Dyson DC11 HEPA

Brilliant and 12 years old! – Use daily on hard floors and carpets. Picks up dog hair effortlessly and use it on mattress too. Great HEPA filter aids my allergies. Bulky but worth it. Still going strong after 12 years. Have it serviced yearly and no need to consider replacing it! Worth every penny all those years ago.

Useless on carpet – This vacuum cleaner is no good at all on carpet. We have a dark charcoal carpet and this cleaner simply does not pick up the material off the floor, One has to go back and re clean it several times and even then it still does not do the job. It is particularly bad at stringy things like threads, long thin leaves: it does not lift them well and… Read more

they just jam up the debris cannister when it does. It also does not small hard objects e.g. seeds and nuts. The cannister has a FULL line, but in reality the vacuum loses a lot of suction before this is reached, so the cannister has to be emptied more often than would seem the case. Our previous vacuum was a DYSON DC5, and it had none of these problems on the same floor, so the issue is not our specific carpet, nor even Dyson, but the design changes they have implemented inbetween those two model. Good suction (better than DC5) Does not work well on carpet.

Fantastic vac, but not without fault – We purchased a Dyson DC11 HEPA from our local small vac shop. Prior to this, we had a high end Nilfisk. We were looking for a second vac so we could take the Nilfisk to work and leave it there. I guess we fell for the hype and the clear barrels etc and the run-out price of the Dyson. When we got home, just for fun, we vacuumed thoroughly with… Read more

the Nilfisk like normal. Then we pulled out the fancy new Dyson and ran it over the floors. Unbelievable! We actually emptied the clear twin-barrel canister twice! We felt like we had been living in filth after seeing what the Dyson picked up!

I guess some of the performance is due to the turbine head which picks up so much more- especially hair and lint etc. But I also have no doubt part of the performance is due to the cyclone action. I don't know how exactly, but it works.

What we find frustrating (and didn't really think of at the time of purchase) is the shape. Dyson like to go with the crazy, lumpy, futuristic shapes (it would be a part of their marketing strategy) but it just doesn't 'sit' in our cupboard well. This one collapses and wraps around itself, but who does that? We all just poke our vac in the hall cupboard or behind a door and this is not something a Dyson seems to do well.

Also, the turbine head failed. A quick google found this to be a common problem internationally, with many complaints and a visit to the shop we got it from found they were no longer a dealer due to Dyson not offering the service agents margin on spare parts, effectively wholesaling the parts at a retail price (allegedly). A politely worded email to Dyson here in Aus saw the customer service team really step up, which was fantastic. They supplied a new turbine head at no charge, and were most courteous.

What would I do different next time? Well, the turbine head is a must, regardless of brand. I'd also check serviceability and parts availability. This is the sort of honesty you'll only get from a small outlet, not a noisy-advertisement retail chain. I'd also simulate storage in the shop, before taking it home. See if you can just poke it in the corner and make it stand up. Could be the difference between happy or frustrated ownership.

All in all, a superb tool to clean the floors. They replaced the head, (hopefully with a revised unit) and it is otherwise well made. And boy, does it clean.... Cleans unlike anything else I've used Shape, small design issues

OK – Not terribly keen on this model. Air filtration is great, so I would consider Dyson again but would really want a good test run first. I have 2 sons with asthma and allergies. Sweeping hard floors stirs up dust, so this vacuum is great as it gets up the dirt without blowing any out through filters. Air smells clean, not like other vacuums I've… Read more

used. Power head for upholstery is good. The hose attachment is too large to get into tight spaces and the hose is shorter that my sisters Dyson (not sure what brand). It often tips over backwards because of that. Also a bit chunky and not terribly maneuverable. I know this allows it to wrap compactly for storage, but this would have prevented me buying it had I realised. It blocks very easily (can't pass a gum leaf through the two entrance holes). I often lose suction and have to hold my hand over end to create the initial vacuum. Didn't get extra tool set that was advertised free on billboards if purchased with in set period. Initially assumed my powerheads were it until I saw the tool kit in Harvey Norman recently. Bought it 3 years ago so I guess it's too late to do anything about that.

Excellent – Excellent vacuum cleaner. Three years now and no problems at all. Would recommend Dyson to anyone. Wash the filters when due for optimum results. Beauty. First use was after carpet had just been professionally cleaned; amazing what came out. Spouse has breathing problems; most carpets now gone. On the wooden floors, rendered walls, brickwork… Read more

and gip-rock, does an excellent job. Cleaned a house I was house-sitting - carpet looked clean but we ended up with several dust bag empties. House owner came back and remarked how clean everything looked. Just the price but over the years this will seem low.

