Dyson DC17 Absolute Animal

[niclonnic]

I bought this vacuum off of eBay for $188 with free shipping (via UPS). It is the Dyson I really wished I would have chosen over the DC07 back in late '07. But it has arrived, better late than never. I mainly bought it because I can't afford a new Dyson at the moment.

The seller, who is based in New Hampshire, stated that the "Dyson vacuum is in great condition and has been professionally serviced and cleaned inside and out! Start using right away. Comes with upholstery attachment and crevice tool attachment.”

When I got it home, I opened the box and was surprised to find that the vacuum was packed poorly. They taped two boxes together, and the packing materials were sparse; there was only some orange bubble wrap around the handle/wand and the vacuum head. The seller didn't mention this, but the brush tool was included as well! So it has all 3 on-board attachments. I also bought the 3 additional tools (mini turbine head, low reach floor tool and Zorb groomer) from a different seller on eBay, but they'll be here next week, due to a UPS trailer delay.

Now onto the vacuum itself. The main motor runs smoothly, the suction is strong, the pre-motor filter is very clean and the hose looks brand new. However, I found a number of issues with the machine, that the seller didn't mention:

- Brushbar (which has SUPER STIFF bristles) is worn down, and doesn't turn smoothly, so it's loud during operation. I removed it, and one of the end caps is really stiff. However, the belt is in good condition.

- Soleplate is scratched and cracked, and some dirt and pine needles were trapped under the squeegee, which I removed. It smells somewhat foul in the brush housing.

- Upright locking spring doesn't move smoothly, so it makes a loud noise whenever I recline the vacuum.

- Internal hose is dirty and sticky.

- Pivoting air valve popped off when I initially reclined the vacuum, and the clear clip inside is bent. I was able to pop it back on with the help of a YouTube video.

- On/off switch was stiff, but I pressed it, and now it moves normally.

- Bin emptying mechanism is REALLY stiff, likely because of a new seal? It bends whenever I close the base, making it very difficult to close.

- Cyclone assembly had come apart when I first opened the bin to inspect the inside of it. I was able to line up the cyclone pieces properly, so it shouldn't come apart anymore.

So I'm going to have to message the seller about these issues. Despite all this, I am proud to own this Dyson. It works great, and the quick-draw Telescope Reach wand is SO MUCH BETTER than the reversible wand on my old DC07!

I uploaded a short video of the brushbar noise.

 

[huskyvacs]

Wow, nice find. Sorry to hear it has so many issues. I have had the same laundry list from vacuums less than 3/4 of that cost - but they are as-found at that price so I know what I have and it's a project to rebuild in the future.

 

[oliveoiltinfoil]

Nice video fella. Always wished we had this model in the U.K. Was never available, unless I’m confusing this with the muscle model ?

 

[niclonnic]

oliveoiltinfoil

From what I understand, the DC17, introduced in late 2006, was the first Dyson upright designed specifically for North American homes with thick wall-to-wall carpeting.

Its brushbar has a round diameter with extremely stiff bristles, and is driven by its own motor, as opposed to the clutch system and helix brushbar utilized on the DC07 and DC14.

The DC17 was also the first Dyson with Level 3 Root Cyclone technology, which adds an additional "Core Separator" stage to efficiently separate fine sand and grit from the airstream.

I've had to order a new brushbar for this vacuum off of PartsWarehouse.com the other day; it just hasn't shipped yet. In addition, the 3 extra tools were delivered to me yesterday, but the mini turbine head doesn't work well; it runs a lot slower than usual, due to dog hair from the previous owner. I contacted the seller about it, but they haven't responded yet. I may have to create a new thread about this issue.

The DC28 was another US-only upright model, and their first and only machine with Airmuscle technology. However, I've heard that its mechanically complex cleaner head is a nightmare to repair. Because of that, Dyson never produced another Airmuscle vacuum.

 

[wstonehocker96]

I still hear people praise the older Dysons, like the DC07, DC14, and DC17 because they do not rely on that stupid Ball gimmick.

 

[cam2s]

Sorry to hear about the issues, for that price you would expect it to be better. Anyways, I have DC 17 animal too and I think it is one of their better vacuums. The brush bar on mine is quite noisy too, maybe it’s issue with that model. I don’t use mine often, those bristles are super stiff and I don’t want to rip my carpet and rugs to a shred but it’s always shocking what it digs out when I use it. It’s not just carpet fluff either, always lots of dirt and other soils out of the depth of the carpet.

