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Hardware Review Dyson Animal DC65 Upright Vacuum: REVIEW (Is it Worth Spending $500+ For A Vacuum?) (1 Viewer)

Would you pay $500 or more for a vacuum like this?

  • Yes, I look at this as a premium product that is worthy of its cost

    Votes: 11 36.7%
  • I would look for cheaper options when looking at a new vacuum

    Votes: 19 63.3%

  • Total voters
    30

Ronald Epstein

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DYSON D65 ANIMAL
Reviewed by Ronald Epstein
February 2014

You are probably wondering what a vacuum cleaner review is doing in a forum devoted to Home Theater. Well, truth be, I am a reviewer by heart and it just so happens that I was in need of a new vacuum cleaner to replace my Kenmore canister of 12 years.
Having been an owner of various Kenmore canisters over my lifetime, I naturally looked at another Kenmore as a replacement. I was willing to spend about $350-$400 for their top-of-the-line model. After all, I would think most vacuum cleaner purchases are made once every 10 years. If you are in the market to buy one, don't go cheap. A good vacuum should last many, many years.
Somehow, through my Internet research of replacement vacuums, I came across the Dyson. Now, Dyson is a very familiar name. I knew that they are a highly regarded brand within the industry. I also knew that the brand came with a very high price tag. I cringed when I saw that their top-of-the-line vacuums generally retailed around $600 with a bit of a discount if bought through Amazon.
So, the question became, is it worth paying $500-$600 for a Dyson vacuum?

Dyson agreed to allow me to evaluate one of their upcoming models, the Dyson DC65, which is just beginning to become available through retailers as I write this review. It is part of their "Animal" line of vacuums which have more suction power and the ability to deal with the nasty problem of completely getting up all that dog and/or cat hair that gets nested into your carpet.
Looking at the picture of the DC65 at the top of this page, you sort of marvel at its futuristic look. The vacuum is mostly built of durable ABS plastic, the same plastic that is used in riot shields and police helmets. It's rather lightweight at just over 17lbs. and I found it rather easy to carry around the house.
I am not particularly fond of uprights. I have owned only canisters in my lifetime. There are some pros to using uprights -- which I will discuss momentarily. However, there are some issues of concern here about the upright design that may or may not be a deal breaker for some.
The biggest issue I have had with the DC65 -- and this seems to be the same issue that plagued former models -- is locking the steering handle back into place (and keeping it locked) after usage. You really have to give the handle a considerable push forward to effectively lock it back into its upright position (which is confirmed by a clicking sound). And trust me, you won't always do it correctly no matter how familiar you become with this machine. I have included a short video at the close of this review that demonstrates the issue.

The second problem I encountered was with using attachments, that require you to extend out the hose. The hose is rather stiff (it supposedly loosens within time). As such, you are pulling the vacuum backwards when trying to reach the top of stairs or the edge of ceilings. I have had the vacuum topple over a few times. I have even had it unlock itself from its upright position. Again, the video will illustrate the issue.
Is this a deal breaker? Well, it will try the patience of some. However, when considering the benefits of the Dyson DC65, it could perhaps be overlooked.

I do love the overall handling of the Dyson DC65. Letting it loose on your carpeted floor can be a rather fun experience. The secret to that experience lies in the Dyson Ball, which allows you the easily maneuver around furniture with the smallest of effort. It's rather cool to see this machine "glide" effortlessly across carpeting.
A huge benefit with this upright over the Kenmore canister I previously owned is that I don't have to change heads when moving from carpet to floor. This upright easily moves from one to the other with a simple push of a button that turns off the spinning rotor brush.


This being my first bagless vacuum, I was very surprised to see just how much cat hair got sucked up into the canister after vacuuming my entire house. You think your regular vacuum has been doing a pretty good job of cleaning the carpet -- that is, until you use a machine with this much suction power.
I like the idea of having a bagless cleaner. The convenience does come with a small price: you will probably need to remove and dump the canister after every cleaning as storage space is limited. Additionally, approximately every three months, it is recommended that you clean the removable filter. This should be done by washing it under the sink and then allowing it to be air-dryed outside for a full day.

My carpet was so amazingly clean, that I have gone from vacuuming every week to every two weeks. It's rather incredible to look at my carpeted living room a week later and marvel at how untouched it looks. If you are the type like me that prefers it, you get those nice carpet lines which shows that the vacuum has really done its job of massaging the fibers.

