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Dyson DC14 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner

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Brand: Dyson
Category: Kitchen

List Price: ~~$659.99~~
Buy New: $444.44
You Save: $215.55 (33%)

New (11)

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

285 reviews
Sales Rank: 37776

Color: Steel
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 24
Dimensions (in): 38 x 15 x 10

MPN: 00053
Model: DC14
UPC: 852184000532
EAN: 0852184000532
ASIN: B0002UW0FG

Release Date: October 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 281-285 of 285

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better than any other vacuum October 24, 2004
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I bought the dyson animal a few months ago after reading the reviews in Amazon. I have 8 dogs--all with long hair so the shedding is unreal! The dyson really does a great job. The suction is incredible. The only problem I have is with the roller brush in the head of the vacuum. The long dog hair just causes it to stop moving in a fairly short time. I find that I have to clean out the brush at least once every time I vacuum. And the hose extension is a bit awkward to use but also quite powerful. However, this vacuum is a fantastic improvement over all the other vacuums I have owned over the years.

4 out of 5 stars

Definitly out-performs other vacuums we have owned October 15, 2004
346 out of 352 found this review helpful

We have had the DC14 Animal less than a week, but so far we are amazed at it's performance. With 2 teenage kids, 2 Newfoundland dogs, a cat, a parrot and a finch, the floors see their fair share of dirt, hair, crumbs and feathers. We have mostly carpet with some hardwood floors with runners. This machine does an equally great job on all. Its is easy to push around and the long cord allows you to cover a lot of area without having to find another outlet. The wand is easy to use and, judging by the reviews on the DC07, an improved design. Instead of having to disconnect it from the hose, turn it around and re-connect it as noted on earlier reviews on the DC07, you just release it from the handle and extend it.

I don't put a lot of credit in the "sweep with old vacuum then sweep with new" to determine how much better the new unit is. I tried sweeping with the new unit and then swept again with the new unit and picked up more dirt. The test that convinced me that this does a better job is on an item that has never been succesfully cleaned with the old vacuum. We have a 2x4 dirt mat that is in front of the door between the garage and house. It is of a thick fiber material that catches and holds dirt and especially dog hair. Our old Hoover bagless has never been able to completely clean it. In order to remove the hair, we had to use a short stiff bristle brush and brush it out. The DC14 did the job. Did it do it in one swipe you ask? No. I had to sweep it good to get it clean but it did remove ALL the hair and dirt. I was definitly impressed.

We have not used the tools enough to form any kind of opinion on them yet. We have used the turbo brush on the furniture and it seems to do a decent job but I would recommend that you remove the handle from the hose and fit the brush on the end of the hose. It makes it much easier to use.

OK! That's the fluff. Now for the grit.
I guess nothing in this world is perfect. This is the second DC14 we have had in a week. The first unit made an awful ratcheting noise when we used it on the runners on the hardwood floor. I had seen other reviews that commented on this along with statements that it is a design feature to prevent damage to the life-long brush drive belt. If a rug gets sucked up into the brush and tries to stall the brush, a clutch begines to slip rather than burn the belt up. I called Dyson and they confirmed this. Good plan in theory. However, we had tried both the DC07 and the DC14 display models at the store. The section of carpet was similar to a throw rug. I could see the rug being sucked up to the head and hear the brush bar flogging the snot out of it and neither one of those machines ratcheted. In my case, the brush bar was turning and didn't sound like it was trying to stall so, assuming maybe the tension on the clutch on my machine was not set properly, I took it back and exchanged it for another. No more ratcheting sounds. I think Dyson needs a little more "Quality Control" on their clutch. I might add there is a good example why some items might be better purchased from a local store. Much less hassle if you do experience a problem.

All and all, we are very satisfied with the DC14. Only time will tell on it's durability. But in view of the fact it is an improved version of the DC07 and reviews have shown for the most part it holds up well, I expect this vacuum to last as long or longer than any other leading bagless vacuum currently on the market.

If it wasn't for the fact of having to take the first unit back, I would have given it 5 stars. I recommend the DC14.

5 out of 5 stars

The most amazing vacuum we've ever owned.... October 8, 2004
38 out of 39 found this review helpful

It was with great trepidation that we decided to plunk down over $500 for a vacuum cleaner. But with two golden retrievers, and 3 vacuums over the last half-dozen years that would never pick up the hair and lost suction quickly over the first months, we needed something better desperately. It's almost embharrasing to admit how excited I was over a vacuum cleaner after my first run through the house with it. But after picking up a tall kitchen bags worth of hair and dust from only about 1000 sq. ft. of recently vacuumed (with the old vacuum) carpet, I was truly amazed.

