Sunday morning I was vacuuming my house and when I was down to just one bedroom and the upstairs hall to go my 5 year old Hoover vacuum cleaner died. (5 years is not even old, it’s pretty pathetic that it died already.)
Coincidentally, my parents were arriving home from their drive back to California from Iowa with a trailer full of stuff they had considered worthwhile to keep from my grandfather’s two houses and two 20ft storage units.
One of the items they brought back was a Dyson DC17 vacuum cleaner so I only had to go about 6 hours without a working vacuum cleaner. This Dyson is no cheap vacuum cleaner, Amazon lists it at $549. (Considering that my grandfather bought all of his small appliances at the Salvation Army and was such a severe hoarder that it was unlikely he had a single square inch of carpet clear enough to vacuum, I highly doubt he paid that much.)
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Dyson but I always wondered if it was just hype or if they were really worth the money.
So the ultimate test was to re-vacuum my house that I had mostly finished before the Hoover crapped out. Vacuuming again after only 3 days filled the canister of the Dyson not just once or twice but eight times. My carpet is a completely different color than I thought it was!
After this test I now know that the Dyson really does stand up to the hype. I’m still not sure I could stomach paying $549 for a new one but I’d grab a used one in a heartbeat.
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{ 12 comments }
WOW. I am semi obsessed with vacuums. I would love a Dyson!
.-= Mrs. Money´s last post ..Giving Clothes Consignment a Try =-.
So glad you posted about this! I’ve been looking into getting a new vaccuum and wondered if Dysons were worth the big bucks….I’ll keep my eye out for a used one!
.-= Melissa´s last post ..FREE Sundaes on Mondays with Ben and Jerry! =-.
I have to second about Dyson being great. We went cheap on our first vacuum… and second… and third… and we had that many because they kept dying, and fast. With 2 long haired cats and a low pile shag carpet (thank you 1980s condo!), those vacuums couldn’t handle it. We decided if we kept along that road, we would end up spending the $500ish a Dyson would cost us anyway… so we broke down and bought one. We got the DC07 (that came with pet hair attachments) with a $50 Target gift card, so we payed $450. We THOUGHT the carpet was relatively clean, since it had only been a few days, like with your experience. We were WRONG. I don’t remember how many times the canister was filled from that vacuum, but I can say I was thoroughly disgusted!
.-= Stefanie´s last post ..Last Minute School Supply Shopping? Take One Small Step =-.
They are pretty amazing. It kind of makes you sick when you vacuum and think that your carpet isn’t all that dirty and end up with a half-way full canister. It’s interesting to see in one of those ‘trainwreck’ sort of ways.
I had a similar experience – filling the cannister vacuuming an 8 by 12 area rug that had recently been vacuumed with my old Hoover. What an eye-opener! With a dog and a cat, lots of litter tracked around (the small dog also uses a litter box, believe it or not), the Dyson is worth every penny! A part burnt out (from all the animal hair) after about 3 years, but the repair was only $70. Well worth the cost. I saved 20% on my original purchase by taking advantage of an “open a credit card today” offer.
You are so so so so so lucky!! Can you tell that I REALLY want a Dyson?
I’ve wanted one ever since the original one came out years ago, but have not been able to bring myself to spend the money. Recently when I had to replace my old vacuum I seriously considered splurging on a Dyson, but in the end my frugal spirit won and I went with the less expensive Eureka 4870MZ Boss Smart-Vac Upright Hepa Vacuum. It cost me just under $150, and I am happy with it. One of these days I will have my Dyson though! Enjoy your newly cleaned floors! 
.-= Tracy´s last post ..The Circus Is Coming To Town! =-.
My first Dyson died on me three weeks ago after 15 years and I had no hesitation in forking out £255 UK for a new one. It is specially adapted for animal hairs and is one of my favourite pieces of equipment. I would never consider any thing else.
Margaret
.-= Margaret´s last post .. =-.
I love my Dyson! We bought a used one from Ebay. Paid $250 for it. That was 5 years ago, it still works very really well. We have a cat and 3 dogs, so it’s really been put to the test. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
.-= Tara´s last post ..Monthly Financial Checkup =-.
I hear you! I just got my DC15 and I love it! I had a hoover for 10 years and it really wasn’t working well for the last 2 years I had it, then introduced a shedding puppy and 3 active girls, it was AWFUL. I don’t even mind vacuuming – I do it about 3-4 times a week instead of 1-2 – because I love the way it looks after a vacuum AND it takes me half the time. I also vaccum the tiles and the bathrooms before mopping…. love it. I got mine for less than half price AUD429 down from RRP of 849 – because it was a floor demo model that had only been used for 3 weeks in a small showroom. AND I got extended warranty of 5 years total. It’s a lot of money for a vacuum cleaner but SO worth it.
Oh great all this talk about new vacuums has got me thinking I should actually go vacuum instead of playing on the computer.
Several years ago we got suckered into buying a pretty pricey (ok who am I kidding outrageously pricey) vacuum by one of those in home demos. (we had a child on the way and two cats so they got us with the concerned parent routine…) I’d be interested to see how it stacks up to a Dyson. Not that I am going to even remotely consider buying a new vacuum until after the 25 year guarantee is up.
.-= Chris @ Earth Friendly Goodies´s last post ..Lime: the Natural Key to the Fountain of Youth =-.
I love my Dyson! I have had one for about 3 years now and it works wonders. The best vacuum I have purchased!! I definately lives up to the hype!
I love my Dyson and I just pretend not to know how much my husband paid for it
But, it’s worth every single penny.
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