Round Brushrolls vs. Helix Brushrolls

[vexorgtr]

I've always wondered what others think about this... It's obvious that the industry truly believes that the "chevron" shape is the best for the brush arrangement, however the brush rolls themselves still come in two varieties.

Most common is the round/cylindrical shape roller, and some use the Helix/Twisted shape. The first vacuum we had with a Helix roll was a Hoover WindTunnel (very early), and I currently have one of the PN33 Nozzle for my central vac. Them again, most of my Rainbows, Lindhaus, and others had the cylinder shaped rolls.

Does the Helix do anything?

 

[blackheart]

I could be wrong.

I don't really think it makes much of a difference from a performance standpoint.
I thought it would provide a beating action due to their shape but that doesn't seem to be the case with my Sanitaire S676 which has a metal VG1 Brushroll.
I know Wessel werk discontinued the helix brushroll on their power nozzles due to issues with quality control so they may be harder to produce
The Dyson dc-07. 14 and 33 also used a helix brushroll but again I don't really think it made much of a difference

The only pro i've seen from them is it's easier to cut hair off them as the hair can't seem to wrap as tightly around the twisted shape.

 

[vaclab]

I've done extensive testing with many types

of brushrolls and the problem is that there are many variables to consider.

1) stiffness of the bristles
2) length of the bristles
3) carpet type

Since these factors vary wildly, it can be difficult to determine which category (or sub-category) will work best on a given carpet type.

With the above in mind, chevron and helix work very well on pile carpet. Kirby's somewhat exclusive stiff oblique design also works well.

What works poorly is a brushroll that has very sparse (or missing) bristles. Also, be careful not to get a "carpet shredder" brushroll that is so harsh that it rips the carpet out in order to get the dirt.

Bill

 

[vexorgtr]

Thanks for your input.

I assumed there wasn't as single design that was "best for all"... Recalling from demo's how Kirby wants the nozzle to "seal" to the carpet, I would think that a very fluffy carpet might take a whipping from that. Your description explains easily why most designs limit how far the bristles can reach into the carpet.

 

[blknblu]

I upgraded my PN with one
Did not try it long enough before it was put into storage.
My double helix brushroll is made by Baker-McMillen NOT CWP (Cleveland Wood Products)