We Roadtest the Dyson DC54 Vacuum Cleaner

I have to admit, I’ve never been really too fussed when it comes to vacuum cleaners.  I mean, as long as they clean the floors they’ve done a good job. Right?

I’ve heard a lot of people raving about Dyson vacuum cleaners over the years and to be honest, never really understood why.  There’s like a fan club of Dyson Devotees and I was curious to know what all the noise was about.  How can a vacuum cleaner be THAT good?  Seriously.  It’s a vacuum cleaner!

So when I was asked to road test the Dyson DC54 in my own home and write a review, I thought… Perfect! We’ll see then, won’t we?!

Well I have to say, I learnt a thing or three about what happens when you mix clever technology with 20 years of research and development. Throw in smart design and you’ve got yourself the Dyson DC54.

You might have guessed by now that I haven’t kept up with the latest vacuum technology.  I’ve got an old Miele Cat & Dog which I’ve had for about 7 years and runs on the ‘old-school’ dust-bag process but it does the job.  So, pulling the Dyson out of the box was my first surprise.  It looked almost ‘space age’ and certainly didn’t resemble anything like a typical vacuum cleaner. It was sexy. Did I just call a vacuum sexy? Ahem!  Righto, let’s get this baby cranking!

Putting it together was easy even though there are a surprising number of floor attachments and a turbo head to beat the carpet pile and get the dust out from deep down. Once she was on she was gliding over the floors effortlessly.  Definitely different to what I was used to.  No more yanking on the hose to get the cleaner to follow! The machine sits on a ball design so there’s a lower centre of gravity making it far more nimble to move around the house than traditional machines. I can almost hear my skirting boards breathing a sigh of relief!

My 2 year old was even more excited than me and I had to fight him for it. This machine is cool and he wanted IN.  He’s a bit obsessed with vacuums, though more so the smaller hand-held one we have, but he wanted to try this one so I handed it over.  Good news for me, the kid’s a natural!  The ‘wand’ with the turbo head is ridiculously light which meant he was able to manage it himself really well.  He was off and even he was pulling the machine around with no effort. Goes to show how lightweight and easy to manoeuvre it really is.

At home we’ve got parquetry floors through most of our house so I need something that is great on both hard floors and carpets.  I don’t have time to swap heads as I move through the house. Get in and get out is my motto! Time is precious and don’t want to be spending any more time cleaning than I need to.

I loved the turbine head which is made from carbon fibre so on carpet the stiff nylon bristles remove dirt and on hard floors, like my parquetry, the ultra fine antistatic carbon fibre filaments remove dust.  And they do that so well, especially along the skirting boards where I’m often going back for a second run through with my existing vacuum because the head doesn’t have strong suction on the sides.

Another thing I really liked is that you don’t need to adjust the head of the vacuum to go from hard to soft floors.  No more bending down or stepping on the head to adjust the settings.  It’s automatic.  Almost like it does the thinking for you.

I’ve seen and heard a lot about the cyclonic action and bag-free vacuums, but was super impressed when I had finished vacuuming the house and discovered just how much dust and dirt the machine had sucked up. Seriously incredible. Now I wonder just how much my existing machine is missing!  I can only imagine how valuable this would be in a household with asthma or sensitivities.   No bag means no more cost and with no filters you’ll never need to clean or replace them EVER.

Ka-ching!

One push of the button and the whole central housing came out. Took it to the bin, flicked a button and the bottom drops open to release all the dust and dirt.  GONE.  Sooo therapeutic.

They’re pretty thorough on their testing and development which I reckon is why they make such an amazing machine (and have earned such a seriously good reputation). I was really apprehensive going into this, wondering what the fuss was all about.

Now I get it.  It’s not just a vacuum cleaner, it’s a whole new way of cleaning.  Proper cleaning.

If I had to recommend any changes to the team at Dyson, I’d like to see a power switch up at the handle and maybe a little tool to clean out around the cylinder (I sucked up some shredded paper that was on the floor at our office and wasn’t quite as easy as A, B, C to get it out in some spots.  Tricky little buggers!

Overall though, it’s a damn fine piece of machinery and to be honest, I loved it.  I think I’ve just joined the Dyson Devotees.

REVIEWED BY:

Belinda Jennings

Founder of the Australian Baby Bargains and Mum Central networks, Belinda’s passionate about connecting, supporting and providing relevant and valuable information to parents around the country.