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deal with Dyson criticism - something that James Dyson never

So that's my belly laugh taken care of for the evening. Thank you Turbo500.

I am indifferent to Dyson - both the "brand" and the "Sir James". Like a lot of products, it is able to do what it says it says it will do. Whether or not what it does is needed is entirely subjective. Personally, I quite liked the idea of a bagless no-loss-of-suction cleaner, even if my shop did rely heavily on the sales of dustbags. What I did not like about the Dyson cleaners was the appalling build quality and the fact that many of the tried & tested 'good' parts of your Hoover and Electrolux and all the rest of them was tossed aside to make way for a completely new (and in my opinion lousy) way of doing things.

Take the tool kits, for example. Not withstanding the likes of Hoover and Philips, practically all other cleaners utilised a straight-forward push-fit tool kit, be it 32mm, 35mm, or whatever else it was. Dyson had a go at that on his uprights and DC02 cylinders. It was a success. So what do they do? They change it on the DC05 and parts start to break. In addition, "Dyson" branded accessories like the floor tool and telescopic tubes were to cost the consumer a small fortune when they broke, and quickly did they see that the savings made on bags was to be spent on replacement parts. I struggle with this, as Sir James has always stated the need to buy aftermarket parts for any product was bad form, which is why in this case he sites it as one reason why he built a bagless cleaner, yet he soon wanted a slice of aftermarket-sales sector, it would seem. He didn't sell bags of course; he sold expensive parts, and not just accessories, but essential parts critical to the continued use of his cleaners.

I remember one lady coming to my shop with a DC05 cleaner which had broken extension tubes (she'd taped them up) and also a broken floor tool (rendering the cleaner now useless). She asked for the price of the parts and almost fainted when I told her. I said there is a plan B, and told her the cost of buying a set of generic 32mm push-fit tubes, wand, and floor tool. As I said to her, the existing small tools will still fit, she gets a quality tool kit for a lot less, and as I didn't tell her, I actually made more money on the % mark-up of generic parts as I would have done Dyson genuine. Given the cost of the cleaner when new, and given the relatively short life the genuine parts had offered, the woman was somewhat keen to seek the generic tools option I presented her with.

There is one point which I would like to attempt to clarify, however, and that is the issue of the 100% suction. In defense of the Dyson cleaner, it simply has to be remembered that comparing the cyclones and filters of a Dyson with that of A.N.Other is to compare apples with eggs. The filter in a Dyson is nothing more than a pre-motor filter in a bagged cleaner and is there to prevent the fine dust escaping from the machine. As the cyclone tank represents the dustbag, in this instance the Dyson cleaner will never lose suction as a result of the cyclones doing the job of the bag, and this "open ended" system is what the claims refer to.

Other bagless cleaners do of course rely on a filter to "close" the end of the dust container, thus the filter is really what plays the part of the dustbag, not the cyclone tank itself. So you see, suction lost on a Dyson through eventual clogging of the pre-motor filter would not constitute a loss of suction as a result of using a bagless dust collection method.

Having said all of the above, I think Dyson are a little unaware of the concept of irony; having marketed their cleaner as being such that suction is never lost, when calling their helpline one of the first things the recorded message tells you is what to do if you cleaner is not sucking correctly. Blockages occur and filters clog; of course I know this, but their choice of words is, to my ears, something of a contradiction.
 
You have to read the book very carefully. While it was his Hoover Junior (a horrible vacuum in my opinion - we had them in the US too) that he made into the his first bagless upright, it was his Vax and it's terrible one-ply clogging vacuum bag that made him mad enough to do something about it. The airflow through a bagged vacuum decreases as the pores of the bag clog. We all know this. It's the velocity (the speed) of the air moving through the machine that needs to be maintained at a high level for good dirt pick up. Just because a vacuum has 'suction' doesn't mean it has sufficient airflow to clean well.

This is my autographed copy of James' autobiography. I have read it from cover to cover more than ten times. I can find only one sentence I take exception to. When he made the cardboard cyclone and put it on his poxy Hoover Junior, he wrote "I was the first man in the world with a bagless vacuum cleaner". Of course, the thirteen million people who had already bought Rainbows didn't count I guess.

dysonman1++8-21-2013-15-56-29.jpg
 
OK, Tom...

When any Dyson can beat a Hoover Juniors ass, then talk to me.


That silly test with the G-force and the Hoover Junior was unfair, the Junior was set too high for that, flat as a silk night gown, carpet so it couldn't make contact the floor correctly! I can guarentee that if they had tested it against a Turbopower 1 as they WERE out in 1983...It would of done WAY better as it is more powerfull and again, I have never found one of those to loose performance drastically when the bag fills, it just continues to pick up relentlessly!


I have no idea how James thought the "poxy Hoover Junior" looses suction as I have NEVER found a drop in it's performance!!


 


Do you want to see how bad DC01 really is? Here is a video I made several months ago with a MUCH more powerful vacuum which was on sale at the same time and was much cheaper to buy.


 
Yes!

