Pros: Great suction, no extra parts to buy, lets you see how much you've vacuumed
Cons: Pricey, suction may be a little too powerful, ergonomics aren't the greatest
The Bottom Line: Absolutely recommended. Nothing better $800 down. This color scheme is particularly attractive. In the end though, it's all about the performance and this one has it.
codex57's Full Review: Dyson DC14 Full Access Bagless Upright Cyclonic V...
This is the best vacuum I've owned.
By now, you've heard all the hype. I must say, I'd generally have to agree. This thing has incredible suction and really doesn't lose suction. However, it's not without its faults.
I originally bought this vacuum from Best Buy over a year ago. I was using some random Dirt Devil and a Hoover before then. I don't remember too much about them because they were not all that memorable. I do remember having to find belts and bags which were a big pain in the rear. I also remember that the suction on all my previous vacuums weren't very impressive. I've also borrowed or bought other vacuums in the past. Bagged, bagless, upright, handheld, whatever. Since they were all in the $100-200 range, I didn't think too much of them. If they didn't work all that well, I was ok with it since they weren't horribly expensive.
About the only one worth comparing in detail is the Oreck XL. This guy was pricey. Getting up there with the Dyson so I saw it as more of a direct competitor. As such, I had higher expectations. Particularly when Oreck claims it'll suck and hold a bowling ball. That claim is a flat out LIE! The Oreck does a passable job at first, but it quickly loses suction. I now laugh when I see hotel or office workers using it. It works passably well in those situations, but only because the industrial carpet is so flat, it might as well be a hardwood floor or tile. There's no place for the dirt to go but lay on the top.
At our home, we have pile carpeting. Nice cushy stuff. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of area for dirt to get stuck between. The Oreck, like all the others, can only get stuff that's laying on top. Dust, dirt, and hair? Forget about it. The only good thing I have to say about the Oreck is that it came with this handheld thing that you sling over your shoulder and has a nice flexible hose and some attachments. That thing is handy, but your plain jane $150 Hoover will have that built into one unit.
Then you've got the Dyson. I picked up the DC14 All Access at my local Best Buy. As you may know, all the Dysons are pretty much the same except for the colors and attachments. I didn't know that and bought the most expensive one Best Buy had. I figured that if I was already spending $500 on a vacuum, I might as well get the one with all the bells and whistles.
All you really need to know is that the DC14 is better than the DC07. While there are some quirks to the DC14, they did improve on the ergonomics of the DC07 (which my father has). Honestly, I have yet to use the extra attachments that came with the All Access.
Finally, on with the real review.
This thing definitely does have incredible suction. As a test, I vacuumed the house with the Oreck and Hoover first (we've got about 4 vacuums and a steamer in the house other than the Dyson). As usual, they picked up some dirt. Then, I broke out the Dyson. After vacuuming the study, 2 bedrooms and a hall, I had filled up the Dyson. Incredible. The master bed and bath haven't been touched yet and already the Dyson had picked up about 6 times the amount of crap the other vacuums failed to get.
While frightening, it was also heartening to see that Dyson's claims were true. It definitely had more suction power and the suction did not stop when the canister started filling up. It also gave me a chance to test out how easy and messy it was to dump out all the dirt that had been collected.
Yes, I was scared that dust and dirt would fly everywhere defeating the advantage of going bagless. Thankfully, that fear didn't materialize. My particular Dyson has some trouble getting that canister part out. It should be a simple press of a button, but mine takes some fiddling. After a while, that simple button press does work and it comes off cleanly. Emptying it at that point is easy. Just press another button, and the bottom falls out. As long as my garbage can is pretty empty, I can just stick that canister in deep and the dust won't fly high enough to escape the sides of the can. Oreck's claims of canister messiness are just great exaggerations and forced flaws. Bags are just as messy when full. Messier actually because I can't stick the Oreck in a trashcan when taking the bag out.
After using it for quite some time now, I've noticed some ergonomic quirks that could use improvement. Mainly, getting the hose out is still a bit of a chore. Much better than the DC07's method, but still a bit of an ordeal. At least all the attachments stay on firmly (unlike some other vacuums) so they don't get lost.
Also, I don't like how all the attachments have to go onto the metal tube instead of the hose itself. This makes it hard to get to some spots since the tube can't bend. For example, you can't get to all the parts of a car's interior because you're forced to work with that long metal tube and it just won't fit.
Finally, the vacuum's profile is pretty tall. If you want to get under low areas, you're going to have to detach the hose/tube to get to it (like under a couch). It's not a huge deal, but kind of a pain if you just want to do a quick cleanup before guests come over.
Oh, and while the powerful suction is great for carpet, it may be a bit too powerful for some other items. I've pulled up the pile looping on a rug I have. Luckily, I use it as a floor mat so I view it as pretty disposable. If it were an area rug in my living room or something, I'd be pretty mad. Also, beware around curtains or bedskirts. I've got a cheap bedskirt around my bed and I've caused a couple of "burns" on it from sucking parts of it up accidentally. You have to remember to lift those things up when vacuuming near them which is another minor annoyance and step.
In the end, though, this is a vacuum. A vacuum's main purpose is to suck up dirt on the floor. Since it does its job so well, I'd have to highly recommend it. It does suck and it does not lose that suction. Yes, it's very pricey, but since those $200 vacuums don't do squat, being cheaper isn't an advantage. I haven't tried that $1000 vacuum yet, but that thing is twice the price of this Dyson. Accordingly, I'd say this is the best vacuum in the $0-800 range. If you can afford $1,000 for a vacuum, great. If you're looking for something $800 or less, than I'd definitely recommend the DC14 and nothing else. However, unless you know for sure you need a particular attachment, I'd get the most basic DC14. Make sure to get the DC14 over the DC07, even if it costs a bit more. It's absolutely worth it, particularly if you're going to pay that much for even the DC07.
Dyson DC14 Full Access Factory Refurbished Vacuum Cleaner. The patented RootCyclone technology, a centrifugal force suction that is always constant, u...More at TotalVac.com
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