Dyson DC25 Blueprint impressions: is the 'Ball' worth it?
By Darren Murph 
posted October 27th 2009 10:16AM
posted October 27th 2009 10:16AM
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First off, we should mention that the DC25 Blueprint - Limited Edition is downright gorgeous. From a design standpoint, it's hard to not fall in love here. The white is stunning, and the curves are in all the right places. We know -- that sounds tremendously odd when referring to a gadget that cleans the dust and debris from your den, but it's true. Assembly took all of four minutes (a few snaps here, a few clicks here), and off we went. Our first negative vibe was from the power cable; Dyson's cheaper DC23 has a retractable power cable, whereas this bugger has a traditional "just hanging there" cable. Why not implement the brilliant cable management system on the DC23 into this vac? Or all of your vacs, honestly.
After grumbling for a bit over that, we eventually plugged it in and fired it up. In unscientific testing, we found this machine to be noticeably more noisy than the DC23, though folks who clean while jamming to their MP3 player won't much mind. The mechanism for reclining the vac is just beautifully intuitive; you simply press the large blue handle on the rear with your foot, and the wheels slide up allowing you to tilt it back as far as you please. Standing it back upright is just as simple; just tilt the handle forward and wait for two solid clicks. The bundled attachments all worked well enough, though the extension handle is in an odd place. You actually have to stand the machine upright, remove the handle altogether and clip an attachment onto the rod that tucks away behind the handle structure. It's a somewhat convoluted process, though we suspect Dyson anticipates that you'll use your upright for "upright duties" while using your hand vac for those hard-to-reach places. That's not a valid excuse for the design choice here, though.
So, how'd the ball work? In a word, well. Moving the machine forward and back was incredibly simple, requiring little to no effort even in thicker carpet. It had no issues going from carpet to rugs to hardwood floors, and suction remained as it transitioned from surface to surface. The ball, however, didn't really blow us away. It's supposed to make maneuvering your vacuum way, way easier, though we didn't really find it as revolutionary as we had hoped. We still generally made the same movements, and while it did make cornering a touch simpler, you still end up walking directly behind the vac sooner or later. Don't get us wrong -- it's a stellar design, but it's not as world-changing as Dyson would have you believe. If you could get this machine for under three bills, we'd say it's worth springing for, but we can't really justify the lofty price tag here on the addition of a ball alone.
All told, the DC25 Blueprint just struck us as too pricey for what it is. Is the suction amazing, even after extended use? No doubt. Is the design incredible? Clearly. But the full package just doesn't scream "value" at $530. Unless you've got oodles of spare cash to blow, we'd probably recommend one of Dyson's cheaper options (such as the DC23 Turbinehead). We can't argue with the quality and performance of the company's vacs, but it just feels like Dyson's trying to get away with charging a higher-than-acceptable premium here because of the paint job. Not that we haven't seen companies play that card before, but at the end of the day, there's no need to put spinners and a spoiler on a machine that cleans up your guest room. If you catch our drift.
I've owned a Dyson for about 5 years....and use it twice a week myself. If you guys did your own vacuuming, you would understand it's like driving a Porsche compared to the other vac's being Chevy and Fords. If it's for the wife or housekeeper, who cares, but if it's for you, why not drive the best? I know, I'm a dork.
Are Dyson only just releasing in the US market or something? Because coming from the UK, it strikes me as downright bizarre that so many people are making claims about degradation of suction when the WHOLE POINT of the Dyson is that it doesn't lose suction. Ever. Ok, well maybe it might lose it when the motor burns out, but I guarantee you that as long as there is no obvious blockage (which unless you're sucking up bricks there wont be) this thing will prove itself to be more than worth the money.
No, they've been around for years. We've had ours for almost ten now.
I have the Dyson DC-17 Total Animal... Best vacuum I've ever owned!
The statement "impeccable build quality and a design to make any gadget nerd blush" seems a bit bostrous for this vacuum considering the only technical feature is the fact it has a ball.
