Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Vacuum, Yellow

I wrote a novel of prose before my power cut out, so maybe you were spared an hour of reading. The long and short of it: I much prefer this over a bagged turbine-head vac now that I have pets. Rated suction and capacity is lower than previous model (DC39), but tradeoff is increased filtration and a hugely improved dust container.I'm a longtime Dyson fan, and just an appreciator of good cleaning instruments in general. At my suggestion, my parents have owned a DC07 for 15 years and it's still going strong; I also had a third-hand DC23 years and years ago, which served me well until an unfortunate mishap with a destructive housemate. I know Dysons get a lot of hate in the vacuum-enthusiast community (yes, it's a thing) for not being the price and weight of a used compact car, but they really do work effectively, far more than your typical bagless where the filter is doing the bulk of the work. Suction power is really nothing if it isn't trapping the dust.For the last 7 years, I've had a Miele, the Mercedes of home appliances: conservatively but well-styled, favored by rich old white people, but built like a tank and will knock your socks off in performance. The machine itself isn't anything too groundbreaking technology-wise, but the bags are the heart of it: nothing escapes them. My basic C2 worked well on my ersatz hardwood floors, until I got a place both with a low-pile carpet and a cat. A separately purchased turbine tool (which I reviewed previously) worked reasonably well, but with one critical flaw. Not to parrot Sir Dyson's tagline about losing suction, but...well, bag vacuums, especially ones as efficient as the Miele, lose suction when loaded with fine dust, which means the turbine stops running. Which means replacing quarter-full bags frequently. Which gets very expensive, very fast. My options were to either upgrade to a motorized head, wand, and hose for a pretty penny, or buy a new model with those accessories included at the low, low price of a month's rent.So I pawned it off to a relative with concrete floors and area rugs (and no pets) and went back to Dyson. Unfortunately they haven't, in recent memory, marketed a Motorhead model like my old faithful DC23 in the US, and I'm not a fan of uprights, so I took a leap of faith here.The turbine tool is essentially magic: you can see clear from the nozzle inlet to the brush, which means no turbine blades to clog with objects or hair. Unlike the Miele, there isn't an appreciable loss of suction at the head. I have no idea how it works (EDIT: further inspection revealed the turbine bypasses the dirt stream, so it's not going to seize and slow down if you have deeper carpets), but it's insanely powerful. No complaints, and not a trace of pet hair to be seen.The dustbin has a bit less rated capacity than previous models I've used or owned, but is a huge improvement. Gone is the plastic shroud that would accumulate with hair and lint, requiring the fun process of reaching up and picking out debris or rinsing it out with water (kind of disgusting when you don't have a yard and a hose). The entire canister slides down and scrapes the perforated metal shroud knocking everything out into the trash can. The trapdoor is still there, but there's a lot less thrashing the thing around trying to dislodge everything it's sucked up.The motor unit itself is much more streamlined than previous designs and about the same size. It's all wheels, and true to the demo videos, it really does right itself when knocked over. My favorite part is that there's a lot fewer crevices and vents to accumulate dust, eliminating the awkward and existential task of vacuuming your vacuum cleaner. The hose attaches at the bottom in the center of the unit, instead of the offset previous models had, so the unit tracks behind you fairly faithfully. There are really only two detractions: first, the power switch and cord retract buttons have been replaced with tiny levers sticking out the back, whose durability I worry for, but are also hard to aim for with one's foot. The second is the lack of ability to wrap the hose and wand around the unit for storage, but that's a luxury that's been long gone with Dyson.As for the wand and handle: I honestly think it's a bit ugly, but man, is it effective and ergonomic. Throw an attachment onto the handle and it really does swivel 360º in three dimensions. It's worth noting that Dyson redesigned their tool interface for the second time with a much more positive locking mechanism and larger cross-section, but are kind enough to throw in an adapter if you've got previous-generation speciality tools (soft brush, Groom, etc). And if you've got some REALLY old ones or generic-brand tools, there's another adapter for that.The handle has a trigger for releasing suction, rather than a slide switch over a vent. Really elegant solution. The wand is nothing special, but it telescopes and locks far more positively than metal tubes other brands use. tool storage is a little less elegant, snapping onto a plastic collar that then snaps to the wand instead of onboard the motor unit, but again, less nooks and crannies to get dirty. Plus, they're right there.The hose is a hose. Flexible and light, but doesn't contract like a worm when the turbine tool is on it. Same adapter tip, so if you want to forgo the handle, tools click right onto it.Suction power and performance is spot-on. I think the quoted spec is 250 air-watts at the nozzle; some models have been more and others less, but its picking up the fine dust from my carpet underlayment that probably needs to be replaced. Dyson keeps adding more and more cyclone nozzles with each new iteration which doesn't seem to be adding cleaning power so much as reducing the amount of dust that gets into the filter and motor, reducing maintenance need. Just don't use it for picking up ash or construction debris or you'll destroy the guts pretty quick.All in all, A-plus. My fears of another turbine head lacking in power for pet and human hair have been allayed, and it's definitely equal to Miele, if not crafted by strong German dwarves. I know there are other cleaners out there that are cheaper, or have more rated wattage, or suck a greater percentage of dirt in lab tests, but not without the low maintenance or ease of use of this unit. There's a great breadth of accessories and various floor heads (hint: buy them here, or from parts distributors rather than big-box retailers; they're a lot cheaper), and aftermarket support is good, just see your local vacuum shop or the Dyson repair centers. These aren't expensive disposable toys, unlike (ahem) another German make.And a last note: Dyson looks like they've streamlined their canister models in the US; gone is the tiny shrink-ray version and most of the old Ball variants with differing attachments and wattages. Current models are the Big Ball Cinetic (more power, no washable filters needed, comes with turbine hand tool), the Big Ball Musclehead (don't really know what that tool is...something for hard floors?), Big Ball Multifloor (this unit—seems to be same motor, but regular ol' turbine floor tool), and the old Ball DC39 (bigger dustbin, more power, but fewer cyclones and old accessory size, and, well, not a Big Ball). If you're looking at new-old-stock older models, that's up to you to figure out the differences between them.

