French vacuum cleaner for pet hair

[Chrissie]

I know this was covered briefly about a year ago, but I now need (desperately) to replace our 14 yr old Dyson DC01, which has been wonderful for 99% of that time, under a heavy load of dog hair......

Firstly, where should I go looking?  Around here it seems to be the grandes surfaces; everywhere else just does white goods, although I remember there was a Darty at Toulouse.  Looking at websites for the big supermarkets, plus Conforama, Darty, there are loads of models, including Sebo, Miele, but none I could pin down to being good with dog hair.  We have a mixture of fitted carpets and tiles.

In the UK I would certainly look at the Dyson Animal, but they don't seem to market that here, or at least not under that name!  I want to buy a machine here so I can get the after-sales servicing.

HELP!  Please!.....

Chrissie (81)

[Will]

The Miele cat and dog model (known in France as 'aspirateur cat & dog turbo') is, in our experience, far and away the best at dealing with pet hair on carpets, hard floors and furniture. I believe Sebo is equally good, but we have not owned one of those - and we have got through an awful lot of vacuums, including Dysons.

Our Miele is a slightly different model, with extra filtration, that doesn't seem to be available in France, but it has the same brushes as the cat & dog one; make sure you get the "Turbobrosse STB 205-3 pour l'aspiration de fibres, peluches et cheveux".

[brianagain]

I'll second Will's choice of the Miele Cat & Dog - not cheap but IMO the best on the market (we replaced a Dyson).

Brian (again)

[Dog]

I find it incredible you had a Dyson that lasted for 14 years!

We had 3 different ones and they were all useless and very very expensive.

We now have a British made vacuum cleaner for the last six years that cost well under £200 and you can speak to the people that make it - should you need to which is unlikely.

They do have French distributors but speak to the UK manufacturers.

They are robust and suck like a very sucky thing.

They do use bags but that's a small price to pay for such a great vacuum cleaner.

I will search for a website for KERSTAR.

http://www.kerstar.co.uk/category/Dry_Vacuum_Cleaners.html

[Chrissie]

When you talk about the Miele Cat&Dog (which I do like the sound of) - is it the upright or the traineau version?  Darty seem only to have the traineau, and no other shop round here seems to have them at all.

Yes, I know a lot of people don't like Dysons but ours has been superb and I have also considered the DC25 Animal (ball technology)

Thanks for your interest and comments

Chrissie (81)

[cooperlola]

I'm a Dyson fanatic too, Chrissie,but I've never seen an upright here in France so I bought mine in the UK and imported it.  As the first one had lasted me 8 years I didn't see the SAV as being much of a problem.  You might be able to import a Miele from Germany with a European guarantee through somewhere like Amazon, if they do an upright which isn't sold in France (but I've only ever seen cylinder Mieles myself.)

[Quillan]

I have seen the upright Dyson's around in shops here in France.

My biggest problem is the brush for cleaning tiled floors, they always seem to wear out very quickly (about every two or three years). We only have a couple of rugs and have about 160m2 of tiled floor. I am supprised that I can't find a brush that specifically deals with tiled (as opposed to wooden) floor.

[Quillan]

An update for Dyson lovers or those thinking of buying one, you could try Amazon.

If you want to read customers reviews on the animal cleaner in English have a look at Amazon HERE.

If you want to buy an upright Dyson you can get them from Amazon France HERE .

It does look like they are cheaper on the UK website than the French one but then I have not looked at it in too much depth.

[pouyade]

SEBO do a 'pet' version - though we have 2 'ordinary' ones and 3 animals and are very impressed with their performance. My husband is a Virgo, so you can imagine the standard required for him to be satisfied!
Pouyade

[Will]

As far as I know you can only get the cyliner versions of Miele or Dyson in France. I think the Miele upright is quite a recent introduction, and the French seem not to like uprights. The Miele hard floor cleaner brush seems to last very well.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Will"]As far as I know you can only get the cyliner versions of Miele or Dyson in France. I think the Miele upright is quite a recent introduction, and the French seem not to like uprights. The Miele hard floor cleaner brush seems to last very well.[/quote]

You can get upright Dysons from Amazon France (I gave a link in my previous post) and I have seen them somewhere else but I can't remember where.

[Clair]

If you search for "Dyson DC24" on Google France, there is quite a list of suppliers:

http://www.prixdunet.com/electromenager/aspirateur/dyson-dc-24-all-floors.htm

http://www.i-comparateur.com/acheter-x10p0058007.htm

[Chrissie]

Just to update you all, I have searched everywhere (practically and webwise) for a Dyson DC25 Animal and have not found one in France.  Ditto the Miele Cat and Dog upright with turbo.  Am still investigating Sebos.  Meanwhile have asked Dyson UK if they would consider posting to us, also cheekily asking German friends if they can get any of the models we want and bring them down.

Strange to me that French stores don't stock the real "animal -effective models" but then maybe they assume that most French people have wood/tile floors ( we would too, if we could afford the change!

