrives with the handle dismantled, but it is only a moment's simple work to attach it. I puzzled for a little while over how to attach the hose and the turbo brush holder, but all in all it was pretty simple, and not many minutes to put it all together ready to use. The tools - a flat ended tube to attach to the hose for getting into those crevices and corners, with a small upholstery brush to attach to the end of it - are stored on board (some seem a little clumsily attached but they haven't fallen off yet). I was disappointed to find that there is no additional extension tube for the flat ended tube - something I found useful with my old cleaner to save having to stoop. The turbo brush unit snaps neatly into a little plastic trough that itself clips firmly onto the front of the handle. When it's all put together the cleaner bears a remarkable resemblance to the villain from Star Wars, but it lives its life stored out of sight, so this isn't an issue (it has meant that from the first moment it will ever after be referred to in this house as Darth Vader!).

On the negative side, so far as the components goes, something that did disappoint as it was contrary to the indications of the written spec was that the super stretchy 3-to-1 is an additional hose - the one attached to the vacuum is of standard construction and, oh ouch, getting biffed on the back is sadly not consigned to the past. Also there doesn't appear to be anywhere for it to be hooked on the cleaner, so if you need to use it you must remember to carry it from the cupboard when you get the cleaner out to start. It is possible to hook it over the stored upholstery brush when putting the cleaner away, but I just find this irritating - the super stretchy hose is made much of by Electrolux as a selling point, and yet it gives every appearance of an after thought when you actually get the cleaner.

So far as cleaning - it does the job superbly. It is quite noisy - but then it's very powerful so that is to be expected. It fair flies across the carpet almost as if it can't wait to clean! There is an easy adjustment dial on the front for different heights of carpet pile to ensure it moves easily even on thick pile, and brushes deep on shallow pile. The turbo brush is amazing, but it is rather frightening! My cat was out of the door like a shot, and even I found the screaming sound it emitted unnerving. Once again though it is very powerful, which is what I wanted, so I'm happy to get use to the noise.

The one final small negative is the very 'thin plasticky' foot pedal that you press to release the handle in order to start vacuuming. I just fear this is going to break as it needs quite a hard pressure to release and yet it feels very fragile.

All in all the cleaner 'does what it says on the box' extremely well, but the slightly disappointing selection and attachment of the tools prevents me from giving it five stars.

ADDENDA: After using this vacuum for a few months now I have to make two more observations, both sadly negative, and because of them I would reduce to 3 stars, but I don't seem able to do this. Regarding the noise level, the 'screaming' noise is seriously unsettling and uncomfortable when using the machine upright in any small room, and is near to unbearable if your ears get close to it when bending down using the tools on the hose. I'm certain if it were a tool used in a workplace Health & Safety requirements would dictate the use of ear protectors. I really have found it unpleasant to the point that I'm considering replacing the cleaner already because of it.

The other disappointment is the lack of any variable speed, or suck. There is a simple on/off rocker switch, and the suck is so powerful (a plus in many situations of course) that I'm doubtful it's suitable for furnishings as it sucks fabric into the hose quite ferociously, and the power head particularly shouldn't be used as it can damage fabric. In my haste one day I made the mistake of lifting the cleaner over a bed whilst it was still running, lowered it a second too early with the result that the quilt edge was dragged into the brushes. Despite immediately switching off, the quilt cover was mangled and permanently scarred with thick black stripes which actually appear to be deep burn marks. This was my error of course, but again the ferocity of the machine unnerved me, and I think in future I will choose one where the power can be made available when required and reduced when not.

Dangerous product

I would not recommend anyone to purchase this device.

Within a week of purchase my wife suffered a serious electric shock when the carpet beater stripped the power cable of insulation as the cable became momentarily trapped in the beater.

The cleaner is really light weight, powerful and handy. However, it is clearly dangerous and using it carries a very high risk.

Old guy 78 Edinburgh - (I have a dog)

I think that this machine performs every bit as well as a Dyson about a third of the Price (previous one). I have had it for three months. It gets an excellent crit.in 'Which', that's why I bought it. However you do have to empty the cylinder and clean the the filter often, if you do not it will stop until one or both these functions have been sorted,no hardship.

Very good vacuum

I have had this vac for years now and it is still great. It's not great for stairs, as the hose doesn't extend easily at all & the vac wants to follow you up/down the stairs, so that is only reason not got 5*'s.
I just wish vax did a good non upright one, as I find them easier to use.

excellent and durable

I have never left a review for a product before, but as i have owned my Sebo for ten years or more I thought it may be useful to remark on the Sebo`s durability.

When we first bought our Sebo we were so impressed with its performance that we would get it out to show visitors just how good it was and how smoothly it would glide. It never failed to impressed, even if people thought we were a little odd showimg off our vacuum cleaner like a new car. Several of our friends consequently bought one for themselves and they were all delighted with its performance.

We have never had any problem with our machine and I am only now thinking of having it serviced, just because we have had it so long. I am no expert at cleaning but i am rather dirty and my Sebo gets lots of use.

The only negative thing I can think to say about our Sebo is that it just wont break, so I cant buy a new one to show off to my friends.

Badly designed, badly made...

I can't quite believe that I am writing a review about a vacuum cleaner, but this one has enough flaws to warrant the effort. There are several reasons why this is not a good buy:
- When you carry the thing upstairs holding the top handle it causes the frame to flex slightly and the cylinder that holds the dirt pops out. The cylinder itself has a spring-loaded door (for ease of emptying) and if you are unlucky the door will open as the cylinder bounces down the stairs. The other handle is attached to the cylinder itself so if you try to pick the thing up using that handle, the cylinder just comes away, leaving the rest of the machine behind. So you end up having to carry the thing upstairs cradled in your arms like a rather heavy and dusty baby.
- The stretchy hose is attached to a hard plastic tube that plugs into an extension tube and the accessories. Within weeks the stretchy hose had become detached from the hard tube. A few weeks later the hard plastic extension tube split at the join. So these items are made from cheap materials and will definitely not last, however you treat them.
- When not in use, the stretchy hose is draped over a hook with either end attached to a bracket. The trouble is that once you have used the hose a few times it doesn't quite return to its original size. Once you've reached that point it will not stay on the hook - it falls off whenever you move the cleaner about.
- Emptying the cylinder is easy if you just want to dump the dust, but to do it properly you have to take out the filter and give that a good clean as well. It's a job best done well away from the house, and preferably downwind.
On the plus side, the suction from the 1700 watt motor is good.

So, if you live in a bungalow and never want to use the stretchy hose, this might be the ideal vacuum cleaner for you. If not, I would recommend that you keep looking.