I suggest if you really want to review a vacuum which is a technical gadget you review the even more expensive and impressive Miele S7580
technical advantages over any Dyson model
>Electronic suction control via +/- controls with LED indicator
>Anti-tipping device for enhanced stability when using included accessories
>LED headlight for maximum visibility
>The SwivelNeckTM is so maneuverable the S7 can even be laid flat to the floor
>Power level of the vacuum cleaner adjusts automatically to suit the surface currently being cleaned
> height adjustment on Miele’s S7 is truly automatic requiring absolutely no manual intervention (Two manual settings on Dyson)
Technical advantages of Dyson over Miele
>None
http://miele.com/products/index_series.asp?nav=30&snav=23&tnav=32&oT=186&cat=1&series=117&subcat=2&menu_id=6
I'm not a Miele salesperson in fact I own a Dyson DC07 and DC31 and although the DC07 is older and performs better than your average Wal-Mart vacuum a DC25 hardly needs being mentioned on Engadget. I mean it doesn't even have an LED that's so 20th century. I suggest you google (bing) Dyson vs Miele
I had ball upright blue/purple/gray vacuum from Dyson for years. This unit is being used in daily basis with heave abuse and I love it. I stooped using my in-build home vacuum system once I got the Dyson. I know that initial price compare to other vacuums seems astronomical but it is money well spend. Never had any problems with the unit. There are few small things i wish that could be improved (maybe they did on this limited edition except retractable cable which they did not), but despite that I would recommend it any time.
I had the original "ball" and sent it back after 3 days. Loud like a jet, heavy like a tank and totally not practical. Nice design but all the rest is overrated. I have a "normal" dyson now and it even doesn't suck better than my cheap Philips with bag. I'm disappointed...but although Mr. Dyson is not the master of technology, he's for sure the master of marketing!
I've had a DC25 ball unit for about 3 months and have this to say: it's by far the best vacuum I've ever owned. We have had Sears canisters, upright Hoovers, Electrolux canisters and a few other assorted units. The Dyson is compact, easy to push, sucks like gangbusters. The two things I don't like: no cord retractor, and the hose system. You have to struggle to keep the hose extended during use. Those 2 issues don't detract enough from the overall experience nearly enough to make me regret having this model.
It picks up so much dirt, be prepared to empty it often--an easy task. I go out to our outside trash container, hold my breath and press the button that releases the bottom of the dirt bin, and shake it to dislodge the tangle of carpet fibers. If I lived in an apartment, I'd be less enamored of this vacuum, because releasing the dirt into a trash can inside one's home, rather than outside, would be distasteful, as it creates dust.
I have to say im pretty happy so far with m DC17 Animal and Dyson DC16 handheld, however i dont know if i would call the build quality impeccable. i thought we were past the times of cheap plastic on everything, yet everything on the unit is plastic. Im scared to bump into my furniture when i vacuum up to it for fear of both breaking the plastic as well as scratching it.
one grief i had was the cord as well, its kind of annoying spending so much on a vacuum that you still have to sit and wind the cord on, what is this the 80's? lol. thats really no biggie since its something you expect to do with a vacuum, the only real gripe i had was the tilt mechanism on the 17, it seems kind of barbaric to have to "step" on the front of the vacuum to get it to tilt back to use. there should also be some sort of tool to clean out the canister, most times i dump it i can only get the big particles out and am left with the smaller particles stuck to the sides and center vortex thing.
Could you touch up what is actually different and what constitutes it as "limited edition" besides the color and limited quantity? i mean they all somewhat look the same to me.
Dyson's are actually mid-priced vacuum cleaners, a good Hoover, Kirby, or Rainbow canister vac will easily set you back $1200-$1800....
