Dyson DC17 Animal
by Catherine
(Oregon, USA)
RAVE: I purchased the Dyson DC17 Animal after our two-year old daughter began developing severe asthma.
After a trip to the allergist, we were told that we could keep our pets (for the meantime) but we needed to invest in some serious allergen detox around the house. This included hypoallergenic mattress covers, pillow cases, washing down the walls, and of course, the carpets too.
Our Hoover vacuum, which was only 2 years old, was on its last legs. I had resorted to putting on a brush attachment and running in sections along the floor because it just didn't suction like it should (to say the least!)
So, after some research and word-of-mouth referrals, we decided to purchase the Dyson DC17 Animal. We were swayed by the lifetime HEPA filter, bagless design and the promise to rid our house of pet hair. We even managed to find a brand-new model for auction on eBay. We jumped at the chance to purchase it below retail price.
It was our best shot at keeping our pets, who are part of our family as well. We would give our pets up if it meant our daughter's health but if we could prevent it, then we would. Giving up the pets may have healed her body, but it would have broken all our children's spirits.
So, as we waited for our new, pricey vacuum to arrive, I decided to do a test. I vacuumed our living room, which gets the most soiled from heavy traffic, every day for the 5 days it took the Dyson to arrive.
I wanted to see if the Dyson would live up to our expectations of a $400+ vacuum.
Long story short...it didn't disappoint.
I assembled the vacuum quite easily. (I do well with pictures but the manual might be a bit shabby for some). I did have my doubts, though, because some of the attachments seemed a bit flimsy.
Then, I proceeded to vacuum the living room. TEN full canisters later, I was done. TEN! This vacuum was magic. I couldn't believe the suction. It made me realize that I had never before used a vacuum that worked well.
I was delighted (and horrified) at how well it suctioned up the dust and dirt. We had just recently moved into our home and it made me think that the previous owners must have had a pretty shoddy vacuum themselves.
After a follow-up trip to the allergist, we we assured that her asthma was well-controlled and she hasn't had a single flair up since we purchased our Dyson DC17 Animal vacuum.
It was definitely money well spent.
KUDOS:
Suction power
Huge variety of attachments included
Long cord
No messy/costly bags
COMPLAINTS:
No onboard tool storage
Too strong for area rugs
Canister could be larger
Too much powder can ruin it (or so says the manual)
RATING:
5 of 5 stars