Hype Check: Dyson DC24 Vacuum Cleaner
Dyson D24 Vacuum Cleaner
Why it's different: Though generally rather awesome, past Dyson vacuum cleaners have suffered from being too heavy and bulky, with buttons hidden in very hard-to-reach (and unintuitive places). The new DC-24 is only 11.6 pounds -- much more powerful than a Dustbuster-style vac, yet far smaller and more maneuverable than a typical upright vacuum cleaner.
What we like: The DC24 uses Dyson's patented new Ball tech -- essentially, a big orange ball that serves as the rolling mechanism for the unit. It's rather revolutionary in terms of the mobility and turning radius: moving a vacuum around your floor has never been this fun. While traditional vacuum cleaners feel like they're stuck on invisible tracks, this one turns and pivots around any household with ease, effortlessly gliding across the floor. Like all Dyson vacs, the DC24 really does live up to the claims of controlled suction – it works on all surfaces with virtually the same suction power. We really noticed the difference when we moved from one surface to another –- the DC24 didn't struggle or even seem like it was adjusting. The canister is super easy to empty (though it fills up very fast, which probably says something about the cleanliness of our floors than anything else). The overall body is small and compact, so if you're not into displaying the well designed vacuum, you can easily store in small places.
What we don't like: The handheld wand -- while improved over previous Dyson iterations -- is still a bit of a struggle to use. The hose conveniently collapses back into its original form when you're not cleaning with it, but is just sorta painful to actually use -- it's not as flexible as we would have liked, and doesn't work symbiotically with the rest of the unit. This might be less of an issue if there was some sort of "lock mode" that prevented the vacuum from moving around, of if the wand were made of a more lightweight, flexible material.
What it costs: $399
What it costs: $399
Does it live up to the hype? Dyson's DC24 is an awesome vacuum cleaner. It makes cleaning your home something to look forward to (not even just for the anal-retentive among us), and improves significantly upon Dyson's already solid foundation. It's cheaper than other Dyson models by $100, but it's still comes in at a cool four bills -- a bit out of the average vacuum cleaner budget. But the thing comes with lifetime HEPA and washable filters (read: no bags to buy, ever), and a five-year warranty, looks great, feels great, and sucks real hard (in a good way). If you've got the cash, you won't be disappointed.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ashram @ Apr 12th 2008 11:10PM
The problem with Dyson vacuum cleaners are that they are still prone to clogging and losing suction, despite the claims of the inventor.
In addition, disposing of dust from the collection bin is, by itself, a rather messy affair. Manufacturers of bagless vacuum cleaners have gone so far as to suggest using a bag to put the dust in! If you have to go to the trouble of doing that, you may as well stick with a simple bagged vacuum cleaner.
As for which bagged vacuum cleaners are good: canister models by Miele or Simplicity. These two companies produce truly high quality products with superior performance. Granted, just like Dyson, these products will also cost you a bit more, but, unlike Dyson, they are designed and built to last for decades and have rather generous warranties with excellent customer support to bolster that fact.
If you are going to buy a Dyson, use the money to buy a Miele or a Simplicity instead.
jknichols @ Apr 13th 2008 4:06AM
I have owned my Dyson for about 3 years now. I don't remember which model it is (it's the purple one), but I absolutely love it. I can't even imagine it being improved upon. I have 3 very large dogs that shed constantly. Every other vacuum cleaner that I have ever owned clogged with dog hair constantly and it would sometimes take 1/2 hour just to find the clog and another 1/2 hour to take the vacuum apart to remove it. What's worse, with repeated use, they would all start to lose suction and it got to the point that they would clog like every 15 minutes. Vacuuming became such a dreaded chore that I gave it up altogether and just lived with dirty carpets.
When I first got my Dyson, I must have picked up like 30 canisters of accumulated dog hair in my living room alone. The Dyson didn't clog not once! I was amazed! And emptying the canister is extremely quick and easy. With 3 shedding dogs, I would be changing bags constantly in a bagged vacuum.
After 3 years, my Dyson still has the same suction that it had the day I bought it. I only recall one clog in 3 years and that only took minutes to find and remove because all of the parts are see through and easily removable. It is now a joy to vacuum and my carpets are always clean and dog hair free.
The $400 that I paid for my Dyson was definitely more than I had ever dreamed of spending on a vacuum, but after owning it for 3 years, I would say it is worth every penny.
Jeff @ Apr 13th 2008 7:32AM
I also have the purple dyson, think it was called the animal. Spent around 400 on it.
Having a 90 pound golden retriever we've been putting this vacum to the test. For about the last 4 years. Not only are we amazed every time we vacum our house,1-2 times a week. But we can't believe that it still works just the same after this time period.
The wand extension is very easy to use on this model. Though as mentioned the hosing is a bit on the stiff side.
Empying the canister is a snap. You remove it, put it over the garbage can and push the red button down, the bottom pops open and a couple of shakes and clean.
Their is some maintenance with this vacum. For one about every 6 months the brushes have to be cleaned as to remove the dog hair that has wrapped around them.
And about every 3 months or so I take apart the canister and clean the inside and out. With hot water the dust just washes away. And I clean the HEPA filter at this time as well. Which basically like wringing out a sponge.
One other thing is this vacum is indeed heavy.
IMHO this is the best vacum I ever used. I would buy a Dyson again in a heart beat.
dawn turner @ Apr 13th 2008 9:49AM
My yellow Dyson was junk before it was even a year old. It lost suction. The company sent me a replacement part to fix it and it didn't work. Dyson=JUNK. I now use a Kirby and there is NO comparison.
