Laa Laa and Tinkey Winkey's Mate Helps Me with Housework! (Dyson DC11 Allergy)

Member Name: rosiesmum

Product:	Dyson DC11 Allergy
Date:	12/08/08 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: small and compact

Disadvantages: heavy and needs emptying often

I bought a Dyson DC11 last year when my old upright Dyson drew its last breath.

I chose the model because of its size it is less than 30 cm in width and would fit in a normal kitchen cupboard and because I liked the look of it, light blue with purple wheels and brush head, it reminded me of Noo Noo from the Teletubbies.

It has a telescopic wand that extends to three different lengths so great for upholstery and the stairs.

When it is being stored the wand clips onto the top of the actual body of the cleaner and becomes a handle and the hose clips into grooves around the cleaner to leave it all nicely stored and compact.

The dirt collecting bin is a double barrel shape it looks very impressive but the size of 1.8 ltrs is quite small so I find that I have to empty it quite often, if it gets to half way up before the maximum line shown it starts to struggle a bit. Emptying is a bit of a bind you have to press a very slim oblong rubber button and at the same time pull the cylinder upwards.

The name DC11 Allergy is because it is fitted with a filter called a HEPA apparently this means 'high efficiency particle arrest' sounds very technical that, does it not? In simple layman terms it means it stops the finest dust being blown back out of the machine and into the air.

It is recommended that this filter is washed about every six months but I tend to do it about every three because I do use the machine every day, I don't really mind because at least I am not paying out for replacement filters as I used to with my old cleaner.

The other reason for it being an Allergy Dyson is because the actual head has a rotating brush and this can be turned on when carpets are being cleaned to get into the pile and suck up the dust and on normal hard floors it is turned off so that the dust and particles that you are attempting to suck up don't get blown about.

It has a retractable flex that is twenty foot long and I must admit when I put my foot on the rewind button it does spring back into the machine quickly. The power button is in a handy place on the top of the machine so great for just pressing with your foot again.

Other attachments are a narrow wand for getting into tight corners, a small brush about four inches across great for the stairs and upholstery and a round bristle brush for curtains and getting into that corner behind the television with ten miles of wires all collecting dust.

These all clip neatly and tightly into the end of the machine and I do have to admit they never seem to drop out unlike some cleaners that I have owned.

The problems that I have found with this machine.

The hose itself is quite hard to clip around the machine for storage, it is heavy to carry and hard work when balancing half way up the staircase because the hose doesn't quite reach to the top so I wouldn't recommend it if you struggle with heavy things. It is also quite noisy it would be impossible to hear the phone or doorbell when it was turned on.

The bonuses of this machine.

It is very compact and fits into a small cupboard, the filter being re-usable is great and of course it doesnt need a dust bag.


Price......290.00 from Comet.


Would I buy another one? Probably not it is a bit too complicated to pack away after use, and I tend to get a bit ratty with it after a hard twenty minutes going through the house, but it does pick up dirt well so I will not trade it in.

Summary: Noo Noo does a good job but he hurts my back cleaning the stairs.

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