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Dyson V7 vs. V8 vs. V10 Vacuum Cleaners – Motorhead, Animal, Absolute

Just when you think Dyson has thought of every feature you could possibly want or need in a stick vacuum, they improve upon perfection. Since 1993, this company has exceeded the expectations of the consumers across the globe.

Dyson V7 vs. V8 vs. V10 Vacuum Cleaners – Motorhead, Animal, Absolute


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Recently, James Dyson was quoted as saying that there are no plans to produce corded vacuums, turning his attention toward the development of the brand’s cordless vacuum technology. This announcement piqued our curiosity, so we felt compelled to take an in-depth look at some of the company’s popular cordless vacuums.

The Dyson V7, Dyson V8 and Dyson V10 – A Comparison

To get a better idea of how Dyson’s cordless stick vacuums have evolved over the years, we decided to compare the V7, V8 and Dyson Cyclone V10 models. With each new line of V-series vacuums, Dyson tweaked and enhanced its proprietary technology to bring you unrivaled performance in an innovative package. From the motor to the battery, Dyson put its heart and soul into each component of its vacuum cleaners.

Over time, the multiple-speed digital motor in these stick vacuums has become faster, stronger and quieter, and the floor nozzles have become more effective at picking up the fine, lightweight particles that other vacuums seem to scatter. The top-notch filtration system has increased its debris-collection capacity.

Plus, the working time offered by the lithium-ion battery has doubled from the Dyson V7 to the Dyson Cyclone V10 stick vacuum cleaner.

Although Dyson is all about outdoing itself, the company kept many of the features that contribute to its stick vacs’ efficiency and popularity. The V7, V8, and V10 boast a detachable handheld vacuum that’s easy to use along with two or more attachments. Plus, all of these cordless stick vacuums come with a wall-mounted charger and a trigger-operated power system.

Dyson’s Ever-Improving Digital Motor

The outstanding performance for which the Dyson V7, V8 and V10 are known begins with the motor. Inside of each stick vac, there is a digital DC motor. This motor uses brushless electromagnetic technology to power the vacuums by manipulating the permanent magnets in the rotor with the electronically controlled stator coils.

Dyson’s digital motors are quiet, strong and long-lasting. The V7 digital motor rotates at a top speed of 110,000 revolutions per minute, generating 100 air watts of suction. While these stats are impressive, the engineers at Dyson saw room for improvement – the digital V8 motor creates 115 air watts. When the Dyson Cyclone V10 digital motor was made, it surpassed the power of its predecessors by spinning at a rate of 125,000 revolutions per minute, which is similar to the performance you’d expect from a full-size upright vacuum.

How did Dyson manage to boost the motor’s speed not once but twice? For starters, the impeller was relocated to the front of the V10 motor as opposed to its rear-placement in the V8 and V7. This decision resulted in better temperature regulation for the V10 vacuums.

Another performance-related feature unique to the V10 stick vacuum cleaner in comparison to the V8 and the V7 is the direct line of suction. While the suction path of the two older models moves upward toward the dirt bin and then straight through the exhaust, the Cyclone V10 boasts a straight line of airflow from tip to tip resulting in increased suction.

The V10’s suction speed can even be adjusted to three settings, and Dyson added twice as many stators and magnets to ensure the suction immediately starts and stops. While the V8 and V7 don’t have this capability, they do offer a 6 to 7-minute Max speed for vacuuming concentrated piles of debris, so you can get a higher level of suction when needed.

Robust yet Quiet

Aerodynamics rule the day with these vacuum cleaners. Each vacuum contains multiple sound-dampening materials. For instance, the V8 stick vacs contain open and closed-cell foam, in addition, to baffle and felt, all of which block sound and absorb vibrations. The V8 as well as the V7 and the V10 direct the flow of air in a streamlined manner to further reduce the motor’s sound output.

The V-series stick vacuums that came before the Dyson Cyclone V10 are equipped with steel shafts. While the use of steel makes the motors durable, Dyson tried a new approach with the V10 by replacing the steel shafts with ceramic ones. Since the ceramic is cured at a temperature of 1,600 degrees Celsius, it is triple the hardness of steel, yet it’s half as dense. As a result, the V10 motor weighs a mere 4.4 ounces.

