Review: Dual Wielding Dyson D31s
Dyson’s D31 handheld vacuum contains the world’s fastest motor capable of reaching 104,000 RPM. So what happens when you fire two at once? All. Hell. Breaks. Loose. And you suck a lot of cat hair off the couch.
The Price
D31 (orange): $US220
D31 Animal (purple): $US270
The Difference
The stock D31 and the D31 Animal are essentially the same vacuum. They contain the same motor, the same battery capacity and the same accessories…save for one. The Animal has a motorised hair-scraping attachment (familiar to many Dyson users) that requires a power line be run to the nozzle. Otherwise, they’re pretty much identical.
The Results: After about three days of my cat’s lounging, our couch tops get wretched. Our general solution is to take a vacuum hose, then do a cleanup with one of those sticky pet hair brushes. It’s labour intensive, and I’d be lying if I said we were willing to go through the process more than once a week. So I tried the D31 Animal. Pulling the trigger, it whirs to 0-100 instantly, like a power drill, while a hairdryer-worthy gust of air fires from the back.
Couch before Animal attack.
Couch after Animal attack.
Here’s our couch before and after about five minutes of vacuuming with the Animal. Eighty per cent of the hair came up after two quick passes—really impressive stuff. But that last 20 per cent stuck around for a while. And even after several minutes, and even hitting the boost power button, the results weren’t perfect (you can see a few stubborn stray hairs). But they were adequate—and maybe even more importantly—as successful as my full-sized standup Animal vacuum (which has worked better than other nice vacuums I’ve tried). That’s pretty impressive since we’re talking about a 1kg handheld vac.
Other vacuuming jobs are less exciting, but completely effective. Using the brush and corner attachment, any little particle you can imagine disappears into the machine. I can’t imagine a small job it couldn’t handle other than carpets. If you want to spot clean your rug, the base D31 doesn’t really have an attachment for that (the Animal brush sorta works with a price premium). But dust, loose dirty, little pieces of unidentified food—no problem. And all the junk empties out of the one-button release hatch at the bottom of the collection tank…save for fur, which will make you dig a bit.
The Nitpicking
I’d like one feature added to the D31/Animal: cruise control. As pitiful as this sounds, it gets tiring holding down the button. I know. Mock me. But while the vacuum is light as can be to your arm, your hand still gets exhausted squeezing the trigger.
You’ll also only get 10 minutes of run time (or 6 in high power mode) for 3.5 hours of charging. That’s actually more than enough time to complete most work (you don’t really go nonstop with anything but pet hair), but when you run out of juice (the device goes from 100% per centto none without warning) you can’t just continue vacuuming with a power cord. You’ll need to recharge and wait.
The Practicality
Ignoring the price for a moment, I wonder who would actually need this much power in a handvac—other than for the obvious—pet owners. Because the D31 can’t (and isn’t trying to) replace a full-sized vacuum, meaning it’s only going to serve as backup. But then again, if you have the extra cash to pick up one of your own, maybe your chief concern isn’t one of pure practicality. And I can’t completely fault you for that. [Dyson]
Light and manageable design
Lots and lots of power
The Animal attachment cuts through hair well
Run time is adequate but not very long
Trigger can be tiring to hold
No carpet attachment for spot cleaning
I mean, obviously, we’re talking about $US220+ dust busters here
- Next Post: A Photographer’s Life Aquatic »
- « Previous Post: It’s Not A New Kindle, It’s The iriver Story
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
[www.pledge.com]
I have a dyson animal edition upright with a turbine powered pet hair brush. The cheap, disposable, plastic fabric brush from Pledge works better.
OneMHz
@: I think Mark should now compare his $220 vacuums to a $30 Black and Decker or equivalent. If the cheapo does even half as good a job, I'm probably going with that.
