You Get What You Pay For!!!all else is alrightRUN, DO NOT WALK, AWAY FROM DYSON!A machine that deserves 5 starsWhen I saw a lot of 5 star reviews and heard people raving about the Dyson, it made me curious. I checked out Consumer Reports reviews, and I found it odd that the vacuums CR recommends have a lot of negative reviews while the Dysons were much more positive. At the time of this review, the DC25 wasn't listed in their testing, but I would expect it to rate very highly. If it isn't, I will have to conclude that CR has no idea what they are talking about. So, with that out of the way, let's move onto the review.Out of the box, the vacuum requires minimal assembly. The roller brush head must be snapped into the body. One click and you're done. The attachment wand/handle must be clicked into place, as well. And finally, the two wand attachments included must be snapped onto the body. Four clicks and you're done. I barely consider it assembly.As many have stated, the vacuum has great suction.

In our closet, we vacuumed the edge of the carpet where it meets our hardwards. The edge wasn't tacked down very well during installation, and we could see it physically sucking the carpet up, lifting it from the floor.As a test, we vacuumed a roughly 4x8 section of carpet that sees average traffic. The canister was half-filled with very fine grey dust and dog hairs. We had been using an Oreck XL, which stank terribly when in use. The Dyson was clearly pulling up a lot of old dust and dirt from the carpet.We have a Jack Russell with fine white sharp hairs. The DC25 took care of all the hair on hardwoods, irregular slate tile, and carpet. We were told about the Bissell Pet Pack attachments Bissell 3260 Pet Pack Vacuum-Cleaner Attachments that work with the DC25. They don't snap-fit, but work just fine with pressure fitting. Using the pet roller and rubber head, I was able to quickly clean our dog's pet bed. I thought it would be a total waste of time, because hairs were imbedded into the fleece.

I had the entire bed looking like new in less than a minute, and the canister on the Dyson looked like I was making cotton candy with the hair swirling around inside. Amazing.I find the cord length just right. I would think a lot of cord would be a pain to manage. I don't mind plugging it in after each room. And like others have stated, if this is a problem, you can always buy a drop cord.The attachments work well, but I do wish Dyson had included a swivel/flexi head standard. An angled brush attachment would make using the wand easier. Still, the simple lift-off action of the wand is great. Flip open the top cap, pull up on the wand, and it disconnects from the vacuum and suction diverts to the wand. Or, disconnet the wand and use the hose directly. The expanding hose is a little stiff, but the one I tried in the store was much looser, so I expect that to get better with age and loosen up. If there is any area I would like to see improved, it is that I wish the wheels could lock on the body when using the hose.

I guess having it roll prevents the vacuum from tipping over if the hose is pulled too tight, but it would be handy to have the option to lock the wheels and prevent the vacuum from rolling at times.I am very happy with my purchase, and I would highly recommend this vacuum.works great and looks cool too!Doesn't live up to the hypeNever been so impressed by a vacuum cleanerEditors' Note, February 12, 2015: Dyson has announced name and price changes for the majority of its US vacuum lineup. jual mini vacuum cleaner laptopThis upright model, previously called the Dyson DC50, is now the Dyson Ball Compact Animal and its price has been adjusted down from $500 to $450. bagless vacuum cleaners on saleThis review has been updated accordingly. cost of rainbow vacuum cleaner

Editors' Note, October 17, 2013: Confusion between models prompted us to revisit this review. We have now factored the collapsible handle and added a point to the design sub rating. We also retested on hardwood with the brush roll engaged, as recommended for this model. The performance results and some analysis have been adjust accordingly. Our overall impressions of this vacuum remain the same. It's hard to not be impressed when you look at the Dyson Ball Compact Animal, or, for that matter, any Dyson upright vacuum. It's sleek, modern, and a bit out-of-this-world-looking with its roller-ball design and bright purple accents. The Ball Compact Animal looks fantastic, but pretty is as pretty does. After all, pretty won't necessarily clean up after your aggressively shedding beagle. Though, for $450, I certainly think it should. When I saw my first Dyson commercial, more than 10 years ago, the vacuum looked straight from the future. That will never catch on. My grandpa once said the same thing about fast food and you know how that story ends.

