Consumer Reports no longer recommends Dyson stick vacs

[niclonnic]

I just found this article online. Consumer Reports has removed their "recommended" ratings from all Dyson stick vacuum models. Apparently, they break more often than any other tested brand.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/consumer-reports-rescinds-dyson-stick-vac-recommendations/

 

[huskyvacs]

Consumer Reports used to be good back in the 80s and 90s (I have old books) - but today I suspect companies pay them to influence their ratings. This is likely why the brand was in "recommended pick" for so long.

I believe the Dyson in this though - over-engineered and under-performing. I just buy the Chinese Dyson clones and they perform the same for less money (and they still fit in Dyson's wall hanger tool rack, lol).

I think the issue with Dyson batteries is they use batteries that rapid-charge and have no overcharge protection, as opposed to a trickle charge and automatic shutoff when full voltage is detected. Over time that destroys the battery cells.

I just recently repaired my Ni-Cad powered Toro weedeater from 1996 with a new battery. All these years I left the charger plugged in to the battery 24/7 and it never hurt the battery, as it is a trickle charger. I got 12 years out of the original battery (2-3 hour run time), and then it sat unused for another 9 years before I got a new NiCad battery and fixed it. It's back on the charger 24/7 and it still works great.

 

[niclonnic]

Thoughts on Dyson

In all honesty, I am really not a fan of Dyson vacuums anymore. They're overpriced, overrated, over-engineered and underperforming. My mom is in the market for a new vacuum, as her Dyson DC07 Animal still smells like dog EVEN WITH A NEW HEPA FILTER. And despite having replaced the clutch last year, I still think this vacuum is an under-performer on carpets. Over the holidays, I did a quick clean-up of some small paper scraps at her place, and it took a few swipes to get all the pieces up. Not to mention the brush bar tangles VERY quickly, and the reversible wand is cumbersome to use for above floor cleaning.

I once really liked Dyson. My opinion has changed, mostly because of lies and false advertising. So I have no desire to buy another Dyson at the moment.

Was the DC07 Animal worth $500? Kind of; it has never lost suction its entire life, and it has a great set of attachments. But the carpet cleaning performance isn't the greatest, and parts like the clutch and "lifetime" HEPA filter DO wear out over time and WILL need to be replaced, which defeats Dyson's claim of "no extra costs."

So that's my rant on Dyson.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Cordless stick vacs such as this are overrated IMHO... just my two cents worth...

~Ben

 

[compactc9guy]

Dyson or any bag less is a no go in my house i once had a big Kenmore Evo bag less canister what a total pos that was .Hand held vacuum will never replace a corded one my 2 cents.

 

[vacuumdevil]

You beat me to it I was about to post that!

I've been saying for years Dyson stick vacs are crap in a less than humble way.


@kirbyclassiciii couldn't agree more!

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/consumer-reports-rescinds-dyson-stick-vac-recommendations/amp/

 

[electroluxxxx]

I happen to have 2 Dyson handhelds, one is a V6 and the other I don’t remember but it was a floors only machine. Both lack airflow however do seem to be just ok with performance. I mainly use them for quick pick ups and kitty litter. The Motörhead floor nozzle on the V6 is eh and surprisingly the powered upholstery head actually does a decent job. Thankfully I got them in on trade and out of all honesty I would not go out of my way to buy one new. The V6 lacks a hepa filter and manages to actually blow dust when going from carpet to hard floor, it is also rather annoying to take apart to clean out. I highly agree with the comment above that they are overpriced and way over engineered and in reality why does one need something so “busy” looking to spot clean.

 

[KirbyCollector01]

I only have one Dyson. The DC40. It will probably be the only Dyson I will own. I had a DC07 and a DC24. The 07 was not good at all with carpet cleaning, brushroll tangled easily. and the clutch system was iffy. The 24 did better than the 07, but it clogged very easily and the brushroll also tangled easily. The 40 is pretty good at doing a decent job. Though no where near as good as my kirbys and other machines of course. I agree that they’re overpriced, over engineered, overrated, and yet underpowered and underperforming.

 

[dysonman1]

There were only a couple models of US Dyson that I considered to be 'worth the money'. The DC17 was made only for US sales, and has a far better, more effective brush roll. It cleans like a dream. I also like the DC21 MotorHead with electric power nozzle. Cleans very well. DC28 could get the brush low enough that it walks the machine across the carpet. I hate the DC35 hand vac - waste of money in my opinion. Never bought another Dyson hand vac.

