Dyson - A Mover and a Sucker!

As a home cook with three kids and a cat, I spend a lot of my time vacuuming.  And since I have been forever disappointed with the vacuum I was using (too bulky to store and too heavy or cumbersome to move), I took Dyson up on an offer to test and review their Dyson DC25 All-Floors. After putting it to the mommy test for the last couple of months, here are some of the things I really like about this Dyson:

• The swivel is THE unique feature of a Dyson vacuum.  It moves and rotates on a ball, so it can swivel and turn rather than just being pushed forwards and backwards.  At first, I wasn't used to the motion.  When you've been using a standard vacuum for years, you are accustomed to that forward/backward push and then shifting the machine as you go.  So, when I started with the Dyson, it was like driving a new car.  But, within a few days, I was zipping over those floors!  It's all about tilting the handle and getting the feel of that manoeuvring with your arm and wrist.  Once you do, it makes for a speedier sweep.  Plus, you might just find yourself having a teensy bit of fun swirling this machine around.  And, if you don't, your kids will (now we're talking)!
• Dirt bin.  All the dust and dirt collects in a cylindrical plastic bin.  Not only is the bin easy to remove and empty (and, there are no bags to buy), but you can also see through it.  This may sound weird, but I found it very gratifying to see how much dirt I was sucking up!  The novelty of "looking at the dirt" wore off after the first week, but after having those first moments of seeing what was being collected - dust and fibers and cat hair and more - made me feel like the job was well done.  Plus, since the Dyson also has a washable HEPA filter, it is grabbing up pollen, bacteria and other heeby-jeeby germophobic particles that I'd rather not think about, thank you.
• Vacuum is lightweight and compact.  Moving my old vacuum was like carrying a grown adult up and down the stairs.  It was also awkward to lift the base with the tubing and power head over the stairs and down again.  This Dyson is relatively light and a breeze to carry up and down stairs with a handle that is cleverly placed for easy lifting and transporting.  Also, its design allows for you to tuck it away nicely in a closet or corner.
• Great suction.  This was one of the first things I noticed - this machine really sucks!  I've used bigger and heavier vacuums that don't have the same power.  You really notice it on carpet, when you switch to the carpet mode button and feel the immediate suction pull of the machine.  It doesn't make the vacuuming more difficult, but the power is evident. 
• Convenient power buttons.  Some vacuums have you bending down to reach the on/off switch, or to change modes from floors to carpet.  With this model, the buttons are right at arm's reach under the handle.  When you begin to vacuum, you simply turn on the power and depress a pedal with your foot which releases the handle from the upright position.  The vacuum is then in the mode for carpeted floors, and to switch it to hardwood, you just press a button adjacent to the power button.  That's it. No changing of nozzles or power head attachments, or any other fussing.
• Handy wand for cleaning higher and hard-to-reach places.  It pulls straight out with a simple movement (no bending over to change attachments), and engages immediately without pushing buttons.  Once you're finished, it collapses back into the handle and the base of the vacuum kicks into gear again - convenient!  
• It can handle the bits, bobs, crumbs, scraps, hairs, grunge of three kids and a cat, plus a woman that spends most of her free time in the kitchen (ergo food particles flying off chopping boards and baking mixes scattering about).  I typically vacuum after lunch hour, because by that time, the crumbs under the table could feed a few families of mice and possibly a raccoon or two.  The vacuum can take up just about anything left behind by my crew, apart from the very sticky/wet bits left by babe under the high chair (that accounts for her smirks when letting milk drip from her sippy cup or when dropping bits of cooked yam). 

There isn't much I don't like about this Dyson.  Sometimes I think the power cord could be just a few feet longer (the manual specifies not to use an extension cord).  Also, although I really like the cool handle wand, the tubing itself could be a little less stiff for easier stretching and reaching with the wand.  Perhaps with time and usage it will ease up, but that's something I cannot judge at this point.

Overall I am very pleased with the Dyson DC25 All-Floors vacuum - it has changed my day-to-day cleaning, making it easier and more effective with less effort.  It's so easy to use that hubby no longer gets bonus points for offering to vacuum.   (okay, okay, he gets a point or two for emptying the dirt bin)! ;)