I have the one with the orange ball. Got it about a month ago and it is really great. While running on tile if there are dust bunnies in the area it pulls them in from around the vacuum head. Don't even need to run it over them. It is very light weight compared to my older hoover vacuum. Easier to carry up and down the stairs, smaller, quieter, and just over all better. The only thing I do not like is the extension wand thing. It is awkward to use on furniture or anything on the ground because half of it is a flexible hose, but the other half is a solid piece of metal that doesn't bend. So you need to position the vacuum just right behind you to get enough room to do what you need to do.
just the cleaning aspect of it was worth it, other vac has a wet dry style filter that's a mess to clean, this thing just dumps the dirt out, shake it a little the lint falls off.
Mr. Monk?
Does it still have a warning against use on Berber carpet? Dyson vacuums voide Berber Carpet warranties when used on the carpet setting.
I always think of spare parts to build Transformer (Robots in Disguise) when I see Dysons, we've got legs, torso, cannon's and heads.
Just me?
The DC25 Blueprint isn't really worth the premium over the standard DC25. If Dysons were $350 for this model instead of $500 I say they might be worth the money. $500 is just way too much. They aren't built that well and the ABS plastic they use isn't the highest quality.
The Dyson Ball is a flawed design. It really doesn't do much more than other vacs, it just has a pivoting head. The ball also skips around on hardwood floors. The other big trade off is the ball vacs have a much smaller dirt cup than the cheaper Dysons.
The main reason why vacuums fail is because people don't clean them and run them far past the point where they should have been emptied. If you take care of your stuff it will last. If you treat your appliances like junk they won't last past the year warranty.
I don't have any Dyson, but Consumer Reports rates the DC24, this model's predecessor, 39th out of 50 models tested, giving it a score of 55 out of 100, behind several other Dyson models and behind the $72 Eureka Envirovac 3041 and the $60 Dirt Devil Featherlite Bagless M085845
i have a dc-17 animal...i will say this, its is a powerful vacuum and will pick up everything....clean the easy to reach filter once every 6 months and your good to go...
the only problem (and its a big one) i have is that i think the brush is way too stiff. i used it in my last apt. and noticed that my carpets were starting to get torn up, but i just though it was because they were older...till i moved into my new house and im starting to notice the same thing again. while the vacuums suction power is real good, the thing is shredding my carpet, as i am always finding fibres in the canister and little balls/piles of carpet that is left behind. and i really dont want to pay for new carpet...
unless i can find a solution ill have to give this one up and find a new vacuum..which sucks because i paid a decent amount (thanks bedbath 20%cupon) and i really like this vacuum...dammit.
Use an electric shaver to trim the brush down a little.
We've owned a DC25 Animal since March. Got an email from Dyson three months after registration to remind us to wash out the filter with a link to instructions (a doddle).
"We" are a couple living in a three-bedroom mid-terraced house with both hard and carpeted floors. Works beautifully on both - just switch off the brush-bar over the laminate and vinyl. No skipping at all, and you do get used to the ball being the pivot joint. And damn does it suck up dirt you never knew was there!
One thing to point out - the DC23 might be smaller and have a retracting lead but the canister is only suitable for small flats/apartments as I have read from others. The DC25 canister needs emptying twice when we vacuum this place - once in the middle and once at the end.
My parents have stuck by Orecks for many years. I just couldn't justify paying for that brand knowing I couldn't use it downstairs on the hard floors and because it's so light it feels very flimsy to me. The Dyson is considerably heavier but the build quality is awesome by comparison.
I have to be honest, I could care less what the maid uses to clean my rugs. As long as their clean, I'm happy.
If you want a real vac, try a Kirby. Sure, their sales tactics suck (no pun intended), but it is a solid product.
Dyson is the Monster Cable of air movers.
I love my purple ball (animal?) It's awesome. You can take it all apart and clean it in like 5 minutes. A snap to empty and because you can see it you know when to empty it. And the ball makes going around tables, chairs, corners, etc a snap. We are very happy with ours. Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupon mailers FTW!!