Dyson DC18 Slim All-Floors Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Vacuums often disappoint. They're either unwieldy in size, take too much work to change out longer hoses or put on attachments, etc., need costly bags, or they're heavy or take up too much storage space. And, lastly, they frequently don't live up to performance standards. Well, the Dyson Slim delivers in all but one small category.
As the Cleaning Editor for BellaOnline, I look at cleaning equipment with a serious eye. The first thing I noticed about my Dyson Slim is that performance-wise, it delivers, pulling up cup-full after cup-full of hair, dust, and everything else you find in carpets -- even the ones I had just vacuumed with my regular vacuum (I had to perform a quick "quality assurance" test).
The Dyson Slim also delivers in several other categories, such as storage (it takes 1/3 less space than a regular vacuum), and ease of use. It has the "flick of the wrist" action of the Dyson Ball without the massive weight of the Dyson Ball. This is important to me because I broke my wrist last year and had neck surgery in February. I need a vacuum that I don't have to muscle around the house and that torques my wrist and lower back.
Another spot where it delivers is the size of the vacuum head. It's not as wide as regular vacuums and I was reluctant to buy it because a wider head means more coverage; or so I thought. Actually, the shorter vacuum head, combined with the low profile, means the vacuum gets into very small spaces and underneath sofa skirts, etc., easily and more proficiently than a standard-sized vacuum, helping you to vacuum more quickly and with greater agility.
Where didn't it perform? The attachment heads were a disappointment. There's not a good-sized brush or wide head attachment. The attachments seemed a little cheap and overlooked -- with one exception. The crevice tool/brush combination it comes with is absolutely perfect for vacuuming baseboards (Halleluiah!). But, I also find that I need a nice-sized brush for areas like wood shutters and a wide head attachment to do places such as stairs and tiled areas. However, you can always buy the Dyson wide attachment ($50) and brush separately. Or, I just bought the Kenmore brand attachments that fit the Dyson perfectly. The wide head was only $9.99 -- and it fits in the slot for the Dyson attachments on the vacuum body.
For a vacuum that's easy to maneuver, easy to clean and maintain, takes up less space and gives all the power of a regular-sized Dyson vacuum, the Dyson Slim is a hands-down winner. The only drawback in my mind (better attachments) was no problem because I found an inexpensive work-around. Besides, I'd rather have an easy-to-use vacuum that works well and has chintzy attachments than great attachments on a so-so vacuum. I'd recommend this vacuum to anyone, especially if you want all the power at half the size.

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Dyson Stiff Bristle Brush Review

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(More customer reviews)Although this seems like an accessory that I could have done without, I am very, very please how useful this tool is. It does a better job of picking up debris where the wall and the carpet meeting. I also used it with Absorb carpet cleaner. In the past I was not able to get all of the carpet cleaner up, but I can when I use this tool.

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Dyson DC24 Ball All-Floors Upright Vacuum Cleaner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought the DC 24 to replace a small vacuum and was my first Dyson purchase (though I have used them regularly in the past). I would not recommend this vacuum to replace a dedicated large upright. Dyson uses "airwatts" to specify the power of the vacuums and the DC 24 has 115 airwatts vs. 220 airwatts for the DC 25 and DC 15. Not knowing how many airwatts other vacuums use, I can only guess similar comparisons to other brands.
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What to Like
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The DC 24 vacuum is lightweight 11.5lbs (DC25 16.1lbs and DC15 19.95lbs) and can go up and down stairs without problems (3 story condo). In fact, instead of using the hose attachment for the stairs I prefer to use the vacuum itself. It has a nicely placed handle in the front for this function (like a weed trimmer). You have to hold it out away from your body, as the brushes don't spin if the unit is placed upright.
Despite being lightweight and lower power, it has consistent suction and still get's a lot of dirt and dog hair out of the carpet.
The "Ball" allows the vacuum to access small, hard to reach areas without using the attachment. It is similar to using a swivel head on a mop. It handles my hardwood floors well, and now has replaced my sweeper.
The no-mess canister, easy to dump out with just a push of a button.
The washable hepa filter. This is one reason I do not have a problem with paying more for a Dyson. Effective heppa filtration requires regular replacement and that adds up in extra dollars. The dyson solves that with an easy clean filter.
5 year warranty. You will probably experience a disconcerting feeling when it's out of the box and it seems like flimsy construction. I usually destroy vacuums and so far this vacuum has held up well. I think the flimsy feeling comes from it's flexibility, the adjustment points and the ball. Trust me, I have dropped it a few times down a flight of stairs on the hardwood and it still looks and works as good a new.
Compact storage... that goes hand in hand with light weight, but it also telescopes down in height to fit under shelves for storage.
Coolest Dyson feature for me is the no-tool brushbar access/removal. Makes it very easy to remove obstructions from the brushbar without a tool set.
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What not to Like
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The attachment is difficult to convert, this is not unique to this Dyson model. Some cleaver engineer came up with a way to make this attachment compact and self contained, but impossible to convert the first 10-15 times you use it. Dyson does have more expensive models that have easier to use attachments. After using their products for awhile, I have become a Dyson attachment Jedi Master.
The hose for the attachments is short. It can't reach my 10' ceilings without lifting the base up off the floor. I recommend the Dyson's flexible attachment for dust and/or cobwebs.
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Other Notes
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The vacuum has trouble with large items (clumps of dog toy stuffing) that big vacuums normally don't hiccup on. It either doesn't have the brush head height or the plumbing for large items. It's not really a negative for me, as I learned early on to pick up big items that might destroy a perfectly working vacuum motor. I didn't have the same problem with using only the attachment.

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