Excellent Vacuum!

Note: The DC14 'Full Gear' is NOT the same as the DC14 'Complete'. Reviews for the 'Complete' refer to a different product under the DC14 line.

I purchased this vacuum after my cheapie Eureka kicked the dust (literally). The Eureka lasted as long as it did because I rarely used it--it was messy, slow and a poor performer. However, it inconveniently died right when I needed to vacuum the most (during a move) so I had to buy another vacuum right away.

My parents and other family have Dysons and spoke very highly of them. We are all pretty hard on vacuums, with lots of dirt tracked in, many pets and so on. I'm used to vacuums of all kinds lasting only a couple of years, but my relatives' Dysons have continued to work like new year after year. So, when it was time to buy a new vacuum, I looked for a Dyson.

The 'Full Gear' is only sold at independent retailers (according to Dyson's site) and I found mine at the local vacuum store, on sale. It's not cheap, but it's certainly worth every penny. The store pushed its Riccar vacuums, but even with a metal brush roller, I wasn't swayed--I prefer a bagless vacuum and will never have another one that takes a bag. The salesman made a big deal about assembling the vacuum for me (free of charge), but I took it home and did it myself--gee it wasn't a big deal, just snapping a few things together. In a couple of minutes, I was ready to go.

I immediately vacuumed my entire home, right over the areas I'd finished before the Eureka died. Like many other reviewers, I was amazed by the sheer quantity of stuff it got out of my 'clean' carpet. Even though my home is small, I had to empty the canister several times. That repeated emptying would be annoying except that during subsequent cleanings, I've found I don't have to empty it as often--that first time, it pulled up all the stuff the other vacuum left behind, so now, it's just getting the new dirt.

What really sold me on this vacuum, however, was the job it did getting pet hair off my furniture. The 'Full Gear' is identical to the 'Animal' model. The mini turbine attachment quickly pulled copious pet hair off my furniture. It took a little time to get used to using the attachment, and I found that unless you get the attachment very firmly seated on the hose, it doesn't do a good job (with suction being lost through the bad connection, that's not surprising). The Dyson does a good enough job on upholstery that I actually use it weekly or more often--there's no reason to avoid cleaning, since the job isn't frustrating anymore.

As to the cost, it's not cheap, but there are also more expensive vacuums out there. I haven't found a better vacuum for the money.