What do you think of your Dyson vaccuum?

Question

I have developed severe skin allergies and have become a clean freak. And I noticed immediately that my vaccuum does not keep suction for more than a couple of seconds, and the filter clogs. Would it benefit to have a dyson? I saw a tv special on them today and was amazed by what I saw...but I want to know what you think!

Oh, and by the way...you down there! I have a bagless vacuum, and the filter is installed correctly, and it is a hoover windtunnel dual v...this model retails for $400 (not the same one you see in walmart, and this was the introductory price...so I guess its probably cheaper now)...and it stops working within a room. I clean my house spotless every single day, and it's not drywall...it's dander and mites and dust (country living). And who has the money to install a central vacuum system! That's nuts. And you think a Roomba would work!? I'd have to dump it every 2 seconds...how big can that containment be, and how powerful of suction if it can propel itself!!!!!!! Yup...um, no I don't think so.

Answer 1

I bought a DC04 in 2000. Mine is still working as well as when I bought it. For about 5 years it was cleaning a house with 2 dogs (lab X & staffy X) that sleep inside and another house 1km from the beach. In the past 6.5 years I've replaced only the hose because someone borrowed it and pulled it out without releasing it from the base. My brother bought a kirby and vacuumed his lounge then used my dyson, he returned the kirby and bought a dyson. I suffer from allergies, including dust. Looking at the cost, I'm not sure how much i would have spent in that time on bags when I vacuumed a 3br house and a 4br house everyweek, predominantly carpet.

Answer 2

First off, their "cyclonic filtration" is hardly new. Filter Queen had it in their cannisters in the 1960s, if not before. Forget Dyson being special for that. Heck, in the 1950s, the Hoover Constellation floated on a cushion of air - it's all been done before. Do a search for the Hoover and the Filter Queen if you don't believe me.

Secondly, your existing vacuum's filter clogs all the time. Guessing you mean the bag or whatever, the primary dust collector (rather than the smaller filter which protects the motor in case you didn't load the bag correctly). Either you're sucking up really fine dust (drywall dust comes to mind - construction lately?) or you're loading the bag wrong (you MUST unfold and spread it inside the chamber or you'll lose surface area and therefore bag capacity). Or your vacuum is actually picking up that much dirt. Remember, a bag (or filter) is a sieve: when it gets blocked, no air flows - even if the bag seems empty, the pores of the paper may be blocked by fine dust.

Now, if you want to replace the vacuum, I have two suggestions: First is a Roomba, because you can push its start button every day before you go to work. It doesn't clean as well as a good upright or cannister, but doing it every day should keep the house cleaner than it would be after the third day on a weekly manual vacuuming cycle. Second option is a central vacuum system, which should be properly exhausted to outside: anything which passes through the filter (and filters aren't perfect!) is at least blown outside of the house where it won't bother you. NuTone, Beam, Hoover, etc.

Bagless? Acceptable on four models. The Filter Queen (1960s-1980s, maybe currently), uses a paper cone instead to isolate the dust from the exhaust. Central vacuums which are exhausted to outside can be bagless and usually have huge bins. Roombas don't use bags, but anything they exhaust will settle out of the air before you have to re-enter the room - and the daily cycle will eventually get almost all of it. And finally, "Shop-Vacs" and other construction wet/dry vacuums, because they're all about getting lots of big chunkies but not regular household dust (and are therefore suitable for cleaning the workshop, not the living room).

HEPA filter? Nah. HEPA requires an incredibly fine filter which will tend to clog with the exhaust even after it has passed through the bag. Consumer buzzword. Heck, try asking the salesman what HEPA stands for (High Efficiency Particle Air), or its genesis (capturing fine particles for the nuclear weapons programs of the Cold War) - verify on Wikipedia!

One way or another, ANY vacuum cleaner should be relatively heavy, and should be from a reputable company you've heard of - a good one is a big enough investment (at least $300) and should last 20-plus years; you need to be able to get supplies (bags, belts, carpet rollers, etc.) as well as the occasional part.

Trustworthy brands would be Hoover, Royal/Dirt Devil, Filter Queen, Electrolux, and some Eureka models.

Now, what do I use? Restored 1930s Royal (now Dirt Devil) upright for my carpets. I restored a 1954 Hoover Constellation and use it on my hardwood floors (no wheels, it just floats along behind me!). Bags and brushes are, believe it or not, readily available for the 70-year-old Royal and the 53-year-old Constellation - not at Wal*Mart; at my local vacuum cleaner store. Both have the benefit of being decorative when not in use - they look like the rest of the antique appliances and technology in my house, so I leave the Royal in my living room and the Hoover in my office. I use a Ridgid wet/dry vac to clean my workshop, garage and truck. I love my sister's Roomba, and I installed my father's central vacuum. No airborne allergies with me, though. Your mileage might vary, as they say - if in doubt, central vacuum, EXHAUSTED TO OUTSIDE!

Remember, if it's "As seen on TV!", it's probably junk.

Answer 3

we have owned one for over 3 years. Two long hair dogs and a three year old child. It has worked very well, and the attachments are easy to use and not gimmicks. The plastic body, while lightweight, is not cheap or flimsy. It has no broken parts and i beat the tar out of it. With no bags to change and no filters to buy, it really is practical (you never "need" a part before you can use it). I have no scientific evidence, but the suction is good and has not declined at all. I would have appreciated a headlight (like the old style vacuum my mom had) for $300, but have no complaints other than that. There really is a reason one guys new idea for a vacuum has taken off. It is a good piece of equipment and not a "gizmo" like the roomba or swiffer. Go to a sears or other place where they will actually have them plugged in and have them test it. the suction will be the same after three years.

Answer 4

I love mine; it picks up more than any vacuum I have ever owned. Be careful with the plastic parts; mine have gone south, but the vacuum still works great!

Answer 5

I have a yellow one and purple one,I have never had a vacc that work's as good Its a great vac a little pricey but i think well worth it

Answer 6

Over price junk..Consumer reports does not even rate it in the top 10 vacs tested

Answer 7

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! Seeing one in person is so dissapointing, it looks so cheap and does not feel solid. You want something that looks like it could take the usual bumps and bruises that vacuums experience while navigating your floors. I can't reccommend another vaccum, but look around and you will have enough money left over for a car payment