Having made the mistake of selecting uber dark flooring (with 3 pets) for the main floor and always feeling that the carpet was never really clean, we decided it was high time to make the jump. When we first bought the house, we always planned on getting a central vac system installed, since the house came roughed in for it. But for a similar price, we decided that the Dyson was a better option since we don't plan on staying here for the long run, so it could come with us wherever we end up.
Cory got to work checking out our options and reading reviews and spoke to friends who are also dog owners and we agreed that the "Animal" model was definitely the way to go. We also decided that we were NOT going to go with another Upright vacuum. After vacuuming the stairs on the hottest day of the year last summer with the world's shortest hose on a vacuum and having the whole thing come careening down on me, We knew we wanted something with a super long hose.
So, we decided to hit some stores and check it out in person and of course check prices. At our first (and subsequently, ONLY) stop, Sears I quickly convinced Cory that it was worth the extra $150 to get the power head attachment for the carpet. Then, when we found out that there was a promo going for a FREE 4-piece Animal Kit Set, we were SOLD!
The model we decided to go with is
The DC23 Motorhead Animal Turbine.
I am not gonna lie and say we weren't super excited to get this baby home and test it out.
First thing we did was get out the old (actually about 1 yr old) Hoover and vacuum everything. Then we immediately took the Dyson over the same path and got excited as we saw the canister fill up.
Now, I am not entirely sure if it was really picking up THAT much more hair and yuck off our carpet or if the fact that I could make the vacuum go almost completely flat and reach so many more places that hadn't seen a vacuum in a very long time was really what made a difference... But I do know that I felt so much better when laying on the floor playing with the dog tonight.
In fact, since it hadn't been put away yet, Cory even vacuumed the main floor TWICE tonight! Even after yesterday's full house clean.
After owning "The Animal" for 2 days now, here's my un-biased opinion:
~I LOVE having a long hose on a vacuum. I was able to do the stairs with NO problems.
~I also love how strong the suction on this machine is. There are soooo many sticing attachments for this machine, it's wonderful.
~I like that there is a telescoping handle - we can adjust the height depending on who is vaccuming. As well, I can dust tall things like the blinds in the stairwell now, without falling off a precariously perched ottoman and crashing down on my wrist.... :(
~ I also like that I can shut the powerbrush off if I want to use it on flat surfaces so I don't have to worry about it kicking crumbs back at my feet!!
However, I am NOT completely in love yet....
~I truly found it a little hard to maneuver the caniter around. This might just be from me being so used to an upright though, so I am going to give it some time to see how I adjust.
~ I miss having the power switch on the handle, especially when the phone rings and I am scrambling to turn it off.to find it.
~ There isn't much on-board storage for all the fancy schmancy attachments that it comes with, so I am going to have to track down an attractive little basket or something.
~ It is going to harder to store than my upright.
All in all, I am pleased we made the purchase and I think most of my concerns are just based on me needing to get used it it a little more. The ability to clean solid-surface flooring without having crumbs/kitty litter bits/sand/etc fly back at me was worth it alone.
Plus, we were purchasing a new vacuum every few years, and if you total up the price and consider that we now have a 5 year warranty, it's probably about the same expense.
Just look at how much hose I have now!! :)
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