Dyson DC17 Animal Review

Avg. consumer rating = 85/100 

The Dyson DC17 Animal gets good customer ratings -– and there are many ratings available as this is a popular machine.  Consumer comments indicate that it does indeed work very well on removing pet hair from most surfaces.  It can be a bit heavy for some folks however.

Consumer ratings for the DC17 Animal can be found at a number of quality sources.  Ratings are all quite good for this machine as can be seen in the table below:

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	4.1 stars out of 5	402
Best Buy	4.8 stars out of 5	164
Epinions	4.0 stars out of 5	180
Macy's	4.7 stars out of 5	49
Walmart	4.39 stars out of 5	23

Also, a review of customer comments yields the following common Dyson DC17 Animal likes and dislikes: 

PROS
- Very good at removing pet hair (most consumers agree on this)
- Easy to maneuver
- Strong suction
- Dirt canister is easy to empty
- Not too loud
- Brushroll can be turned on and off

CONS
- Poor detail/instructions in manual
- Only average on bare floors (best on carpet)
- Attachments don’t work that well on bare floors
- Hose is stiff
- Heavy machine

Features 
Like all Dysons with the “Animal” tag, the DC17 is designed for homes with pets.  Its 12 amp motor generates 220 air watts of power and it also uses Dyson’s Level 3 Root Cyclone technology.  Root Cyclone technology applies centrifugal force to spin dirt out of the air and, as claimed by Dyson, ensures that the vacuum does not lose suction or clog.  In the case of the DC17, Dyson engineers have combined Root Cyclone technology with a core separator.  This separator is an extra cyclonic stage between the outer and inner cyclones.  This extra stage helps to separate out particles as small as 0.5 microns from the airflow.  Dyson call this “Level 3 Root Cyclone technology” and they indicate that this is their most efficient system for capturing microscopic dust.

The DC17 Animal has a motorized brushbar which can be turned on or off (via the touch of a button).  The ability to turn the brushbar off is useful when transitioning from carpet to other more delicate flooring (like some hardwood floors or delicate rugs). 

There are also a number of attachments that come with the DC17:
- Low reach floor tool (attaches to the wand and helps to clean under low furniture such as beds or couches)
- Crevice tool (creates high velocity airflow and is useful for cleaning baseboard and vacuuming in hard to reach areas)
- Stair Tool
- Brush Tool (useful for cobwebs and delicate surfaces)
- Mini-turbine head (helps to vacuum up pet hair from upholstery/stairs/autos/etc.)

The DC17 has a lifetime HEPA filter (should be washed about every 6 months).  HEPA filtration captures 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in diameter or larger.  This level of filtration is useful for those suffering from allergies or asthma.  Dyson is actually certified as  “asthma & allergy friendly” by the Asthma and Allergy foundation of America.  The DC17 also comes with a washable pre-motor filter.

Like all Dysons the DC17 is bagless.  Some consumers like bagged machines while others feel that a bagless vacuum saves money and is more environmentally friendly.  The dirt canister on the DC17 is clear plastic so you can see how full it is and it is also “bottom empty”.  Consumers do indicate that it is fairly easy to empty.  It is also quite large having a capacity of 0.63 gallons.

One complaint voiced by a few consumers is the vacuum weight.  It is quite heavy for an upright at 20.8 lbs and could be a chore for some to lug up or down stairs.  It does however have a very long 35 foot power cord which allows one to move from room to room without having to find a new outlet all the time.  A carpet cleaning kit that includes Zorb powder (for absorbing dirt from carpets) and Dyzolve spray (for removing spills and marks) is also provided with the DC17.

The DC17 has a 14 inch wide cleaning path (about average for an upright) and a telescopic wand that provides 16 feet of reach.  It does not come with a headlight nor does it use the Dyson Ball technology -  this is a fixed wheel Dyson.  You can see the DC17 Animal side-by-side with the DC25 Animal Ball in one of the videos below to better understand the form of locomotion used by each machine.  The DC17 Animal carries the typical Dyson upright 5 year parts and labor warranty.

The following is a good video to see the DC17 Animal and the DC25 Animal side-by-side.  Worth the watch if you are considering a Dyson Animal vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum Manual 
You may wish to view the Dyson DC17 Manual for additional information.