Never mind, it's cold weather at present and being surrounded by 4 inch drifts of dog hair has its advantages......[:D]

Chrissie (81)

[Clair]

[quote user="Chrissie"]Just to update you all, I have searched everywhere (practically and webwise) for a Dyson DC25 Animal and have not found one in France.

Chrissie (81)[/quote]

http://www.prixdunet.com/electromenager/aspirateur/dyson-dc-25-allergy.htm

EDIT:

http://www.maismoinscher.com/static/petit-electromenager/aspirateur/aspirateur-sans-sac/aspirateur-sans-sac-dyson-dc25-allergy.htm

http://www.rueducommerce.fr/m/ps/mpid:MP-25278M701438#moid:MO-25278M1387851

If you do buy online, do check the company before placing your order. I have ordered from "Mais Moins Cher" before, but that was a while ago.

[Chrissie]

Yes, a lot of sites have the DC25 Allergy, but not the Animal.  Thanks anyway. Still waiting to hear from Dyson - better give them a call I suppose.

Chrissie (81)

[Quillan]

[quote user="Chrissie"]

Yes, a lot of sites have the DC25 Allergy, but not the Animal.  Thanks anyway. Still waiting to hear from Dyson - better give them a call I suppose.

Chrissie (81)

[/quote]

Amazon France have both.

[Chrissie]

Can't find a DC25 Animal on the Amazon.fr site!  (I just checked again.)  The DC25 they do have is an "ordinary" one and also it's 499 euros....

Chrissie (81)

[Sara32]

C'est une merveille pour l'partage ce site!

[Gluestick]

Buy one quickly!

Before the wonderful EU ban anything that actually works!

See here:

[Quillan]

I read about this in the Daily Wail last week and the Kippers were out in force. Modern 'high tech' motors can generate almost double the power of the old type motors so you could get more suck for less power.

[woolybanana]

QUILLAN, please, ladies present. They'll be banning vaseline next as it enables......... well, you know what, better toe-sucking.

[Théière]

[quote user="Gluestick"]Buy one quickly!

Before the wonderful EU ban anything that actually works!

See here:

[/quote]

So is it more "efficient" to spend twice as long with a half power vacuum cleaner or does that amount to the same power usage?  The EU did the same with paint, they reduced the VOC's so now you need more coats to achieve the same finish, it isn't as hard wearing so requires more frequent painting which is more trips to the shops etc etc.

Some points I do agree with, James Dyson for example

The company's founder James Dyson gave the European Commission's proposals a

cautious welcome but added that developing new technology required to

improve efficiency can take years.

He said: "Bigger motors don't equal better performance. In fact they

symbolise outmoded ineffective design.

I have done the same with swimming pools, running at around 10-15% of the electricity required for a standard pool but with better water quality and no need for a pool robot.  It is a problem that we cannot continue to consume electricity at the rate we are but so many modern devices use a fraction of what their old counterparts used.  Unfortunately it requires "designers" to actually design and not just copy others and R&D is expensive and accountants don't like it because it's the long game and they only think this years budget whilst they try to justify a salary bonus.

[idun]

I am wondering what was so 'special' about the Dyson animal vacuum cleaner as opposed to the other ones.

Until he retired I used to buy my vacuum cleaners from a little shop where he mended vacuum cleaners as well as selling them. He always had Dysons lined up awaiting repair like an army of daleks, in fact I rarely saw other makes in, and I would go in from time to time for spare bags.

The bloke reckoned that a good vacuum cleaner with a turbo brush would pick up pet hair as well as any vac that was specially for animal hair.

So, what was so good about the Dyson animal?

Since he retired and eventually my vac of many years gave up the ghost, I did some research and bought the Sebo, expensive, but not £500. I'm happy with it and the turbo brush does pick up pet hairs, in fact the ordinary one does. I have the cylinder version.  I also have a Henry, and I bought a turbo brush for that, and that works fine on pet hair.

[Pierre ZFP]

I have a Henry also and would thoroughly recommend it. Powerful, simple and does everything you would want of it.  Not heavy either and a long flexible tube for the stairs and at 99 quid quite a bargain.  Didn't know a turbo brush head was available, have to look into that, thanks.

[Quillan]

I was looking for a 'pet hair' cleaner and based on recommendations here also bought a SEBO and very happy I am with it to. It was interesting to note that on Amazon how many reviews were from ex Dyson users who thought the SEBO a much better machine. Mine gets really abused due to the B&B. I was rather surprised at the cost of the bags, they are quite expensive, well they appear to be. However I have had mine for three years and have got through only four bags mainly due to their size. With my old cleaner I used about three to four a year so when you work it out the SEBO bags cost about the same if not slightly less given how many you use per year.

With Dyson uprights I was told by a carpet salesman that you should not use them on synthetic carpets unless you work at speed. He said that if you are slow or stayed in the same place for to long that it could burn the carpet due to the high speed of brush rotation. It sounds a bit strange to me but then I know nothing about carpets and even less about Dysons so I have no option than to believe him.