CHOICE expert @ChrisBarnes looks at whether a Dyson is the best choice or whether there are other brands to consider.
Learn more about about Dyson brand products or share your experience in the comments below.
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No. Any benefit from being bagless is immediately expunged by the emptying processā¦ Go for a good bagged cleaner like Miele ā¦
Iām sure one day in the future healthcare professionals will coin a term like ābagless vacuum dust ingestion syndromeā ā¦
Canstar reckon the Germans lead the charge ā¦ (admittedly Bosch have both bagged and bagless, but I reckon Miele are bagless only, at number 1 ā¦)
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My experience with Dyson.
Bought a Dyson barrel vacuum cleaner 9 or so years ago (DC19 i think?!?!). Worked well, but as draughtrider mentions, I was also really unimpressed with the process for emptying the barrel (and less frequently cleaning the filters). Always messy and dusty, requiring an extra vacuum around the blast zone every time.
Last vacuum cleaner purchase was 24 months ago, about $400 for Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog, while there are larger environmental and running costs using the bags, they are far easier to use and so much cleaner. Will never have a bagless again.
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I was a Dyson fan having purchased an upright more than 15 years ago. I did not mind the bagless and emptied it into my compost bin. Even purchased one for my daughter - had to replace the motor in it recently as it was getting really, really hot.
I had replaced the hose a few years ago but when it went again I was told my model was so old it had been āretiredā. Iām old and retired and thought that was a poor excuse.
I purchased a Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog and could not be happier. It is so much quieter than the Dyson and 4 years worth of bags only cost me $75.
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Maybe if one forgets the capital outlay for the initial vacuum cleaner purchase.
Equivalent Dyson vacuums are a couple of hundred more expensive than Miele. We pay about $7 per bag which lasts us 12 months (we static mop our timber floors as it is quicker and is good at removing most dust) as we only vacuum furniture and rugs. For us, we would only be ahead if the vacuum lasts about 30 years or more (if net present values for the future bag costs are considered). I donāt know of anyone whose Dyson has lasted 30 yearsā¦or havenāt replaced their old working vacuums in this timeā¦and relegated the old one to using on the car etc.
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We had a dyson once - never again. Over priced, not as good as the cheaper ones. Nilfisk better, in my opinion.
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No. Some years ago we followed the hype about the handheld Dyson. Unfortunately it stopped working and the battery seemed to be at fault. The price for a replacement battery was so horrendous that I convinced my wife to buy a Ryobi handheld for $59 from Bunnings for which I already had spare batteries and a charger in the workshop. This turned out to be about half the cost of a replacement battery for the Dyson and we are very happy with the current setup i.e. sharing the batteries between household and workshop.
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The Dyson handhelds are good while they last. I thought quite highly of the company until a few weeks ago when I tried to replace the battery in my DC30 handheld. A battery in a device like this is obviously not going to last forever but the issue was that Dyson had considered this machine obsolete and could offer no spares for it anymore. I certainly didnāt feel that was reasonable for a vacuum that was only around 7 years old. So according to Dyson I was now supposed to throw this one away and buy a newer model. I think thatās an unacceptable business policy.
I ended up looking on Ebay and found Chinese manufactured non-authentic replacements. Strange how they seem to be able to manufacture them over in China but Dyson cannot supply such parts anymore. The replacement is working well, so I will get to keep using the DC30 but unfortunately I donāt have confidence to recommend the Dyson brand anymore.
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My trusty vacuum cleaner is a Nilfisk. I got it from a verge for free. With a bag, but with a cylindrical see-through dust catcher attached to the handle that I empty after vacuuming every room, just to see how much dust one room can create! Soooo happy, and no battery to worry about either. Why use expensive technology when doing things the simple cheap (or in my case free) way?
While non-genuine, I bought 20 bags and a number of filters for around Au$ 45 delivered from the Netherlands ā¦ remember to use your 28 Degrees Mastercard to pay 
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We bought a Kirby about 20 years ago and itās still going well. We replace the dust bag every couple of months. It needed a new rotating brush about 5 years ago and every couple of years the brush belt needs replacing. Both these items are user serviceable (no screwdriver required) and there seem to be plenty of parts online. Iām not sure if Iāll ever need to replace the Kirby, it seems like it will last a lifetime. Maybe once the robot vacs get powerful enough.
