Dyson V8 Animal

[matt8808]

Back in 2015 I bought a Dyson V6 Total Clean. I loved it. I was amazed at how it performed as well as a corded machine and how convenient it was to use. As the months wore on and the novelty wore off I became increasingly frustrated by how difficult it could be to empty. Fluff and cat hair would clump up around the shroud and you'd have to messily poke about with your finger to get it all out.

I eventually sold the machine on eBay as the farce of emptying was stopping me from enjoying using the machine.

Fast forward to today.

I'd seen that the new V8 range have a much longer run time, up from 20 minutes on the V6 to 40 minutes on the V8 and they also have a redesigned bin emptying system that 'ejects' the dirt and wipes the shroud clean.

I'd been considering buying one, mainly for the convenience when it comes to vacuuming the car, but couldn't justify the cost.

However today I dug out a gift card for Currys with £130 on it. The V8 Animal was also reduced to £349.99.
I couldn't resist.

I also bought the extra tool kit for the V8 range consisting of mattress tool, soft dusting brush, stubborn dirt brush and flexible hose. This was an extra £59.99.

So gift card aside my total 'cash' outlay was just shy of 280.

First impressions are this is a vast improvement over the V6 with the longer run time, new emptying system and easy change tools. The V8 is so much quieter too.

Other differences I've noticed are...

 

[matt8808]

The main cleaner head has been tweaked. The carbon fibre brushes for hard floors seem much fuller and longer and the stiff red brushes for carpets seem much harder and seem to groom a lot better.

They have also fitted a triangular shaped rubber seal to the rear of the head instead of the velour style strip the V6 had - not too sure what this is supposed to achieve though?

Pics of both V6 and V8 heads for comparison

 

[matt8808]

The mini motorised turbo brush is now fitted with the 'new' style brush roll and is a VAST improvement giving much better grooming.

Pics of V6 and V8 tools for comparison...

 

[sebo4me]

I like the V8 very much but I refuse to buy one because it is ridiculously overpriced!
I'd love to know how much it cost them to manufacture. £30?

 

[matt8808]

From what I've observed so far they have improved just about every aspect on the V8 from the V6. I've given it a wiz around the house and it has picked up loads.

My only criticism is that they have shortened the flexible hose that comes in the extra tool kit.

When you compare the picture of the hose I had for the V6 to the hose with the V8 it is about two thirds shorter!!

This I feel is a little bit naughty of Mr Dyson penny pinching on something so trivial given the high cost of these machines.

I bought the extra tool kit mainly for the flexible hose and stubborn dirt brush as these are vital parts that make this machine perfect for car cleaning.

I've tested it out and the new shorter V8 hose is still long enough for my needs...just. I can still clean the footwell in the car with it, under the seats and behind the pedals in the divers footwell... But the longer hose for the V6 was much nicer in use.

Pics of V6 and V8 setups for hose comparison....

 

[matt8808]

All in all I'm very pleased with it. I'll try not to part with this one as when it comes to car cleaning I know I'll regret it.

My 'main' house vacuum is a Miele C3 Cat & Dog and I have a Numatic Henry for less glamorous jobs and the cars... but its SOOOO much easier just being able to nip out to the car with the V8 and not have to faff about going to the shed for the extension cable.

 

[matt8808]

LOL yeah Sebo4me I agree they are somewhat overpriced.... especially when they're not on offer!

The fact I had 130 on a gift card swayed me when it came to buying one.

Price aside though they are great machines

 

[sebo4me]

Yes they are. Especially for quick pick ups. I like the fact that they have a HEPA filter too. If I cud get one under £300 I think I would.

 

[matt8808]

With the cash outlay of £280 for the V8 with the extra tool kit I couldn't resist. Although even the woman in Currys remarked it was still rather expensive for a cleaner bought mainly for the car LOL

Had I not had the gift card to lower the cash price I wouldn't of bought one

 

[henrydreyfuss]

My only major gripe with my V6 Absolute has been the clogging shroud. The V8 appears to address this in a clever way. The setup works phenomenally well on my Big Ball canister that has the same system. Quick and clean to empty, forces everything out, and no more clogging! You can tell they put a lot of engineering effort into the setup on the canister; the bin door even has a slight slope to it, so the dirt is guided out, and hair and debris can't catch on any baffles, unlike many of their previous models.

As far as the redesigned main cleaner head - my guess is that the new self-adjusting squeegee on the back is to help prevent the nozzle from sealing itself to certain types of flooring. The V6 carpet cleaner head seals itself to my vinyl kitchen mat, for instance, and locks itself down, causing the vacuum cutoff to engage repeatedly. I have to use the Fluffy cleaner head for it instead.