Yes I have as I have a copy of 'doing a dyson' and x2 copies of 'Against the odds'! Only because at the time I brought a copy then on a day visit to Dyson HQ they gave everyone a copy! Doing a dyson is more a visual book of pictures and artwork but its interesting to look through showing the development of the DC01 and 02. I was a Dyson fanatic at the time!

Although I admire James Dyson and what he has achieved and look on to see what he and his Engineers will come out with next; I don't own a Dyson vacuum cleaner anymore and can not see I ever will in the future! I've gone back to bags and never looked back!
 
I've read it multiple times..

I think it's a terrific book! It drags a bit early on, but picks up, once he starts playing around with cyclones. There's definitely a lot of personal back-patting, but he struggled for a long time, before he had a product on the market.

One part of the Dyson story that bothers me a bit, has to do with his trips to vacuum cleaner companies with his original prototype. Still today, he mentions them scoffing at the notion of a bagless vacuum, and how bags make so much money, but I believe that if his vacuum at the time was more like the Cyclon, Amway, DC01, or Original Fantom (early dual-cyclonic uprights), vacuum companies would have been extremely interested. The prototype he took to Hoover, Electrolux, and various other companies was bizarre! It had two enormous upside-down cyclones (or one, and a bin), no clear bin, a tiny cleaner head, and was all-around much different than any of the finished products he got credit for. It still has a wand/hose, and switchover valve like today's Dysons, but I imagine vacuum company executives looking at it, scratching their heads, and struggling to understand the future of home cleaning.

More than the cyclone, the on-board hose intrigued companies, and the idea was promptly stolen.

henrydreyfuss++8-21-2013-19-01-39.jpg
 
Stolen hose idea.

That part I do recall reading. And yet, I am sure the Jeyes Ensign commercial upright cleaner has such a feature long before Electrolux allegedly stole Dyson's idea.

Furthermore, though not quite the full set up, the principles of an external hose must surely be accredited to Hoover for the Dial-a-Matic (UK convertible). I'm surprised the idea was developed from that sooner.
 
Agree with Dysonman1 on this. Read the book carefully. James had hard time developing his vacuum which no one else could. All he had as a shed outside Bristol, and 3-4 other people occasionally helping him with his idea of a bagless cyclonic vacuum.

Anyways, enough arguing people, i've had enough.
 
Anyways, enough arguing people, i've had enough.

For what it's worth, I thought this thread had remained interesting an mature. However, it's also worth noting that if you're liable to "have enough" of something you started, you might wish to consider starting it. How this now reflects on you is subjective; I only have my own opinion.
 
Mr Dyson simply copied an idea that had been around for like 100years--the cyclone filter for industry is nothing new-heck in behind the Kirby site in Ohio--I see a CYCLONE!!!Just about ANY school woodshop has a cyclone dust trap-filtering device.Uusually Torit is the largest maker of them.I used to empty the one in the school shops I was in.there were two drums or bins to empty-the one right under the cyclone itself-contained the large peies like wood shavings,chips or even small blocks.The cyclone was on the motor-blower air intake-so the large debris didn't reach the fan.On the fan discharge was the fines filter and a bin under it-you moved a lever which shook the filters to dislodge the very fine dust into the bin-like very fine sawdust and sander dust.Anoher cyclone unit-this one in the older school-had the motor fan unit AHEAD of the cyclone-so anything went thru the fan-At that time us michevious boys loved to toss woodblocks into floorsweep openings to hear them go CLANG thru the big fan-and when you emptied the cyclone bin-those wood peices were smashed to bits!Was like a 5Hp motor.Can't remember the brand of that unit-was like made in early 50's when the shop was built into the school built in 1915.I liked messing with hose units-emptying them and such-was a GIANT vacuum cleaner after all,and also the shops hade floor sweep openings near the floor-you swept debris in front of them-pulled a handle-and it was gone!
Was interesting how Mr Dyson essentiually miniturized the industrial cyclone to fit in a vacuum cleaner-Another company-"Dust Deputy" think it is-makes cyclones to use with regular shop vacuums and floor sander machines.A long hose goes from the truck mounted motor cyclone unit to the floor sander in the home or building-replaces the large sander bag.The dust deputy units have like a 5 gal standard plastic bucket to catch the debris for the Shop vac unit.It uses the shop vacs airflow to power it.The floor sander machines have their own motor or engine for power and a large bin.
I own two Dysons and find just about ANY of my other vacuums do better-from Riccar to Kirby.DC05,DC15.
 
thats because it shines out of the electrolux internal hose

Michael, I wouldn't even say that. I have yet to find an absolutely perfect vacuum - even my beloved Sebo and Lux 500/Twin Turbo's have their flaws. It's all a matter of balancing out the pro's and con's. For example:

Dyson pro's:

No bags to buy
Full stair stretch hose
Brushroll on/off controls
Good suction

Dyson cons:

Messy to empty
Filters have to be maintained
Poor construction
Expensive to buy
impractical tool setup
poor brushroll
near impossible to clean under low furniture

Sebo pro's:

Not overly expensive if you shop around
Easy to maintain
Easy to take apart (brushroll, handle, tools and replacement parts easilly available
Quick use tools
high filtration level
large capacity bags mean emptying less often
reliable and well made
vacuums flat to the floor for cleaning under low furniture
Brushroll is fantastic for grooming/deep cleaning of the carpet pile

Sebo con's:

X series lack brush controls
cleaner prone to falling over when using the hose on stairs
X seies can sometimes be awkward to manuever
Felix exhaust filter not all that easy to replace.

