Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 316
 Awesome power for 5 mins is better than a limp vacuum for 20 December 18, 2006
G. R. Parker
52 out of 58 found this review helpful
Having owned probably a half-dozen handheld vacuums, the Dyson Root is by far the best. Simple reason: It provides massive suction at 100% power time and time again. I'd rather have a vacuum that sucks powerfully and consistently for 5 minutes than one that limps along at 30% power for 20 minutes.
When you see some crumbs on the floor, or have a spill, you want something you can reach for, make ONE pass over the mess, and be done with it. To me it is much more frustrating to have to brush over things 3-4 times than to know that I can't do my whole house with it. It is NOT a replacement for an upright vacuum, a Shop-Vac, a lint brush, etc.
It recharges in 3 hours and has a clear set of LEDs showing power level. If you need to more than 5 minutes of cleaning every 3 hours, then you've got an environment this wasn't designed for. The Dyson Root also has some neat design concepts: e.g., two attachments cleverly combined into one, so less to carry/lose.
(We also have fallen in love with the Dyson upright vacuums which also beat all other vacuums we've owned hands-down, again due to consistent power and clever design.)
For Those Who Cannot Read . . . July 12, 2007
J. Ferguson (Michigan, USA)
128 out of 150 found this review helpful
For those who cannot read, I suppose this review will be pointless; but, perhaps someone else can read it to you ---- which, incidentally, is what you should have done before purchasing this gorgeously designed tool! ON THE BOX, it says "6 Minutes" --- and, yet, there are so many, many, MANY complaints about it 'only' lasting 6 Minutes!!!! Gee . . . Dyson SURE FOOLED YOU!!! -- I mean, they said 6 MINUTES, and, oh WOW! -- It only lasts 6 MINUTES!!! --- AMAZING! ;-)
Okay, here is my review . . . I purchased, along with the Dyson, the top-of-the-line Black & Decker for $65, and a lower version for $20. The more expensive B & D worked better than the $20 model (naturally), but, both were COMPLETELY blown away by the Dyson. In addition, the Dyson's long, skinny nozzle gets behind (and under) so many things, it is truly indispensible. Another thing to note, my $65 model says it takes 21 Hours, TWENTY-ONE HOURS!! to charge -- now, even if I got the 20-30 minutes out of this machine, lets see --- 24 hours, divided by 3 is 8, times 6 minutes --- is 48 minutes of time, versus 30 minutes of the other---- okay, so Dyson still wins, by 18 minutes! ;-) . . . Another consideration, it picks up TWICE as much, TWICE as fast -- so, that 6 Minutes, is like 12 minutes with my $65 model--- which really gives my Dyson 96 Minutes, to the Black & Decker's 30 -- So THERE! The ROOT 6 WINS!!! :-)
I really like the trigger hold -- it only requires a light touch, and is a part of the grasp, so that, it is precisely where you would have placed your finger anyway! The weight is EXCELLENT -- compared to the other 2 Black & Deckers I tested, it weighs about the same as the $65 model, but is balanced so much better, that it feels to weigh about a third less -- so impressive! (Note -- probably too heavy for great-grandma -- but 'light as a feather' for those accustomed to toting way heavier things -- like, 30 pound briefcases or toddlers! ;-)
Plastic is -- plastic. But, the Dyson plastic is FAR-Superior to the B & D -- much heavier weight -- and smoother/more attractive in appearance. I share the same sentiment as other reviewers about the inadequacies and inherent cheapness of plastic, but it appears to be a necessary evil -- and I will say that the Dyson plastic is TWICE as nice as the $65 B & D -- none of the rough edges from the molding process, and the paint is glossy and has depth, as opposed to cheap, and easily scratched off. Very well done -- if it has to be plastic (of course, can you even imagine the weight, or the heat transfer for that matter, if this thing was made of metal??! ;-) . . .
Last thought -- as a busy mommy of 2 toddlers -- I need a handheld that moves fast, works fast, and recharges fast --- the Dyson was the only one that could do all 3 -- sure, it would be great to make that 6 minutes into 20 (without sacrificing power), but, honestly -- if I left my two (ages 2 and 3) unattended for 20 minutes, I would be needing the upright vacuum instead! ;-)
LOVE IT.
After 147 reviews... November 11, 2007
Pat (PAYSON, Azerbaijan)
30 out of 33 found this review helpful
I read almost all the reviews here and wasted $60 a couple weeks ago on the top-of-the-line Black & Decker handheld because of the complaints about the DC16 battery life. Earlier today I vacuumed with the B&D. I had to go over and over each little spot on each rug to get up the dust and cat fur. Sometimes I had to pick it out of the rug and stuff it into the vacuum nozzle. During cleanup I got wet power-spraying the dust out of the miserable little filter from the B&D. Every time I used the B&D, the filter had to be washed. So I sat down and reread these reviews, looking for the positives. One thing that occurred to me was that 6 minutes is a long time for my space.
One of the reviewers mentioned Bed Bath & Beyond's liberal return policy, and I had a 20% off Linens n Things coupon, which B3 honors (sorry Amazon) so I picked up a DC16. Charged it up and revacuumed the same space that I had just done with the B&D. It took 1/10 the time to clean the rugs well, and, like another reviewer noted, it was embarrassing how much extra dust and fur the Dyson picked up.
I think the hold and vac button is smart, because it's easy to release to save battery time while moving from spot to spot or changing attachments. I'm 64 and didn't find the pressure required or weight of the vacuum a problem. Emptying the dust chamber is so much easier than cleaning the B&D. Granted, the release button is a bit tight, but I think there's a technique to releasing and reclosing that I'll figure out.
