Dyson V11 Outsize vs Torque Drive
- Details
Dyson recently released the new cordless kid on the block – the Dyson V11 Outsize. But what makes this cordless machine special and how is it different from the already popular Dyson V11 Torque Drive? In this article we walk you through the differences and discuss which vacuum is best for your cleaning needs.
If you don't want to see all the comparisons and tests you can go directly to: Which Vacuum Should I Buy!
A WORD ON V11 OUTSIZE MODELS
1) V11 Outsize
2) V11 Outsize Origin
The Outsize and the Outsize Origin are essentially the same vacuum but you get a slightly different package. The Outsize includes 2 click-in batteries and 2 chargers while the Origin only has 1 click-in battery and 1 charger. A quick way to tell them apart is that the Outsize Origin has gold cyclones, a gold wand and a gold brushroll while the Outsize has silver cyclones, a red wand and a red brushroll.
This article focuses on the Outsize (not the Outsize Origin).
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
What do you get when you buy a V11 Outsize?
- V11 Outsize vacuum
- Filter
- High Torque XL cleaner head
- Mini motorized tool
- Combo tool
- Crevice tool
- Mini soft dusting brush
- Stubborn dirt brush
- Docking station (wall mount)
- Wand storage clip
- 2 chargers
- 2 click-in batteries
What do you get when you buy a V11 Torque Drive?
- V11 Torque Drive vacuum
- Filter
- High Torque cleaner head
- Mini motorized tool
- Combo tool
- Crevice tool
- Mini soft dusting brush
- Stubborn dirt brush
- Docking station (wall mount)
- Wand storage clip
- Charger
- Battery (non-click-in)
POWER
The Outsize is Dyson’s most powerful cordless to date. The other V11’s in the series (Absolute, Torque Drive, Animal) were a significant step up in power from the V10’s but Dyson has managed to pack even more punch into the Outsize. In the table below we compare suction power (in air watts) between the V11 Outsize and the V11 Torque Drive.
| Power Mode |
V11
Outsize (air watts)
|
V11
Torque Drive (air watts)
|
| ECO | 24.9 | 26 |
| MED | 49.5 | 38.6 |
| BOOST | 220 | 185 |
CLEANER HEAD
The Outsize High Torque XL cleaner head is much larger than the cleaner head on almost any other cordless vacuum we’ve seen. It is designed to cover more area per pass than previous Dyson cordless cleaner heads (V6,V7,V8,V10,V11).
We measured the Outsize cleaner head width at about 12.5 inches while other Dyson stick vacs (including the V11 Torque Drive) have a cleaner head width of about 9.75 inches. This makes the Outsize cleaner head some 28% wider and as a result it is capable of cleaning larger areas with less passes.
BATTERY
The Outsize and the Torque Drive share the same battery specifications. It is essentially the same battery. However the Outsize batteries are designed to be swappable, meaning you can easily swap a discharged battery for a freshly charged one in seconds. The system for swapping is extremely easy to use and is one of the best we`ve seen – see short video below.
The Torque Drive includes 1 battery that cannot be swapped out (it can be replaced but it is not designed with the click-in feature).
Battery recharge time for the Outsize and the Torque Drive is the same at about 4.5 hours.
RUN TIME
Battery life between the two vacuums is similar but not identical. It is the same battery but the vacuum configuration/tuning is slightly different. We performed run time tests on both machines with the following results:
| Power Mode |
V11 Outsize
2 batteries
|
V11 Outsize
1 battery
|
V11
Torque Drive
|
| ECO | 1hr 54min 16sec | 57min 8sec | 55min 14sec |
| AUTO | 1hr 24min 46sec | 42min 23sec | 44min 17sec |
| BOOST | 24min 4sec | 12min 2sec | 12min 52sec |
The Outsize got a slightly longer run time in ECO mode (on a single battery) than the Torque Drive, but a little less run time in AUTO and BOOST modes. The differences weren’t too significant however and overall run times between the two machines on a singler battery is similar.
We believe that V11 run times in general are very good, and with two batteries (as is the case with the Outsize) you are getting almost 1.5 hours of vacuuming in AUTO power mode. Cordless run times have been improving dramatically in recent years and Dyson is no exception. Note - if you are wondering why we have AUTO in the table above instead of MED then see the section on "Power Modes" below.
WEIGHT
The Outsize is the heaviest Dyson cordless vacuum to date and it weighs about 17.5% more than the Torque Drive. This is not a surprise given its size. In the table below you can see the difference in vacuum weight.
| Dyson Stick Vac Model | Weight |
| V11 Torque Drive | 6.68 lbs |
| V11 Outsize | 7.85 lbs |
The Outsize handheld component is also larger and heavier. You may notice that it has 18 cyclones as opposed to the 14 cyclones we see on the Torque Drive. And the dust bin is very large. We weighed the handheld components of both Dyson cordless machines and as you can see the Outsize is the heavier of the two.
| Dyson Stick Vac Model | Handheld Weight |
| V11 Torque Drive | 4.45 lbs |
| V11 Outsize | 5.36 lbs |
GRIP & MOVEMENT
Grips between the two vacuums are identical. This is a good thing as we always found the Torque Drive grip to be quite comfortable even for longer (20+ minutes) vacuuming sessions. As for the trigger, it too is the same and you still have to hold it down to get power. Not really an issue for us but some folks dislike having to depress the trigger for long periods of time.
