I am not really a big comment leaver but this doesn't mean I don't enjoy your reviews! :) xx
I am not really a big comment leaver but this doesn't mean I don't enjoy your reviews! :) xx
Member since:19.12.2005
Reviews:102
Members who trust:75
Well, my good old Dyson DC04 finally gave up the ghost a while ago and died on me in spectacular fashion. I was a bit upset as it was a good hoover but at the same time mildly excited at the prospect of buying a new one. Pretty boring purchase I know, but for a shopoholic like me it's not so much the purchase but the spending of money that attracts. LOL
Anyway, we browsed the Internet doing price comparisons on the new Dyson hoovers and finally made our minds up on the Dyson DC14 Animal!
We brought it through Co-op electrical and it cost £204.99 with a delivery charge of £9.99. This was a bargain as far as I am concerned as Argos is selling this online for £284.95. A massive saving as far as I can see! It really pays to shop around and try and buy online.
This comes in the standard large oblong cardboard box. They are very sturdy and the hoover will not be knocked around inside as there is lots of thick cardboard packaging.
Once inside the hoover is pretty much already assembled. You get the main motor part of the hoover, the hose and the wand to assemble. This is really easy. It all clicks together with no problem and the instructions are very easy to follow. There is a large wedge of polystyrene in the brush compartment, which you have to remove before it will click into place in order to hoover. Also there is a piece of yellow tape on the brush selection, which has to be pulled off.
Once it is all assembled you are faced with a handsome purple and grey animal!
As
my carpets hadn't been hoovered for five days or so, I was desperate to put this beauty to use and plugged in straight away. The first thing I noticed was that although the cord was very long (9.3m) it arrives coiled in small circles so when you first unwind it the shape tries to stay that way and it takes a bit of tugging to get all unravelled.
I switched on with anticipation. Wow - it's pretty loud. Louder than the DC04 anyway. Or maybe that was just cos the old one was so clogged up with hair and fur it muffled the sound! Anyway, I almost felt the hoover cling to the floor it was so powerful. I did the hardest test first and went to the rug in the lounge. This rug seems to collect dog hair and will not give it up so I knew if this hoover was to live up to it's reputation it had to sort out my hairy rug. I was not let down. It sucked up every bit of hair, fur, fluff, small toys, biscuit crumbs and anything else it could get it's greedy little sucker on. I was really impressed. Following on from the rug I whisked it round the rest of the carpet in the lounge and I swear to you the carpet actually looked a darker green than when I started. Embarrassing if there was that much dust in it but absolutely true. The carpet looked new again when I had finished.
I whizzed round the rest of downstairs, carpet in the hallway and stairs and wooden floors in the kitchen and dining room. The results were brilliant. The hallway carpet is a very old but very thick carpet and you could literally feel the thickness picking up in it as the hoover lifted the fibres and sucked out the dust. It was just as easy and effective on the wooden floors. You do not need to adjust the hoover as it has a self-adjusting head so you can move from carpet to hard floor without doing anything. It pulled all the dust bunnies out from under the table and the shelving with ease.
I was in such a good mood after the excellent results so far I thought I would tackle the stairs so after removing the endless toys and clothes to be put away which adorn the edges of nearly every step, I checked out the extendable hose. All you need to do is push in a little clip and the wand comes away from the main machine. By attaching a tool of choice to the end of the wand (this pulls out of the hose by the way) you can "park" the main hoover at the bottom of the stairs and the hose extended all the way to the top. This enables you to vacuum every step without the need to drag the hoover up with you and balance precariously at odd angles to clean.
After completing all these tasks I looked at the main cylinder of the hoover. This is where all the muck goes and as it is clear plastic you can see exactly what's in there, Pretty gross but whilst examining the contents I noticed already that the container had reached the maximum limit line and needed emptying. This is shameful in a way as I had only cleaned 3 rooms and the stairs but it shows you how much power my old cleaner had lost and how wonderfully powerful this new beast was. Anyway, I read the instructions on emptying it and it was soooo easy I was amazed. All you have to do is unclip the cylinder from the main cleaner part and take it to the bin. Holding it over the bin you push a big red release catch on the top of the cylinder and the lid opens at the bottom, depositing all it's contents straight into the bin! Fabulous, except out kitchen bin is a bit on the small side and not being an expert at this yet I ended up having to clean dust from all round the rim and lid of the bin. Oh well, practice makes perfect!
##THE TOOLS##
Stair Tool - This is like a mini hoover head and is meant to make it easier to do the stairs but I actually use the crevice tool as I find it easier.
Crevice Tool - This is the long thin attachment. It is brill for doing edges in awkward places and in narrow spaces.
Brush Tool - This is a round tool with brushed all round the circumference. It is meant for upholstery I think and to be honest I have never used this one on any hoover I have had.
