Finally: a Functional, Fabulous, even Fun Vacuum!

The last vacuum I bought was an expensive disaster. I had come to accept that my carpets and rugs were 70% labrador retriever dog hair, and that it was normal to have basketball-size tumbleweeds made of dust and pet hair rolling through my living room. So, when I decided it was time to try again, I was determined to get it right. I researched numerous vacuum brands and models and deliberated at length about purchasing the Dyson DC15 Animal. Although I've used it just four times, I don't vacuum very often and each use has put it to the test. I think I can say I got it right, or more accurately, that Dyson got it right when it designed this machine.

Assembly out of the box was straightforward and required just a few steps adequately explained in the instructions. I admit I was anxious to try it out and skipped reading most of the operating instructions before using it. I do recommend being good and reviewing it all prior to starting. This is not your parents' vacuum, and not everything about its operation is familiar or intuitive. If you're like me, you won't be able to make it go and will have to read the manual anyway.

Another reviewer described a learning curve for this vacuum, and I think that's a good characterization. For instance, not until the second or third use did I fully understand how to use my foot to release the mechanism locking the vacuum in its upright position, and how this action together with the angle of the upright handle engages the rotating brushes and lowers the foot of the machine onto the rug. It's not difficult but takes a little practice.

Similarly, I found it confusing (and impossible before reading the instructions) to figure out how to turn the handle into the telescopic wand used with the various attachments. I still forget exactly what to do sometimes and resort to a bit of trial and error. Again, it's not rocket science but also not obvious how to make it work. Also, while I'm mentioning the wand and tools, I first thought something was very wrong because the extending hose that connects the wand to the vacuum seemed way too short. I could not extend it enough to use the wand and tools properly. I discovered that with more use, the hose more easily stretches out to be longer. At first it's simply a bit rigid or tight.

Once you get the machine going, it acts a lot like an upright vacuum, except it works really well. I knew my prior vacuum didn't do what it should, but this Dyson REALLY works. All I can compare it to is the experience I had with certain other vacuums right after I changed the bag. For a very brief period, the empty bag seemed to allow the vacuum actually to suck dirt and debris off the carpet without pushing it back and forth over the same spot about 12 or 20 times. Imagine that kind of performance, except better, all the time. I was amazed.

I suspect the main factors in its impressive cleaning of rugs and carpets, especially with pet hair, are the effective combination of excellent suction and, unique to the DC15 model, the rotating brushes with a separate, dedicated motor eliminating the need for any belts. Dyson has managed to eliminate degradation of suction AND ensure consistently effective operation of the rotating brushes, which is essential to deep and thorough rug cleaning. In my experience, belt-driven brush rollers on other brands performed unpredictably -- sometimes stopping altogether because of the height of the rug nap or some other factor, or for no apparent reason, even though the belts seemed fine. So far, with this Dyson the amazingly good performance I had at the beginning has remained the same throughout my use.

Households with pets, more than others I think, discover most vacuums just can't handle much pet hair. Even if they suck it up, it tends to fly around the various openings and crevices and pockets in the machine and gets stuck. A little bit of hair jammed in some corner of a piece of plastic attracts more hair, and soon there's a clump that begins acting like a brake pad on the roller or some part connected to it. The belts, driven by the same motor creating the suction, either begin slipping or, if they retain traction, require the motor to work harder to turn the brushes. That reduces the suction power and probably allows more hair to float around the parts of the vacuum near the floor and get stuck. I routinely found on my floor bits of plastic, little springs, hunks of belts, and other items that only could have come from my vacuum. The Dyson DC15 has a larger suction opening and channel in the foot than other models, and the Dysons generally are designed to eliminate all the extraneous and intricate parts that can fail and cripple a machine upon exposure to half of one rug during shedding season.

I have little idea whether my pet-hair theory of rotating-brush-related vacuum failure is entirely accurate, but after a few years digging around the business ends of more than one hair-challenged vacuum, it makes sense to me. The DC15 solves the problems with a design that simply leaves out all but one thing that can cause them: pet hair, which can flourish in great abundance without killing The Animal.

