Dyson DC41 Animal Vacuum Review (Video)

If you have pet hair then you know how much you need a good vacuum cleaner. The Dyson DC41 Animal is the newest vacuum on the market to tackle deep ground-in dirt and pet hair. In our house we have 2 long-hair cats and some days we have cat hair tumbleweeds rolling down the hallway.

What I like about the Dyson DC41 Animal Vacuum

The DC41 provide enough suction to remove the cat hair and deep down dirt in the area rugs and carpet we have in our house. It is true that this new Dyson Animal goes from hardwood floor to carpet easily without losing any suction. This new model has found a way to keep constant suction and this is particularly helpful if you have a pet hair issue. There is a button next to the On/Off switch that will disengage the beater if you are on the hardwood floor but we found that leaving it on it easier.

I liked the way that the larger beater (vacuum head) swiveled, it made it easier to maneuver the vacuum cleaner around furniture and in corners. Emptying the canister was as easy as pressing two buttons while holding the canister over a trash can or bag. The handle on the top of the canister made it easier to carry the DC41 up and down stairs. The cord is extremely long reducing the number of times I have to change outlets while vacuuming. The button to turn off the beater when moving from carpet to floors was within easy access and just required a simple press of the finger.

What I didn’t like about the Dyson DC41 Animal Vacuum

There are a few minor things that I thought that could be done better, but those are overshadowed by the vacuuming power. The on/off button could be located higher up the handle instead of where it currently is, near the canister release button. A couple times instead of turning the vacuum off, I released the canister. It would be nice of the cord could be retractable, but that would probably require making the vacuum cleaner larger. I believe the cord should attach to the vacuum vertically instead of horizontally. As it currently is, when you wrap the cord, it puts a bend on the cord that cause broken wires over time. When emptying the canister, dust would settle on the bottom canister door, so I had to clean off the dust to make sure a tight seal occurred. It would be nice if the small beater head attachment point swiveled up and down, doing that would allow it to get flatter and reach under furniture that was only three or four inches off the floor.

If you have a hard time using a vacuum you may want to consider that the Dyson is quite heavy. The weight might be a problem for some if you have to move it up and downstairs. The hose is extra long for using on stairs so that might solve the problem.

Where to Buy the Dyson DC41 Animal

We bought ours at Best Buy but you can buy this new Dyson at a variety of stores and online at Dyson.com. It is also available at Amazon.com. The cost is $599. On Amazon the shipping is free and they have a great return policy. We buy almost everyone we buy online at Amazon because it is so convenient having everything in one place.

Dyson sells all kinds of neat attachmentsthat fit all of the Dyson models. The one I like the most is the Flat Out tool that allows you to get under furniture much easier. Another is the Dyson Pet Clean-Up Accessory Kit that comes with:

• Carpet Cleaning Kit
• Flexi Crevice Tool; Extends & Flexes to Clean Awkward Gaps & Tight Spaces
• Mattress Tool; To Remove Dust & Dirt from your Mattress & Upholstery

What’s in the Dyson DC41 Animal Box:

When you open the box and take out all of the parts, this is what you get. The body with the roller ball and feet already attached to the main base and canister, large beater, and attachments.

The Dyson DC41 Animal Vacuum cleaner is super easy to put together. Once you take it out of the box it snaps together in less than 5 minutes. It comes with easy instructions and a chart to show you where everything goes.

To get started, take the main beater head and snap it on the body.

Next, snap the handle on the end.

Slide the plastic tube onto the expandable hose and then push it down into the hose and then snap it into place. The attachment get snapped onto the top of the tube.

The attachments (except for the smaller beater head) snap onto the body to make them easy to store. This is the Mini turbine head that is included with all Dyson Animal uprights and canisters to help to clean pet and dirt from hard to reach places such as stairs, upholstery and in the car.

This is the small beater attachment you can use to clean up pet hair on furniture and to get around small places and under tables and desks.

To empty the canister, just press the button on the top near the handle, pull it off, put it over your trash can and press the release button.

The Dyson DC41 Animal sucks up a LOT of dirt and hair (see pictures above). You may need to clean out the canister a couple of times when you are cleaning your house.

Overall, ever with the couple minor issues, I believe the Dyson DC41 Animal is worth the cost. It worked great in picking up the cat hair from are two long-hair cats and has sturdy construction to make it last a long time.

Update

Based on a comment and a review I read, I thought I would look into the issue about dust collecting around the mesh screen on the outside of the cyclone shroud.  The following video is my suggestion as to how to access that screen and remove any dust buildup.  I also find a section on page 8 of the Operating Manual labeled “Cleaning The Clear Bin” that talks a little about cleaning the cyclone shroud.  I did not encounter any apparent suction loss after re-assembly.

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Disclosure: We purchased this vacuum ourselves and this is our personal review.