My original Dyson was a DC14 (wheels, no Ball) I purchased from Woot as a refurb over 10 year ago. I gave it to my sister about 2 years back and it is still going strong. Replaced it with a Dyson DC40 - my first Dyson with the Ball design - and I regret that decision ever since.
Dyson vacs have a lot going for them. They are light, rugged, provide great suction and have excellent filtration. However, the Ball design adds an unnecessary level of complexity and difficulty in use that has really made me wonder about their engineering and design philosophy.
While the ball is very maneuverable, the rear support wheels are unnecessarily complex. Even in the UP position the power cord gets easily tangled in them and when DOWN the vacuum is still extremely tippy (especially when using the extension hose). It is also quite difficult to get the wheels deployed so that the head gets locked properly, otherwise it just falls over when you let go. Plus the wheels flip up overly easily when you are simply moving the vac from room to room without pushing it in the down position (by leaning is back on the rear wheels).
There are other positive aspects however. The hose and extension tube storage is superb in that everything is stowed in a compact manner and the hose isn’t left out to flop around when you are not using it.
Overall for me, the Ball design is now a non-starter.
Pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. I have a DC07 purchased in 2008 from woot that I still prefer to use over my DC25 purchased in 2014 from woot.
DC07 - classic with wheels
stronger suction
easier to use on carpet
tools are more difficult due to hose/wand design
tends to suck up throw rugs
DC25 - early generation ball
easier to maneuver
quieter
easier to use hand tools
less suction
shorter cord
overly complicated mechanical systems
In the 10 years I have had the DC07, I have had a single issue which required me to replace a single plastic part on the bin to keep it closed.
The DC25 hasn’t “broken” exactly, but I have had one of the springs pop loose in the wheel assembly which made the vacuum unusable. I spent a good 2-3 hours taking it all apart and figuring out where everything connected up.
But…I don’t know that I would say I would never own another ball version. I still love my Dyson’s and will always be a fan…as long as I don’t have to pay full price. They are way over priced when new for sure.