If you’re lucky enough to own a Dyson Ball Animal 2, you probably know you own one of the most powerful upright canisters on the market (per Dyson, there’s nothing better). It’s designed to be a go-anywhere, do anything vacuum, equally capable of handling hardwood and other bare floors as well as low-, medium-, and even a few (not most) high-pile carpets.

Today we’re going to review how to get the most use out of your Ball Animal 2 and how to keep it and your floors and carpets in tip top condition for the next 20 years (or hopefully beyond that). We’ll review the most common questions about it, from basic maintenance to troubleshooting the upright and accessories, but we’ll also compare it to fellow high-end Dysons, including the Ball Multi Floor 2, Cinetic Big Ball, and Small Ball. That said, we’d still take the Ball Animal 2 over all of them, and you can buy the Dyson Ball Animal 2 here.

Which Dyson has the most suction? The Ball Animal 2, Ball Multi Floor 2, V8 Absolute cord-free, or V7 Car+Boat handheld?

The Ball Animal 2 is the strongest Dyson vacuum currently on the market with 275 airwatts of suction. The Ball Multi Floor 2 comes in second with 245 airwatts. The V8 Absolute and V8 Animal, which can be used as stick vacuums or as handhelds, offer 115 airwatts of suction, and the V7 Car+Boat and V7 Trigger both feature 100 airwatts of suction.

Generally, full-sized vacuums will feature the most suction, followed by convertible portables (what Dyson call “cordless” or “cord-free”), followed by handheld portables. When you think about the physics behind the machines, it makes sense; full-sized vacuums are plugged in and have more electricity available to drive larger motors, which deliver more suction. Battery-powered portables necessarily have smaller motors with less suction to preserve battery life.

How well does the Ball Animal 2 work on hardwood, tile, laminate, vinyl, and cement floors?

The Ball Animal 2 works well on just about any bare floor on the market. The suction is automatically throttled to deliver more or less power depending on the resistance of the surface; practically speaking, this means the adjustable head will move up and lift the brushes when working with carpets and will drop the brushes and reduce power when working with hardwood and other bare floors. You can also turn off the brush bar when cleaning bare floors to reduce noise levels and avoid polishing your floors unnecessarily.

Which accessories come with the Ball Animal 2 out of the box?

Aside from the vacuum itself, when you unbox the Ball Animal 2, you’ll also get a combination accessory tool, a motorized brush, a stair tool, and a tangle-free turbine tool to help you remove pet hair from carpets and upholstery like sofas and loveseats. The vacuum itself also includes a very long instant-release wand that, when combined with the attached extension hose, allows you to reach ceilings and vents up high and beneath furniture like beds and sofas for maximum usability. Of course, you can also use it to reach up several stairs while leaving the vacuum at the  base.

How do you activate warranty coverage to repair the Ball Animal 2 if it malfunctions, loses suction, doesn’t start, etc?

To have your Ball Animal 2 repaired, we recommend taking advantage of the 5 year parts and labor warranty that factors into the price of the vacuum. Simply give them a call at 1-844-679-1647 or contact them online at Dyson.com; you’ll receive live support 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

If your vacuum can’t be repaired via online or phone support, you’ll receive instructions to ship it to the nearest Dyson service center in the US for repairs; shipping both to and from the service center is free. Once there, Dyson’s technicians will either repair it with OEM parts or replace the machine if they judge it irreparably damaged. It’s one of the best warranties around, and it should give any Dyson owner–or anyone about to buy a Ball Animal 2–peace of mind. Dyson themselves note the Ball Animal 2 and their other full-sized uprights are tested in-house to simulate 10 years of wear and tear, suggesting you can expect at least a decade’s working lifespan from an average machine.

How long is the Ball Animal 2’s power cord and is it retractable?

The power cord is 35 feet long, contributing most of the 50 foot working radius of the Ball Animal 2. The cord is not retractable and must be wound around the vacuum for storage.

How loud is the Ball Animal 2 and what does it sound like when operating?

While it’s hard to describe the Ball Animal 2 as a silent vacuum, it’s much quieter than previous Dysons, which used to have a reputation for resembling small jet aircraft taking off in our living rooms. That said, we do know certain homeowners who are bothered enough by the sound levels to use earplugs or hearing protectors while using it, as they find the intensity of the sound (which can be rather intense, especially when working on higher carpet piles) difficult to bear for long periods. If you’re sensitive to sound, we’d recommend buying a Miele instead, as their canisters are renown for their whisper silence; the closest equivalent models are the Electro+, Titan, and Classic C1 Cat & Dog.

How well does the Ball Animal 2 pick up dog and cat hair from floors, carpets, bedding, and upholstery?

The Ball Animal 2, as its name suggests, is particularly adept at cleaning up after our furry friends. It easily picks up dog and and cat hair (as well as cat litter and vomit and poop if you dare) on hardwood floors, carpeting of all piles, area rugs, and a range of beddings and upholsteries.

We recommend using the turbine or motorized tool for upholstery, as it’s easy for the machine to go overboard with suction when working with upholstery. But when you’re working with shedding German Shepherds, Labradors, border collies, or in our case, Golden retrievers and a house full of cats, you’ll be happy every day you bring out the Ball Animal 2, because it’s going to suck away several pounds of fur at a time.

How well does the Ball Animal 2 handle deep, high-pile, plush, and soft carpets?

Perhaps the greatest weakness of the Ball Animal 2 is that it can’t handle most high-pile, plush, deep, or soft carpets. When pushed through higher pile carpeting, it will go through them if you push hard enough, but the amount of effort necessary to make it clean them is more than most people will be willing to use day after day for a decade or more.

The issue is that the floating head, while adjustable, can’t be manually adjustable to give sufficient clearance so the suction doesn’t overpower the vacuum.  As a result, we wouldn’t recommend it for deeper piles, because although it can move through them, it can’t do so efficiently.

If you want a vacuum that can, you’ll want a Miele with an electric brush head. The cheapest are the Electro+, Titan, and Classic C1 Cat & Dog. For soft carpet cleaning in particular, we’d recommend the aptly-named Soft Carpet. However, you can clean pretty much any high-pile carpet or rug with any of the Mieles we’ve already mentioned. You just won’t be able to do so with the Ball Animal 2.

How does the Ball Animal 2 compare to the Multi Floor 2, Cinetic Big Ball, and Small Ball?

Compared to the Ball Multi Floor 2, the Ball Animal 2 is more powerful, features a longer working radius, and comes with one more accessory. Compared to the Cinetic Big Ball, the Cinetic has less suction but doesn’t include a filter, which means less maintenance. Compared to the Small Ball, the Small Ball has less suction but is lighter at 12 vs 17 pounds and takes up less space with a retractable handle. Overall, we’d recommend the Ball Animal 2 for maximum power and functionality; it’s the best all-around full-sized upright on the market, although its fellow Dysons do give it a run for the money.

You can buy the Dyson Ball Animal 2 here on Amazon; if you need a quieter machine that can also handle  high-pile carpeting, consider the Miele Compact C2  Electro+ instead.

Canadians can buy the Dyson Ball Animal 2 here on Amazon or choose a  canister setup capable of handling high-pile carpeting with the Miele Compact C2 Electro+.

If you find our research on PMC helpful, you can follow our efforts to keep maniacally reviewing home cleaning tools by shopping through our links above. We promise to keep fighting the good fight against every horror children, animals, and grown, yet messy humans can inflict upon a clean home.