Dyson DC39 Animal

Durable products – Very powerful. The original turbine head is not good so upgraded a few replacement attachments over the year. The motor finally gave up after 6 years of service. Generally happy with the quality. Show details

Poor design and poor quality – Besides the fact that the design for this unit takes 50% of suction to run the carpet brush, that triggerhead unit has had to be replaced twice in five years. Show details

Still going strong and purchase was over ten years agl – This vacuum is still going strong, touch wood.. never been in for a service and is like a work horse considering I have dogs and young children so gets used nearly every day. If this vacuum cleaner broke down I would definitely buy another Dyson without hesitation. Only criticism is it would be great if they made the cord longer.  Show details

Pretty good job – I have had this vacuum for over five years and it's still going. I think your supposed to have them sent away to be serviced but haven't done this to date. It's easy to move around and store. I got a free accessory bag with mine for all the extra attachments. I find myself leaning over a bit when using which can give me a bit of back ache if I'm… Read more ·  1

vacuuming for awhile. The turbo head is good, however lots of stuff gets wrapped around it and it's very difficult to remove. My version is the animal model so I thought it would be pretty good at picking up animal hair but I find I have to very slowly go over the same spot repeatedly on carpet to try and pick all the dog hair up. Definitely not a bad machine if you can afford one.

A wonderful help around the house – I bought the model with a power head for the carpets and a head for my smooth floor areas. It continues to do a wonderful job cleaning all floor surfaces of loose material & dust while the filter keeps the room dust free. The telephone help line was very helpful when I had a problem and quickly solved the issue. While I do not think it is the… Read more

lightest vacuum on the market, it is quite easy to manouvre and the dust canister is easily removed, emptied and replaced.

Would recommend Dyson as a company and the machines they manufacture

Disappointed in the brunch head – I’m happy with the overall performance of the vacuum cleaner, but very disappointed in the rotating brush head. I had one replaced free of charge 3 years after the original purchase as it was just out of warranty. That one has now given up the ghost but is again out of warranty and will cost over $100 to replace. I religiously clean the filter and… Read more

brush head and don’t know what else I can do to extend the life of the head. The vacuum cleaner was expensive and having to replace the rotating brush head every 3 years seems excessive. Probably won’t buy a Dyson again.

I paid 700 for a vacuum that breaks – The dyson works great but the hose connector clips and attachment connector clips keep breaking cause they’re thin cheap plastic you think as expensive they are it wouldn’t be cheap plastic on the things you use the most the clips to take everything on and off lucky I have an old one that clips the same and I used those but I can’t use my old one now it sucks  Show details

Probably the worst Dyson i've had – So this we the worst Dyson i've ever had. I had upgraded from the older model and i ended up selling this one to someonw on gumtree. The motor head would spin so fast that once i went to use it to pick up a broken glass and it ended up spreading the glass even further around the floor into smaller smaller pieces. Is also would fall… Read more

over all the time.

I went back to my old dyson and then got a cordless dyson and it's amazing

Don't buy this second hand

Good, but sick of replacing broken parts! – I loved my Dyson, and the excellent suction of the machine when I first got it. I still find the suction is pretty good, but recently my machine has started breaking. It is approximately 6 years old - I would have to dig out my old purchase documents to provide an exact purchase date, but it's past its warranty period. First the handle… Read more

connecting the wand to the hose just broke randomly and had to be replaced - the $20 replacement fee wasn't horrendous so I didn't complain too much.

Now, my power head simply doesn't work. The roller doesn't spin, and no amount of pulling it apart, cleaning it, or fiddling with it will make it spin. The head still makes that ear-splitting noise as though the head IS spinning, but there is no action whatsoever.

