Dyson DC 18 ALL Floors SLIM

...I decided upon a new Dyson DC18. The reason I bought this model is that I had heard a lot of good things about it from friends of mine, add to that the fact that it's a Dyson, a trustworthy brand with a good reputation and I was in no way about to resist despite the rather hefty price tag.

I bought mine in Comet for £279 which I thought was a little expensive for a vacuum cleaner but if it was half as good as I have heard, then it ...
...streamlined compared to some other Dyson models I have seen around and the whole thing looks very space age. It's colourful, eye pleasing, has large chunky buttons for power on/off and hose release and is very uncomplicated to set up.

Inside the box were a set of easy to follow instructions with a simple step by step set up guide which explains all the ins and outs in easy to understand, bitesize chunks of text. It contains not just ... more

About a month or so ago, I decided to upgrade my old vacuum cleaner for something with a little more power and cleaning ability and something that requires a little less legwork to lump around the house.
My old vacuum cleaner, an old Hoover Junior no less, had just about had its day and wasn't picking up dirt and dust properly anymore. To be honest, it was becoming quite a difficult and time consuming chore when vaccing the house. So I was in dire need of a machine to make life a little easier on poor old me and to give my carpets a much needed facelift.
After a little shopping around, I decided upon a new Dyson DC18. The reason I bought this model is that I had heard a lot of good things about it from friends of mine, add to that the fact that it's a Dyson, a trustworthy brand with a good reputation and I was in no way about to resist despite the rather hefty price tag.

I bought mine in Comet for £279 which I thought was a little expensive for a vacuum cleaner but if it was half as good as I have heard, then it would more than compensate for the price. If you shop around online though, you can pick one up for just £212 but alas, I don't have a credit card and so had to use the old conventional - and far more expensive shop to shop method.
It has 1200 watts of power and 200 airwatts (suction power) so it has to be a decent little machine.

Upon opening the box and spending near 20 minutes fighting to release it from the polystyrene shell it was encased in, I was greeted with a very stylish and almost futuristic looking upright vacuum cleaner.
There were some minor bits and pieces to assemble but nothing that would send you insane with rage.
The yellow and silver frame looks just fantastic and all of the bits and pieces - the attachments and suction pipe and the likes, which would make any normal vacuum cleaner look untidy are neatly slotted away into smart little grooves and hollows. The hoover is very sleek and streamlined compared to some other Dyson models I have seen around and the whole thing looks very space age. It's colourful, eye pleasing, has large chunky buttons for power on/off and hose release and is very uncomplicated to set up.

Inside the box were a set of easy to follow instructions with a simple step by step set up guide which explains all the ins and outs in easy to understand, bitesize chunks of text. It contains not just the instructions in easy to understand text but handy large print diagrams to help you with the whole set up. It's just a shame they didn't include a diagram on how to remove the object from the polystyrene cocoon it arrived in, what a nightmare that was.
There was a three piece accessory kit which included an upholstery attachment for cleaning sofa's, chairs and curtains, an odd looking stair fitting attachment and a small nooks and crannies attachment for all of those awkward places and corners one struggles to reach.
Until I read the instructions I actually thought there was something missing from my new machine, a filter, I knew there was no need for hoover bags but I wasn't aware that this vacuum doesn't even require a filter. Once full, you simply open the cylinder and empty the contents into the bin, it's as simple as that, low maintenance comes as standard with this one. Underneath is a new motorized brush bar which is supposed to sweep large amounts of previously unreachable dust and dirt, out of your carpet fibres and into the suction path of the vacuum and an odd looking roller ball that is apparently part of the new manouvarabilty system to make it easier to navigate around funiture, we shall see.

I live in a rather large house with some very odd shaped rooms and so the need for my vacuum to reach into spaces my previous machine could not go is essential to me and this looks like it will be ideal for those hard to reach spots. The wire is an astonishing 24ft long which is another huge bonus for me, as this means I won't have to keep unplugging it and re plugging it in every time I start hoovering in another room which also saves on my time consumption.

The first thing I noticed was how light the vacuum cleaner was, it was almost like picking up the cardboard box it arrived in. I think the whole contraption only weighs 6 and a half kilo's which is feather like for a hoover and must surely make it easy to push around without the need for the odd looking rollerball underneath. Considering the machines weight, it feels very solid and well made and I got the impression that it could take a fair few knocks without causing it any damage, not that at near £300 I plan to smash it around you understand.

Time to put my new machine to the test and see just how good it really is.