@VitaMarten: Try reading the CR reports on products that you're familiar with and you'll see the disconnect.
takeshi
I'm totally NOT sold on Dyson products. I know people love them, but in various controlled tests I've read (CR and others), they just don't demonstrate an advantage over standard vacuums that cost half the price. And there is no way in hell I'm spending $250 on a handheld. That's insane. If you're cleaning an entire couch, you really need a plug in vacuum to get it all done anyway.
I'll tell you what IS worth the money: A Roomba. They take some fiddling to keep working, and cleaning by hand, but my 500 series pulls an amazing amount of dog hair out of our rug every day, better than any other vacuum I've used. And it cleans my floors daily - something I'd never be willing to do myself.
redman042
Why does the purple one remind me of...
(Closest clip I could find, if you get it, you get it.)
@Pixlmonkey: diaf?
I stopped at a demo station at Sams once and the lady sprinkled some crumbs on a patch of carpet and vacuumed it up as the mouthbreathers ooh-ed and aah-ed. I stepped up and asked her to sprinkle more crumbs and I walked over them to squish them into the carpet, as that's what's much more likely to happen in real life. The Dyson then took as many passes to vacuum up the dirt as my old Eureka. Dysons are crazy gorgeous, but I'm really not impressed.
@FiveLiters:
I didn't know you were allowed to Zing yourself. Sounds like a breach of protocol to me.
I love my Dyson. I have an older upright and a handheld DC16 that is being phased out. They are awesome at what they do. My handheld really does a great job to get up the pet hair of 2 dogs and 2 cats.
Ian Mason
@VitaMarten:
I have both an older Dyson upright and a handheld Dyson -DC16. I love them both. I've had all kinds of vacuums before and dealt with bags and insufficient power. Never again. CR's disdain for Dyson has lead me to question them in other categoreries. I mean with as many raving fans as Dyson has how can they pooh-pooh it? Where indeed is the disconnect?
Ian Mason
@Nitesh Singh: erm.. if you own a handheld dyson, you would know that most jobs only require you to hold down the button for 20-30 seconds... and it cleans pretty much all of the mess, its not really required to have a button that stays in the on position, specially because it would just kill the battery, and having a trigger actually makes it more strategic vacuuming...
its not over-engineering, its perfect engineering....
[im a fanboy.. shoot me..]
KingKash
@dingus: Holy run-on sentences, Batman!
dingus
You have to hold down the button on a 220 dollar dust buster? Dyson over-engineers everything, how could they overlook this?
Nitesh Singh
@VitaMarten: I almost threw up reading the CR cellphone reviews and suggestions a couple of months ago. I'm pretty sure a Motorola phone took top ranking for a smartphone over Palms, Nokias, Blackberries and iPhones. You know, a phone company so insolvent they were kicked out of Motorola proper.
Sometimes I think CR takes crazy pills. As suppositories.
@mikegriffin: You're getting rid of your fleshlight?
*zing!*
@Jim-Bob: If you prefer your pu$$y shaved,I guess...
@EBone: Agreed. we've got 2 labs. Upright Dyson for weekly, and the handheld for daily hair "tumbleweed" gatherings.
vshank
Run time by no means should be considered "Adequate". 10 minutes? I mean... Really. If you could plug it in, that would be awesome run time for standalone, but seeing as you have to charge it and can't use it corded. you're restricted to 10 minutes every 3 1/2 hours. For something that costs this much, that's ridiculous. It sounded like the perfect handvac until you mentioned that.
@Jim-Bob: My mom had an old Kirby, and yes, it was an attractive beast, but now way did it pick up dirt like a Dyson. I'll take performance over looks when it comes to vacuums.
@Project_J187: NOTHING beats a Kirby. Mine is 30 years old and still works great. I'd like to see a plastic Dyson hold up anywhere near as long as my all cast aluminum Kirby Tradition. I even took the time to sand the housing with some 1,000 grit and polish it last year. No vacuum looks as good as a freshly polished Kirby.
Jim-Bob
Instead of vacuuming the couch, why not just vacuum the cat? Even better, why not just shave the cat! It would be as easy as giving a cat a bath!