Good – On balance this is a good product. It's expensive, so I'm not sure how you'll justify the extra cost - for my part, I'm banking on it's superior cleaning power meaning I need to vacuum less often (and it does clean a lot better than a standard vacuum). What is important is to have realistic expectations, people seem to go and buy a Dyson with the… Read more

expectation that it will drasticly shorten their vacuuming time or get their house hospital grade clean, or whatever. The Dyson will not do that, and as long as you don't expect it to, it's a good purchase if you can fork out for its extra expense. A few design issues are also evidenct, these are not cons in their own right, but worth considering: the unit has excellent big wheels at the back but a ridiculous tiny front wheel - this means that the unit is constntly overbalancing and tipping up - not a major issue but you need to be careful how you snake the hose around. Secondly, there are absolutely no rubber bump guards so as you vacuum around a corner or furniture the hard plastic bumps and contacts walls and furniture directly - this might damage some walls, although it hasn't for us. It's all plastic design worries me; it doesn't feel flimpsy, but will it last? At this price, I hope so! It does clean well and appears to be a reasonably good product. The turbo head appears to have several positive features in its ability to pick up difficult items like pet hair, get into the pile of the carpet, and makes for a lighter job of pushing it around saving the back. The telescopic head is excellent allowing me (1.86m tall) to vacuum without needing to bend over. It's not a perfect product. Some of what has been billed as a selling point is clearly "marketing speak". The hands free dust dispensor is only hands free about half the time, often fibres become caught inside the catcher needing you to further dissassemble the unit to shake it free (easy to do, but not hands free). You need to be careful not to suck up items that may pass through the head but not the tiny nozzle opening (which has a rubber constrictor making it very small) because things such as tissues and small sections of stick get caught and rub against the spinning turbo head causing the brushes to frey. The dust catcher is tiny and has to be emptied many, many times, sometimes within 10-15 minutes - in my opinion, this is the major negative as it adds a lot of time to the choir. Despite what Dyson say, the tools do not all fit onboard, there is a left over mini turbo head and a hard floor head that do not click onto the unit, you'll need to store them elsewhere and hopefully remember where you put them when you need them. Finally, the unit is not light, don't expect to run up and down the stairs with it.

Good – I purchased this 4 years ago after hearing so many good things about it. With 3 asthmatics in the house and 2 cats I wanted something that would do a really good job. It does do a good job on the carpets and on the wooden floor, I can't complain about that, but it tends to fall over all the time for me and because of the chunky connection, it… Read more

can't be used to get dust off dvd players etc that are in smallish spaces (places that regular vacuums can reach).

Mine stopped sucking well after 3 years and was booked in by Dyson for a free service. They paid all postage and it came back looking like new with a new pipe, new turbo carpet head and new filter inside. I was very impressed with the after sales service. Over all, I don't love my Dyson, but I like it a lot. If they got rid of that chunky connection I would definitely buy another when if and when this one dies. It does a good job.

HEPA filter for allergies.

Fantastic after sales customer service. It falls over a lot.

The connection near the head and pipe is too chunky to fit anywhere slim.

I suspect the hard floor head is scratching my wooden floorboards.

Excellent – Great machine, best thing by far is Dyson's service. I had a small part snap on mine, phoned them expecting they would try to tell me it wasn't covered by the warranty - the lady I spoke to was wonderful! Posted me a replacement part, no problems. Wouldn't hesitate to buy another Dyson, but wait for a sale, RRP is a bit too expensive. Bagless, easy to empty, compact. Telescopic pole can be difficult to lock in, but there is a knack to it.

Excellent – highly recommended - best I have ever owned. If you have a pet its a godsend. Yes it gets up cat hair! Better yet, cleaning it is easy. No filters means no fuss and no continuous expenditure for upkeep. brilliant all round.....performs wonderfully....easy to carry and move around as it is lightweight and well-designed to get in and around and… Read more

under everything. I worry that it's plastic parts may not hold up over time, but we will wait and see - time will tell.

OK – Not a bad machine. Mainly bought it for the HEPA filter and the bagless ease of use and I am more than happy with it for this aspect Awesome suction. Like the on board tools. Dont get hayfever and sneezing when I use it like other machines. Great for emptying the dust out very heavy. takes forever to packup. The turbo head keeps switching off… Read more

when used on long carpet. A little concerned that choice magazine said it scratches floors but I dont have wooden floors so it doesnt bother me

Good – I have this exact model at home and it makes housework a pleasure. Its easy to move around chairs and objects. Has good suction on all sorts of carpets. Funky colours and shape.

Excellent – A great unit, I purchased as a work horse when I was renovating. It did a great job and never missed a beat. It can clog if your doing heavy reno's but it does come apart and you can clean out where things get stuck. One of our better buys - especially since I'm allergic to dust. good suction, easy to use and has all the attachments located… Read more

easily on the pipe. Head works well up the walls, across the floors and any where you want to go.

HEPA filter Attachments on the hose rub into your legs and gets annoying.

Excellent – I am so pleased with my Dyson. It has been one of my best puchases ever. i recommend Dyson Vacuum cleaners to everyone. It never ever loses suction. It looks stylish, comes in great colours. Not to heavy. Even when using less suction it's still very difficult to vacuum rugs.

Good – so the saying is--- nothing sucks like a dyson, meaning sucking in a cleaning. i recommend to anyone. i used to own a dyson and i tell you what, it was a great little ripper,

Excellent – A fantastic product with complete after sales service. Haggle with the price and you can get a few dollars off. I have this dyson and I love the way it folds up into a litte machine which makes storing it very easy. I use my dyson several times a day and it is brilliant. I have three indoor cats so kitty litter and fur is not a problem with… Read more

this machine.

One of my cats even likes to be vacummed with the brush, the other two just move to the next room.

This machine never gets that full feeling like bag ones and is very easy to use.

The customer service department goes out of their way to help and nothing is too much trouble. It was expensive but will last.