The Dyson D65 comes with a nice assortment of attachments for vacuuming stairs, ceilings, lamp shades and other hard to reach areas. There is a COMPLETE model that is more expensive, and comes with even more attachments. Let's just say I didn't feel as if I was shorted anything substantial as far as these attachments are concerned.
It seems somewhat odd to use the attachments as there is no handle on the extension itself to hold it properly.

My favorite attachment is the turbine tool which I use on stairs and upholstery. Thus far, I haven't had any problems with cat hair getting tangled up in the tool, though I found myself picking traces of it off the bristles, which is to be expected.

So, the question remains, is it worth plucking down between $500-$600 for a vacuum like the Dyson Animal DC65?
It's hard to give an answer to that. There are dozens of vacuums designed for pet households I haven't even tested against this one. Looking at the exceptional job it did on my carpeting and floors, my answer would be, it certainly performed better than my $350 Kenmore. It certainly has cut my cleaning down from every week to just once every two weeks. It certainly seems like a vacuum that I could be owning for the next decade to come.
PROS
Amazing suction. Cleans extremely "deep" into carpets to remove animal hair and dirt
Bagless operation means never having to purchase bags.
Basic model comes with a nice assortment of attachments including turbine tool.
CONS
Locking the upright into place takes considerable effort.
No grip on handle to properly hold attachments
Extending hose outwards to reach high places can cause upright to tip forward

 

Todd Erwin

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The Dyson Groom may be one of the oddest attachments they sell - a "Flowbee" for dogs. Although with the amount of noise the vacuum creates, I can't imagine an animal sitting still long enough to trim their fur.

51dRWYcn9AL._SL1500_.jpg
 

Charles Smith

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Wow! I watched the whole thing! :)

Looks good. I needed to replace a (get ready for it) 32-year-old Kenmore canister last year, and I ended up going for the current $400 Kenmore -- because (1) I'm used to it, (2) I also have a Hoover upright for carpets but need a lot more capability for other surfaces, and (3) the carpet attachment on the new Kenmore looked really good as well. (And it is.) I was shopping in the store, and did look over the Dysons sitting there, but because of the price tag and the fact that they were so foreign to me (and I just didn't have the time or the frame of mind then in which to learn about them), I stayed with what was comfortable.

So, I really do like my Kenmore, but this does look like a great vacuum cleaner. I wonder why they can't perfect the locking and balance thing, but I can assure you the problem doesn't just exist on Dysons. At some point you're going to tip any upright vacuum over when using accessories or whatever. But the lock itself, I wonder what's keeping them from making that secure.

(Geez. Did Ron really get me to write a post about vacuum cleaners??)
 

Charles Smith

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In spite of my own choice last year, I voted yes on the poll. I, too, believe in not going cheap on vacuum cleaners.
 

Mike Frezon

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Ron: If you don't realize it already, I think you'll find this topic might be as controversial as VHS vs. Beta. :biggrin:

People LOOOOOOVE to hate Dyson. :chatter:

My short story is that my wife and I found a local vacuum repair store a couple years ago that was selling refurbished Dysons for about $100.

We went to the store and asked to see/buy one. They then tried to sell us on every other brand/model they had in the store. But we knew what we wanted (although we did give them all a test drive in the store) and purchased the Dyson.

We feel as if it is one of the best purchases we've made in a long, long time.

As to your poll question, while this is a great purchase for us...I'm not sure I'd feel good about going up to $500 for a vacuum.
 

schan1269

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That "extending the hose causing the upright to tip over" is an upright thing. We had a Panasonic that wasn't heavy enough to not tip over. One of the tradeoffs going light.I've had my Kirby for eons. It also has a "fiddle with it" lock upon upright. Even when set right, you check.
 

FoxyMulder

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I have a Dyson, wish i'd bought Miele, perhaps air watts is better on these newer models.
 

DavidJ

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We got by with cheaper vacuums for years, but finally broke down several years ago and got a Dyson. It cleans so much better that it really improved our allergies and we don't have to constantly find and buy filters. It is also so much easier to use.
 

