Dyson engineering ineptitude and complacency

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laszlopanaflex

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Mar 6, 2015
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I've been a long time follower of the Dyson brand well before they launched in the US, having owned almost all of them, including the most recent Cinetic Big Ball and V6 Absolute. My enthusiasm for the brand is starting to wane from what I perceive as engineering ineptitude and complacency through resting on their laurels. In no particular order is a list of issues I have with the brand in regards to their existing product design and product roll-out.

- The center air duct on the existing Dyson Ball uprights: from the DC 40/41 and onward, the Dyson Ball uprights began using an exposed air duct in the center of the clear bin that would attract dust and debris every time the container is emptied. This exposes the motor to dust and dirt every time the machine is started thereafter. It's even more of an issues with the Cinetic uprights. Sure, the cyclones virtually eliminate any dust from bypassing, however, the exposed center duct will still get exposed to dirt that will be sucked directly into the motor. Since the Cinetic uprights use permanently sealed HEPA filters that cannot be cleaned, they will eventually require replacement in a matter of a few years, depending on how much debris is sucked in.

- No electric powerhead for North American canister models. Why? The turbinehead on the Cinetic canister performs worse than that of the DC39 Ball canister. Plenty of consumers know the inadequacies of air driven cleanerheads, as do industry insiders as well....why is Dyson incapable of implementing a decent electric powerhead??

- Cyclonic chambers that take up almost the entire clear bin: Dyson engineers need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to their cyclonic chamber designs, especially their Cinetic system. It's amazing how very little capacity remains in the clear bin, and how often you need to reach into the container to remove chunks of pet hair that simply won't fall out when emptying the container. It would be nice to somehow go back to the old school bins from the DC14/15 era that actually had good debris capacity.

- The Ball keeps getting BIGGER! The Ball, when originally launched, was an iconic design that showcased maneuverability and agility compared to then traditional fixed wheeled vacuums. But now, fixed wheel vacuums are being designed with universal joints that allow not only the same maneuverability as the Ball, but the ability to clean under furniture and low surfaces as well. To further compound the issue, the size of the Ball keeps getting larger, especially on the Cinetic. Perhaps Dyson should shrink the Ball (perhaps go as far as refine the DC18 Slim design, and take the motor out of the Ball), use a lighter weight Dyson Digital Motor to cut down weight, and a protruding, lower profile, direct drive beater bar.

The engineers over at Dyson have had many successes, but it seems like the progression in their designs has slowed down considerably. Perhaps the current CEO, Max Conze, is limiting their potential to bring to the market some wild new innovations, or perhaps the engineers themselves think there isn't much they can improve. Either way, they need to look at the competition to perhaps gain some inspiration on where they can go next. My current machine, a Kenmore [Panasonic] CrossoverUltra upright is, by my estimation, a very impressive machine. I really appreciate the flat cleaner head with the universal joint feels just as maneuverable as my Cinetic, but is actually able to clean under tables and furniture as well. I also appreciate that it's light weight, has a long cord, yields strong suction, has a suction regulator on both the handle (for attachments), and on the cleaner head (much like the Dyson units in Europe), in addition to neat little gimmicks like a UV dirt sensor and LED headlights. The thing that I did most is the lift-away canister design (that's all the rage these days) with the attached telescopic wand w/floor nozzle that's instantly ready to go for stairs and bare floors. I'd like to see what kind of lift-away upright Dyson would come up with, but then again, I'm sure they'd much rather have their customers buy V6 cordless units, instead.

Most importantly, I feel that it performs every but as good as the Cinetic, but at a cost that's half that of the Cinetic ($350 vs. $700).

Hopefully Dyson engineers can come up with some designs in the near future that can alleviate the flaws that I outlined above. In addition, I hope Dyson engineers can kick it into high gear, because they really need a game changer on the market soon. Bissell, EuroPro, and TTI are swiftly taking away market share.
 
Dirt Containers

I agree, the design of the dirt bin on the 40 onwards is horrid, I HATE that the seals and motor intake get covered in dust while emptying it. I've honestly been tempted to go back to an older unit just to avoid this.
 
The ball is a good idea, but eliminating fixed wheel machines from their lineup is a very bad idea. I would prefer a fixed wheel machine, as the ball seems to strain my wrist uncomfortably. Bring back fixed wheels!
 
Just today a customer brought in a Dyson ball--

--they DID NOT say-"We love it and will pay anything to make it work right!"
--they DID say--"I is not working.If you can fix it cheap we will take it upstairs.We already bought a $40 vacuum for downstairs."(Turns out it was clogged with Christmas needles & paper.)
 
