Dyson DC59 Motorhead Cordless Vacuum Review – Another DC59 with more Power?

Just a few months after releasing the Dyson DC59 Animal, Dyson has just introduced the next version in the Digital Slim product line, DC59 Motorhead cordless vacuum.

I was quite impressed with the powerful and lightweight DC59 Animal, so I was surprised when Dyson said that the new DC59 Motorhead can even generate 75% more power. However, it will also cost you an extra $100. What is the real performance of this cordless vacuum? Does it really can replace full-sized vacuums? Let’s read on for my insightful review.

Unboxing Video

Design and Usability

There is almost no significant change in the design of DC59 Motorhead as compared to the DC59 Animal. Inside the box, there are vacuum cleaner, mini motorized head, floor head, combination accessory tool, crevice tool, detachable wand and docking station with charger. Everything looks so similar and I couldn’t recognize any change at first.

The same vacuum unit with hygienic one-touch bin empty

Button to turn on Boost mode

Mini motorized head for pet hair/upholstery

As I’ve already loved the design of the original DC59, I have no complaint about the new generation. It is still very lightweight (5 pounds) and has enough tools for different usages. The two most regularly used are the floor cleaning head and mini motorized head. And fortunately, the most important upgrade lies in the floor cleaning head. Now you can see that the new head is now a little bulkier because it now includes a direct-drive motor. The brush roll still has carbon fiber filaments and nylon bristle strips to pick up dirts better. Besides, Dyson makes the brush bar bigger and open wider to suck faster and of course, catch more dirts.

Bigger and wider-opened brush bar

Performance

In terms of performance, I expected a lot in the vacuum because it is said to be 75% more brush bar powerful than the DC59 Animal. You can check out the comparison video below.

The DC59 Motorhead still features the same Dyson digital motor V6, so you can see the difference only when using the upgraded floor cleaning head with its built-in direct-drive motor.

I am not really impressed with its performance on hard floor. When I tested it on my wood floor, the vacuum could pick up small particles pretty well but it left out a lot of bigger particles. The Motorhead really shines when it is used on rugs and carpets. The engine is not more powerful but as the brush roll is larger and spinning faster, the dirts and hairs are picked up faster.

Battery life is still an issue of this vacuum. Although the battery is re-engineered and the vacuum is on only when I press the trigger, it just can be used for a 24-minute cleaning session. And if you turn on the Boost mode, the battery will last no longer than 8 minutes. This is absolutely not enough if you are living in a big house. In my case, I never use a vacuum for more than 5 minutes per day, so this is not a big problem for me and my 600-square-foot apartment.

Conclusion

Pros

• Simple and lightweight design.
• Includes many useful heads for different purposes.
• Easy to find replacements for its components.
• Improved floor-cleaning head.
• Works great on carpet.
• Easy to empty trash bin.

Cons

• Expensive.
• No significant upgrade as compared to its predecessors.
• Doesn’t pick up large particles well.
• Short battery life.

The Dyson DC59 Motorhead is available on Amazon for less than $400. This is one of the best cordless vacuums out there, however, I am not sure if it is really better than its predecessor. The suction powers and real performances are almost the same. Therefore, I’d recommend the cheaper DC59 Animal over this one.