Dyson DC18 Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum

So, after getting so disgusted with my other vacuum, even though it was new, I decided to replace it- it was so awful at not picking up stuff, and it was 3 months old. I knew I had to have a Dyson, after reading all these reviews on them. So, what did I do? I cashed out all my Epinions money, and it was enough for me to get a Dyson DC18.

I bought my Dyson at Sears, and it was priced at $469.98, but I had seen it for 98 cents less at Target. They matched the price, and then gave me 10% off the difference- not that it was a lot of money, but it saved me a little, my purchase price was $468.90, and then I paid the hefty 9.75% tax rate in my home state of Tennessee, I ended up paying $514.62.

As far as assembly is concerned, all you do is take it out of the box, and pop the brush and top part into place, and then you are ready to go. I don t find that the vac is overly heavy or too tall, and for a shortie like me, that s very important.

Well anyway, onto the actual vacuum (stats from sears.com), it is an upright, and it uses 120 volts of power. It weighs 15.8 lbs., 43 in. tall, and is very skinny compared to other vacuums, and it looks really cool with its yellow accents.

It has a 12 inch cleaning path on the brush, and the brush can be turned on and off. This vacuum is safe for all floors, which is great for me, seeing as how we have tile, linoleum, hardwood, and carpet all in the same house. I find that the biggest problem I have with vacuums is that it performs well on some surfaces, then horribly on others.

It has a HEPA filter, 11 amps of power, 2 motors, and is made of ABS/polycarbonate. The cord is 25 feet long, and you wind it up around the back of the machine for storage. There are no filters or bags to buy with this vacuum; all you have to do is wash the filter every 3 to 6 months.

The hose comes out of the vacuum not like that of other hoses from around the side, but you pull straight up on the tool end, and it comes straight out of the vacuum. You must have your vacuum set in the upright position to work the hose, and there is a little red cap at the top of the machine that you must turn up to start pulling the tool out. The maximum reach of the vac is 41.58 feet, and the hose is really stretchy. There are two attachments that store on the vacuum, a dusting brush/crevice tool, and some sort of basic upholstery brush.

The vacuum has a 5 year warranty, and be sure to register your product with Dyson after purchasing.

Experience:

This vacuum is different from other vacuums in a lot of ways. First off, I already mentioned earlier that you can turn the rotating brush off on the vac for when you change surfaces. Which, one would think that it would not suck as well with the brush turned off, but it does not affect the suction at all. The suction on the thing is awesome!! Honestly, this is the strongest suction of a vacuum I have ever witnessed in my life.

Secondly, I told you about the wand hose coming out of the top rather than the side of the machine, and the hose is really stretchy, and I find that you can go a good ways away from it, and the vacuum will not topple over on you or on the floor. It is really amazing how much more comfortable it is to vacuum. The tools are pretty good as well; the dusting/crevice tool is great for the corners on the ceiling.

The power button is located beside the brush on/off button, and they are both located at the middle of the machine on the front. I find they are easy to push and get to, unlike my other vacuum that has a foot power button.

As far as handling, I find that the slimness of the machine really beneficial. It s able to squeeze under spots like my desk, which my old one kind of ran into everything under the desk. And the ball, which is another thing different about the vac, is amazing. Literally, it turns on a dime, and will rotate really easily. Unlike those other uprights out there, which pretty much just can clean in one direction, this can rotate under things, around the couch, and beside the end table. It really keeps you from having to move out some things, like end tables to vacuum, because this can get right where you need it to go. I mean, who knew vacuuming could be this easy and effortless? I have no problem pushing it around.

As far as emptying the canister, it is really a one handed operation. Just press a button on the front of the machine to release the canister, and then take the canister to the garbage can, press the trap door release button, and all the debris goes into the garbage. I don t find the dirt flops back in your face either. The canister just pops back on the front of the machine.

Now then, back to the suction, I really can t get over it. I ve always had problems with my vacuum not being able to pick up Play-Doh crumbs; something about them is just too heavy for my old vacuum to pick up. But, this picked them up with ease. Also, I was really amazed at how much hair it picked up, even on the tile, which my old one could never do. The first time I used this machine, I almost had a whole canister full of dirt. And I m the type that likes to vacuum once a week. Also, it s so much easier to vacuum my crown molding now, because the hose can reach all the way up there, and also, it s not a big bother to vacuum the couch- I don t feel like it s a tug of war with the hose. It just has awesome performance anyway you slice it.

Overall, sure it s expensive, but well worth it. The sales fella at Sears told me a lady came in and something had gone wrong with her Dyson and they had to send it off to be repaired, and they offered her any other vacuum in the store if she did not want to wait for hers to be repaired. She said no she would wait for how ever long it took- she had a $3,000 vacuum at home, and the Dyson was way better than that one. Just do like me, keep writing reviews and wait until you have enough Income Share to buy one! Seriously, I am so glad I bought this- it is by far the greatest vacuum I have had, and I have had four. Well worth the money.