I know how you feel Keith. I feel the same way about Kirby. I use to love them, but lack of any new improvements in the last 20+ years has left me disappointed. I can't figure out for the life of me what their engineering dept. does when they punch in.
Oh well, there's always riccar.
 
Yes... Very annoying with dust going to the center tube when you empty and going to the motor if your a regular consumer that doesn't notice that
 
No vacuum is perfect and there never will be because they are man made. But Dyson are great vacuums and since the DC01 they have made HUGE improvements and everytime a new model is launched it gets better and better, they slowly evolve and carefully think about he life of a vacuum in a home.

They used to use plastic which was ABS, now they use more flexible plastic which absorbs shock. Not too flexible or it will dent and be extremely flimsy, but solid enough to use and strong enough to not break.

The performance on their new balls is better than ever

The wand set up on their uprights has improved- On the DC01 it was just an uncomfortable stick.

The Dc03 and 04 came out with an actual handle grip, bu when using the wand the handle is the end of the wand.

The Dc07 came out and had a reversible wand which is better because you can still hold the handle end making it more comfortable. The DC14 improved over the DC07 because the wand is not telescopic, so no nonsense of the "reversible" feature, it's much quicker. The filters also have a larger surface area to capture more allergens.

The DC25 improved from the Dc14 because the wand now pulls out rather than unclipping.

The DC40 and DC41 improved from the DC25 by using plastic to make it more lighter weight, not being fragile and it just comes out instead of pulling out.

The DC25 wand was prone to being jammed in the hose.

Even the 22 year old DA001 has a better wand and hose setup than a modern TOL Vax and Hoover. Sorry but I do't like assembling wands, bending over to pull the hose out and all that faff.

The Dyson DC41 now has a larger surface area filter to capture more allergens

The tools have improved. The brush on the crevice tool is pretty big on the DC40/41/65/75 etc and saves time swapping tools

The mini turbine head doesn't stop when it hits the surface, it speeds up. Half the suction goes to the surface and half goes to the turbine. Also, it's designed for above the floor cleaning for upholstery etc so why have sealed suction? Airflow is key.

The tangle free turbine them came out which is literally tangle free


If you ask me, they have come a long way, successfully. Look at ALL they done in 22 years. Dyson is one of the most newest vacuums brands, yet have done MUCH more than other brands have which are older.

Dyson could have continued selling the Dc01 which sold like hot cakes and been like "oh yeah we done it. Why make more when we are already raking it in?"

The reason why Dyson did the airflow design like that to the DC40/41 etc is because it's direct airflow and making is simpler.



It angers me as to why people despise Dyson when there is no need. It just hacks me off, they deserve respect.

If it wasn't for Dyson, there would be no Fantoms, Hoover Windtunnels/Mach ranges/Airs, and all the other good bagless vacuums.

Atleast Dyson are persevering in developing their products so be fantastic, meanwhile other brands were being lazy with traditional vacuum designs and mechanics, shoving stupidly high wattage vacuum motors in them to make them seem powerful.

I understand that Kirby is a well respected vacuum brand, bu they have hardly developed over time, they have but not much. Dyson have evolved way more but get judged for their flaws.

Kirby's are loved in America, because they are better suited. Us Brits love Dyson way more than Americans do because they suit us better in our style of homes and flooring, but Kirby's aren't well loved here.

Really? All vacuums have flaws. I can point out a handful of flaws in any vacuum, because none are perfect.

They were too lazy, but they had to stop because the EU regulations for vacuums came in ;D

Dyson Engineers are always designing and developing new products and I'm sure they will have improved versions of their current models. They have over 40 different models and they never said they will not be designing new products, so I don't see the need in complaining :)
 
Dysons are overly complex just for the sake of looks and marketing.

Most recently I picked up a DC25 and have never been able to get the brush off the crevice tool because of the locking tab; the wand is difficult to get on and off; the upright lock is finicky and pops out, the power head is held together with tape, the brush power switch doesn't work reliably, etc.

Every Dyson I've come across has a million flimsy plastic parts that break, often to do something with more parts more complexly that other vacuums do with less parts better, like the hose/handle contraption.

And to top it off, none of the Dyson vacuums I've had have held a candle to my $120 Eureka Heavy Duty cyclonic upright, a nice, simple, reliable upright that cleans the heck out of anything.

Its near the bottom for reliability (~16/18 in 2016) for % needing repairs. Kenmore is vastly better. Dyson is junk.
 
Impfac, all those issues have been rectified on the new ball models, the head is held in by a removable & replaceable bracket rather than a clip. The upright lock has no stabiliser, it just reclines but it strong enough to wheel room to room. The wand just comes our rather than pulling out and unclipping. The brush is not designed to be removed because it's a combination tool.
 