I emailed the company on 20th June (9 days ago) asking for repair or replacement options, and received an automated response saying that I should receive a reply within 7 days. I still have nothing, so now I find myself on the phone with an estimated wait time of 45 minutes to speak to somebody. I'm looking down the barrel of at least $75 to replace the head... IF they even have any in stock. Their website seems to suggest they aren't available in the same style as the one I currently have. I'm pretty disappointed not only in the machine itself, but also in the customer service.

Regarding the machine itself, I find functionality is a bit odd. I don't like the collection drum - it gets filthy so easily and looks disgusting, and if anything gets stuck up the top of the drum, its tricky to remove it. When you empty it, the dust can go everywhere!

The filter itself is not so great. I'm sure it does an excellent job, but if you wash it out (as they suggest you do regularly), then it takes days and days to dry. Its just not tenable when you want to keep your house clean!

The power head itself isn't a great design either. The spinning wand would get caught regularly and just stop working making it difficult to push the head over the floor. Human hair was a nightmare on the wand - you'd almost need to cut it off with scissors to get the wand rotating again.

All in all, I'm not so thrilled. I have a Miele vacuum at my office that's about 10 years older than this Dyson, and while its suction is not what it used to be at all, it has never had anything break on the unit, nothing has ever needed replacing and its never needed servicing. That says a lot about quality.

**EDIT - after about an hour on the phone (waiting, and then trouble shooting my machines issues) I ended up being able to replace the head for $50 - not the same 'power head' as I didn't fancy dealing with the same issues with the rotating head again. I had to ask for a different option though, as the power head replacement was $125.

The woman was not keen on me asking many questions, and seemed exasperated when I kept asking for details about what I was buying. She didn't offer me the cheaper head, with less moving parts, as one of my options - I had to know what I was asking for (I'd searched the website previously).

It's ok but not work the money – We've had this for about 7 years now and it started fantastic but has really lost suction quickly. It's heavy and bulky and not worth the money. I would have rather spent a 1/3 on a vacuum and got to change more frequently. Will not purchase a dyson ever again.  Show details

Hmm it works but for the price its crap – It works but is a pain in the back. You pull it around and alot of the time the cleaner will fall over. power head is okay but ours died after 2 years and its the same price to get a brush as a new head would not recomend dyson products to friends or family. yes they work but it seems they engineer a great product then go back woods and only release afew new features with each product so they can fleece customers.  Show details

Brilliant! – I bought the first model Dyson like this many, many years ago and was blown away by how well it worked. Streaks ahead of other brands. I have had three Dysons in total (and yes, all of them still work) and I would not even bother researching other brands if I needed a vacuum. This is my current model and it never ceases to amaze me how much it picks up from carpets.  Show details

the best – Love this vacuum cleaner, bought it cause I have a dog and cat, suction is fantastic, (just hope it stays that way) not to bad to maneuver, I've had an Amway 2000 for about 30 years still works great but thought I would get a barrel, very happy with it fornow  Show details

Not overly happy – Suction lost product lasted 4 years, waste of money in my opinion, would have been better off purchasing several cheaper items. Not worth the name they try make it live up to. Handle ended up loose turbo head doesn't even spin anymore. Will not purchase another in the future and will not recommend.  Show details

Powerful vacuum, slightly clunky – Powerful vacuum, able to pick up everything (including all my long hairs) with no issue however I found it slightly clunky and awkward to manouvre around at times. Quite heavy and sometimes just found it too hard to bring out for a small clean up. Overall still a great vacuum and does what it is advertised to do.  Show details

Very expensive machine requiring expensive replacement part – Like many I invested in a Dyson vacuum cleaner expecting a long lasting, effective machine. However after 5 years it no longer works and requires a $120 replacement triggerhead. Definitely not worth the money! The problem is that after making that big initial investment I feel compelled to persevere with what is already an annoying machine - the… Read more

ongoing cleaning and maintenance is time consuming and the constant need to clear the brush of hair whilst vacuuming is really annoying.

