Missives from the 6th Floor

We eliminated a couple options off the bat (including a CU Best Buy) as we had been happy with the bagless model and didn't want to go back to bags, and after comparing the remaining options and their ratings in the buyers guide, decided to try the Dyson DC14 "Animal," which Costco sells for significantly less than MSRP, and was offering a $50 instant rebate on through the end of the month. It was $100 more than the next runner up, but we figured we'd take the chance since, given Costco's return policy, we could always return it if it didn't live up to the hype.

Unboxing and assembly were simple - the unit is about the same weight as the one it's replacing, but seems more maneuverable when steered with one hand. It seemed to perform well on the carpet, extracting a non-trivial amount of "stuff" from a carpet that had been vacuumed less than 24 hours prior. Cleaning out the dirt trap is significantly easier than our last model, and doesn't require removing the lid (and then finding a place to set said dirty thing down). I like that the filter is lifetime and washed, rather than replaced.

My one complaint so far is that it seems harder to push than it's size and weight would suggest.

Unlike many reviews I'm not raving about it, but the engineering does seem better than the vacuum I'm comparing it against, and it's 5 year warranty does inspire a certain amount of confidence.