Jim-Bob
@AkkiRonin: That's the best solution I've heard so far.
Dane Bendixen
@Brian Lam: Shhhh, Brian! I don't need anymore help in spending my paycheck!
*shakes uncontrollably*
TO AMAZON!
@Spilt_Milk: I hope not to have to own another one anytime soon either! I seem to go through a damn vacuum every 2-3 years, most brands are just ridiculously cheaply made these days. None have survived up to the 5 year warranty of the Dyson, so I'm hopeful this time around...
For pet hair get the $9.99 "Brass Clothing Brush" from [www.WardrobeSupplies.com] to remove cat hair from furniture, rugs, and blankets. Then vacuum with your regular machine the item if needed. Most household rechargable items are a bad investment. I learned that with rechargable Braun beard trimmers. No I use one that runs directly off A/C and it works as good as the day I bought it.
toddrick
I'll take the orange one. Looks like my girlfriend bites the dust, so to speak.
mikegriffin
I'm a fan of the Dyson Series and have the DC 24, which I got just a month or so ago. For a 1 bedroom apartment, it does the job nicely, I especially like that you can turn the brush off, so you can use it on hardwood floors. I also have pets, and I feel like it does a very good job of picking up the pet hairs.
Omadon
I have the orange dyson one. It runs for maybe 2min on a full charge, then stops. The little lights come on but I don't know what they mean. Epic Fail. I hear the uprights from dyson are good.. but I won't buy another hand vac from them.
DssTrainer
I like the Oreck system better. It's pricier but the upright is way light and the canister vac is great. I hate the no-bag/dust-emptying crap.
fastm3driver
In the main picture, it looks like Mr Wilson is holding the hanhelds from the top and a purple and an orange hand.
silverdee
I thought you were talking about a different Kirby.
Yellowexample
Oh crap - Transformers 3....what have you done to Blaster and Soundwave??
SuperTuna
@quantumbits: I have a Dyson Slim and agree they are overpriced. It is a very nice vacuum cleaner, don't get me wrong. But most people who switch to a Dyson are switching from something old and on its last legs, so of course they are blown away by the difference.
I bought my Slim as a refurb. That is the appropriate amount to pay, and it has worked flawlessly.
jdale
hands down the tristar is the best vacuum on the market and has been around since the early 1900's
DaltonChicken
I firmly believe the key to Dyson's success, aside from it being a quality product, is that they make it in flamboyant colors for the ladies and make everything shaped like a cool ass gun for the men.
My DC07, when the handle is disassembled, is an excellent proxy for a futuristic assault weapon. I enjoy pew-pewing around the house with it while my wife sweeps the baseboards...
Yeah, I'm a child... stop judging me.
tnt-tek
@EBone:
So true. I will never own another brand of vacuum. They rock.
@EBone: I have to agree. Dyson is a great manufacturer and they are only second to Kirby vacuums.
[www.kirby.com]
Project_J187
I like the the reluctance motor for all my reluctant vacuuming.
NotChoinski
@met2art: I have the DC07. It's worth every penny.
@Matthew Hensrud: I doubt it. While I love mine, the comment about holding the trigger is correct. Plus, you would have to be on your hands and knees to use it.
104,000 rpm motor technology?
Shouldn't this technology be strictly restricted and controlled to keep out of the hands of Iran?
I thought high speed motor technology was a no-no to export because it's potential use in ultracentrifuge for uranium enrichment... or does everybody already have access to this?
I'd hate to think that somebody is going to make nukes using the technology of Dyson vacuum cleaners.
dcartist
@ChelseaBaboon: I scored one of the yellow handhelds from Woot last year as well. Love it.
@quantumbits: That's what people who don't have one say. They are The Bomb, particularly if you have pets.
@quantumbits: My wife bought a Dyson about 6 months ago (was around $600) and that thing is fucking amazing. It pulls so much shit out of the carpets and just destroys the cat hair. Worth every penny.