Our Salvation Army had one of the Airmuscle models a while back, though they wanted 75 dollars and it was pretty rough, so I passed on it. Hopefully you’ll get yours sorted out to the condition you want.

 

[niclonnic]

Update + Carpet Test

I did a little bit of tuning up to this machine.

The other day, I mended the broken soleplate using super glue. So now the machine won't scratch or damage my floors while in use.

The new brushbar, which was an aftermarket one (couldn't find an OEM anywhere), finally arrived today, so I installed it. Even though it's not genuine, as long as it works properly, that's all that matters.

With those two things fixed, I did a test run downstairs on a couple of rugs. All I can say is WOW, it's an absolute (pun intended) BEAST of a vacuum cleaner!

This thing absolutely demolishes my old DC07. The brushbar is MUCH more aggressive and causes the vacuum to propel itself forward. I couldn't believe how much pet hair and fine dust it pulled out of my rugs. And it grooms the carpet very nicely. I can't wait to try it out on my upstairs carpet.

Since the brushbar is round, I don't have to deal with hair getting wrapped around it nearly as much as the thin one used on the DC07. Not to mention that it's driven by a separate motor, rather than the infamous clutch utilized on prior models.

However, I'm seeing some more loose threads on my blue rug, so I'm a bit leery of this vacuum potentially tearing up my carpet.

As for the tools, the wand is MUCH easier to deploy than that of the DC07; I just flip up the cap, grab the red tube and pull up until it releases from the vacuum. The tools are very good; the stair tool does a great job on the stairs, the brush tool does a good job of dusting blinds and other flat surfaces, and the crevice tool will take time to get used to, since it's angled. Once I'm done, I just drop the wand back onto the vacuum and slide the tube down to lock it in place. I really like this design; I think it was a great change that Dyson made.

The seller of the 3 extra tools issued me a $15 for the inconvenience of the mini turbine head not working. So I bought a different, NOS one from another seller, and it works perfectly. What's weird about the new turbine head is that it spins at full speed when connected directly to the hose, as opposed to the wand. Maybe the wand cuts off some of the suction? That's my closest theory.

All in all, I'm very impressed with this machine, and like I said, wish I would have chosen it over the DC07 back in the day. But, live and learn, I guess. The DC07 was still a solid machine, though.

Here are some pics of the old (top) vs. new (bottom) brushbars, the debris in the bin and the rug after vacuuming it (with some paw prints after I did so). Comparing the old and new brushbars, it's easy to see why the old one was making so much noise: the bearings were worn out.

 

[kansasking]

Nice job fixing up the vacuum.

I've come to the conclusion that most vacuum sellers that claim to refurbish vacuums outside of factory refurbed machines, don't actually fix anything unless it's obvious. I've found they tend to wipe out dust bins, replace filters, and fix any noticeably broken parts that you can see from the top. Beyond that, it's going to be an original machine that runs and not a lot more. I wish they were better about cleaning because I always find cleaning out other people's dirt to be a little gross but it is what it is. I'm always amazed at how dirty and smelly some vacuums are. Can't imagine the houses some of these vacuums come from.

 

[huskyvacs]

Yes their goal is to "find and flip" so all they do is make it look pretty and that's it. If they actually were collectors and loved vacuums they would put everything into it to make it look like it just left the assembly line. I know I would. You can't make a vacuum look pretty and then have the motor run like crap or barely run at all. Vacuums are meant to be used and run around the house with, and they have to do that duty.