Michael Drips @ Apr 13th 2008 11:30AM
I own the yellow DC-14 Dyson, which I bought off of Woot.com as a refurbished unit and it is awesome! My wife and I have owned several vacuums over the years including some very expensive Hoovers and other leading brands, but the bottom line is that the Dyson outperforms all of them. It is easy to use, easy to push and easy to clean. Totally worth the money. Yes it's all plastic but as long as you respect that, you will love a Dyson.
John @ Apr 14th 2008 11:51AM
I here what these people are saying. But even at three years for a five hundred dollar cleaner!! That's not really ecconomical? If you have got that kind of money to blow,great! But their are plenty of cheaper models that do just as good or better according to Consumer guides. Bag vaccums can do very well, it's just people do not change them often enough. I would prefer changing a bag over dumping out into a can anyday. Bagless, cleaners are certainly not going to save a lot of money over a bag cleaner.
Chris @ Apr 16th 2008 4:33PM
I just purchased a Dyson (Total Clean) a little over a month ago. I have a couple of pets that romp through my house and I thought my vac. was doing a good job until I bought a Dyson. I have never been happier. My oriental rug actually got brighter after using it. My house has never been cleaner or so efficient to clean. My house actually smells cleaner after using my Dyson and that has never happened with any other vacuum.
The first time I used my Dyson (one of my buddies requested I do this) I used my old vac. first. I ran it like I normally would. Then I plugged in the Dyson and ran it over the same stretch of carpet. I had to dump the cannister three times due to the amount of pet hair it picked up and the colors in the rug looked brighter and new.
I would never recommend another vacuum to anyone and I have owned supposedly some of the "best".
DysonFan @ Apr 14th 2008 12:39PM
I did alot of research prior to buying my Dyson. $450 is alot of money to me and I was skeptical that a vacuum could really be that good. I read alot of vacuum cleaner reviews, both professionally written and from consumers. I read good review after good review about the Dyson, so after returning 3 others that I hated, I decided to take the plunge and give it a try.
I have owned alot of vacuums, even ones that have received excellent reviews from sources such as Consumer Reports, but none could even come close to the Dyson. When it comes to pet hair, I don't think there is a better vacuum. At least I've never found it.
As someone above me said, the others all lose suction and then are no longer powerful enough to carry the pet hair all the way up the hose, resulting in clogs about every 15 minutes. The Dyson NEVER loses suction. Which means it NEVER clogs.
And if you own pets that shed, I bagged vacuum just doesn't cut it. You have to change the bags way too often. It's not economics, it's convenience. Emptying the canister is easy, but changing bags is a pain. Not to mention how frustrating it is to discover you're out of bags right when you need them.
It's funny, prior to buying my Dyson, I laughed about how almost cult-like many Dyson reviewers sounded as they sang the praises of their Wonderful Dyson. Now after owning mine for awhile, I am proud to be a full-fledged member of that cult! I have even convinced both my mom and sister to buy one. They don't even own pets and they love it!
Dorothy @ Apr 16th 2008 1:45PM
I've owned a Dyson Vacuum for about 3 years and am still amazed at it's trouble-free performance, ease of use and maintainance.
It is far superior to the much heavier Kirby I owned prior to the Dyson. While the Kirby cleaned well, it clogged often, held odors, and bag changing was a messy chore. ( I do have a long haired Bearded Collie dog)
Tired of the frequent expensive cost of repairs and part replacements, I purchased a yellow Dyson,and haven't had need for even one repair or replacement part. The ease of use and emptying is amazing
A simple as well as an eco-friendly way to empty it, is to recycle paper or plastic grocery bags. Place the full canister at the BOTTOM of the bag, pull the trigger, then close the bottom of the canister half-way up inside the bag. Just close or tie the grocery bag and place in the trash.
The hose/wand is a bit stiff, but the machine is otherwise amazing and well worth the purchase price.
Denise @ Apr 16th 2008 3:59PM
I loved my first Dyson so much (the animal model). For Christmas I asked for a second one for our country home, the DC24 mentioned in the review. We have a Hoover at that house and it is terrible. I love my new Dyson especially because it is so light and fun to use. My first Dyson is great also but a bit heavy to use. We have 5 cats so the attachments that came with the vaccum come in very handy. And I love that there are no messy bags to deal with.
eleefece @ Apr 20th 2008 4:08PM
Bumblebee wants his spare parts back
hln @ May 9th 2008 6:41AM
Just got the Dyson DC25, the bigger model of this DC24 that is reviewed here. I have to say one thing that this thing is freaking awesome. The raw power of the unit is incredible. A warning to families with small dogs and cats, you might loose them if you are not careful :)
Anyways, this vacuum is just amazing at picking up dirt, hair in our carpet. The thing I love most is the ability to dust with the wand (a bit hard to use) but this is great. I hate dust on my home office desk, keyboard and iMac screen. I use this once and I am dust free for a few days now.
To those that are trying to rationalize about bag vacuums and how Dyson isn't great, I bet you own one of those Orecks or others right? Please stop trying to write reviews without actually owning a Dyson.
Dyson is like a fine BMW, Mercedes Benz or even Ferrari. I have a better one. Dyson is like an Apple iPhone. Wow, Mr. Dyson must be the long lost brother of Steve Jobs :)
I love my Dyson DC25 and willing to pay twice its price for it. Really, it is that good. This is the best vacuum on the planet.