The handle which is actually the extendable hose is adjustable so you can get the machine to your perfect height, something I hadn't realized but was now just discovering to my glee. Having adjusted the handle to my perfect height I plugged it in and switched it on expecting a loud roaring sound as every hoover I have ever owned has given off. But this one is strangely quiet, not silent mind, but it gives off a lot less noise than any hoover I have ever heard. It makes my old Hoover Junior sound like a jet turbine engine in comparison.
Fantastic, I can hoover up without getting a headache in the process.

I started with my living room carpet which is a real menace to keep clean as my girlfriend insisted on a cream colour axminster-style floor covering last year.
As you can imagine, it tends to hold dust and crumbs very well and has fought quite often with my previous hoover to keep its stash firmly stuck within its fibres. I was astonished to see just how easily the new Dyson DC18 beat back my carpets advances and sucked the dirt away.
As I was pushing the hoover, I could feel the power as the suction head was almost glued to my carpet, fantastic power for such a lightweight machine. It glides effortlessly over my living room floor and steers like a dream whilst still gripping my carpet in an almost vice like fashion.

Having finished most of the room I had simply to go around the edges so I grabbed the handle, pressed the release switch and the handle/hose detached without a hitch. Once detached, the hose can be extended to your liking with a top reach of 12ft - impressive by anyones standards. Once again, the power was immense even in the hose and it viciously picked up every crumb, piece of fluff and dirt and even an old screw which had been languishing behind my sofa for god knows how long. I pushed the hoover into the hall and stood back to glance at my living room, I was amazed, my carpet has never looked so clean since I had it laid down last year.

Next up was the stair test, I attached the small strange looking head to the hose and started at the bottom of my stairway, the attachment fitted perfectly into every corner, angle and crevice my stairs had to throw up and as a result, my stairs were left totally spotless. I have 9 rooms of varying sizes and shapes in my house and even upon hoovering my last room, the suction power was still as strong as when I started hoovering the first, I couldn't believe it, I was well impressed. The 'Advanced Root Cyclone' technology that Dyson have created for this machine - which gives it suction power even when the machine is full, is nothing short of brilliant and totally lives up to its hype. I didn't experience a single loss of suction throughout the entire time I was using it and it hoovered my kitchen and bathroom floors - both of which are wooden, just as well as it did my carpets.

The Dyson DC18 comes complete with a full 5yr home service guarantee and is supported by the British Allergy Association which proves just how dust free my carpets and floors must be after my spring clean. It is also available in an anti allergy model which not only gets rid of more dirt and dust but it has a special filter which stops even the most microscopic of particles from ever reaching your airways. This model is available with an added £30 charge to the price - Only recommended for those who do suffer from bad allergies and reactions.

The vacuum has a 'telescopic reach wand' which is basically an extendable stiff hose that can be used to reach into corners at arms length and suck away dust and cobwebs from celings and such, a function I find most handy when trying to dispose of a spider making itself comfy in the corner of your room.

Given the fact that this is the most noise-less hoover I have ever used, I would recommend it even more if you have pets for obvious reasons, as my old machine used to scare even my neighbours pets three doors down the road.
Hoovering has never been one of my favourite pastimes but I actually found myself enjoying using this. A full house vac with my old hoover would take me upwards of two hours but this Dyson has cut that time in half whilst giving me much better results in the process.

The only gripes I have and they are minor ones at that, is that there could have been a little more space inside the dust cylinder - I think it has a 1 gallon tank which does fill up quite quickly but then, I suppose that just shows you how much dirt and dust the vortex really does pick up. I was amazed at just how filthy my carpets actually were, good job the neighbours weren't around for a coffee during my cleaning spree.
I would also have preferred a retractable wire instead of having to wind it around two hooks after using it but that apart, the machine is faultless.
Overall, I am extremely chuffed with my purchase and I wouldn't swap it for the world, It totally embarrasses my old model in terms of cleaning power, performance, noise levels and handling, so even though I was a little dubious at the price, the advantages are there for all to see, trust me on this one, it is well worth the extra money.

The DC 18 is suitable for use on all floor types and for use with most fabrics and materials.

Specs and Dimensions:

1110x300x415mm (HxWxD)
Weight 6.6kg
Suction power (airwatts) 200 airwatts (constant)
Motor wattage: 1200 watts -
The power of a vacuum cleaner is best measured in airwatts (suction power).
Motor wattage simply tells you how much electricity a cleaner uses.
Bin capacity 1.7 litres
Cord length 7.5m
Maximum reach 11.9m

Highly recommended.
Thank you for reading.

Dyson DC18:
Amazon.co.uk: £247.85 - Comet: £279.99 - Machine Center LTD: £212.97

www.Dyson.co.uk  

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