Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Vacuum

I purchased this vacuum through a Warehouse Deal for $257. I had been waiting for the vacuum to come down in price, so when I saw the “Used – Like New” offer I jumped at it. The vacuum works amazingly well. I have dogs who shed a lot, multiple floor types, and stairs. It’s great not having to change attachments in order to go from smooth floors to carpet. The rotating bristles gently scrub stuck on dust from hardwood floors and help to loosen pet hair from carpets. The suction power is intense. When vacuuming low pile area rugs the suction is so powerful that I had to open the suction valve release all the way in order to get it across the carpet. It’s quite the workout! As negative as this sounds, it still does a great job. The amount of dust and debris that the Dyson pulled out of my area rugs is incredible. I also like being able to see what I’m vacuuming up through the clear canister. It may sound weird, but the cyclone of dog fur in the canister is pretty cool to watch.

The Good/Excellent:
The size is just right (not too big and not so small that it needs to be emptied multiple times during each use)
The suction is powerful
It is fairly lightweight
NO VACUUM BAGS!!!
The filtration is excellent
It’s quieter than my old Kenmore
Excellent for cleaning up pet hair

The Negative
The plastic is lightweight and feels fragile – it also conducts a lot of static electricity, so dog hair sticks to the smooth parts
The power cord could be a few feet longer
It would be more convenient to have the On/Off switch on the handle rather than on the canister

My wife has several Cats and this is the only vacuum that we have found that will stand up to daily use for an extended time. It has great suction and maneuverability. Works well on hard surface or carpeted floors. Unfortunately, I understand Dyson has or is in the process of discontinuing it.

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 Dyson vacuum cleaner is great! I had a Hoover vacuum cleaner before and this Dyson is so much better for suction power and love the way the brushes are flexible around the walls. Really happy with it. It’s even great on the carpets.

I have always had Dysons and have previously been pleased. Unfortunately this one does not deal well will pet hair and is hard to push and use. Disappointed to be fair.