Movement of the vacuums is a little different. The edge here goes to the Torque Drive. It is lighter and smaller. You can feel the extra weight of the Outsize when vacuuming. It takes just that little bit more effort to move it back and forth and to turn the cleaner head. Maneuverability of both machines is excellent as they both have the same basic configuration and technology. But the extra heft of the Outsize is noticeable.
Ease of use takes a bit of a hit when working solely with the Outsize handheld component. We’re used to handhelds being small and light - the Outsize handheld is neither. It is large and rather heavy (at over 5 lbs). It works just fine but you probably wouldn’t want to do a lot of handheld work with it and it doesn’t fit easily into cramped spaces like a vehicle interior. (Frankly we always liked the V7/V8 for handheld work). The Torque Drive handheld was already getting a little hefty for our tastes but the Outsize is much larger.
DUST BIN
There is a significant difference between the dust bins of the two vacuums. The Torque Drive dust bin has a capacity of 0.20 gallons while the Outsize dust bin has a capacity of 0.50 gallons – a full 2.5 times as large. The Outsize dust bin allows you to vacuum for extended periods of time without having to empty the vacuum. This again is part of the “large area cleaning” capability that Dyson has targeted with the Outsize. It does however result in the top end of the vacuum being a bit buiky and it increases the size of the handheld component.
MAINTENANCE
Basic maintenance is similar for both the Outsize and the Torque Drive.
Cleaning the filter
The filter resides on the back of the handheld component and it simply twists off. It can be rinsed in water and when it is completely dry you just twist it back on.
Emptying the dust bin
A red tab underneath the dust bin is pushed forward to open the dust bin door and allow the dust/debris to fall out. The entire clear canister can also be easily removed if you want to wipe it down.
Cleaning the brushroll
The brushroll in the cleaner head sometimes gets tangled with hair/string/thread and needs to be cleaned. The Outsize has a new brushroll removal design which is handy. A built in red tab on the back corner of the cleaner head is pulled up releasing the brushroll. It can then be easily slid out the side and cleaned. To remove the Torque Drive brushroll requires a screwdriver or a coin. This is fit into a slot on the side of the High Torque cleaner head and then turned releasing the brushroll. See image below.
POWER MODES
The power modes are the same for each of the vacuums. There are three: ECO, MED/AUTO, BOOST. ECO is the least powerful and therefore has the longest run time while BOOST is the most powerful and has the shortest run time.
MED/AUTO requires a little bit of an explanation. All of the V11 vacuums have special sensors. There is one in the battery, one in the motor, and one in the High Torque cleaner head. The sensor in the cleaner head measures brushroll resistance and when the vacuum is in the middle power mode it will read “AUTO” and the vacuum will automatically adjust power to optimize cleaning. However, if you are not using the High Torque cleaner head (maybe you have a different tool on the end of the wand or you are using a tool with the handheld component) then the middle power mode becomes MED (for medium). The only cleaning attachment that has a sensor in it is the High Torque cleaner head so AUTO is only an option when you have this cleaner head attached.
We find AUTO power a great feature and do most of our cleaning in this power mode. You can transition easily from bare floors to carpet and back and the power adjusts accordingly on the fly.
LCD CONTROL PANEL
The LCD control panels sit on the back of the handheld units and are identical. The LCD display is handy as it shows power mode, remaining run time (in minutes and seconds), and troubleshooting videos. A button below the panel allows you to manually cycle through the 3 power modes.
We find the remaining run time display to be very useful. It gives you a very good approximation of how much cleaning time you have left while you are vacuuming. And it changes dynamically depending on your power mode. This allows you to intelligently plan your cleaning session. In the video below we cycle through the 3 power modes with our Dyson V11 Torque Drive.
NOISE LEVEL
We measured the noise level of the Outsize and the Torque Drive with a digital noise level meter. The meter was placed three feet in front of the cleaner head and the vacuum was cycled through the three power modes. Results were as follows:
| Power Mode |
V11
Outsize
|
V11
Torque Drive
|
| ECO | 64.5 dB | 63.7 dB |
| AUTO | 67.2 dB | 68.4 dB |
| BOOST | 72.5 dB | 71.0 dB |
For the most part we found that the noise levels were pretty similar. The Outsize had a slightly higher noise output in ECO and BOOST modes but was a little quieter in AUTO mode. But the differences were not that noticeable to us.