We need to remember that Dyson are not a vacuum cleaner manufacturer, they are a "Technology Powehouse" or whatever the current description may be. If James Dyson had found a way of transforming a gas fire or a box of cornflakes and then marketing it successfully, he would have done. It just so happened that his "idea" was an improvement on a household product that most homes in the developed world own.

Furthermore, he was able to tap-in to all the right trends of the consumer, and his launch of the DC01 in the UK was timed well with the demise of Hoover and the waning sales of the last vacuum cleaner craze - the Vax 3-in-1 cleaner.

However, in a bid to keep customers coming back for more, they keep changing the product, and every new cleaner is sold on the back of how much better it is than the one before. Well that's ok; any manufacture has the consumer interest and of course make sure they keep buying new, but it's a very fine line between nudging people into something "better" and pushing them too far to the point where they say that they can't compete any more so they are giving up. I think Dyson is going too far now and too fast.

There have been so many changes to Dyson cleaners in recent times, and there are so many models to choose. The prices -whilst consistent with the price from 1993- are very high compared to other makes where the price has plummeted disproportionately. There comes a point where consumers think "it's just a vacuum cleaner". You have to draw a line in the sand at times and say enough is enough.

Classic example is washing powders. Many TV commercials would show how colours fade when a garment is washed over and over again. This is true, but the difference is only noted when a new garment is put against the old. A pair of faded black trousers will still look perfectly fine so long as the fading is uniform. Unless a consumer wants to keep buying new clothes they have to make do with what they have, as the truth is it's perfectly acceptable to use for the day to day activities they need to be worn for.
 
powerhouse,

Yes, true. So maybe the same Chinese factory makes Dysons as Sharks then.
At any rate, my 1996 Hoover Central vacuum is a powerhouse, as is my 1980 3.7 horsepower Eureka power team model 1289. Never clog, no bags for the central vac either. Even when the 7 Litre Eureka style B or S bags are 3/4 full, still plenty of suction.
 
Actually no Dyson are made in Malaysia but designed in the UK, they were not allowed to expand their malmesbury factory in the UK so has no choice but to move abroad, they had no choice. People think it's cost cutting but they are wrong. It's for the best and loom at them now! They have even come a long way from th DC07 and DC08 which were the last to be produced in the UK.
 
Vacerator and Impfac are misinformed they need to do a bit more research and maybe actually try Dysons latest models before they give views on them .

The latest Dysons especially the DC41 Mk2 which is a fantastic performing vacuum cleaner its up there with the very best now.
 
Alex, Pawarz,

Why were they not allowed to expand the UK factory?
I was watching David Cameron and parliament on C-Span this morning.
Stay in the E,U, or exit? Imaginary sovereignty?
It was rather circus like.
Foreign banks may discriminate against Britain if you do exit?
Seems from what I read, the current building boom in the London area isn't too good for working class folks. You can't afford anything much larger than an efficiency, and often two families buy one 2 bedroom row house so they can at least own vs. rent.
Some times, I dislike globalization as well.
 
Dyson lovers...

The modern Dyson vacuum is nothing but an over engineered pile of hundreds of plastic parts that just don't hold up with any kind of frequent usage before something goes wrong.


The only metal part in the entire machine is the motor. If Dyson could figure out how to make a motor out of plastic they would do it. There are several other vacuums that are not overly complex, cost half the price of the average Dyson but perform as well or better.


People are mostly attracted to Dyson because of it's appearance. There's all the brightly colored plastic plastic components shaped in a futuristic design but actual performance is only slightly better than average.


 


Now most everyone on here knows I am a Kirby fan, but I will not go there today.


 


Let's look at another extremely well built vacuum that is almost impossible to beat in performance tests. It is the Dual Motor Tandem Air Maytag built by Tacony Corp in the USA. The Maytag has many metal components such as metal sole plate, metal foot release lever and cord hooks for example and costs around half the price of the Dyson Cinetic. I think Dyson is taking it's customers for a ride.


 


And that's just my 2 cents worth folks.
 
I heard it costs more to make plastic tubes than metal tubes? Somewhere on VL...


Also, some vacuum motors are plastic but Dyson motors are metal (Exept the DC01 Ametek Motor and a DC04 non clutched motor), Dyson used to have metal wands and poles, but changed to plastic to make them lighter weight

I do love Kirby though, Really want either a Sentria or an Avalir! :D Lovely jubbly
 
Powerhouse

Sorry, when I said that, I was using the term generically. I didn't realise it was also the name of a factory.

I doubt the public will ever know the true reasons why Dyson took production out of the UK. The refusal of permission to expand their factory is only one of many stories that have gone round society in the last 15 years.
 
