You’re a busy home maker, professional, father and will not compromise. You only want the best product and willing to pay for it.
If you are any of the above then the DC34 from Dyson is that cordless vacuum for you, boasting of the strongest suction of any of the hand held vacuums we have right now.
Related: You can also find the best Dyson deals here to get the best price possible on various Dyson products.
Update: Dyson has a newer version of the DC34, the V6 Trigger equipped with a V6 motor (not that the V6 you find inside a car) that has better suction when the boost function is engaged. Check out this article to see the differences between the newer Dyson cordless cleaners – the DC44, DC59 and the V6 – take note that the V6 and DC59 are the same under the hood so to speak.
This is actually one of the more affordable handheld vacuums from Dyson.
It is one of the more powerful hand vacs in the market – up to 3 times more when you use the Max setting but this cuts down the run time to 6 minutes.
Take note that this is different from the DC34 Animal that comes with a mini floor tool, this one does not have that attachment so don’t expect this to go beyond spot cleaning duties.
Features at a glance
- Powered by a 22.2 volt lithium ion battery
- 3.5 hour charge time
- 15 minute run time (normal mode) and 6 minute run time (max mode)
- Washable filter
- Bagless
- Comes with two attachments – a crevice and combination tool
- 2 year warranty
Pros
- Short three-and-a-half hour charge time
- As much as 3 times more suction power versusto other handheld vacuums
- Easy to empty
- Lightweight
Cons
- Somewhat bulky
- Very expensive
- No floor tool
- No storage for attachments
- Small dirt
- Short reach
What to expect from the Dyson DC34?
This one comes in with 28 air watts which is 6 more than the highly rated Black and Decker BDH2000FL cordless hand vac.
And when you activate the Max setting that goes all the way up to 64 Aw which is almost 3 times more.
Tough it costs $50 more the extra power still would come in handy on occasion.
Click here for the complete features.
Attachments and accessories
It only comes with two attachments, a crevice and a pull-out combination brush / wide nozzle tool that can also double as a pet hair tool that uses agitation to loosen hair of upholstery.
One great thing about the attachments here is that it has a mechanism that locks it in place so you don’t have to worry about it falling off.
Cheaper brands either use friction or have a small clip that doesn’t lock it as securely as this one so there is greater risk of the attachments fall off.
Charging time
Dyson says that it’ll take 3.5 hours to fully charge.
Filter clean up
The filter is located on the back of the dirt bin and can be accessed by pressing the release latch on top which will separate the dirt cup from the motor.
Remove the filter then wash it in running water. Manufacturer recommends washing it at least once a month. Take note that it doesn’t have any HEPA filtration.
image from Trusted Reviews
Run time
According to Dyson a full charge will last around 15 minutes on normal use but if the max setting is used that number drops down to 6.
Warranty
It comes with a 2 year limited warranty so remember to register your product and keep the warranty card in a safe place.
Dyson will honor the warrant and send a replacement unit if there is a factory defect. Reviews do confirm this and say that service reps were very helpful.
Bare floor performance
This is a spot cleaner because both of the attachments are narrow but for this purpose it does a good job because it has very good suction power.
Downside of the narrow opening of the attachments is that it limits the size of debris you can clean.
Carpet performance
Again, this is a spot cleaner on carpet because of the narrowness of the attachments but the good news is you can purchase the floor attachment separately from Amazon which would cost around $25.
The crevice tool though would be great for cleaning edges and corners as well as baseboards.
Pet hair cleaning
Even though this doesn’t have a motorized brush, it’ll still be able to remove pet hair.
The combination brush / wide nozzle tool can be used to remove pet hair off upholstery, it won’t have the same surface area as a motorized brush but it is great for quick spot cleaning.
See it in Action
Unboxing…
Demo…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iib51KnJzKI
An RV owner showing how he uses his DC44…
Mommy blogger Colleen Padilla testing it for the first time…
Product Specifications
| Attachments | Crevice tool Combination Brush/ Wide Debris Nozzle Tool |
| Battery | 22.2 volt lithium ion |
| Charger | Plugin charger |
| Charging time | 3.5 hours |
| Run time | 15 mins (normal) 6 mins (Max turned on) |
| Net weight (with battery) | 2.9 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 11 pounds |
| Overall length | 12.7" |
| Battery indicator | LED |
| Filter type | Washable |
| Dust capacity | 11.52 ounces |
| Air Watts | 28 (normal) 65 (max) |
| Voltage | 110v |
| Manufactured in | USA |
| Warranty | 2 years limited |
Customer Reviews
It had over 100 reviews which isn’t a whole lot, considering that this is an older model it had its fair share of good and bad reviews.
I’ll start with the good. Consumers who gave this a 4 or 5 star rating loved the suction power and the portability this gives them.
Some aren’t very thrilled with the price though they conceded that you have to pay a premium for a quality product.
Run time was sufficient for most but for some they would have like for it to last a few minutes more.
Take note that most handhelds will only last between 15 to 30 minutes.
Now to the bad, the common complain here is the lack of suction power and the very short run time which was around 3 to 6 minutes based on several reviews.
Others complained about the trigger mechanism which needed to be pressed at all times for the vacuum to turn on which according to some was straining on their hands and wrist.
In one particular review, a consumer compared the DC35 with an older Black + Decker FHV1200 and surprisingly he/she preferred the Black + Decker because it was able to pick up more dirt than the Dyson.
The biggest con this consumer mention is the price which is why it was given a 2 star rating.
Reviews from other sites
Dyson.com
Unlike in Amazon more people here gave it a high rating, out of the 96 people who left a review, only 5 gave a negative rating, the rest were positive saying that it had good suction power.
Some consumers loved that it had dual power settings which helped them a great deal in removing more stubborn dirt.
The main complaint of folks who left negative reviews complained was the very short battery life but service reps were very helpful in responding to their complaints.
In one of their responses they mentioned that a very filter could trigger a thermal cut which may be the reason behind why it shuts off after a few minutes so it is important to check the filter once in a while to see how dirty is and wash it regularly.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this lightweight handheld from Amazon for around $315 which is quite pricey for a handheld vacuum.
A better option in my opinion would be getting the Dyson V7 Trigger or the V6 Trigger that both will be less than $200. Both will be eligible to Amazon’s 2-day free shipping if you join Prime.
Extended warranties are also available of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.
Conclusion
This handheld is great for parents who have a lot of active kids because this will help them in quickly pick up messes left by their active little ones.
RV owners would also appreciate this because it doesn’t take up a lot of storage space and has enough power to pick up small messes inside their vehicles.
Build quality is good and attachments are designed well enough that it can be securely fastened on the vacuum without falling off.
These small details are one of the reasons why this vacuum is very expensive.
It doesn’t have the reach or attachments of a DC35, DC44 or a DC59 but it costs more than a $100 less than all of those models.
Plus you can purchase some of these attachments separately if you need it.
Bottom-line is whether you’re a parent, an RV owner, or someone who owns a small home looking for something lightweight and cordless, this would be a great spot cleaning tool to have to pick up small debris around the house that won’t take very long to recharge.
But expect to pay a premium for it.