Not worth the money – I've had this machine since 12/2014. I was told to invest in a good vacuum when I got my big hairy dog. Definitely made a bad choice. Turbine head replaced. Filters replaced twice. Cyclone assembly replaced once and the faults repeats. Now I have to go through the not so wonderful Customer Service again. And I agree with the other reviewers,… Read more

frequently clogs up. Can't even pick up anything that is not dust without clogging up. The only way to unclog is to remove 2 screws. Who's got time for that?

Lots of trouble for the big price – We decided to buy a Dyson after trialing one and being being very happy with the suction. The suction is still good after 41/2 years, but only when the vacuum isn't clogged (which happens frequently). We have had the foot replaced (which Dyson did for us even though it was just out of warranty) but then last year also had to replace the trigger… Read more

head wand at our own cost. Today the motor has blown, lots of loud noises and then an electrical/burning smell. We paid over $700 and expected it to last much longer than 4 1/2 years. Just not good enough! From reading other comments it seems that there have been some serious design flaws with this model, (hence the frequent clogging, broken parts, and blown motor) and I notice this model is now discontinued. Perhaps Dyson should be doing something for their unsatisfied and disappointed customers.

Worst vacuum ever – This is an absolute waste of money!!! Tips over, clogs up, loses suction, not user friendly at all and definitely not worth the money!! Dyson vacuums are very overrated!!! They are generally a waste of money as they only last a few years and when warranty is up, they only help Dyson give you is to buy a new unit!!! Shocking product, shocking company!!  Show details

Poor Design - Clogs Up Easily – This vacuum is great for general day-to-day cleaning but don't expect anything too great from it. The wand trigger attachment which controls the amount of suction isn't designed to last at all. Already I have had 2 of this particular part replaced. The spring mechanism that controls it wears out very quickly which prevents the turbo head from… Read more

spinning & it's not designed to last either. If it gets accidentally dropped onto a hard floor, be prepared to fork out at least $100 for a replacement because it can't be fixed unless you know how to pull it apart & put it back together again.

As in a previous review which comments on how objects get stuck in the narrow section where the suction tube attaches to the barrel, I too, have experienced this problem but with those little magnetic letters that fall off the fridge. I was so annoyed that I was at the point of having to contact Dyson & asking them how to pull it apart to get the letter that had gotten stuck. I worked out how to pull it apart & put it all back together eventually after 3 hours.

As with all Dyson vacuums I've ever owned, I've had to resort to wearing hearing protection. When is Dyson going to invent a quieter motor because all they seem to do is deafen people. It also tips over easily meaning that you have to manually tip it up again.

Not a good design by any means. Hasn't Dyson ever heard of the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?" There was absolutely nothing wrong with the old DC05 Classic (of which I had 2 of). They were a brilliant machine to clean with & both lasted well past 7 years before I had to replace them with the DC39 Animal. There's nothing exclusive about it.

OK, with caveats. Would expect better materials for the money – I keep bying Dysons, which says something I guess. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the advertising. Given how expensive they are, I'm always disappointed by how flimsy and plastic they are. Having said that, I bought the DC39 Animal a few years ago now and I haven't had any problems with breakage, and I guess the plastic keeps the weight down. The… Read more

"animal" version simply means the addition of a rotating attachment for removing pet hair from carpets, rugs, car mats etc. It works as advertised, but is much smaller than a regular brush head. Probably to concentrate the suction power. As for the regular rotating brush head, it's not powered by an independant motor but by the suction of the vacuum itself. Given the law of conservation of energy, this of course means that suction is reduced in order to spin the brush. A power head will always beat it, hands down. My mum had one on her old Electorlux and it was amazing! I think I'll probably go that direction next time, or maybe a backpack vac.

Terrible – I am the type of person who never writes reviews whether they be positive or otherwise. I am compelled to do so in this case. We purchased this terribly expensive vacuum a little over three years ago with extended warranty from the good guys. Both of our children suffer from asthma so we thought we should probably invest in the best machine we… Read more

could afford at the time.