That's why my personal limit on eBay vacuums is less than $50 all in total. That way regardless of the seller's claims, you're not completely hosed if they lied. Goodwill vacuums are another animal. I can get those for $5-$10 and they look every bit of that $5, so I know it's gonna be a slog getting it back together again. lol

 

[niclonnic]

huskyvacs

I agree with you on the "find and flip" goal of sellers. I keep meaning to mention this, but after I received the vacuum, I sent the seller a very detailed message about the flaws I found with it. I also researched and itemized the condition of the vacuum and the parts I needed to replace. They replied:

- It was fully cleaned and serviced, but still a used vacuum
- They felt that I was itemizing and comparing the difference between a new vacuum and used vacuum that I purchased from them
- Offered a $25 partial discount for the inconvenience, with the difference covering the cost of the brush tool that was included but not mentioned
- As for the pine needles found, the vacuum was tested after servicing and before listing to confirm it works

So I agreed to the partial refund, which was enough for me to buy a new brushbar for the vacuum. Otherwise, the seller offered to send a return label to me, so we could start a return. I declined, because I really didn't want them to lose money selling this used vacuum to me, when I appeared to be treating it as a brand new vacuum. Nonetheless, I have no regrets buying this Dyson; it doesn't smell bad during operation.

I'm somewhere in the middle ground between average user and collector, which means I can only keep so many vacuums in my house at one time. I have quite a collection of machines that my dad got for free from Amazon Vine. When I prepare a vacuum for sale, usually via Facebook Marketplace, I clean it up really well, by washing any removable parts in soap and water, along with wiping down the exterior of the machine and any openings. However, the sudden and unexpected sale of the old DC07 left me with no time to do my usual refurbishment process. Instead, I simply vacuumed off the inside of the bin and exterior of the vacuum with my Hoover ONEPWR stick/hand vac. I also cut the hair off of the brushbar.

I sold my 12 amp Fantom Fury on eBay earlier this year because I didn't want to further risk ruining a collector's item that was just sitting in my garage, collecting dust. Its motor, which had its fans get plugged up with fine dust, was serviced by the original seller and sent back to me last year, thereby allowing me to sell the Fury. I refurbished the vacuum and packed it very well; however, the headlight bulb got knocked out somewhere along the shipping route. Fortunately, the buyer was able to find replacement bulbs.

I might make a new video of the DC17 in action, with its new brushbar.

 

[kansasking]

New or used, if you're selling a "refurbished" vacuum, I think that means that everything has been cleaned and nothing should be broken. Does that mean "new" performance? No, but with something as simple as a vacuum, it shouldn't be far off new performance. Maybe the brush roll is a little worn or belt is a little worn and there is some scuffing and cosmetic damage but nothing should be broke unless is was clearly listed as broke in the listing and in pictures.

The Dyson in this post isn't the worst offender I've ever seen regarding "refurbished" vacuums. I think the biggest miss was not cleaning the vacuum better. The brush roll probably should have also been replaced. I would say I'm surprised they didn't try and grease the bearings a little but they obviously didn't take the head apart. The cracked sole plate may be okay if it didn't impact the operation of the vacuum although it would be nice if they at least attempted to glue it.

At the end of the day there isn't much money to be made on a vacuum that sells for $188 with free shipping. I'm guessing the shipping may have cost up to $50 for a box that big and the weight. That leaves maybe $120 to the seller after eBay's fees. Out of that probably comes another $10 - $20 in filters and seals plus a few dollars for packing materials. More or less, this leaves about $100 for the vacuum itself plus time and labor. Even if the vacuum is free, it's a fair amount of time involved for $100. It's understandable why truly refurbished vacuums cost a lot more. I'm guessing even with them not doing much in terms of cleaning on the vacuum, they probably still have at least three or four hours of work on this vacuum. The only exception is if it's a vacuum shop and its a vacuum came in in the normal course of business as a trade in or something. The most time consuming part about flipping vacuums or anything for that matter is the time it takes to find the vacuums. Scouring local markets, estate sales, Facebook, etc. all takes a lot of time.

 

[niclonnic]

2nd Update + Video

I did a little more maintenance to my vacuum, by replacing the belt and both filters. Although the old belt wasn't broken, I replaced it anyway just to make sure it wasn't slipping. The washable pre-motor filter had gotten a bit worn, and the "lifetime" HEPA filter was absolutely filthy from carbon dust. I know from my past Dyson experience that there is no such thing as a lifetime filter.

With all those parts replaced, the DC17 is performing like a new machine again. Over the past two days, I vacuumed upstairs, and the vacuum picked up TONS of cat hair and fine dust. I ended up with a full canister.

However, one downside is that the shroud gets clogged more easily, compared to the DC07.

I uploaded a new video showing the vacuum in action with the new brushbar. I am also uploading some more pics, comparing the old (top) vs. new (bottom) filters.