Just wondering if anyone has one and how they compare as compared to a normal vaccuum? Are they effective- are they worth the money
Thanks in advance and happy new year to all

I have one and it works very well for me and my two dogs that alternate between mudballs and golden retrievers. :-D My only complaints are it is very loud and I think the hose mechanism could be better. It certainly picks up the hair and dirt though, and has without a hiccup for 3 years now. I have to empty it 3 times on a normal day so bagless is the only way to go for me. I'd spend a fortune if I had to buy bags.

Thanks Lori :)
Have  you used it on hard floors or just carpets and if so is it as effective on hard floors?

Yes hard floors and carpets. You can turn the brush off for hard floors - if you don't sometimes you end up chasing tumbleweeds. With the brush off I can stand a foot away from a furball and watch it fly up the tube. :)

I've had mine for about 3 years now and the only problem I've had is that it goes through phases of cutting out after about 10 minutes' work. The very helpful people on the (free) helpline, having talked me through searching for blockages, think it's probably a failing cyclone unit which would cost £30-ish to replace. But as it's only an intermittent fault I can live with it till I have some spare cash. Other than that it's very good (although I think the turbo tool's pants and I'd prefer the ordinary floor tool). It's certainly very good at picking up dal hairs which are notoriously difficult.

Thanks for your replies :)
I might just splash out then

I hate to be a party pooper but we just bought another vacuum as we don't find the Dysons very effecient. Always seems to overheat then cut out and doesn't clean as well as our new one which was half the price!

We had one and you could only hoover two rooms at a time then it would cut out, but it was an older model.  We got a new Dyson last year (I think it's a DC14, which has a higher suction than our old animal) and it's great.  We can hoover the whole of our very small house without it cutting out!

I have the white DCO14 all floors, as the only difference between that and the animal is the turbo tool which no-one finds very good.

I have had the original DCO1 the DCO4 and now the DCO14 .  The latest I bought last year, but due to redecorating didn't start using until the Summer.  I got it because it now has a five year guarantee,a nd my DCO4 hose was split.

The first two lasted about 6 years each, I then had a cheapo cyclone that died after two years.

I have had up to five Norwegian Elkhounds, a medium size double coated breed.  Once round the downstairs fills it.

I tried a cylinder before getting the latest Dyson, but couldn't get on with it and gave it to my sister who hated uprights.

If you do get one then please shop around. We were looking for cleaners for my Mum recently - Amazon were £20 cheaper than Argos for the little Electrolux she wanted (£70 instead of £89).
Last time I looked - John Lewis were doing the Animal for £199 - better than Currys £299 and Comet £245.
Personally I'm a Miele fan but whatever you decide - don't be ripped off !.

I still am using my old dyson dc01 the very first one made, so I have had this for years and years still going strong.

I have had one for 2 years and love it :) :)
It doesnt cut out at all, and I have a medium sized house.
Lea :)

We changed our Dyson a year ago for a samsung and 4 samsungs (each one's motor failed after a couple of weeks or so!) later have gone back to a Dyson Animal.  We have 3 dogs and carpets throughout the house and we find it great. 
We've still got our DC01 as well, but it's a good few years old and found it started cutting out hence the change

Paula :-)

Hi JG
I had this with mine - finally I worked out that it was because I wasn't cleaning the filters often enough (tended to forget about the hidden away ones!) - once I had that sorted, it was fine.

No, I've done all the filters, even the ones you're not supposed to access!

LOL - got it, hate it, and would never get another Dyson - too big, clumsy, chunky, heavy and smelly ;)  Would far rather have a bagless upright by (practically) any other manufacturer - if you have wall mounted radiators, slightly off floor furniture (i.e. less than say 6/7 inches between flooring and furniture) you'll be constantly using the on board tools - not a HUGE issue after all but makes giving things a quick "zap round" more difficult and time consuming.