We were very happy with its performance at first but not soon after the lack of quality became evident. Within 2 years of use the handle had broken and we were sent the spare part from Dyson. Not long after that incident the machine failed to start. After a few conversations with Dyson it was sent back for its second repair. We asked them to replace the handle for a second time while they had the machine but they failed to do so. It is currently held together by duct tape. All this and the machine is but three years old!

Just today it started making some disturbingly awful noises, started to smoke and then just died. Despite being very well looked after and cleaned regularly its life ended in just over three years. Unacceptable for a machine that cost over $900 at the time. We are very disappointed and would never buy another Dyson. We initially thought we may have just been given a lemon but it appears as though these machines are problematic. I do hope ours is replaced and not repaired. It's the very least Dyson could do to reinstate our flailing faith in their product.

Great Vacuum Cleaner – I have been using a Dyson for about 10 years now & am very happy with it. Mine has been updated by now but I am still happy. Have had to replace the turbo head once. I have used it on carpet, vinyl & tiles with no problems. We'll done Dyson. Mine is about 10 years old now & still going strong.

it should be called "died son" – only can give one start for this vaccum due to a very good suction. That is, nothing more. I brought this "died son" in 2013, the brush head not spinning now. I called service center, they told me it cost 129 to get a new head and they don't fix the head. I paid 800 dollars for this machine and it only last for a short time. waste of money.

Problem with wand handle – Since purchasing this vacuum cleaner about 3 or 4 years ago I have had to replace the wand handle on 5 occasions. They have all failed at the same point. When I contacted Dyson they asked for the type of carpet I had and when I supplied this information, other than a replacement handle, got no further feedback. I have just replaced the trigger… Read more

head, at a cost of Au$129.00, as it also failed about 6 months ago. I notice the price for this item was about US$69.00. While all the handles were under warranty and replaced free of charge, it has been frustrating, to say the least, that they keep failing and I was wondering if this is a problem others have experience and why this model is discontinued.

Ripped Off!! – Paid $900 for this machine less than 3 years ago and have now found out the motor has gone. As we travel for 6 months of the year and it only gets used once a week I would expect it to last a bit longer than 18 months. Was so stunned when they rang to say it would cost $158 to repair I couldn't decide what to do and they told me to ring back. … Read more

Have been trying to ring all afternoon and it is continuously engaged so they obviously have a lot of problems with their machines. I've only ever had ducted systems prior to this purchase and thought if I bought an expensive machine it would at least last a bit longer than 18 months. Bought another machine at the same time for $70 to use to vacuum the car etc. and its still going strong. This tells me don't waste your money on expensive electricals - not worth the money.

$900 and lasted 3 years only! – Pro: good suction, found it quite easy to use, was happy with the performance, and easy to clean, great on tiles. Con: The dust container is a bit fragile, especially the locking mechanism. After paying $900 for the animal you'd expect a dyson product to last longer than 3 years. Motor blew during a routine vacuum. Vacuum air would… Read more

produce bad smell even after emptying and cleaning the filter.

Only 2 year warranty.

Called Dyson help desk and they offered to look into issue. However they will provided me a consignment note, to send the vacuum to them, then they will send me a quote on possible repair/replacement to the motor if that is the issue. I will have to cover the cost of the postage approximately $85 then associated parts if I go through with it. Possible total cost $200+ new parts include additional 2 years warranty but knowing our luck vacuum will probably die at 3 again.

Being our first Dyson I don't think we will get another.

cant fault it!! – Lets just start by saying you get what you pay for! I LOVE my dyson dc39 animal. I can hear my self think and talk over it! It gets all the pet hair and it moves around weightlessly and effortlessly. The filter and barrell and easy to clean and empty too and it has a HUGE range off attachments!!! Even one for brushing your pets!! I had a vax power… Read more

pet 7 before this and it was the biggest hunk of junk ever! I will only ever have dyson from now on! can not praise it enough!! We have 2 indoor cats and a labrador who sheds a lot inside as well.