Mini Turbine Head - This comes with the "animal" variety and is designed to clip straight onto the hose of the main cleaner. It has incredibly hard and long bristles on it and is meant to be extremely efficient at picking up dog and cat hairs. I had a quick go of this and found it a bit difficult to clip on at first although this is something that will come with use. The head itself was incredibly powerful and I could feel the vibration of it as the bristle head turned round. It was very very fast and picked up long hairs (mine!) as well as the dog and cat hairs.
Telescopic reach Wand - This is the main tube, which fits inside the hose and forms the handle of the machine. It can be pulled out of the hose and clicked into place, with the hose then being detached from the hoover. With this you can hoover down the disgusting cobwebs which seem to appear from nowhere in the corners of your rooms. This was a very easy process and worked a treat. This feature is also handy for going in between tight spaces that are too deep or high to reach with the normal hose and tools. You can also use this for hovering the top of curtain poles, which accumulate a lot of dust.
##OTHER FEATURES##
There are no running costs with a Dyson. As you may be aware they do not have hoover bags as the dust etc accumulates in the cyclone cylinder. Special designs within the machine means that the dust can be collected and stored here without entering the mechanics at all. No more hoover bags - hoorah!
The filter within the machine is washable so will hardly ever need to be replaced. The instruction booklet gives details on how to remove this. There is another filter that traps harmful carbon emissions from the motor and this will never need to be replaced. The HEPA filter has a Bactisafe screen, which traps and kills bacteria and mould on contact so this is good for allergy sufferers too.
This model has Edge Cleaning Whiskers, which flick the dust along the skirting board into the path of the suction, ensuring a thorough, easier clean.
All the tools can be fitted straight onto the hose or the wand, making hovering the car a little less traumatic and flexibility of the body is now no longer required!!!
There is an anti-jam device on the brush bar, which makes a loud noise like a ratchet clicking if something gets locked in there. This noise is to warn you to remove the item before damage occurs to the motor or belt.
Dimension: 1110 x 335 x 340 mm (HxWxD)
Weight: 8.4kg
Suction Power: 280 airwatts (constant) - I have no idea what that means but it sucks VERY hard!
Bin Capacity: 2.7 litres
Maximum reach: 14.5m
##OVERALL OPINION##
I am giving this hoover 5 stars because so far I have found it to be excellent. The few niggling things I pointed out like the emptying of the bin are not complaints but minor annoyances that are more to do with the user than the model. It is easy to push round the floor and turn corners and for an upright hoover the manoeuvrability is really good.
Tomorrow - I'm going upstairs!!!!!
xx Summary: Excellent Value, hard working hoover
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I'm looking at getting one of these and it's good to know that if I do, then my days of lugging the hoover halfway up the stairs are over. I have a bad back which means that the stairs rarely get hoovered, and I have three cats (inc 2 longhairs) which means that they should be done at least once a week!
cleaners separate dirt from the air by centrifugal force. It spins the air incredibly fast and the dust and dirt is flung out into the clear bin™. Suction is maintained as there is no bag to become clogged Mini turbine head: Cleans pet hair and dirt from confined spaces such as upholstery, stairs and the car Hygienic and quick to empty: Dyson design minimises risk of contact with dirt Motorised brush bar: Powerful bristles remove dirt and pet hair from carpets Expels only clean air: Air expelled from a Dyson has 150 times less mould and bacteria than the air you breathe. Dyson technology captures particles as small as pollen, bacteria and mould spores Clear bin™: Tough polycarbonate bin lets you see when it needs emptying Bin capacity: 2.7 litres Fingertip brush control: Brush bar turns off to protect delicate rugs and hard floors Reversible wand: The wand reverses to reach awkward areas more easily and with a better grip Washable HEPA filter with Bactisafe™ screener: Ideal for allergy sufferers. Filters must be washed every 6 months All floors: This Dyson model is suitable for all floors Combination accessory tool: Nozzle converts to a mini turbine head for easy removal of pet hairs Cord length: 9.3 metres Maximum reach: 14.5 metres Dimensions: H110 x W33.5 x D34cm Weight: 8.4 kg Included in the box: Mini turbine head, brush tool, stair tool, crevice tool, operations manual, quick start guide, guarantee information and product registration card M&S is a member of the WEEE Distributor Take Back Scheme. Recycling your electronic waste has never been easier! Click here for more information This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more , Manufacturer: Marks & Spencer
Postage & Packaging:£3.50 Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours......
FILTER FITS MODELS - DC07 HEPA, ALLERGY, ANIMAL - DC14 NON ANIMAL, ALLERGY WE GUARANTEE THAT ALL ORDERS PLACED BEFORE 3PM WILL BE DISPATCHED THE SAME DAY IN PURPOSE MADE PACKAGING TO ENSURE PRODUCT ARRIVES UNDAMAGED Manufacturers Names&Numbers Are Used For Reference Purposes Only - These Parts Are In No Way Associated With The Initial Manufacturers Parts
Postage & Packaging:£2.00 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Nov 21st, 2006
exceptional by (14%):
very helpful by (86%):
