Dyson Root 6 DC16 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner -

Customer Reviews:

It sucks wonderfully!
The battery life is short, true. However, this unit sucks WAY better than any handheld vac I've used before. Vacs like the "dustbuster" are hardly useful because of the poor suction. This vac is as strong as a full size and allows for quick and convenient clean up. If you need more time, then you probably should be using the full size vac.

I LOVE THIS VAC!!
--2006-12-20

But how well does it vaccum?
iPods don't last 24 hours if you use them and cell phones don't last a week if you actually use them. An electric motor uses a lot more power than an iPod or cell phone, and the more powerful the motor, the more energy it uses, so such comparisons are absolutely pointless. Dyson may be able to reengineer the motor to use less power and hence extend battery life, but it's ridiculous to compare the battery life of any power tool (vacuum, drill, circular saw, whatever) to that of an iPod or cell phone. What would be reasonable? I don't really know. I have a cordless drill and circular saw, but I only use them for short bursts, not several minutes continuously. I'm sure I couldn't get an hour of continous use out of them. One person compares the Dyson to his old Black & Decker products, but doesn't mention the difference in performance. Does the Dyson have more suction than they had or than a Dust Buster does? I agree that five minutes isn't much, and hopefully Dyson will work on improving that in future iterations of this product, but let's try to keep this in perspective. As one person said, I'd rather have five minutes of really good suction than 20 of mediocre suction. I have corded vacuums I can use if I need to vacuum for a long time. The reason I want a cordless vacuum is so I don't have to hassle with a corded vacuum for a 10-second job. I appreciate hearing about the battery life, but it's too bad no one has commented on how well this thing vacuums or what it's like to use it otherwise. Battery life is just one factor.
--2006-12-18

don't buy it
I would definitely not recommand this product to anyone despite all the hype. Dyson customer service is also very dissappointing in my experience. All in all bad value for meney.
--2006-12-18

Awesome power for 5 mins is better than a limp vacuum for 20
Having owned probably a half-dozen handheld vacuums, the Dyson Root is by far the best. Simple reason: It provides massive suction at 100% power time and time again. I'd rather have a vacuum that sucks powerfully and consistently for 5 minutes than one that limps along at 30% power for 20 minutes.

When you see some crumbs on the floor, or have a spill, you want something you can reach for, make ONE pass over the mess, and be done with it. To me it is much more frustrating to have to brush over things 3-4 times than to know that I can't do my whole house with it. It is NOT a replacement for an upright vacuum, a Shop-Vac, a lint brush, etc.

It recharges in 3 hours and has a clear set of LEDs showing power level. If you need to more than 5 minutes of cleaning every 3 hours, then you've got an environment this wasn't designed for. The Dyson Root also has some neat design concepts: e.g., two attachments cleverly combined into one, so less to carry/lose.

(We also have fallen in love with the Dyson upright vacuums which also beat all other vacuums we've owned hands-down, again due to consistent power and clever design.)
--2006-12-18

never loses suction because it shuts off right away
I just received my new Dyson Root 6 last week. I was extremely dissappointed by the horrible battery life. I have cycled the battery a few times. Draining it and then charging it for 3 hours. It lasts less than 10 minutes per every 3 hour charge. I wouldn't spend $150 on just anything. This is a Dyson. I love my DC15. This is just unforgiveable. Its absolutely ridiculous. How much can you get done with a 6 minute battery life. I wish I would have read the reviews before blindly dropping a buck fifty on what was supposed to be a superior handheld. I want to speak to someone at Dyson about this. I have attempted to contact them and they won't reply. They should at least provide extra batteries or a way to keep extra batteries charged at all times.
--2006-12-18

Dyson Root 6 DC16 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

- Dyson