By the way, others have mentioned this and Dyson kind of explains it, but if you're unfamiliar with Dyson vacuums it won't be immediately obvious that the various NAMES Dyson gives its vacuums, for the most part, really just dictate which set of tools are included as part of the package for that vacuum. The letter-number combination preceding the names, like DC15, identifies which model or design it is. Different models are sold with similar tool packages and thus the same names. So, the DC15 Animal and the DC14 Animal, for example, are differently designed vacuums but probably include the same set of tools and accessories. The DC15 All Floors and the DC15 Animal, on the other hand, are the same vacuum with different tools. The only caveat is that the color of the vacuum varies with the tool package. So the Animal of a particular model number typically will be a different color than other names with the same number. One additional note about names. All versions of the DC15 sometimes are referred to as "The Ball" because of its ball-shaped design at the base.

This is my first bagless vacuum, so I cannot compare its dirt capacity with others. I am a bit surprised how often I have to empty it. (Be sure to read the instructions about when to empty it. You don't wait until it's packed full to the top.) But I think that's because it happens to suck up a whole lot fairly quickly, as well as because I probably always waited too long to change vacuum bags because I'd spend a fortune if I did it whenever I should. I'm not bothered by repeatedly emptying it because it's satisfying to know I've picked up all that volume of dirt and hair, and it provides a break from routine vacuuming behavior.

As I've already emphasized, I think the DC15 does an excellent job cleaning rugs and carpet. After the first time I vacuumed, it was almost as if my rugs had been shampooed. The brush action and suction raise the nap of even low pile rugs, which helps remove more dirt while making them look better too.

It does a fine job on hardwood and other solid floors. A large button next to the power button on the vacuum is the switch for the rotating brushes. Although it's not ultra-convenient to have to press the button every time you cruise off a rug onto the floor, it's easier than having to perform some similar action at the base of the machine, as I've had to do on other vacuums. Also, there's no compelling reason to stop the brush on floors if there's not a concern about scratching or damaging the finish.

Using the telescopic wand with tools effectively transforms the DC15 into the functional equivalent of a canister, except it's still attached to the upright the wand came from. Once the hose gets stretchy, the reach of the wand is significant, and it's very handy for those spider webs in ceiling corners and even dusting ceiling light fixtures. Without even trying, I've found some use for every tool in the chock-full-of-tools Animal package, and mine came with one bonus tool not ordinarily included. There are places for only three or four of the tools onboard the vacuum, and as dino said they're kind of in the way of the handle used to carry the vacuum around. Also, one of them tends to fall off or get knocked off every now and then, which is annoying. Because I have a lot of tools that have to stay somewhere else anyway, I usually don't keep any on the vacuum.

Some reviewers express the opinion the DC15 is bulky and/or heavy. I haven't found that to be the case, but it may be because my last vacuum was even bulkier and heavier. I definitely don't find it difficult to push around or maneuver. Learning to use the ball design to move around requires some conscious effort and practice. If I don't think about it, it's easy to forget I can do things other than push forward and backward. If you prefer, you can use it to do only that. The ball does allow some fairly fancy moves in tight spots and around corners or furniture, though, and it's actually kind of fun to experiment. It really is mostly in the wrist, believe it or not.

Finally, I think the DC15's design and appearance are aesthetically attractive. I never thought I'd say that about a vacuum and it's certainly not why I chose it, but I consider it a bonus. If I don't put it away immediately I kind of like looking at it.

The cost was a big factor for me, and I hesitated to devote that much money to a vacuum cleaner. Finally, I realized my concern arose mainly because of what I historically spent on vacuums. When I considered their performance and reliability -- particularly the last one I bought at about half the price of the DC15 -- I concluded the price would be well worth it if it performed as well as reviews indicated. It's something used regularly that has an important effect on every part of my living area. I was not disappointed at all. So, I definitely do not regret spending the money and believe it is well worth it not to have to put up with the deficiencies of less expensive vacuums I've purchased.