IME, Dysons are over-priced, over-hyped POSs.
quantumbits
There's a niche in here for the $50 market if Dust Buster and others were willing to do it. My guess is--they won't. Somebody else will storm in and force them to do it.
HyMinded
@aak7268: my old dyson portable was dying, too but the new one seems solid.
FYI, $130 at Costco... I'm thinking some kind of cool hoverboard hack...
ShrilekhaVinton
My dog would love to hate either of these. He goes absolutely nuts when we use our current upright Dyson.
LEWD98
Consumer Reports has always said Dyson's aren't worth the money. Yet, my wife says everyone who has one loves it. Where's the disconnect?
VitaMarten
@DustyButtâ„¢: but its so soft.
I got one of these (a less powerful older model) on Woot last year for less than half the price and it is awesome. My favorite use is vacuuming up wood roaches that sneak in the house. It sucks them up from 6 inches away.
ChelseaBaboon
I own the Regular D31, wish I had the Animal but I LOVE this handheld. It's price, it's heavy, but it sucks up stuff so well, so much better than any other handheld I've used. Especially great for the fine rabbit fur that gets stuck in everything (it's much finer than cat or dog fur and is even harder to remove from carpets oi).
Minifig
World's fastest ELECTRIC motor perhaps, since jet engines regularly pass 160,000 RPM
Kev50027
what's with all the grooming standard nazis out there. give the guy a break.
Nick
Sadly, that runtime gets even shorter after a couple of years of ownership. Mine has a major case of poor battery memory and after 3 years, I can get maybe 3 minutes of pulsing suction (squeeze...runs briefly...battery dies...squeeze again...runs a little more...dies) before the sucker dies on me completely. At $75!! for a replacement battery, I'll sadly be taking my money elsewhere once this sucker finally gives out (which is too bad, because it kicks ass when it does work).
I own a DC07 as well and have been very impressed w/ Dyson's build quality up till this purchase.
@sharmanova: the air blade is fantastic. a local carls jr has one and it actually influences my choice of where to eat.
What about using one of these as a primary vacuum in a sub-500-square-foot apartment? Could this actually be a full-size replacement in a small enough space?
Matthew Hensrud
I bought one of these a few months ago, but whenI got it home and set it up, I then read that it would only work for 6 minutes and ten need 3 hours to recharge... The unit was quickly returned to the store, replaceed by one of its corded dyson brothers.
UpshawIshame
@DustyButtâ„¢: Agreed. Sometimes we talk to ourselves too, don't we precious?
Bigbadbikernerd
You'd be 100x more attractive with a hair cut. Just sayin'.
WilonaCatilina
Maybe it would be better to vacuum the cat?
It would be more fun to watch the video of it anyway!
Rod Nance
@met2art: I have to agree. I was skeptical when my wife wanted to spend hundreds of dollars on some stupid Vacuum Cleaner. But low and behold it has reduced allergens and dander to a new level. We use it every other day and I am amazed at how much it picks up.
On a side note. Mark have you used those Pledge Fabric Sweepers?
[www.pledge.com]
They work surprisingly well, on my furniture anyway.
L3G10N
Oh, and Dysons make great robots.
Not sure what the fuss is about Dyson's machines (except for the Air Blade - that thing is just terrific). I've had a Dyson and I've had Miele vacuums. The Miele wins hands down.
sharmanova
@charliedigital: Well played
did the photo above remind anyone else of that dude who had (at least claimed to) been able to climb up the side of a building with a couple of handheld vacuum cleaners?
@FriarNurgle:
You mean The Dyson Scalper attachment?
By the way, these models are actually called the DC31 and DC31 Animal. You, uhhh, missed the 'C' in there....
dennisj
@AkkiRonin: Vacuum it up :)
I disagree with the adaquate battery comment. We have an animal vacuum in our house that also is home to a St Bernard and Rottie. We vacuum twice a week and empty the cannister every time. I'd love the handheld to have either A) about a half hour worth of battery juice at full power or B) about 15 minutes worth of juice AND a cord for backup.
