 DC23 Stowaway packs a powerful punch for a small machine |
| Review Date: April 7, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Keith Rogers, Layton, UT USA |
I would definitely recommend the Dyson DC23 to anyone looking for a bagless canister vacuum that is very powerful, efficient on all types of flooring, compact for easy storage, and great at deep cleaning carpet pile. I use my DC23 almost daily, and I am amazed to see how much deep down filth like sand and grit it accumulates every time I vacuum. This Dyson is a very powerful machine that is very efficient at cleaning both hard flooring and carpets, comes with a wonderful assortment of attachments for cleaning floors, carpets, and hard to reach areas, and its very compact for easy storage in small spaces.
The design of the DC23 is as impressive as its performance, with much function behind its draconian appearance. I absolutely love the "Telescopic Wand" that extends to full length in less than a second for use with the Motorhead, or bare floor tool(s). I retracts back inward for easy use with the stair tool, crevice tool, and dusting brush. In addition to being impressed with the Telescopic wand, I also found myself quite fond of the Motorhead power nozzle attachment.
The Motorhead impressed me with the way it moves on carpet, as well as with its aggressive brush roll that deep cleans carpets quite well. The Motorhead moves and corners with ease with a design Dyson calls the "Tri-Ball Arrangement"; this is a motion apparatus that consists of a low wide roller, accompanied by a small wheel on each side of it. The three wheels work in concert to allow the user flexible steering of the Motorhead, much like the Ball uprights. Left and right turns are executed with a simple flick of the wrist. The brush within the Motorhead is driven by a powerful 120V 60 Hz 80 W motor that sends power to the brush roll via steel gear drive, eliminating the belt altogether. The gearbox also results in no lost torque. The brush roll rotates in excess of 5,400 RPM (think about it, that's 90 rotations per second), which is the reason why this machine deep cleans carpets so well.
Another key design element of the DC23 that I should note is the Level 3 Root Cyclone filtration system. The new Level 3 Root Cyclone performs brilliantly at separating dust, sand, and large debris from the airstream more efficiently than past iterations of Dyson cyclone technology. It works with three stages of separation: the low-speed outer cyclone separates fluff and large debris from the airstream, the inner "Core Separator" removes a large bulk of sand and dust that bypasses the first stage, and finally the air is divided through 14 high speed cyclones that subject microscopic contaminants to over 150,000 G-forces. I have been using this machine for over six months, and the pre-filter is still very clean, with no visible signs of contamination. Dyson recommends that you clean the pre-filter every three months, however, I can easily go six or more months before ever having to clean the filter.
There are a few minor issues that I should address before I conclude my review, which in my opinion my not matter to some readers out there, but I feel I should note them anyway. First of all, the Motorhead is an abundantly powerful electrified device that generates extra noise in addition to the sound produced by the main vacuum motor. Those of you that are moving up from cheaper, less powerful machines may find the noise somewhat loud (from my experience, good power nozzles from all high-end makes like Sebo, Miele, Rainbow, etc. are rather loud). However, new users will eventually get used to it. Second, some of the previously sold attachments, such as the old style "Turbine Hand Tool" will not work with this machine. I found the hard way recently when I purchased the now discontinued turbine tool, which appeared to be compatible because it uses the same latch release mechanism as the other attachments provided with my machine. Be sure to buy accessories specifically made for the DC23, because most of them on the market will not fit. In addition, Dyson now sells a second generation Turbine Hand Tool that will work with every Dyson model, just be sure to look for the smaller new all-clear version, and not the discontinued version that is bulkier with purple/clear plastic.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with my Dyson DC23, and I will not recommend anything other than a Dyson to all my friends and family. Consider me a Dyson owner for life. |
Very happy with it
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| Review Date: July 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Marco Polo, San Francisco, CA USA |
Instead of writing a long paragraph, I'll just jump to the pros and cons
Pros:
- Amazing suction: The amount of dirt and lint it sucks is incredible. Compared to my old hoover where I had to go over the carpet few times to suck out all the dirt, the DC23 is so powerful, I only have to run over the carpet once or twice and the carpet is clean. This is primarily due to the strong suction but also to the very powerful brush.
- I have very expensive and old rugs with tassels. When the motorized brush runs over the tassels, the brush shuts off. My old hoover vacuum would either gets intangled with the tassels or the rubber band connected to the motor would snap.
- It has a telescopic rod. When fully contracted, the DC23 is ideal for cleaning steps.
cons:
- VERY BIG WEAKNESS: The motorhead is so strong (a plus as I described above), it sucks in my delicate and fine rugs. Not only it sucks it in, but it's also stripping some of the threading from the 100 year old rugs. I wish Dyson had put a level to control the rotator head instead of just providing an on/off switch.
- Again, because of the strong suction, I'm having to empty the canister 3 or 4 types every time I vacuum my whole house, 2300sf. This is pretty minor actually but it was worth noting because my wife was complaining about it. I didn't seem to mind or care about having to empty out the canister frequently.
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So far so good...
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| Review Date: July 19, 2009 |
| Reviewer: E. Ham, |
| Been using it for about a month. Was looking to switch to a canister design. Wasn't sure, but was willing to try it out. After using it for about a month (vacuumed whole house - about 1600 sq ft. - 3 times). Haven't really noticed the short comings others noted here. But yes, the hose will collapse if you step on it. I think I'll be letting go of my Dyson DC15. |
Amazing performance! The best vacuum ever!
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| Review Date: March 23, 2010 |
| Reviewer: H. nguyen, Joplin, MO |
| This Dyson is so amazing! It really does a great job of deep cleaning my carpets. I'm not normally a canister user, but I received this as a gift and I was blown away by how well it worked. It's also great for using on stairs and picking up pet hair. Totally recommend! |
Previous issues have been fixed
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| Review Date: July 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Skaven252, Finland |
The purpose of this review is not to be complete, but rather append to Keith Rogers' thorough review.
Before the DC23, I owned the Dyson DC08 cylinder vacuum with a Root Cyclone and a mini turbine head attachment. The DC08 mini turbine head ground constantly to a halt if you held it at a wrong angle to the surface. This got very frustrating. Fortunately the design of the DC23 mini and large turbine heads have fixed this issue and no longer get stuck. This was achieved by giving the turbine a separate airflow from the brush head so it won't get blocked.
What I still don't like, however, is that like all Dysons, emptying the dust bin is a messy business. The bottom of the bin flips open at a press of a button - but a lot of the fluff remains stuck between the outer wall and the inner cyclone. The outer wall must be detached and the whole apparatus knocked vigorously to make the dust come loose. You may even want to use a brush to clean the small holes. All of this is rather inconvenient to do indoors over a dustbin. This won't be a problem for people who have a backyard and can do it outdoors, but for me it is. And do hold your breath while you're at it.
Also, since the design is more compact while the 3-stage Core Separator design takes up more room, there is actually less room for dust in the bin. This means the bin fills up faster and needs to be emptied more frequently.
Other than that, this is a great design and a joy to use. It looks like a futuristic alien gizmo, which is always a plus. |
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