CLEANING
We performed cleaning tests on low pile carpet and on tile.
Carpet Test
Fine, small and medium sized debris (ground cheerios, chili flakes, flax seeds, split green peas) were placed on low pile carpet in a 5.5 ft long line. Each vacuum was run over the line in a 10 second pass (one single forward pass only).
The percentage pickup by weight was calculated.
| Power Mode |
V11
Outsize
|
V11
Torque Drive
|
| ECO | 90.9% | 96.7% |
| AUTO | 96.6% | 99.0% |
| BOOST | 96.2% | 99.2% |
Hard Floor Test
The same test was performed on our tile floor.
Again, the percentage pickup by weight was calculated.
| Power Mode |
V11
Outsize
|
V11
Torque Drive
|
| ECO | 89.3% | 84.4% |
| AUTO | 91.0% | 93.4% |
| BOOST | 98.1% | 96.0% |
Cleaning Analysis
We found, on average, that the Torque Drive picked up more debris (by weight) on carpet while the Outsize picked up more debris (by weight) on our tile floor. The results were a little unexpected.
On carpet the Torque Drive provided better pickup in all 3 power modes. We found the Outsize snowplowed a lot of the heavier green peas forward. The Torque Drive had a similar problem but not to the same extent.
Both vacuums generated a lot of scatter on our tile floor but the Outsize pickup was a little bit better in ECO and BOOST modes.
WARRANTY
All Dyson V11 cordless vacuums carry a 2-year manufacturer’s parts & labor warranty.
SO - WHICH V11 SHOULD YOU BUY?
I have experience with all of the V11s so I feel including them all in this summary would best benefit the reader.
Large Area, Mostly Carpet or up to 50% Bare Floors
If you have a very large area to clean with mostly carpet or even half carpet and half bare floors then the Outsize (2 batteries) is the best machine. Its size and run time will help make this a more manageable chore.
We don’t really feel the same way about the Outsize Origin (1 battery). Yes it has a larger dust bin and cleaner head but it has about the same run time as the smaller V11’s. Frankly, we’d be happier with the smaller, easier to manage V11 Torque Drive or Animal even if we have to do a few more passes and empty the dust canister a few more times. The Torque Drive and the Animal are also less expensive.
Large Area, Mostly Bare Floors
It’s a toss-up between the Outsize and a V11 Absolute (sometimes hard to find in the USA). The smaller machine will take longer, much longer if you run out of battery power and need to recharge - but it comes with a Soft Roller cleaner head which is much better on hard surfaces than the High Torque cleaner head (like a lot better). See the short video below where we run our V11 Absolute with a Soft Roller cleaner head on a tile surface – this is ECO mode and pickup was 99.5%, far better than using the High Torque cleaner head even in BOOST mode!
To date we have not seen an XL Soft Roller cleaner head designed for the Outsize. So the Outsize with its XL High Torque cleaner head won’t do as good a job and you may have to go over the area a little more. But ultimately it will probably still be faster and you will not have to stop after 45 minutes or so and wait 4.5 hours for the battery to recharge.
Currently the ultimate solution is to have an Outsize and a Soft Roller cleaner head from the V10 or V11. These fit together and they work – I’ve tested it. You won’t have an extra wide cleaner head but you will have the larger dust bin, lots of power, and 2 batteries worth of run time. This solution would require you to buy a Soft Roller cleaner head separately – they are available. This gives you the best of both worlds but it’s not a cheap solution and it isn’t perfect (an XL Soft Roller cleaner head would be the best solution but as far as we know they do not exist at this time). See our Outsize with our Soft Roller cleaner head in the image below:
Small-to-Medium Sized Area, Mostly Carpet or up to 50% Bare Floors
The V11 Torque Drive or V11 Animal is probably your best bet. The Torque Drive is the nicer of the two with its LCD control panel however it does cost more. Also consider that cleaning ability between these two machines is the same. So get the Torque Drive if you don’t mind the extra expense and if you do then consider the V11 Animal. See our V11 Absolute vs Torque Drive vs Animal article for more info and comparisons between all these V11 models.
Small-to-Medium Sized Area, Mostly Bare Floors
Definitely a V11 Absolute or possibly even a V10 Absolute (but it has a shorter run time). These both come with the Soft Roller cleaner head and its performance on bare floors is much better than the High Torque cleaner head. An Outsize is overkill here and it also doesn’t excel on hard flooring.
You can read about the differences between the V11’s and V10’s in our Dyson V11 vs V10 article. In this case pay close attention to the differences in run times.
Nigel Russco has been reviewing and testing vacuums for over 14 years. He is a professional engineer and uses his review platforms to help consumers determine which vacuum cleaners are the best for their cleaning needs. Follow Nigel on facebook or view his vacuum review videos on the Vacuum Cleaner Advisor YouTube Channel.
