Dyson Ball DC15: The Vacuum that Never Loses Suction
I began vacuuming with a Dyson Ball DC15. I performed my test with a relative’s Dyson vacuum. The very first step I took was to deconstruct the entire vacuum. My mother was a little shocked to see her new Dyson in pieces all over the floor. But that’s the beauty of the Dyson vacuums. My old vacuum had stopped working several times because the lines were clogged with so much pet hair. And in order to unclog it, I had to unscrew several pieces and beat the hose violently against the floor while the vacuum was upside down. This was the only way to unclog it and gain a little bit of suction back from it. With the Dyson, this is completely unnecessary. All the hoses are easily removed by pushing buttons on the vacuum. The hoses snap off, and then right back on, and even with pieces of the vacuum everywhere, it is easy to figure out which piece fits in which hole, so that you can put it back together again. Taking it apart and putting it back together took no longer than five minutes combined. Taking apart my old vacuum and putting it back together took over thirty minutes, not to mention the time spent cleaning.
The handle pulls out on the Dyson to allow you to leave the vacuum at the bottom, and clean the stairs. There is hose hiding beneath the handle, and it extends to provide enough reach for all but the longest staircases. This is especially helpful in my home where the wrought iron staircase tends to collect hair from the pets that brush against it. I should note that the handle stuck a little, and it was not the easiest part of the vacuum to use. However once you had the handle and hose removed, it was very simple to actually vacuum using this feature. It was only in the removing and replacing of the handle where I encountered an issue, and it was a very slight issue at that.
When I began vacuuming, I felt like I was handling a very expensive toy. The parts are made of plastic, and the entire vacuum is extremely lightweight. So when I began actually vacuuming with it, I was completely surprised. This vacuum was not a lightweight when it came to suction. I tested it with a small patch, and I was impressed with the way it left the carpets looking. Though the carpets are shampooed regularly, this vacuum left them looking brand new. Even the shampooing couldn’t match that. But the thing that really impressed me was when I finished vacuuming. The amount of dirt that I got out of the recently vacuumed and shampooed carpets was unbelievable. At that moment, I knew I had to purchase one for myself.
The Dyson Ball has a unique feature that allows you to get into tight spaces better than any other vacuum. It is called the “Ball” because it features a literal ball on the bottom. As you are vacuuming, it swivels in any direction you want. This gives you that extra few inches under furniture or in corners. There is an especially difficult angle at my mother’s house that is formed between two bookshelves. The Dyson handles this space that no previous vacuum could fit into. When I first saw this feature, I thought that it would be difficult to actually make the vacuum respond the way I wanted it to, but as soon as I actually used it, there was no question that it was easy. There was no need to teach myself to vacuum differently, as I suspected there would be. Instead, it simply turned the way I needed it to go. I expect that the next time I vacuum with a normal vacuum cleaner, it will feel odd trying to get it to respond to my movements correctly.
Another feature about the Dyson that I like is that it does not begin beating the carpets with the roller until you engage it. This way, I can move furniture, and it won’t destroy my carpets while I am doing so. And don’t think that this means another step in vacuuming. To engage the beaters, you simply push the foot pedal at the bottom that lowers the handle. All upright vacuums have this foot pedal, but on the Dyson, it actually engages the beaters that begin the vacuuming.
One thing that I thought was a better feature than it actually turned out to be was the bumper. While vacuuming, I purposefully bumped against a bookcase to see how it responded. There was almost no shock throughout the vacuum and into the handle, which is a good thing. But I assumed that they accomplished this with the use of a thick, strong rubber. It was not. After I finished, I took another look at it, and it was metal. I cannot say whether this is a good feature or not. It would take repeated vacuuming and hitting the same spot on the bookcase year after year to know whether it would damage the bookshelf. However the short-term benefit is obvious. If it is bumping that lightly, I do not believe it is doing any damage to the furniture.
Internally, it features a canister and several “cyclones” which filter the dirt into the canister. The canister is then easily removed, and the dirt dumps out the bottom so that it is easier to empty. Unlike my old vacuum, the filter does not sit directly in the dirt. Obviously, this would cause the filter to clog very rapidly, and it would cease to filter. The Dyson features a filter on top that is like a dense sponge. They recommend washing it once every six months. The model number refers to the power level, with the higher numbers being more powerful. The cyclone technology is what provides such strong power in these vacuums. The bin catches the large pieces of dirt and hair, a “shroud” catches the finer bits, and then the root cyclones remove the finest dust, and send out clean air.
I plan on purchasing my own Dyson very soon, and when I do, I am planning on getting the Dyson DC17 Animal. This is currently their strongest vacuum, and their Animal line provides extra care for homes with pets. Because we have allergy sufferers in our home, and also looped carpets that trap dirt and pet dander, we need this vacuum for maximum cleanliness. But I can honestly say that I believe in every single vacuum made by Dyson, and I would not be unhappy with the purchase of any Dyson, regardless of the model. This is not a statement I can make about any other vacuum company in the world. The Dyson is not the cheapest vacuum on the market, but speaking as someone who has had to replace their vacuum once a year, it may just work out to be very cost effective in the end. With Dyson’s five year warranty, I have a minimum of five years before I need to replace it.