As for the 6 minutes, I was running out of things to do. I was about to start vacuuming my socks just to run down the battery. Decided to give up instead. I have a 24' motorhome with cloth walls, which also need the Himalayan cat's fur vacuumed off now and then. It worked great, and the narrow wand got into little spaces.
I'm relieved to be back to a Dyson. I feel things will be clean again. The Dyson canister I had before was just too large and cumbersome for in this small space, but this handheld is perfect. The attachments provided are sufficient. The wand could be a little longer. They might consider a short, maybe 2 feet long, 1 inch in diameter, flexible hose attachment to which the other attachments could be added. I found such a hose quite handy vacuuming under car seats. I've used the Dyson flexible wand and found it pretty awful.
The DC16 motor is surprisingly muffled. Much quieter than the B&D.
I think the suggestion to make an a/c adapter to attach to this vacuum is quite apparently worthwhile. I would hate to see such a good handheld discontinued because so many people need more run time.
Don't beleive the bad reviews, this thing is worth every penny! May 22, 2008
Michael Doughty (Ashburn, VA)
21 out of 23 found this review helpful
I have read all of the reviews both here at Amazon and on other websites bashing the DC16 Root 6 handheld and I had mixed feelings about them. I own a Dyson DC17 Absolute Animal and think it is the best vacuum money can buy, so I personally couldn't see why the Root 6 would be so bad.
After a week of using my new Root 6 (I actually have the "Animal" handheld with the motorized brush bar), I can't understand why anyone would give it a negative rating. Maybe I have Dyson bias, but I don't see it that way. I prefer items that just work. I look at three things when I purchase any type of electronic device:
1) It is well made?
2) Does it perform the function intended without a bunch of fluff, or overly-engineered crap?
3) Is it worth the money?
After actually purchasing and using the device, I have to say yes to all three. Here is my reasoning:
1) It is a true Dyson. It is VERY well made. I've read the reviews from people saying that the plastic is cheap on the handheld. If there is a better-built handheld vacuum out there, I haven't seen it. Not to say one doesn't exist, but they don't sell it to consumers and I would bet it would cost a few thousand dollars. I have owned several B&D handhelds, a dirt devil a Kenmore and a Panasonic. None of them comes close in overall design and build quality. Just like the Dyson upright, the Root 6 screams good design, excellent attention to detail and superb build quality.
2) The suction is far and away superior to any handheld I have ever used. Period. It takes a couple seconds for the motor to spin up, but once it does, the suction is about half of what my DC17 upright is, which is VERY good for something that small and battery operated. Sure, any $30.00 battery-operated handheld can do a similar job, but what really separates the Dyson from the competition is that unlike all other handhelds, the Dyson runs at full power 100% suction for the entire run life of the battery. My last handheld was a $55.00 12.6v B&D cyclonic. That same handheld got a better user rating on this same website (go figure) After a full charge on a clean filter and an empty dirt bin, the B&D only kept operating at around 100% suction for about 30 seconds before starting to slowly loose suction. After about 2 and a half minutes of sucking up cat hair and slowly clogging the filter, the suction was down to about 40% at best. Once I got to about 5 minutes of run time, the suction was around 5% or so of the original strength, to the point where it could barely pick up anything. The Dyson on the other hand maintains 100% to 95% suction for the entire run life of the battery (around 6.5 minutes for me so far). I have NEVER seen or used a battery-operated handheld that maintained that level of suction for over two minutes and definitely nowhere close to six minutes.
3) I personally think the device warrants the price. $200.00 for the Root 6 Animal is a lot of money, but you do get what you pay for. You get a lot for the price. For one, the device comes with three bundled tools (the motorized brush bar is only on the "Animal" version). Second, it comes with an adapter so you can plug any tool or attachment available for the full-size Dyson uprights. Third, you don't have to pay for additional filters in the future. And fourth, it comes with a two year warranty, where others stop at one. The price to some seems steep, but if you are one that holds quality, longevity and functionality higher than price, it is a sound investment.
Pros: No loss of suction, build quality, functionality, design, ergonomics, warranty, bundled tools, motorized brush bar on Animal is excellent and class-leading.
Cons: A little bulky and might be too big for small women or people with very small hands. Slightly heavy. Wall-mounting bracket well made, but poorly designed.
Great hand vac for quick cleanup jobs August 21, 2007
B. Piersel (Norwood Young America, MN)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
First of all, don't expect miracles from this. It is a battery-powered hand vac. Although it has very good suction for a hand vac, it is necessarily less than the full-sized Dyson vacuums (and probably most other full-sized vacuums, too), as power consumption needs to be lower for battery operation. There is also the trade-off between battery life and battery weight (to run this for 30 minutes, for example, would probably make it unacceptably heavy for a handheld unit). So, don't plan on using this for big jobs like stairs or cars. That's not what it's for.
If you have frequent small cleanup jobs (picking up spilled dry cereal, crumbs, flour, dirt, etc.), I'd recommend this. We have two small children, so small spills like this are inevitable. Rather than getting out a dustpan and brush, I just grab this from the wall-mounted charger. It's always ready. It is easier than the dustpan (and does a better job), and takes less time than getting out the full-sized Dyson. I'm usually done with the cleanup in less time than it would take to get the full-sized cleaner out and set up.
If you're looking for something for the stairs, the car, or other larger projects, this isn't it. Get something with a cord so you aren't limited by power or battery life. Get this for the quick cleanup jobs.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 316
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