1997 Dyson DC01 Absolute +

[jmurray01]

Well I've gone and done it again! Despite my hatered of the D-word today I picked up my third Dyson.

To recap, the previous two were a DC04 in 2013 I got for free and sold for £60, and the other one was a DC07 I got this year again free and sold for £50. This one is different as I actually paid £10 for it (it was listed on Gumtree for £15) and it is a DC01. I would never really part with cash for a Dyson full stop, but being a DC01 (I rightly estimated from the mid to late 90s) I thought it would be good to either restore and sell on for £25-30 or maybe keep in my collection as a "black sheep". I think the former will prevail though!

It was actually in the best condition I've seen a used vacuum cleaner (except for my 1982 Electrolux 502S which came from an old lady who owned it from new), but that doesn't mean it was in usable condition.

First off, the belt was stretched a good 2" more than it should be and had a mark where it had stopped spinning and the motor pulley almost burnt right through it. Not a pleasant sight, even for a Dyson.

Secondly, the usual problem of the hose having rips in it was present, so a new one will be ordered from eBay to replace the current one which has been sealed with black tape.

Aside from that, the whole machine just needed some soapy water and a cloth ran over it, the bin cleaned out and finally some furniture polish and a duster. I by no means gave it an overhaul and won't do so until I get the replacement hose to fit onto it. Mainly because the option of sitting down in front of the PC with a Coors Light was more appealing than working on a Dyson all afternoon... Well come on, I'm only human (albeit a slightly alcoholic one)!

As always, I made it clean up its own mess (and believe me there was a lot of it) which it did not too bad actually, and was surprisingly quiet! It has the 1200W motor and had no irritating high pitch to it like the DC04 and DC07 I've used. Should I choose to keep it, the motor tone would not be a problem for me at all.

Of course being the die-hard HOOVER fan I am, I could only sit down for a few minutes before seeing a few crumbs the Dyson missed and broke out the 1977 Senior Ranger. There truly is no replacement for that HOOVER rumble.

Oh, and although you'll see it in the picture, but the Dyson was manufactured on: 1997.12.15, so it is ALMOST a 1998.

Out of curiosity, when did the DC01 start and end production? Just so I can gauge whether or not this is an early or late machine.

As always, please find below pictures which were taken after my cleaning, I neglected to take any beforehand - sorry!

 

[paulinroyton]

@jmurray01

Wow, it's in great condition.

 

[jmurray01]

I thought so Paul, side from the belt and hose which are replaceable parts, it is in very good condition with very few scratches to the plastic and no discolouration.

 

[citroenbx]

very nice

 

[parwaz786]

OMG NICE it's not even faced! How's the suction without the post motor filter? Those have a huge impact on suction. The DC01 was one of Dyson's least best machines performance wise. That date of production is when most if not all Destijl Dc01's were made too! I know its the Ametek one you have, those are quiet. If you were to try out one of Dyson's latest full sized machines (preferably uprights) you will be amazed, I'm sure. Why? because the agitation is MUCH better than that DC04 you had and liked and the suction at the cleaner head is better focused.

Enjoy

 

[vintagerepairer]

Production of the Absolute at the De Stjil began in the early part of 1997 if indeed not late 1996. The cleaners went on sale from around the April of 1997. The DC04 went on sale in late 1998 and by the end of 1999 the only choice of DC01 was either yellow & grey or pastel blue & grey. The yellow & grey DC01 ended production in 2000 and mainstream stores sold out by the middle of that year. However, as is always the case, small shops had the potential to hold stock for far longer, indeed we saw only recently a lot of "old new stock" for sale on ebay, from an independant retailer.

 

[jmurray01]

Thank you for the information Benny, much appreciated.


 


I was thinking about you earlier actually and that I hadn't seen you "around" lately.  I hope you are well.

 

[Numatic99]

DC01s....

...Hiya, looks grand, barely affected by the sunlight discolouration issues most early Dysons suffer with. I've got a DA001, DC01 De Stijl and as of the other night I did a trade for a DC01 in grey and blue. I'll upload pics later on.

Chris

 

[jmurray01]

Well, after two days I've had enough!!  The Dyson is not staying.


 


On a positive note, it is the quietest and best made Dyson I have used, but as with all Dysons it is pathetic when it comes to carpet cleaning.