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Weāve always had and used Miele cat and dog and couldnāt be happier. It is quiet yet powerful and emptying the bag is a simple and non messy exercise. Adding in the cost of bags over the last 9 years to the purchase cost of the Miele and we are still in front by several hundred dollars over the cost of a bagless Dyson.
Had a small bagless barrel once to clean the car and never again as emptying it became a health and environmental hazard and took longer to empty and clean it than it did to do what I wanted.
The occasional quick run over the hard floors with a static mop also helps keep things in check.
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Old dysonās were very reliable, new ones are no where near as good. 6 months ago I purchased a cheap Hoover bagless barrel vac and love it but has a short cord, does my floors and car with extension cord.
I canāt justify spending hundreds of dollars on a vacuum cleaner, consumer products just donāt last long anymore so why pay a high price.
Apple says their products are only supposed to last 2 years, SHOCK!
As always, consumers must research, Choice is a great place to start.
WE have both a stick and bagless Dyson, the bagless has never given us any problems but is noisy, the stick started giving us some switch problems nearly two years after the warrenty expired. I contacted Dyson and they promptly sent me replacement motor and battery and has been working great since. It might have cost more to buy Dyson but the backup is second to none, you get what you pay for.
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I have had two Dyson and have been very happy with them. I note that emptying them seems to be a problem for some people but I have always emptied the collection tube outside direct into a bin or a bag going into the waste. As I tend not to get rid of hoovers we have an old Miele inherited and a GTech pair of battery bagless sent to us as a gift.
As of a fortnight ago I have had a iRobot 980D which does not have huge capacity or a bag but as it does the hoovering for me and gets under the beds and sofas I think is very useful and as we get further into our dotage even more so. It does help that on a tile floored lower part of the house it can do all 85 sq metres in one charge.
I have four Dysons (yes, 4). My oldest, an upright, was bought second hand reconditioned in the UK approx 15 years ago, so is goodness knows how old. It had āa momentā 10 years ago and was serviced by Dyson via their excellent service program and works perfectly well to this day.
When it had itās crisis I rushed out and bought a barrel Dyson which is also still working perfectly.
Because I prefer uprights, I slightly regretted the hurried purchase of the barrel model, and bought a new upright Dyson in a sale a few years back and love it to bits.
My fourth one is a stick model which is several years old and gets plenty of daily exercise.
I donāt find emptying them an issue; either directly into the green waste bin or compost, and washing the filters every 6months is hardly a chore.
Love love love the brand and the outstanding performance (on hard brick floors, sea grass matting, and oriental rugs) as well as the fabulous service I have received on the rare occasion when I have needed it.
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I canāt let this go unchallenged. Iāve had a Dyson 001 (yes, the original) since 1997; never serviced, still running just fine. Easy to empty, no reliability problems. Of course I canāt comment on their newer ones as Iāve never needed them. I doubt a bag would last very long with a dog around.
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I have had a Dyson Barrel for 10 years. No problems, but quite heavy.
I also have DC59 stick.
Itās about 4 years old. Love it for quick dog hair cleanups and invaluable for car cleaning.
However, just recently the stick battery and the motor have needed to be replaced.
Dyson waived the cost is the motor. I would have expected the motor to have lasted longer, but it does get a lot of use.
One of the problems could have been that talc powder has needed to be picked up on a regular basis. Not any more, as Dyson said this could have affected the motor.
As for emptying the barrel. I cannot understand why that would be a problem. Iād rather get rid of possible germs or contaminants than have them sitting in a bag for 6 months!
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Be a bit careful if buying Chinese manufactured non-authentic replacement batteries as they can be the cause of explosions and fires.
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Are we only talking about Dyson vacuum cleaners? 2012 I bought a Dyson pedestal fan (air multiplier) for my husband. He has tinnitus (ringing in the ears) which is exacerbated by noise, one source being the workshop fans. He moved them further away, but then got bigger ones for more air and moved further away. I read product reviews which said the db level was about the same as a conventional fan, but got one anyway. It was a winner because he could run it on the lowest setting and have it very close. Being a big loop, he could see through it, reach through and have it up close. As aircraft owners and builders, we were fascinated by the aerofoil shape. It hasnāt needed any repairs & no problems.
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