This product represents a lot of firsts for me. It is my first Dyson product, first canister vacuum, and first vacuum I have spent over $150 for. That being said my wife and I just vacuumed our entire house and we love it!If you have never had a canister vacuum you don't realize how bulky an upright vacuum is. With this vacuum I can now vacuum underneath couches, beds, chairs, tables, etc. without moving them. This is a game changer! Also the rotating brush seems to get a lot closer to walls than an upright and can fit into tight spaces since it has a smaller footprint.The suction power on this thing is a little scary, some of my rugs get picked up by the suction. Luckily they include a ring on the handle you can pull to break the suction. It is a little annoying at first but then you move the rug and realize that the vacuum got all the dirt from underneath the rug too which my previous vacuums could not do.This is especially useful for door mats that tend to shed most of what they catch through the rug over time.One thing the specs do not list is cord length. I asked the question on here and the seller responded with 21 feet and it seems accurate. However another thing you don't think of if all you have owned is upright vacuums is the hose on the canister vacuum adds another 5 feet! Makes a huge difference in our household, we can vacuum the downstairs with one plug in and the upstairs with one plug in. Also didn't see the warranty listed, this product comes with a 5 year parts and labor warranty, so that offers piece of mind when spending this much money.The gravy on this product is the retractable cord. I don't know about you but winding the cord on the vacuum was always tedious after you just spent an hour vacuuming. Now I just unplug and step on the retract button and 3 seconds later the cord is stored. I can already see I am going to be spoiled by this feature and never want a vacuum without it in the future.Lastly I thought I would post about the mystery attachment. If you buy this vacuum you will put it together and have one piece left that is not mentioned anywhere in the paperwork. I found through experimentation that it is an adapter for old attachments. I am sure it is meant for old Dyson attachments but it worked with a pet brush attachment I had from my previous vacuum. Nice they include the adapter.All in all I think this vacuum is great, the price tag is steep but I think it will be worth it. I will update this review in the future if this changes.

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