Now, nearly every major vacuum manufacturer offers a bagless cyclonic version. Cyclonic technology marks an important step in vacuum innovation as it means that a filter bag is not relevant or necessary. These cyclonic vacuums, like the Ball Compact Animal, rely on high-speed, high-power suction to create a vortex inside the vacuum canister, where dirt and debris are collected and then easily discarded. The Dyson Ball Compact Animal performed adequately in most of our tests, and occasionally with excellence. There are flaws, however, in both design and performance, which seem all the more glaring because of Dyson's claims of near perfection. While a good vacuum cleaner, the Dyson Ball Compact Animal can't quite justify its $499.99 sticker price, especially when you consider the fact that the $259 Shark Rotator Lift-Away performed on par with the Ball Compact Animal. Design The Dyson Ball Compact Animal weighs 11.6 pounds and features a removable dust bin, an extension hose for hard-to-reach surfaces, a brushroll that you can turn on and off, and a long power cord.

You may appreciate the fact that the handle collapses into itself, saving vertical space wherever you would store your vacuum. Dyson's patented roller-ball technology, perhaps its most unique-looking attribute, serves as the drive mechanism for the Ball Compact Animal. This roller ball allows for a wide range of pivoting motion and makes it an exceedingly maneuverable vacuum cleaner. I have concerns about the durability of this vacuum, however, and the ball is central to a few of them. As the roller ball doesn't function as a base, two small wheels and axles support the vacuum in the upright position. They are plastic, like nearly everything on this machine, and don't feel sturdy. I'm not confident that axles on the rear wheels would withstand heavy use or falling over more than a few times without suffering damage. In fact, after our testing, one of these support wheels fell off the vacuum. We reinstalled it without much trouble, but the event wasn't encouraging. In order to return the vacuum to an upright and locked position, you must push the handle forward with some gusto.

This isn't something I would mind if it locked into place intuitively. Often, however, I found that even when the vacuum clicked, giving the impression it was secured, the handle fell down. I had to push until I heard a second, fainter clicking sound. Similarly, you must push down on the handle and rock the vacuum backward to unlock the Ball Compact Animal. These gestures aren't difficult, but their necessity raises more questions about the Ball Compact Animal's construction. I found I much preferred the Oreck Touch Bagless Vacuum Cleaner, which offers the same maneuverability and pivoting, coupled with a much sturdier design and upright locking. I may have a bias against plastic hardware -- that's my issue and I'm working through it -- but the hinges, pins, and tabs on the Ball Compact Animal's bin feel flimsy. For example, the pin that depresses the button to open and empty the bin doesn't look sturdy enough to last the vacuum's lifetime of regular bin emptying. The bins on other models feel much more well-made without sacrificing ease of access.

You'll find the same sort of plastic hardware on the brush well. To access the brush, I flipped two red plastic tabs that came off the machine multiple times when I tried to lock them back in place. I reinstalled these tabs without any trouble, but it's a concern that I had to perform the task as many times as I did with a brand-new vacuum. For $450, I don't think I should have any reservations about durability, a sentiment which applies to the $650 Dyson DC41 Animal Complete as well. Features The Dyson Ball Compact Animal comes with expected features, such as an extendable vacuum hose and attachments, and one unexpected feature in the form of a collapsible handle. Its hose is not as far-reaching as other models, like the Electrolux Precision Brushroll Clean's, but it's long enough to vacuum drapes or curtains provided they're not excessively tall. The wand is not long enough, however, to make vacuuming stairs as easy as I would like. Accessing the extension hose is clumsy, as it nests against the vacuum's handle.

Part of the hose's wand serves as the top prong for wrapping the power cord, meaning that to use the hose you must unwrap the cord completely. This is inconvenient, but not unique to Dyson vacuums. It is, however, a little frustrating, considering Dyson's reputation for excellent design. Notwithstanding, the hose works well and I welcome the variety of attachments, all of which work. Among the attachments, you'll find a combination tool, a stair tool, and a Tangle-free Turbine tool, which is designed specifically to pick up hair without tangling. The vacuum body includes places to nest two of these attachments, keeping them at the ready. These accessories work well and will assist you in various cleaning tasks, though they pale in comparison to the variety and versatility of the Shark's inclusions. Like all of the cyclonic vacuums we tested, the Ball Compact Animal has a plastic dust bin, which is easy to empty. The bin is not difficult to disassemble for deep cleaning, but the process still feels more finicky than it needs to be.