Pretty much all vacuums feel great and appear to do the job when brand new - but, IME, precious few come in as many impractical shapes and sizes as Dyson ;)

I'm with Teri and have a few things to add -the Dyson Animal was THE worst cleaner I've ever had, and I've had more or less all of them. Very expensive, didn't pick up anything -I remember going over a hair of my OWN on the bathroom carpet 20 times (I even counted as it got me so angry) before it finally went up. It broke several times in the first 6 months (in fact it broke in the first fortnight!), and after a year we threw it out as it was utterly useless. Total waste of money. I've now got a Henry, £99, much lower wattage but sucks ten times stronger than the Dyson ever did, I've had it about 2 years now and it is the ONLY cleaner I've ever had that has not died within a year. Also no need to empty it 3-4 times a week which I hated, the dust got everywhere, the Henry bag lasts a week or two for us and you just chuck the bag out -bliss.  :) I've often wondered how Dyson can get away with their adverts that state they never lose suction -that was the main problem, losing suction within weeks of being bought and never regaining it despite several repairs, spares etc.

I'm with  Marianne, had a dyson previously and hated it.  Now on a Henry and its the best thing I bought.  the cables are really long and I can hover the bottom of the house and up the stairs without having to move the plug!

We have a Henry at work and it's rubbish. The cable's long, but the suction's hopeless. The bright side is that it takes me so long to clean the office that they have to pay me more! :D :D

I love my Henry hoover, brilliant suction, and I can do all of the stairs leaving it sitting at the bottom.  My Dyson Animal was good to start with, but then started losing suction, suddenly I had to keep washing the filter every few days, when it's supposed to be every 6 months (and no, I wasn't over-using it!).  I would definitely have another Henry!  Also, it doesn't block up the same as the Dyson.

My hoover finally broke and fell to bits 2 days before xmas,funny as last year I remember posting that my boiler broke two weeks before xmas,I think i am destined to have somthing break every year at xmas.im glad it was just the hoover,but I rushed out  and bought a very cheap electrolux petlover,and i am so impressed,it really does pick up the fur,im not sure it will last,but it does fit in my small cupboard under the stairs.

I am on my second Dyson now. I love them and I have never had mine cut out whilst cleaning.

Ive had my animal dyson now for nearly 6 years its brilliant!

We've got a Henry as well.  No carpets downstairs, but all carpeted upstairs and it's very good.  It's getting on a bit now though.  When it packs up, we'll have another.

My Dad has a Henry and it is very reliable, but I just cannot get on with towing a cylinder cleaner.  Also with my poor eyesight I like having the large head that an upright has so that I can make sure I systematically cover the whole floor in strips.  Also without a powered head I don't see how you can get the hair up?

I have a Henry. And HATE it. It is now in the garage as it would not pick up hair on the carpets at all :( Only thing its good for is for cleaning up the hair in the garage after I have clipped Beano!!!!
Lea :)

We used to have a dyson and it started off brilliantly but just stopped working after about a year. We then got an electrolux bagless which is useless and you had to empty it after 5 minutes! So mums just ordered a miele cat and dog, which "which" magazine reccommeded over dyson, so we shall see.

I had a Dyson (not sure which model) for approx 5 years before it conked out.  I didn't like but OH does the hoovering and he did like - far too heavy for my liking.  I now have a nice smiley Henry Hoover who sucks everything (wet and dry) up including the copious amounts of fur my two cast.  If I get a boy dog I'm going to call it Henry! :D

I love my Dyson animal (the ball one DC15) and its been great and I hoover once or twice a day.
Never had a problem with it but I clean the filters and the cyclone box, including the checking of all pipes to insure max sucking power.
I find the blaster I have very useful when cleaning the cyclone box but I do get covered with dust lol.
However it does not stop your carpet from becoming dirty and I'm always amazed at the crap my Vax carpet cleaner sucks up.
Call me a clean freak but when I give the carpets a good clean its Hoover then steam them, then hover again, then Vax them, then hoover when dry.