Overall for me, Dyson has 4 pro's vs 7 cons whereas the Sebo has 8 pro's vs 4 con's.

All about the balance :)
 
Don't forget SEBOS X series ridiculous "on-board computer" for Automatic height adjustment, which in my opinion is a gimmick and works inefficiently.

[this post was last edited: 8/22/2013-13:46]
 
Well, I just find it a bit temperamental, when I first turn it on it can't make it's mind up wheather it wants to stay up or down, however after using it for a while the flickering of the lights terminate and it stays at a constant height. If I use it on hard floors for any more than 5 minutes the check brush light comes on...Also to get the bag full indicator light to illuminate, you have to cover the hose for at least 3 seconds, on my Turbopower 2, you just have to cover the hose for a millisecond and the light illuminates, which is how sensitive it should be!
 
I've never found the issue with the Sebo's computer controlled height adjustment. My Sebo maintains contact with the floor no problem, even on an uneven surface. Therefore, I did not include that in my cons list. It's not a feature I particularly find essential or important, but it works well. I could quite happily live with a manual or spring loaded height adjustment.

Also, bag full indicators are ridiculous full stop. They'll have been some clever clogs back in 1993 using a Turbopower 2 for the first time on the stairs and going "OH MY GOD, the bag full light is flashing, better empty it!" even though it's no where near full. I've never paid any attention to a bag full indicator on ANY vacuum, let alone the Sebo.

However, the Sebo is not up for discussion, I was merely trying to show the balance between pro's and con's - it could have easilly been a comparison between a Dyson and a Kirby or an Electrolux and a Hoover, but I think the latter would upset Alex too much :P
 
Oh well, lets return to SEBO if you wish..

No I haven't either - but then when or IF you're used to a heavy conventional Hoover upright that is a chore to push compared to just a finger on the handle of the SEBO and you're too impatient to wait for the sensor to adjust, then go right ahead and form your opinion. The sensor adjusts "as you go" anyway..

But then.. I USED to be of the same mind when I adored my Turbopower 2 and 3 series. I never knew that any other upright could exist that could better it. I was shocked and very taken with how super easy my parents inherited X1 Automatic was when comparing it to my old Hoover collection. I was even more shocked to find that the brush roll shut off if there's a clog unlike drive belt breakages. The hose release is also simple compared to the usual "stuck down with dirt" cuff on the lower to release hose on the backs of the TP2 & 3 series, which might not have happened if I didn't use those machines as much and just left them in a corner as part of a collection.

At least the SEBO doesn't suffer from naff height adjustment slider controls that can come off in your hand (cue Turbopower 2,3 & Purepower) - Even SEBO's manual model has a proper dial on the side if you're lucky enough to get a G2 model. The Hoover's adjuster sliders had to be treated with care when requiring to clean hard floors and half the time they didn't pick up properly as the brush roll was lifted far away from it.

Importantly though, end of the day, the SEBO has a far better sealed suction design than Hoover in general. It took me several years to get over how SEBO managed to design an upright that was better than the Hoover TP2/3 series and quite a long time to get over the fact that Hoover as a brand, didn't always produce the best that they could. The SEBO isn't perfect, as Chris does say but it is a far easier model to use in general IMHO.

[this post was last edited: 8/22/2013-13:05]
 
I am sure you love the Turbopower 2/3 as much as I do, Ryan, because everytime I suggest something I don't like about a SEBO you bring up the Turbopower 2/3...All I said a few posts back was the bag full light was more accurate, I didn't compare them, like you are doing, AGAIN.


I don't actually think "nothing else could better it" because I know that is not true, Turbopower 1, Hoover Junior, Kirby.


They are just a very nice design and one of my faveourites.  I can't change my mind really, that is like trying to squeeze Coke out of a cow! I do like the SEBO and I think it is an excellent machine but I would never turn my back on a Turbopower 2 for one, the SEBO does not have the same value to me, I don't like Turbopower 2's from memory of anyone having one when I was little, because they didn't, I just love the styling, ease of use and sound of them and most of all a flaming height control that I CAN SET!
 
Well, you did make the comments regarding how gimmicky you think the SEBO computer panel is. Then the "gimmick" turned to "temperamental." You then commented on how useless the SEBO is on hard floors and THEN went on about the bag light indicator. You can't back out of what you said. I've taken on what you've said and I'm just offering you an opinion - i.e. MINE.

I bring up the TP2s and 3s because that formed part of my collection and I adored them. Sorry if you think I'm getting on at you all the time - perhaps I should bring into memory, my LG upright vacuum cleaner - that was a great upright too, super light, easy to push and far easier to use than the Hoover. Pity LG don't make them anymore. They were a good all rounder and I have never seen an upright since where only ONE screw and a slide lock is required to get in to take off the sole plate to change the belt.
 

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