A Handheld Vacuum Within a Stick Vacuum

One feature that has remained consistent from the V7 to the V10 is the ability to transform into a handheld with a quickness. To take advantage of this convenient handheld vacuum, all you need to do is press a button, and you can remove the hand vacuum from the rest of the stick vacuum. When you’re finished using the hand vac, simply click it back into place.

Unlike typical handheld vacuums, you can use these Dyson hand vacs with the vacuums’ pole in order to reach high areas such as the corners of a ceiling, the top of a door frame or any area as far as 50 inches past where your hand can extend. With the motor’s location above the handle, the vacuums have a precise center of gravity. Therefore, the hand vacuum won’t wobble in your hand when you’re vacuuming spaces above your head.

Of course, you aren’t required to use the pole as an extension wand. If you need a shorter reach to clean the stairs or furniture, you can release the pole just as fast as you removed the handheld vac. Whether you’re vacuuming up high or down low, the pistol grip handle provides excellent control.

Impressive Floor Nozzles

Dyson’s floor nozzles work on a system called direct drive, which means a separate motor operates the brushroll. By transferring torque to the brush roll, the bristles are able to dig deep into carpet fibers. Every V7, V8, and V10 model comes with one of these floor heads.

With each V-series vacuum, this nozzle has become more powerful. The V7’s nozzle boasts a 75 percent increase in performance from the V6 and the V8’s nozzle, producing twice as much power than the V7. When Dyson rolled out the Dyson Cyclone V10 stick vacs, the company managed to up the nozzle’s performance by another 25 percent in relation to the V10’s immediate predecessor.

The Absolute versions of these stick vacuums also come with an additional floor head that’s designed with hard floors in mind. Instead of a nylon brushroll with carbon fiber bristles like the direct-drive nozzle, the hard-floor head is equipped with a soft roller brush that won’t scratch or mar your hardwoods, tile and linoleum floors.

Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute Stick Vacuum Review

Both nozzles have a low profile, allowing them to fit under low-sitting furniture. Plus, they have a V-Ball joint, which pivots 180 degrees to maximize the vacuums’ maneuverability. Underneath these floor nozzles, there is a self-adjusting soleplate that makes it a breeze to go from one floor to the next. With a weight that varies from the 5.45 pounds for the V7 and 5.88 pounds for the V10, you won’t experience back and arm fatigue during long cleaning sessions.

Total-Home Handheld Attachments

A vacuum can only clean so much by itself. For detailed cleaning, a good set of tools is a must-have. Stick vacuums often don’t come with the attachments necessary for whole-home vacuuming, but Dyson’s V-series stick vacs do. Every attachment secures firmly into place, so you don’t have to worry about subpar suction.

However, the number of tools included varies anywhere from two to four, depending on the particular model. All Absolute and Animal models come with four tools while the Motorhead models come with two.

Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal Stick Vacuum Review

The two attachments that all of Dyson’s V7, V8, and Cyclone V10 stick vacuums offer are a soft brush and a crevice tool. The soft brush is gentle enough to use on keyboards yet strong enough to power through thick layers of dust, and the crevice tool is ideal for removing crumbs from in between sofa cushions and appliances.

Then, there are the other two attachments that are exclusive to Dyson’s Absolutes and Animals. The combo tool is an all-in-one brush and crevice attachment, which comes in handy for multi-mess cleanups in one area. For upholstery and stair cleaning, the mini motorized tool is the go-to attachment to use.

Each V-series vacuum offers a smart storage solution for these tools. By mounting the included caddy to the wall, you have a place to hang each attachment, so they stay in one spot and are ready at a moment’s notice. No more lost attachments!

Radial Cyclone Filtration

In order to make sure dust and allergens don’t infiltrate the air you breathe, every one of these vacuum cleaners is equipped with a HEPA filtration system. This system includes a HEPA filter that traps all but 0.03 percent of ultra-tiny particles like dust, pollen and dander and a post-motor filter that captures stray particles and lowers the vacuums’ sound output.