I have had 2 Dysons and I think they are absolutely fabulous. The previous Dyson lasted years and years. We did have to have a new motor and hose after about four years but my hoover is used a minimum of once a day every day so I think it served us really well all things considered. My current Dyson is the Animal and again it is great. I have a mixture of laminate flooring and rugs and it eats up the hairs on both floorings no problem at all. I love all the attachments that come with it so you can get into all the nooks and crannies and there is also an attachment which you can use to run along the skirting boards and curtains too. I have never experienced any problems with the motor cutting out. When my motor went on the original dyson, it just made a weird sound. I found the customer care that Dyson provided was excellent. The product is expensive but I would recommend it all day as I do find it it is a very good product.

Henry's are much better than Dyson.  We had a Henry in the Shelter shop and it coped with all the grit customers bought in on their shoes, even worse if the pavements had been gritted in cold weather.

My sister had a Dyson and it lasted a year, she now has a Henry.  My mum's Dyson is hopeless, if she ever goes near the fringes on a rug, the belt comes off!

I've got a Swan petmaster - bought for £65 through Kays and it's great!  Copes with 3 Munsters & 3 cats!

Thats a point, I have never cleaned the Dysons filters out
And have had it for about 2 years!!!!
Sucks up lovely, so dread to think what it will be like if I cleaned the filters LOL
Lea :)

hate my allergy dyson cant wait for it to go wrong so i can get something else, [i bet the useless thing will go on forever as i dont like it!!], i should think i get more allergies picking up what the blooming thing wont.

I know what you mean Barbara.  I found it really difficult getting on with the Henry (although it's good)  I'd always had uprights before, got used to it now though.  Think it helps that I only have upstairs carpeted....it never gets very bad up there!!
Usually, downstairs I just have a good sweep round and then mop it!

i have the animal dyson,  have no complaints.  do have to clean the roller daily for it to work effectively. still what would you expect woth 6 hairy dogs.

Thanks for reminding me,
I will go and clean the filters for first time ever in 3 years seeing as I am home early due to poorlky boy LOL
Lea :)

When you dry them on the radiators or wherever make sure the furry ones can't get them as mine did :rolleyes:.  Not lifetime anymore lol!!!!

LMAO, My dogs dont tend to chew anything about about a couple of inches LOL
Now a question. The yellow one that the sponge filter fits in, is non permeable. So how are you meant to clean it?????? LOL
And there are only the 2 that fit together??? Did find the Hepa one, but I wouldnt be able to clean that one LOL
Lea :)

He was only a little baby then so forgiven - although how he managed to get that high I still have no idea to this day
Mine is not an Animal but a mere DC07.  I just take out the now new sponge filter thing and give it a good wash under the tap as it says and when you squeeze it all the muck comes out.  The yellow one I just let the water run through it for a bit and give it a rub with my fingers.  Some of the dirt gets dislodged but yes I did wonder about the non-permeable aspect. 
I just put them on a radiator (upstairs and out of the way!!) to dry for a day or so.

LOL, Oh yes, you can forgive babies ;) LOL
Thanks. Well they are now on the raditator. Hopefully will be dry by tomorrow afternoon. NOT that I hoover everyday!!!! Just that its the day I do sometryimes whip around. And you KNOW the day you cant use the hoover is the day you NEED it LOL
Now wondering if there will be any difference in the suction after cleaning them LOL
Lea :)

I dont think ive ever cleaned my filters on my dyson animal, might have to give it a go at the weekend :rolleyes:

This morning I was hoovering up a pile of feathers the cat had left after eating her breakfast (she isnt usually a bird catcher, im guessing the mice and rates are in hiding due to the bad weather ) anyway, what I thought was just a pile of feathers was also the birds head - can now see its little face peeping out amongst all the dust and dog hair

>can now see its little face peeping out amongst all the dust and dog hair 

Eeew! Can you see it mouthing (beaking? ) "Help! Let me out!"? :D

I was just telling my OH about it "you have emptied it though havent you" he said didnt even cross my mind