Can't wait to upgrade! I agree the new shorter hose is BS, all things considered. Does it at least swivel now at the machine end?

Enjoy! Can't wait to upgrade once I can get a good deal on one.

 

[tomvacuum10]

V8 after 6 months.

This is mine after nearly six months of daily use. As you can see from the photos it had quite a nasty fall, resulting in cracks on the cyclone. It is fine as no air leaks from the crack.

 

[matt8808]

Henrydreyfuss - Yes the hose does swivel at the machine end. But I'd much rather have a longer hose like that of the V6 rather than the swivelling feature.

I gave a rather filthy car (not mine) a clean today and used the V8.... battery run time was great, More than enough... I'd never of been able to complete the job with the V6 but the V8 hose wasn't as nice to use as the V6 due to length. It would seem that size DOES matter LOL

tomvacuum10... your poor V8! Can you not sweet talk Dyson into sending you a new cyclone?

 

[tomvacuum10]

Sweet talking Dyson...

Well... This is actually my second V8. I got my first in June from ao.com. At the start of October I noticed the bin was becoming harder and harder to empty because of the red shroud wipe and eventually seized. I contacted Dyson and because they didn't have many spares they sent me a brand new unit. Anyway, I'll see what Dyson can do!

 

[alexhoovers94]

Looks great Matt, very nice. X

 

[blakaeg]

Hi Matt8808,

Looks like a nice machine there. There appears to be some improvements on the V8 compared to the V6 range.

I find the construction of the V6 to be a little flimsy. My V6 Absolute has had a broken wand at the top, (me being heavy handed). I see the V8 has a slightly different connection at the top and a 'chunkier' top so I assume this reinforces it slightly.

The back of the handle on the V6 has a 'cover' and on mine, there was a tiny crack that developed from me holding the machine a little too tightly, eventually a tiny bit cracked off. I just stuck some tape on it. I have noticed a few V6 machines on display in the shop having this. The V8 does not have this cover and its a complete handle grip, again makes it reinforced. I have been a little unlucky with my V6 Absolute but I admit I was heavy handed with it as the battery was not lasting long enough and I had to use it very quickly.

My V6 Absolute suffered from the head cutting out or not always coming on, this appeared to be an issue with the contacts behind the bin. I was having to clean them frequently.

The shroud on my V6 Absolute would cause a loss of suction, I noticed the improvement when it was emptied.

The battery longevity was irritating for me as it never lasted 20 minutes with the motorised head. I complained to Dyson and then understood it was 'up to 20 minutes'.

Emptying out the V6 Absolute machine was also a pain for me too. I used a chop stick to 'pick' the dirt out.

Glad to see the gripes I have with the V6 Absolute have been addressed with the V8 models. The extra battery run time would be welcomed. At this present time, I feel it is too expensive. But may consider in the future. I do like my V6 Absolute for convenience and I stopped using the bigger machine because I like h V6 versatility so much.

 

[matt8808]

Yeah the V6 runtime is 20 minutes with a suction only tool attached, 16 minutes with a motorised tool and 6 minutes on MAX mode.

The V8 is 40 minutes with a suction only tool, 25 minutes with motorised tool and 7 minutes on MAX mode.

Charge time goes up from 3.5 hours on the V6 to 5 hours on the V8

 

[luxkid1980]

The shortcomings that Stefan mentioned above should really not be encountered for a machine as expensive as the V6 was. Another reason I don't care much for Dysons. Seems to be other vacuums out there that are just as good if not better. A lot of $ to pay for convenience.

 

[mixman]

Dyson V6 & V8

Yes, they are strictly for convenience, but you know what the cordless models are some of their most popular vacuums. I have both the V6 and V8 and despite all of the other vacuums I own, they are my wife's favorites. She doesn't want to worry about plugging in and wants something that is light. For me the cordless aspect is important also along with the versatility. Don't have a garage so they are the best way for me to vacuum my car.

 

[blakaeg]

Hi Matt8808,

I went and purchased a Dyson V8 Absolute and got it on Thursday for £388 and it came with a Dyson AM06 fan.

I have to say that I am impressed with the machine. It does feel to me anyway, to be built better than the V6 Absolute it replaced. The back of the handle no longer has that cover that can get a crack in it and the top of the wand feels a lot more substantial and I like the way the attachments click on. There are no horrible creaking sounds from the machine and I appreciate the longer battery life.

I do admit to you that I use it as my main machine and that's why I disliked the V6 Absolute for only lasting 14 minutes with the motorised head on - 10 - 12 minutes in my case as I use the machine to dust around my bedroom before I vacuum the rest of the flat.

I am getting myself a SEBO Felix upright for my main plug in machine for my deep down once a week clean and will use the V8 most of the time.