While it's certainly too early to tell how this thing will hold up, so far, I'm incredibly impressed. It's met all the expectations that I had and more. The handle / tube assembly seems a tad shaky too me (although that is probably part of the design - I've never used a vacuum where the handle itself turns into a sucking / hose utensil), but otherwise, the thing seems fairly well built. It does seem a bit plasticky, but the plastic doesn't seem thin (like another review stated) - but sturdy and pretty indestructible.

Since this is a new product, few reviews exist at this time. Unfortunately, one of the few current reviews was a one star due to the failure of a part. It's unfortunate that this occurred, but considering the incredibly positive reviews on the DC07 from Dyson, I would be willing to consider this a fluke. There will always be a defective unit here and there. The vacuum performs so well, it's worth the risk - and I hope (and expect) that this is a rare occurrence.

I can't say enough positive things about this device. If it lasts 3 years, it would be worth it and I would buy another.

5 out of 5 stars

It'll suck the paint off the walls! October 5, 2004
29 out of 30 found this review helpful

I had my doubts about paying this much for a vacuum at first, but my mother bought one and asked me to try hers out. It was AMAZING and I had to have one.

I put this machine to the test the first day I got it. First, I vacuumed a bedroom carpet with my beloved Hoover, then went over it again with the Dyson. The Animal produced a full container of dust, dirt and loose fiber that the Hoover missed.

I then used an older version of a Rainbow vacuum (about a $1500 machine that I "inherited" from my grandmother) on the living room carpet. I had always though very highly of this machine and expected little to be left behind. But again, after using the Rainbow on the room followed up by the Dyson, I got another cannister full of dirt, dust and fiber.

In short, this is probably the most powerful vacuum I've ever used, bar none. The hardwood attachment is a godsend (although the extension tube could be just a *little bit* longer. The air-driven pet hair removal tool is okay, but since it is not electrically driven, it doesn't have the adjitation I had anticipated - still, good for short pile area rugs and furniture.

Possibly the greatest feature of this machine is emptying the bin. I've always dreaded this process with other vacuums, but with the Dyson, one simply holds the bin over a trashcan and push the release button. That's it! No mess, no bags, no touching the dirt and dust and other disgusting things you're likely to pick up with this powerful machine.

The ONLY shortcoming of this machine that I can honestly point out is the documentation/instruction manual. It is very light on content and doesn't go into how to use the attachments properly (the hardwood floor tool has two settings and I'm certain that there must be an easier way to engage it than picking it up and using one's thumbs to click it in and out of place, but there's no mention of it in the user guide). This also makes assembling the machine for the first time only slightly challenging and not so intuitive, but these are minor gripes.

I can honestly say that this is the most powerful, quiet, convenient and easy to use vacuum that I've encountered. It truly does not loose power, even when the collection bin is full, and does everything that it claims in the TV, magazine and web advertisements.

Only time will tell if it is a long-lasting machine, but for now, I'm VERY satisfied with its performance and convenience.

1 out of 5 stars

Expensive piece of crap October 5, 2004
46 out of 84 found this review helpful

I had mine a whole 24 hours before it broke.

The brush control that they hype over and over stopped working...so all I had was suction. Suction won't clean a carpet. And, yes, it does have good suction...but that is not all a vacuum needs.

Tried calling their help line that they also hype in the literature that you get when you purchase the unit. They keep repeating "call the help line if you encounter a problem". Well...you only better encounter a problem during their normal business hours. This is like buying a Mercedes, breaking down, calling their roadside assistance and getting a recording to call back. Your breakdown is just not convenient for them at that particular time.

So, I tried their online help. That was not working. Maybe it got so overloaded that the site crashed. Their website is geared for sales, nothing else.

One thing I did notice while trying to get it to work...if you ever want to replace a belt (which is very straightforward on virtually all vacuums) you will have to take it in the shop.

The instruction manual is very, very poor. Not much is really explained and when you unpack the unit you end up with many pieces of paper and small booklets. None of which seem to jive.

The vacuum relies a lot on thin plastic (removable) pieces that seal with some gasketing material. Some of the gasketing material is very small and glued in place. When removing items some of the gasketing fell off.

They also advertise washable HEPA filter. Well, I believe this to be sorta true. Yes, there is a filter that you can wash...but there is another filter under the canister that I could not see a way to access it. Looks like another trip to the shop for a filter replacement when it's time.

Dyson also advertises the 17 foot retractable flexible hose. The only way you will get this hose to any close to 17' is if you bolt the vacuum to the floor. The vacuum will follow the hose after approx 8'.

I know negative reviews just sound like someone bitching and that positive reviews are easier to believe....So, if you want to spend over $500 for a vacuum of questionable durability and virtually no customer support, then this vacuum is for you. Go for it. I hope your gamble pays off.

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