Dyson

Okay - I've never looked forward to vacuuming in my life -- but now it's like a game. How much disgusting stuff can I suck up in THIS room?

I must say, I'm dismayed, though .... we vacuumed in our living room / dining room on Monday w/our old, crappy vac, then bought the Dyson and vaccuumed not once, but twice in the living / dining room on Wednesday (dh wanted to 'try it out'), and now I just did it again in the same area -- and got up a ton of yuck.

We have 1 dog and 2 kids, but the kids aren't allowed to eat in there ... this is SO gross! I'm telling myself that I'm picking up stuff from the previous home owners, and the Dyson is just working through it.

[DCJenn]

Scary, isn't it? Did you get the pet hair upholstery attachment? That thing is worth it's weight in gold.

I LOVE the Dyson. (mine's purple, what about you?)

Jenn

Mine is purple, too. I got all sorts of attachments w/it, but I'm having trouble identifying what they're all supposed to do. I guess that's one of the dangers of buying an appliance smarter than you are.

Most of my living room furniture is leather, and Bruce is not allowed on it. What we really need to design is a 'child-yuck' attachment. I'm trying to figure out which attachment is best for stairs - that's been quite neglected here.

[Phoebe]

I am curious.... Have you always used a vacuum with bags or is the Dyson that good?

Please explain what makes it so good.

Jennifer

[DCJenn]

It'll suck the ick off anything. But doesn't have scary amounts of suck to it, like you'd think. (Like it won't inhale your cat or anything)

I guess it is just the most perfectly designed vacuum, ever.

Jenn

[Sheherezade]

the most perfectly designed vacuum, ever.

I just think things should work properly..... Love that guy.

How is it that I have a friend that has never heard of a Dyson? I think the Dyson is the most exposed product of 2005. I do always wonder about the back story on the inventor. If he really labored away at this for 10 years on his own dime, was he seen as the crazy family member obsessed with vacuum cleaners? I can just see him at his drafting board with his wife screaming "For G*d's sake, James, come to bed!" Glad to here his invention turned out so well.

[DCJenn]

I have the autobiography that I got for free...haven't read it yet. I figure the autobiography of my vacuum's designer needs to stay at the bottom of the pile.

But I can jumpstart it and let you all know!

Jenn

[rainbabies]

I read it . I'm one of those dorks that reads everything that comes with a new toy (now let's all be sad that I consider a vaccuum a 'toy').

He was apparently a very successful designer of other items in his own right while working on this vaccuum obsession. In fact it says he designed the hoses that are on most other vaccuums. There is something about him "risking it all" to battle hoover UK over patent rights for his design, though.

It also seems like the design wasn't what took 10 years, it was getting someone to produce it, which he eventally did on his own (bet those folks who turned him down feel pretty stupid!). The other vac makers didn't want to switch to "bagless" b/c selling bags was a big $ maker for them.

On the "don't they feel stupid now" front: my favorite display at the Rock 'n Roll HOF in Cleveland is one of the various rejection letters received by U2 before they were signed. I'm guessing that not one of the folks who signed those letters is still employed in the business.

I should also say I bought ours at Bed Bath & Beyond using a 20% off coupon (that means $100 off!).

Jenn is right that it doesn't have scary suction - in fact I figured I must have put it together wrong b/c it wasn't "pulling" all that hard. But the thing WORKS. My cheapo little vac is really hard to use on our living room carpet, so I assumed this thing would be nearly impossible to pull - but it's far easier. The hose is super-long - it can make it up to the top step of my taller-than-average stairs, and all the way up my basement stairs. It has all sorts of attachments that actually attach (rather than fall off all of the time), and it's SUPER easy to empty.

I'm in love.

[SuzySunshine]

I have one too! Got the DC14 right before Thanksgiving and I LOVE it. THe first time I vacummed my house I had to empty the cannister THREE times! Molly doesn't shed a lot but when she does its these little tiny hairs that my old vaccum NEVER picked up. I LOVE my Dyson and you're right I actually enjoy vaccumming now because I can actually see it cleaning.

[SueC]

Gosh you guys, now I have vacuum envy! I'm still tempted by the roomba, but if something makes me look forward to vacuuming, that can't be a bad thing.

[spotty_dog]

Well, I'm a little jealous but I sure love my 8 lb. Oreck even if the ick goes into a bag where I can't see it.

[Amiens]

For you Dyson owners--- how long have you owned your mean clean sucking machines? I am curious. We bought a vacuum last December, and we are already on the hunt for a new one. I will have to convince dh big time to drop that kind of cash for a Dyson. I am sold on it, but need more ammo to convince dh.

Crystal

[BonBon]

I have an unnatural love for my DC14.

Seriously, I have to empty this thing several times while cleaning the house. Gross!!! There is a TON of pet hair(I have FIVE pets!! ) but there is also a ton of other...stuff. I can't imagine if this thing had bags how many of them I would be using. Yikes, that would be expensive!

Jenn, I tried to use my 20% coupon and they wouldn't let me! It said on the bottom, in teeny-tiny print that you can't use it on Dyson. Pfft. How sad is it that I raced home and tore it out of the box and used it immediately?