I think that I want a Dyson...

[Saracen]

QFT - indeed they do, and extremely well and very efficiently.

They are quite heavy, but having cleaned a carpet with a Henry or similar, the Dyson goes on to extract much more fluff and stuff that the Henry left behind.

In fact for the first month or so of ownership you'll find it needs emptying very frequently as it picks up the stuff your other cleaner left behind. After a while that will drop off, not because it is loosing suction, but simply becayuise it will have extracted all the dust from the carpets.

Ever tried Kirby? If you want heavy, and a real sucker, give them a go. Just be sure you're sitting down before looking up the price, and if you've a weak heart, don't look it up at all.

[peterb]

Get off Peter you're having a laugh. I paid £250 for a Dyson that was a fiddly, heavy, under-performer when compared to my half-the-price Hetty. I got the Hetty as it has 2 speeds (I think the Henry also has 2 speeds now) and on the higher speed her suction will lift rugs. The Dyson struggled with brick dust after drilling.

It's a fact of life: when it comes to sucking, go for the female .

Ever tried Kirby? If you want heavy, and a real sucker, give them a go. Just be sure you're sitting down before looking up the price, and if you've a weak heart, don't look it up at all.

No, not having a laugh at all!

Suction is only one part of the equation, the other part is maintaining that suction. As a natural sceptic, I looked at some of the Dyson marketing hype with some degree of suspicion.

But the main problem with a conventional vacuum cleaner is that the bag forms part of the filtration system and to catch all the dust and stuff, that has to be a very fine filter. But very fine filters soon clog, so as the pores on the bag (usually paper) clog, no matter how powerful the motor is, the airflow and suction will very quickly fall off. And this applies to Henries and the like with an optional bag - there is still an in-line filter to catch the dust to prevent it from being blown out of the motor exhaust and back into the room.

So to maintain efficiency the bag needs changing very frequently - certainly before it reaches its nominal capacity.

The Dysons and similar cyclone cleaners work differently. (And now I sound like a marketing leaflet ).

The dirst is removed from the main airflow centrifugally by spinning the air. The heavier dust goes to the outside of the vortex and falls into the collection container. The clean air then passes through the motor to exhaust. There is an in line filter in that path to catch any really tiny remaining dust, but it is washable, and while Dyson recommends every 6 months, a lot depends on use. Mine often go for 9 months before I remember.

And having taken some time looking at the two types, I am convinced in my own mind that it does work. You may not like the style, shape or external design, but as a vacuum cleaner, I am convinced that it gives the best performance, with lower maintenance costs, than the conventional design.

[razer121]

No, not ...snip...onventional design.

Very well said. Did you really go and look it up on google how they work? Or did you just somehow "know" ?

[peterb]

I read about them and had a look at ones friends had bought. The Dyson web site is a good source of info, but it is a mfr's site so the info has to be treated with scepticism and (as far as possible) the claims verified independently - which I have, at least to my satisfaction!

[razer121]

I read about them and had a look at ones friends had bought. The Dyson web site is a good source of info, but it is a mfr's site so the info has to be treated with scepticism and (as far as possible) the claims verified independently - which I have, at least to my satisfaction!

ok - On a side note isn't it dyson that claims there dyson can spin its motor faster than an f1 car? lol i like my dyson but really? wow

Can anyone confirm this? i'm pretty sure its "5 times faster than an f1 car" is what they say...

[kalniel]

ok - On a side note isn't it dyson that claims there dyson can spin its motor faster than an f1 car? lol i like my dyson but really? wow

Can anyone confirm this? i'm pretty sure its "5 times faster than an f1 car" is what they say...

Why wow? F1 cars only spin at 18k rpm. Lots of motors can spin faster than that.

[razer121]

Hm shows ya how much i know about a f1 car! just sounds abit ott but oh well

[santa claus]

Bah, why doesn't Dyson stick a big ring on the vac so it can double as one of those expensive fans he's flogging? If he bungs it on the bottom, he could develop the first vertical take-off vacuum cleaner/fan and I guarantee all the gadget lovers will wet their pants with delight.

Dyson's biggest success is their marketing. Their 'cyclone technology' could turn an entire room into a vacuum if you were to believe all the hype .

[Kumagoro]

I have a dc24 dyson which is the small ball upright, which i got for the wife as she is not very
strong. I find it works well but you do have to empty it after vacuuming the whole house so if
you are lazy its not good.

If you are struggling with the mechanism to get it going its because you are not pushing it forward
while you put your foot on the pedal.

[1stRaven]

Ever tried Kirby? If you want heavy, and a real sucker, give them a go. Just be sure you're sitting down before looking up the price, and if you've a weak heart, don't look it up at all.

I have a Kirby which blows the dyson out of the water on terms of dust extraction. Granted, it weighs the same as a small car but does have a gearbox to drive it forward and remove some of the strain of pushing it around.

[oolon]

The dirst is removed from the main airflow centrifugally by spinning the air. The heavier dust goes to the outside of the vortex and falls into the collection container. The clean air then passes through the motor to exhaust. There is an in line filter in that path to catch any really tiny remaining dust, but it is washable, and while Dyson recommends every 6 months, a lot depends on use. Mine often go for 9 months before I remember.

However you cannot change the HEPA filter on the Dyson (I think this is what did for my one), I had two washable filters so one could dry while the other was in use, regularly I had to take a knife to cut the hair out of the power head. After a couple of years the motor would over heat after 30 minutes use, one day it died. We did feel price/life time of product justified it. My faster also switch to a henry from a Dyson, due to the weight.

[Saracen]

I have a Kirby which blows the dyson out of the water on terms of dust extraction. Granted, it weighs the same as a small car but does have a gearbox to drive it forward and remove some of the strain of pushing it around.

Agreed. My main complaint is that they can't climb stairs.

[santa claus]

Agreed. My main complaint is that they can't climb stairs.

They used to say that about the Daleks and now look who's elevating . I looked up the Kirby and it sure looks fancy - like something a gangster might use. I didn't see a price - go on, I'm sitting down, hit me with it.

[spoon_]

Bought DC25 2 years ago and honestly its the best hoover I have ever owned.

Missus is very happy as well.

At the time Argos had a deal - only £180 which was a bargain!!

[Saracen]

They used to say that about the Daleks and now look who's elevating . I looked up the Kirby and it sure looks fancy - like something a gangster might use. I didn't see a price - go on, I'm sitting down, hit me with it.

Depends on exactly what you get, how you get it and what deals may be on offer, but last time I looked, around £500 - £800 ...... second hand!

New? More like £1200 - £1500.

I don't have one, and short of winning a lottery triple-rollover, and being the sole winner at that, wouldn't spend that on a vacuum cleaner. I know a couple of people that have them, and rate them highly, but they're not for me. Besides, I'm not lugging it up and down stairs and stairs is something I have plenty of.



I'm not sure I'd exactly complain that Dalek's were stair-challenged, though. Be grateful for it, more like, and curses to whoever told them about levitation.

[santa claus]

New? More like £1200 - £1500.

Ouch. That's 12-15 Henries