Dyson DC04

I am a dog lover and have always borne my animals in mind when purchasing a vaccum. I was sold this piece of rubbish on the premise that it was as strong as previous models but lighter. Do not believe this, it is an absolute waste of money. I hoover every day and since the day I purchased this, I have never felt my home was clean. Let's start with the basics, the cord is ridicously short, so unless you have a studio flat, be prepared for forever plugging and unplugging. Suction, minimal and that's being generous, if you hoover up cobwebs, you will have to then free the web before you can continue, likewise anything else that isn't neat dust. Don't ever try to do your stairs, I am now back to my grandmother's method of using a damp cloth on the three sides of each step before hoovering and then once again you will have to free the nozzel as above with cobwebs before you can continue. Unless you are 6ft tall with average ceilings, it involves all sorts of trapeze manoeuvring to reach any height. All in all I can say is Dyson must have been on vacation when this model was rolled out!! Do not buy, after three years I have finally had enough of this but I am now opting either for the Shark or the Miele!! No more Dysons after this nightmare.

Dyson DC04 has been the bane of my life, I have strained my shoulder trying to 'roll' it around furniture it is nowhere as good as the ordinary style dyson I had before, the lead is shorter, it pushes crumbs around the floor instead of picking them up and it is unwieldy to use. I do noe expect to buy another - previous experience of dyson says it will break down in two years time, unlike the old Hoover in my workshop which is twenty years old and going strong.

I purchased this vacuum cleaner nearly 12 years ago when it went on sale at Comet. I have th Brush control model. It is a very useful feature, as it spares the hard floors from being scratched, and you can disable the brushes when vacuuming the car so they don't get ruined. This vacuum has never had anything wrong with it and at £350 new, that means I have paid about £31/year for an amazing vacuum! It also comes with 3 tools that do pretty much anything - it would be pointless to purchase any more. It also has such strong suction it even beat my old Henry - a feat worth noting! It also agitates the carpet pile very well, so the carpet looks new every time I vacuum. I also like just rinsing the filters, air drying them and shoving them back in again - its free, and much easier than trying to look for a replacement filter. The only criticism that I have is that the extendable wand is truly awful! it is awkwardly shaped, and falls out of the hose easily - however since i rarely use it anyway this doesn't affect me too much! the other problem is that the cleaner head is very bulky, so will not go under radiators and furniture, and necessitates the use of the silly wand! it also filters the air to an exceptional standard - the air is noticeably fresher with each vacuum and the amount of fine dust it picks up is astounding! I once took it to my Grandma's to let her try it and she was very impressed - cleaned the carpets much better than the sebo, picked up all the hair, brought up the carpet nicely and cleaned the stairs much easier than the Sebo - with that you have to attach an extension hose because the inbuilt one doesn't stretch and it is very short. She was so impressed she went and got one for herself! Another thing i like is that the vacuum doesn't follow you around when using the hose - it is flexible enough that it does not follow you around and attach itself to your leg - another problem with the sebo.

All in all I am extremely impressed with this vacuum, and I think it is a shame that Dyson no longer sell this vacuum - the newer ones have noticeably degraded in quality, I wonder if this has anything to do with moving abroad?

Only other bad thing is that I will have to give it up soon because I am moving to the US. It still works like new though!

Very good and reliable - I've had my Dyson DC04 Absolute for over 9 years and still going strong. Servicing and parts are reasonable price and to be honest a new motor was supplied and fitted for less than £50 - that makes it effectively a new machine for £50?

I hear and understand the issue of tools coming off but its no big deal. As for the "can't do stairs" and "hose ends in a long tube with a handle".... you muppets!! For the stairs you remove the long tube altogether and the hose alone (with whatever tool you require on the end) is sufficient to reach the top stair with vacuu cleaner dowenstairs.

It;s a great machine and with good priced spares and servicing I might never buy another vacuum cleaner. If I do it will be a Dyson... although I wish they were still made in the UK!

I have had my DYSON DC04 for 9 years and have only ever replaced the hose at a cost of £15 ...that to me is good value for money! I have a dog and some laminate floors and it works a treat on all of them! On the downside I do find it slightly heavy to get up and down the stairs but I manage slowly and carefully. I have used the hoover every day for 9 years so all in all a very good buy for me. Its just starting to cut out on me but thinks that is a fault on the cable as I have took to dragging the hoover with the cable (not a good idea I know)so going to get it looked at..otherwise may have to put it to DYSON heaven !!

I loved my my dc 04 and had it for years without a bit of trouble until it died on me.I purchased another dyson but this time a pull along which i still have and i hate it !! Its awkward and rolls over all the time.

After fighting with it today i have decided to buy another dc 04 and i cant wait for vacuming to become a pleasure again.

I love British products, and I loved my old Dyson that I could drag around the floor but eventually the motor died. So I bought the DC04 upright to replace it. However, the tools fall off, the belts break every time you accidentally suck up a string... You cannot easily replace belts without replacing the whole clutch mechanism. They cost £20-£30 every time (and prepare to scuff your knuckles). Frankly I am disappointed that such lack of thought has gone into a something supposedly 'designed'. I will not be buying another Dyson upright with the same faults. Dyson - I am really disappointed. The Dyson is now in bits, it has been punished. Time for a trip to the dump. Warning - Don't buy a Dyson upright!

We've had this cleaner for about 7 years. It is our third Dyson and still works very well. It has had pretty hard use and the only problem we've had are hoses failing - on our third, It is rather heavy and clunky but I wouldn't buy another brand.

I have had my DC04 for 4 years and although not the strongest suction it has been a reliable machine, I read that other people have had a job to fit their own belts but I am a woman of 62 and I have fit my own, yes it is a bit awkward but rather than pay others stupid money for doing it...have a go!! All in all it has been a reliable vacuum.

Fed up with the belts breaking and having to pay to have them fixed as it's nearly impossible to do youself without breaking your thumbs!