Carting the Animal up and down stairs is a pain in the rear. Doing all the edging along the walls is another pain since the stretchy tool tube is not nearly long enough and angled weirdly. Having that power, even with a cord, to do edging/stairs and the furniture would be amazing. 10 minutes just won't cut it. I've got an oversized chair/small loveseat, a couch, plus two dog beds.
sicknick
@the dread pirate Neckbeard: You can get razors for .25 in a bulk pack.
NurseDave
I disagree with the adaquate battery comment. We have an animal vacuum in our house that also is home to a St Bernard and Rottie. We vacuum twice a week and empty the cannister every time. I'd love the handheld to have either A) about a half hour worth of battery juice at full power or B) about 15 minutes worth of juice AND a cord for backup.
Carting the Animal up and down stairs is a pain in the rear. Doing all the edging along the walls is another pain since the stretchy tool tube is not nearly long enough and angled weirdly. Having that power, even with a cord, to do edging/stairs and the furniture would be amazing. 10 minutes just won't cut it. I've got an oversized chair/small loveseat, a couch, plus two dog beds.
sicknick
Oh, and Mark, please quit the Goateesaver, dear.
Pixlmonkey
@DustyButtâ„¢: touche.
Pixlmonkey
Or just lose the cat.
The way you were holding those vacuums made them look like robot hands.
Yellowexample
i told you not to bother me while i'm cleaning my room!!
Completely Off Topic but I have to say it:
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw that image was: Wow...is Edward Norton growing a fro?
You may resume talking about vaccuums
Underscore_Lysdexia
I got a vacuum-powered cat hair brush attachment from whoever the hell makes the Shark that does about the same job getting cat hair off the couch and it cost $30.
dingus
I own a Dyson upright, (yellow DC07) and while expensive, it has proven to be extremely durable and powerful. I am continually surprised by the people who say they are a waste of money. The filters are washable, mitigating the expense of replacing them, and about 80% of the unit is a durable snap-fit making it extremely easy to tear down if you need to unclog fibers, hair, etc.
Although this hand vac is too rich for my blood, I would certainly trust it to be as durable and powerful as my upright. Kudos to Dyson for applying Maximum Cleverosity to such a mundane item, and making my cleaning chores a lot easier.
BILLY MAYS HERE WITH THE DYSON SUCK-U-GUN
Segador
Mark, let's see the The Dyson Flowbee attachment review?
I wonder what else a 100,000RPM motor can be used for? Hacking this thing may yield interesting results.
Miniature electric turbo fans anyone?
FrankenPC
@DustyButtâ„¢: Ignore him, he doesn't know what we're talking about.
DustyButtâ„¢
i love my dyson d25. best investment ever. plan on having it till i die or it does. fyi i will probably go first since that thing is 100% quality
I think I might actually be willing to spring for the animal. Our cat sheds it's body weight in fur seemingly every 72 hours and while the dyson we have sucks it right off the couch, it takes me 15 minutes to transform the thing into something that can reach the top of the couch. I am that lazy, and it's seems that I may have enough money to support my laziness. Animal = Win
@incubushead: you seriously just posted this on a tech blog?
Pixlmonkey
@DustyButtâ„¢: fond of replying to self much?
Pixlmonkey
I love Dyson's. They're so badass. I would pose the same way if I had two of em in my hands.
I don't need a vacuum, I need someone to come clean my damn apartment.
@Eruanno: lmao
Hey look, it totally sucked out the color of your couch, in addition to the cat hair!
(...well, altered the color a bit anyway...)
@DustyButtâ„¢: Of course, I could just use it to take care of the reason they call me "Dusty".
DustyButtâ„¢
Don't cross the beams!
HAZman27
Can you attach a FlowBee and do something about that loaf of bread rising on top of your head?
DustyButtâ„¢