Just because we have dogs it doesn`t mean our houses have to be full of dog hair and smell. Several vacuum manufacturers have created pet vacuums with great suction and allergen filters aimed specifically at dog owners. Here we test the Vax Mach Air Force pet vacuum which Vax are marketing as 'the most powerful multi cyclonic upright in the world'.
I love a good gadget and have even written a post on dog gadgets so when Vax asked me if I wanted to test their new pet vacuum cleaner I jumped at the chance. The Mach Air Force Pet vacuum cleaner is dubbed as the ‘most powerful multi cyclonic upright in the world’, but how does it cope in a real household with a German Shepherd (cross) in shedding season?
Having two dogs myself I bought the Dyson Animal a few years ago, the Animal is also marketed towards pet owners having a HEPA filter and great suction and has been the stalwart of our house. Dog owners put great demands on their vacuum so a vacuum aimed at pet owners is setting a tough job for itself. Before the test I decided to groom my German Shepherd cross Molly on the rug in the front room much to the dismay of my wife looking on. Not great for her allergies but perfect to test a pet vacuum. Read the review of how the Mach Air Force fared.
I’m a guy as as such we don`t read instructions. Fortunately the Vax comes out of the box, attach the handle and off you go. I did have one problem here though, the Vax was too short and I had to bend down to use it. Had I read the instructions I would have known about the telescopic handle! It took a few minutes to realise that I could adjust the handle to suit my height, once I’d done that the Vax was set up and ready to go. It is so long since I bought my Dyson that I c`nt compare the two here but the Vax was certainly easy to set up.
8/10
Vax aren`t known for their design flair and the Mach Air Force looks like a brute. The dust collection and filter areas on the front are bulbous and the basde looks rather plastic. The dashes of colour help to brighten up the Vax but compared to the ball design of the Dyson the Vax aint pretty.
4/10
When I unpacked the Vax it looked like a bit of a beast size wise, but putting side by side with my Dyson the Vax actually has a smaller footprint. This means that it will comfortably fit in a cupboard or tight space, the handle is easily removed to aid storage further.
8/10
Like the Dyson the Vax is bagless and features an easy emptying system, press a button and the bottom flips open allowing you to dispose of the dust and hair. The Vax has a much bigger capacity than the Dyson at a whopping 3 litres compared to the Dyson 1.3 litre. The small capacity of the Dyson has been a bugbear, the Vax will go for twice as long without needing emptying. The extra capacity and power of the Vax comes at a cost, but only a small cost. The Vax weighs in at 7.8kg, slightly more than the Dyson 7.4kg however the main carry handle is larger on the Vax and seems to distribute the weight much better so in real terms, for me at least the Vax felt lighter.
Moving from one flo0r type to another the Vax is a clear second to Dyson. The Vax has a knob on the base, turn clockwise for hard floors and unticlockwise for thick carpet and adjust to suit your own carpet. If however you are like me and have mainly hard floors downstairs with littered rugs swapping between the two is a pain. The Dyson has a button next to the on/off switch, a quick press and off you go.
The telescopic handle is a big plus especially for the smaller or taller of you. It will also be great if you have a bad back or another ailment as you can adjust the height of the handle to suit you perfectly.
The hose is easy to use and is of a good length which almost allowed me to vacuum the stairs from bottom to top. There is also a clever 3-in-1 attachment meaning you don`t have lots of attachments lying around, just make sure you don`t lose it though.
8/10
The Mach Air Force Pet vacuum cleaner comes with a huge 10m long cable which for me is a big plus point. The Dyson Animal compares with a 7.5m cable. The cable hooks at the back of the machine are a little close making it quite difficult to loop it all back around though.
8/10
The main feature of any vacuum, does it suck up dirt and hair? The Vax is also marketed as the most powerful multi cyclonic upright in the world so I had high hopes and boy did it deliver. A quick press of the on button and the fury was unleashed. The Vax boasts an immense 340 air watts whereas the Dyson has 220 air watts. I have no idea what air watts are but the extra 120 almost sucked up the whole rug the vacuum was placed on! With just one pass of the Vax the dog hair was gone, whereas the Dyson took two goes at it. Take a look at the video below
10/10
The Vax ships with a 6 year warranty, one year more than Dyson so another bonus point for Vax.
The Vax Mach Air Force Pet vacuum cleaner certainly isn`t a looker but if you are after a powerful vacuum that makes light work of dog hair and household dust then it does a great job. The washable HEPA filter is great for people with allergies and the TurboTool works superbly on stairs, in tight spaces and on furniture.
I have a Mach Air and it is hopeless. I am fighting with Vax to return it as I feel it does not do the job for pet hairs. After one use you are having to take the whole thing apart and clear it. It is fidly to take apart and you need a small screwdriver to clear the holes of dust. I only have one dog, and he doesn’t particularly moult, a small house and only two adults living there. It is heavy to do stairs with, I would not recomment it to anybody. Get something else
Thanks for your comment Karen, I will be writing a follow up to the review shortly as I have been experiencing the exact same problem. Molly sheds quite a lot, after about 5 mins the Vax loses suction and it needs to be taken apart. There is dog hair blocking the filter and in the small holes. When it works it is very good, but it hardly works haha. I am back to using my Dyson Animal.
Ha… there’s knowledge out there!! I agree with Karen.
My Vax simply does not work for more than 5-10 minutes before cutting out. It’s been back to Vax and they gave a full clean bill of health stating nothing is wrong and the cutting out is simply a safety option!! Who needs a vac that only works for 5 minutes.
And for picking up hair?? Rubbish.
My 4 year old Morphy Richards I use for the car is better.
I too am fighting with Vax for a credit.
Rant over. Thank you for reading..
I wonder if Vax will begin to own up to the problems this vacuum is having now more and more people are shouting out about it? I keep the Vax upstairs now where it is generally cleaner but the other day I did give the carpet a going over, then went over it again with the Dyson and the Dyson picked up what was left!
I bought one of these, it broke. After several weeks contacting support they sent me a replacement, it broke. I now have a Dyson Animal.
I have just bought a dyson animal handheld for in between vacums and it’s BRILLIANT! I have 2 cats and a dog and my house is now as hairless as possible!
Have you seen that Dyson also have a dog grooming tool for the Animal? There is a link to it on the dog gadgets post
I am not satisfied with the Mach air force. It gets clogged all the time meaning having to take apart all the bits in the dust collector every time to empty it. And it is so loud! I;ve just used it again and my ears are literally ringing after use like I’ve been in a really loud nightclub. I am considering taking it back and getting a dyson. I too have been dissatisfied with dysons due to breaking, but when they are working they are a good vacuum IMO and now they ship with 5 year warranty which never used to be the case I may go back to them.
Thanks for your comments, I agree that it is very loud, it sounds like a plane about to take off when you first turn it on.
hey now thats impressive – I have been really disappointed with Dyson after having 3 that have broken I am now on a cheap Henry – made in Britain – and its good! But would definitely go for a Vax based on that video!!
I am very impressed with it so far, the suction is amazing. As it has so much suck, it might benefit from a button to turn down the power in certain circumstances.
good review! very hairy dog!
Tell me about it, that much hair comes out daily at this time of year.