Parker Clack

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Susan and I have had one of the first Dyson Animals and love it. I have also purchased a Shark and really like it.
Susan has purchased a cannister lately though as she is convinced that the upright allows more dust into the
room that a cannister with a bag. Once she has an idea in her head it is like trying to get dried concrete out
of a spounge.

At any rate. Great review. I really like the Dyson's but I also believe that they are just a tad overpriced and
$500 to $600 is a lot to pay for even a great vaccum.
 

Colin Davidson

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We have owned a Dyson (DC28 I think) for about 5 years now and it still really sucks!

The only things I wish that were different:

1. The hose as mentioned above, doesn't stretch out very well and either pulls the vaccuum towards you or tips.

2. Retractable power cord.

Other than that we love it and when it dies we will purchase another one.
 

Stan

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I've got your basic Hoover or whatever that is 20 years old, does a fantastic job (of course you have to change the bags).

Also have a 50+ year old Electrolux that I inherited when I got my grandfather's house after he passed away. Cloth bag, easy to just shake out in the trash bin, works perfectly.

If either of these croak, I might consider a Dyson but there are much cheaper solutions that do the same job.
 

FoxyMulder

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Stan said:
I've got your basic Hoover or whatever that is 20 years old, does a fantastic job (of course you have to change the bags).

Also have a 50+ year old Electrolux that I inherited when I got my grandfather's house after he passed away. Cloth bag, easy to just shake out in the trash bin, works perfectly.

If either of these croak, I might consider a Dyson but there are much cheaper solutions that do the same job.
Switch a light off and shine a torch at things, bag designs leak dust into the air, that's where Hepa filters help.
 

DaveF

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My sister swears by hers. I've got an affordable Kenmore or something, but the Dyson is appealing.
 

Malcolm R

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Bought my Mom a Shark Rotator Professional lift-away upright for Christmas for under $200. She seems to love it.
 

Stan

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FoxyMulder said:
Switch a light off and shine a torch at things, bag designs leak dust into the air, that's where Hepa filters help.
I'm quite sure the Hepa filters do make a difference, but I've got a forced air furnace with two styles of filters, one electronic that "zaps" the dust, so I'm pretty sure it catches most airborne stuff.

I'm actually very sensitive to dust, so my body would tell me if things got to bad.
 

Dougofthenorth

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I have the DC65 Animal for many years 6-7 or more? it holds up
We have had the cordless hand held model for 2 + years & it is also great battery life could be longer through.
Very sturdy & well built VERY maneuverable

We live in the country & have 2 dogs & they track in tons of dirt & these vacuums keep it clean.
No bare floors downstairs only rugs, hardwood upstairs - works perfect on both

They DO NOT spread dust around either - very efficient filters.

We have every attachment for the two BUT never saw the groom so we will get that
dogs don't mind being vacuumed or groomed.

EDIT: They seem to regularly come on sale at FS we saved $150 on the Animal
 

Stan

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Todd Erwin said:
The Dyson Groom may be one of the oddest attachments they sell - a "Flowbee" for dogs. Although with the amount of noise the vacuum creates, I can't imagine an animal sitting still long enough to trim their fur.

51dRWYcn9AL._SL1500_.jpg
Same thing here. My cat runs and hides just hearing the vacuum. Dog tolerates it, but not a chance I could get away with using something like this. She barely tolerates me cutting her nails.
 

Clinton McClure

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I've always wondered if a Dyson was worth the high asking price. We have a 10 year old Eureka upright that cost about $125 and still works great. I've had to replace the belt twice and the beater bar once. Other than that, it's a bag every 3 months and a new hepa filter once a year.
 

Dougofthenorth

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Colin Davidson said:
We have owned a Dyson (DC28 I think) for about 5 years now and it still really sucks!

The only things I wish that were different:

1. The hose as mentioned above, doesn't stretch out very well and either pulls the vaccuum towards you or tips.

2. Retractable power cord.

Other than that we love it and when it dies we will purchase another one.
We have the DC15 Animal - the wheels - smaller than the DC28 - click down & out when hose is being used
Wife says it NEVER falls over

I would agree with having a Retractable power cord

I see they now have a new DC66 model http://www.dysoncanada.ca/en-CA/Vacuums/Upright.aspx

NOTE: in my previous post I misstated we had a DC65 - it is in fact a DC15
 

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