 


The surface dirt and dust is gone, but after going over the carpets again with a Senior or Turbopower it immediately becomes apparent there is a lot of missed dirt and grit deeper down into the pile.


 


I shall resist going into a full rant about the cleaner and its downfalls, but needless to say once the replacement hose comes in it'll be getting a full clean and polish and will be finding a new home ASAP, hopefully with a bit of profit in it for me.


 


I know there are people out there who collect and love them, but they are just not for me.  And in fairness, it probably isn't Dyson's fault, as I feel the same about all cyclonic bagless vacuums. 

 

[parwaz786]

Older Dyson's compared to the newer performance wise are a big No no

 

[jmurray01]

Thing is though, it is either one or the other.


 


The newer Dysons I have used (DC04 and DC07) did indeed have better suction, but they felt like they could fall to bits at any given moment.


 


The DC01 feels very well made, actually on par with the Turbopower 2 in terms of build quality, but as has been said the suction is very poor.  I believe the air watts put out by the 1200W motor is 90, which is most likely less than any other upright cleaner on the market in the 1990s.


 


Just to be clear though, it isn't a case of "Dyson killed Hoover so I hate Dyson" (not that that's even 100% true) - if the DC01 had been made with the same build quality as it was, but had the same level of suction as a (and I know I keep using it as a comparison) Turbopower 2 and had a better brushroll capable of actually agitating the carpets I would have no hesitation in praising it. 


 


But, as is the case with a lot of things, you can't have it all.  Well, except for the Turbopower 2...

 

[turbo500]

Well, except for the Turbopower 2...

Apart from the top heavy design, narrow internals prone to blocking and the bag door sucking inwards and splitting down the middle, of course


 


I'm not a massive fan of old Hoover's either. The classic Junior's, Senior's and Turbpower 1's were of course fantastic cleaners, but the TP1 suffered from flimsey plastic and by the mid-70's, the Junior's and Senior's were massively outdated compared with that other manufacturers were offering at the time.


 


My dislike of Dyson is similar to Jamie's. The DC01, whilst a relatively solid machine, was a shocking performer compared with pretty much everything else that was on the market at the time. Whilst there's absolutely no question that the newer machines are far higher performing with better brushroll's, quieter motors and more efficient cyclones, the cost of that has been in the quality of the machines which is getting steadilly worse.

 

[jmurray01]

My God Chris, you agreed with me - are you feeling OK!?

 

[turbo500]

are you feeling OK!?

 

[sebo_fan]

Ive always stood middle ground with Dyson. I like their technology and their design. I dont like all their appliances.

As for the Junior & Senior, "by the mid-70's, the Junior's and Senior's were massively outdated compared with that other manufacturers were offering at the time," Chris. Good point but then they were consistent and achieved a few best buys in their time not just from Which magazine, which I agreed a lot with back in the 1980s when my parents subscribed.

 

[turbo500]

True indeed. Things did improve in the late 70's with the Junior Deluxe and later the High Power Compact uprights - they were more stylish and modern looking at the time, directly rivalling the Lux 500's, Hotpoint Swallow, Kenwood Powerboost, Panasonic/National Jetflo and Hitachi CV50 of the time. But I've always felt that Hoover, whilst great cleaners, were always just a few steps behind the competition.

 

[sebo_fan]

I agree, but I think it was Hoover management. Particuarly when they knew they had dominated a market for so long. I think they rested on their laurels. But then, before the Air Miles fiasco, the U.S home company weren't exactly forthcoming with all models destined for the UK.

 

[parwaz786]

Even the build quality on the DC04 and DC07 was crap. The later Malaysian models were fantastic for durability. Your DC07 looks like it was the one made pre 2005 before the Origin came out like mine did or 2004. Models such as the DC14 were very durable. The DC14 was a very solid machine and felt very robust and the only things that go wrong with them physically is something like a ripped hose which happens with no care.

 

[jmurray01]

And the Dyson has now gone to a new home!!


 


I spent £10 buying it, no petrol money as I was going into town anyway and the only part I had to buy was a new hose for £6 on eBay, so given that I sold it for £30 I've just made myself an easy £14 profit.


 


If only I could get my hands on more old Dysons to clean up and sell on - I could make a business of this!