No longer impressed motor went at 3 yrs – Very disappointed the motor went at 3 yrs. For a fee Dyson will have it picked up & taken to the service center .Took it myself, the woman couldnt get me out of the shop quick enough. On quoting on repair later by phone, she told me the problem was the filter was blocked. The reminder to wash it came through a week after the motor blew. I brush… Read more

it clean after every use - except thIs time when I left the machine as it was when it blew- so it had some dust build up on the filter, but I do not believe it caused the motor to blow as apart from this one occasion after the motor blew - I brushed that filter every time I emptied it.

The service center replaced the filter for free , cost for repair 145.00 including return which is a fair price however

Three years is not good enough for such a costly machine. As I see all the complaints on here for this model breaking down after 2-3 yrs, I can no longer recommend it. The best suction, ease of movement to pull, it follows beautifully. Great service and helpful advice from Dyson

Worst purchase ever! – I hate this vacuum so much! After years of a cheap Husqvarna and two lots of major house renovations, we decided to shout ourselves a flash new Dyson. What a mistake! I've experienced all the same complaints as the previous reviews. It won't even suck up threads and lint off the floor! The rotating head is totally hopeless and definitely doesn't… Read more

rotate through a whole session of vacuuming. The only reason I haven't chucked this machine in the bin is because of the horrendous price we paid. Definitely won't purchase this brand again.

Noisy – As usual my ears are ringing after vacuuming the house. This machine must breach domestic appliance noise legislation. The lead is too short. The base keeps facing over. The carpet attachment only vacuums when you push forward not when you pull back - how bad is that? - & the noise, dear God the noise.

Performance second-to-none, design and quality overrated – Well as I said in my title, the performance of this DC39 is second to none, and nothing I have used has come close in terms of sucking power. However, some of the design features and build quality is a little overrated. Although the model is discontinued, I would never buy a Dyson unless it was heavily discounted. They are certainly not worth the… Read more ·  1

massive premium over other less 'sexy' brands.

PROS

- Suction power, good selection of hand tools and attachments,

- Noisy, but not as noisy as most vacuums I have used.

- Most retailers will typically discount at a significant rate (25-30%)

- Good after sales service (not used however)

- Excellent 'switchability' with attachments

CONS

- Emptying the basket is not hands-free - you have to physcially pull off fluff and dirt off the inside of the basket.

- Build quality is not what I expected. After about 9-12 months a small crack appeared in the basket, and just after the warranty expired the entire ball wheel just came off, and cannot be re-screwed in without it falling off after an hour or so of use.

- The power cable is not very long compared to other models I've owned.

- Maneuverability is not is what it is cracked up to be, with the Dyson often taking a tumble sideways, and often getting stuck against walls and doors, when it really should be skirting around them.

Would I buy one again? Maybe - certainly not at full price. Would certainly pay more attention to the top lines of other brands.

Fantastic suction – I treated myself to enjoy the freedom of a quick and easy to use cordless vacuum but was not expecting the incredible cleaning power of this machine. I have cleaned rugs and carpets that I had only just cleaned with my Nilfisk King and I still keep getting masses of dirt and fibre out of the carpet each time I use it. I bought it on sale and now… Read more ·  1

realize it is discontinued, I hope this is not a bad sign as I love it and want it to last forever. Emptying is a bit difficult and my hands get covered in dust but a small price to pay for the great job it does. Fingers crossed for a long life of cleaning.

Spend most of my time screwing with the turbine head! – I bought this 4 years ago because it would go under couches, beds etc. I had a housekeeper up until recently, I wondered why she decided to use her own vacuum. I just started using the vacuum myself and found that I spend most of my time with the turbine head!! I wouldn't wish this vacuum on my worst enemy. It truly sucks!