Before allergens reach the HEPA filter, they are separated from dirt and large debris by a set of radial cyclones that span across two tiers. These cyclones produce 79,000 grams-force of airflow to ensure that the vacuums don’t get clogged by dust. Due to the efficiency of the Dyson V-series’ filtration system, they are certified Asthma & Allergy Friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

With the production of each new line, the dirt bin’s capacity has increased to further reduce the number of trips to the trash can. The V7s, V8s and Dyson V10 Motorhead have a 0.54-liter bin while the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute and Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal stick vacuum have a 0.77-liter dustbin. Every dustbin is translucent, so you know exactly how much debris is inside, and they all open from the bottom via a lever that forcefully ejects dirt into the garbage.

Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 Motorhead Stick Vacuum Review

Dyson V10 Comparison – How The V10 Cordless Stick Vacuums Are Different

A Long-Lasting Lithium-Ion Battery

While nickel-metal hydride and nickel-cadmium batteries are the less expensive alternative to lithium-ion, nickel-based batteries don’t hold a candle to the performance of lithium-ion. That’s why all V-series run on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

Every battery has a short recharge time that ranges from 3.5 to 4 hours, and the vacuums’ suction trigger means that the battery’s charge isn’t wasted. Since this area of battery performance is well-tuned, Dyson decided to focus on boosting its stick vacs’ working time.

Although the 30-minute working time provided by the 425-watt lithium-ion battery in the Dyson V7 stick vacuums is decent, Dyson put a 425-watt, 6-cell lithium-ion battery in the Dyson V8 stick vacuum models. The wattage addition increases the run time by 10 minutes in comparison to the V7s.

When the Dyson Cyclone V10 stick vacuum was developed, Dyson used a lithium-ion battery with seven cells instead of six, which upped the run time to a whopping 60 minutes. The V10 battery also possesses a diagnostic system and altitude sensors, solidifying its no-fade suction power.

The recharging process couldn’t be easier. The same wall-mounted dock where you can store the vacuums’ attachments also charges the battery. Therefore, all you have to do is hang your vacuum on the dock. After a few hours, the vacuum will be ready for another round of cleaning. This dock also saves space by keeping the vacuum off the floor or out of the storage closet.

Related Dyson Articles

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Great Gets Better

Looking at Dyson’s V-series stick vacuums, it’s clear that the company doesn’t rest on its laurels, soaking up the success of its brand name. Additions such as a direct line of suction and component reconfiguration made each motor more powerful than the previous one, providing suction that won’t quit.

Eventually, the dirt bin got bigger to hold as much debris as possible without making the cordless stick vacuums bulky and cumbersome. Even though Dyson stuck with a lithium-ion battery, the technology used has become rather intelligent.

Of course, many of these stick vacs’ best features remained the same. Each model has the ability to turn into a handheld vacuum, and you get the same super-efficient floor nozzle, or nozzles, depending on the version you buy. Additionally, the vacuums boast a total-vacuum HEPA filtration system, making them ideal for those who own pets or suffer from allergies.


Our Recommended Stick Vacuums

Our Pick The Eureka NEC222 HyperClean is a versatile and rather useful convertible stick vacuum. It can be used as the main vacuum in smaller homes and apartments, or as a second vacuum cleaner in large homes and apartments.

Lightweight The Shark IZ362H is a lightweight stick vacuum. It's easy to maneuver, and has a bagless design that's easy to maintain and requires less maintenance costs.

Corded What sets this corded stick vacuum apart from so many others is the fact that it is, above all else, very powerful and very effective. The Eureka Flash offers more than enough vacuuming power for just about every vacuuming task..

Best of the Best The Dyson V11 Torque Drive is smarter and more efficient than its predecessors. The suction power automatically adjusts based on floor type—more power for carpets and less for smooth surfaces.

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About the author

Hi I’m Alex, founder of HouseholdMe.com and I’d like to say thank you for dropping by. Like most of you, the first thing I look at before buying something online is reviews or buying guides. By reading what other people say will help me gauge whether or not a product is good or not.  I am trying to help people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired.

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