Having been a Dyson fan and admiring James Dyson from the early 90's and owning a DC01 along with 7 other Dyson vacuums along the way up to the DC16, I no longer own any. I'll be honest in saying I don't in tend to own any in the future. Still admire James Dyson for what he has done in terms of his company and encouraging engineering and design in the young (or anyone for that matter).

I agree not one vacuum is perfect it is what suits the owner/user to their requirements that counts. A Dyson vacuum might suit some people where as another brand suits others.

The company has changed more so since it's gone Global, James handed the business over to someone with business experience to run the day to day part some years ago, while he concentrated on the engineering side with his engineers which he really loves doing.

From a personal view I do feel the Dyson vacuum is becoming over engineered too complex design for what it actually needs to be. Some of the best design and engineering is the most simplest but that I suppose doesn't apply to all things!! The only one in the current range is the cordless digital slim models that in overall form is a simple engineered/designed product nothing complex! I don't get why they are designing complex machines for what is and has always been a simple task around the home be it vacuuming carpets, hard floors or above floor cleaning!

I'm sure I read somewhere recently they are doing more trade in promotions (although you don't have to trade in an old vacuum cleaner!) because sales are down like for like over the last few years! Number of reasons for this I suppose!

These are issues I see on their Facebook time and time again and other social media pages from frustrated owners that have paid £300 - £400 plus on their vacuums:

Owners complain about hoses (uprights) ripping or breaking within a year or so
Owners complain of blockages more on the latest designs over older designs
Standard reply if an owners Dyson doesn't pickup on carpet or hard flooring - you have the wrong type flooring!!
Owners being told what type of dust and dirt they can use the Dyson to pickup

Of course they are a very well known company so any negative comments are picked up more and homed in on which is the same for any company in a similar position. These issues need to be addressed (which they may be in hand!) as it does have an effect on current owners and future new customers! One thing I read time again is some Dyson owners prefer their older Dyson vacuums over the new models they now have!! That's worrying and might be why sales have dropped! Word gets about!

Not everyone is liking the complete range of ball technology but I don't see them ever going back to using wheels on their uprights! If anything cordless will be their products of the future especially having recently purchased a Battery Company! As James Dyson keeps says lean engineering, less is more!!
 
Metal, vs. pastic, etc.

Cost to make plastics also depends on the price of a barrel of crude oil.
I say it's more likely the labor cost. Malaysia has a lower cost of living, but once you pay to ship things back, you don't save much today.
Hoover also left. Service jobs replaced them, as the plant is now a Tesco.
 
Eureka The Boss 1934 best low-price upright made thanks to its direct-air design; but no on-board tools

U can upgrade the standard wooden roller (2 bristles & 2 plastic beater bars) to a all-steel VibraGroomer 1 or 2
 
dyson vacuum

I'm not a fan of bagless vacuums, so I would never own a Dyson vacuum, but based on reading, there seem to be several issues. First, none of the current model canisters that I know of include a motorized power nozzle, just a turbine. For the price Dyson charges for these vacuums, it should have a motorized power head. The top of the line Kenmore canisters cost less and include this. A turbine will never clean as well as an electric power nozzle, and will clog much more easily since everything that is vacuumed goes through the turbine. The Dyson vacuums also seem to have quality issues, a lot of the reviews talk about parts breaking or not holding together. I'm heard more than one vacuum shop say they have a nick name for the Dyson, they call them die soon. For the price that Dyson charges, you can get something with much better quality and that probably cleans better as well.
 
N0oxy I think you're mistaking the reviews don't talk about them breaking and not holding together they talk about they not feeling very well built and flimsy but being made at a very strong plastic it especially applies to the current models And Dyson did have quite a few issues with the original Dyson DC41 and Dc40 so that's why. Ps die soon has been around for many many years and it came from some hater
 
So close to greatness

I own the V6 Absolute, and aside from the clogging shroud that leads to fairly frequent messy cleaning, it's the best cordless product I've ever used. Still love it and use it often!

Their bagless tech has seen great advances in effectiveness, but has also regressed in the ways the first poster described. Mainly, their upright vacuums pulling small amounts of dust through the motor after each time you empty the bin. Why?! This has been going on for almost 5 years now!

Dyson sits on the best filtration systems in the world. What bothers me is that their Cinetic series are the only Dyson vacuums currently using their patented, superior, level-3 root cyclone technology. Throw a pre-filter under the bin or motor-inlet of the Cinetic upright, and you would have a vac you could offer a legit brushbar (like a Quadraflex, instead of this one row nonsense), and extremely low filter-maintenance. Instead, their flagship model is engineered to work within filtration restrictions. I was so hyped about the Cinetic upright, but personally witnessed the same problems laszlopanaflex described, and sold it.
 

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