All the other models are, to me, only so so. Underwhelming and underperforming.

If you don't count the Vacuflo central vac or the Rexairs, I only have one bagless cleaner at home "in rotation" (canister Kenmore) but I don't use it often. Probably twice a year. I wind up cleaning it out with the central vac, so it kink of defeats the purpose of having used it.

 

[ridgidwd0670]

<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">I'll NEVER own a Dyson again!

</span>


 


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">Yrs ago I had a DC23 Turbinehead canister & then a Hoover Multi Cyclonic canister; the old TriStar CXL outperformed both bagless vacs

</span>


 


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">I managed to fill the Tristar bag ½ full after vacing the same carpet (EXACT same area) I already vacuumed with the Dyson or Hoover Cyclonic</span>


 


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">Maybe its the TriStar having more AIRFLOW than the bagless vacs & the PN having a Vibra Groomer brush roller</span>

 

[human]

It's plastic, it's battery powered, it contains self-destructing circuit boards. What's not to hate? It has absolutely everything I despise about modern vacuum cleaners. Give me metal, AC powered, non-circuit board machines any day of the week.

 

[superocd]

Uh oh...

Looks like Dyson didn't send their check in the mail.

In all seriousness, Consumer Reports is not something I personally would rely on. Their testing is for a short amount of time and they rely on their subscribers for their long-term testing, of which the submission pool may be quite small for any given product, so the results from those surveys may skew the numbers pretty badly and construe a horrible product as "good" and vice-versa.

Case in point: My wife and I supposedly own two duds for vehicles, according to CR: me, a 2014 Ram 1500 and her, a 2013 Mercedes C250. Both are on their "Avoid" list, however, both were owned by us since new and both have had nothing but routine maintenance (oh, a minor problem with the wipers on the Mercedes, easy fix and certainly not anything catastrophic). According to CR, we were supposed to have major electrical problems, drivetrain issues, etc.

As for Dysons, I have used a few models of Dysons and think that they do a great job, though not as much as a direct-air machine like a Sanitaire. What turns me off is the construction and the price. When I've used a Dyson, I get the impression of a lot pf flimsiness, ESPECIALLY the ball versions where the brushroll head attaches to the base of the ball. That doesn't inspire confidence that any of those machines will make it long-term. As for the V8 stick models, supposedly many people are replacing their uprights with these, which is unbelievable. I have not used a V8 stick vac but imagine that its performance couldn't be any better than a cordless vac that is half of its price, or even a quarter of its price, and certainly not something that could outperform even the average full-size uprights.

 

[vexorgtr]

I've been waiting for the consumer enthusiasm to die down for Dyson, as I'll admit they have a slick marketing campaign. Being a technician (computers and electronics) I know what makes a vacuum cleaner work better, and I have found many options much more suitable than what Dyson offers.

That said, I'm a Central Vacuum enthusiast, and the idea of cleaning high, low and everywhere with freedom is something that is easily achieved by a CV, with WAY more power... plus I don't run out of batteries, and there's a much larger dirt capacity.

Dyson owners are many times like Apple computer users... they scoff at anyone who would say there's a better alternative... and I think their adverts have really gotten people "brainwashed" on the idea that there's only one company that can lead them to the cleaning nirvana.

Make it look cool and high tech, and the sheep will line up at the altar.

 

[huskyvacs]

I will say that if you can get a Dyson for free from the trash, or can get one for less than $50and give them a full teardown and restore, they are a great vacuum (albeit designed to be overly obtuse and attempting to be unfixable on purpose). I would never ever ever ever think they are worth the $300-$500 price tag though.

 

[vexorgtr]

The mantra of.... If it's free, it's for me is true of most everything. Dyson products are OK, but I agree their new price tags are out of line.

 

[johnsmith96]

Honestly, my v7 is the only Dyson (our of my 3) that I use. My dc07 is NOS so I keep it that way. My dc65 is something I use when I clean my car sometimes. But the v7 is the most convenient cordless I've used. I know they are not recommending them (or whatever they are doing) because of the reliability, but I've had 2 Dyson cordless machines. My first was a higher model v6. I didn't like it that much. I thought it was a little noisy, and it could be improved. My v7 was a complete upgrade in all the areas I wanted. I don't care for Dyson's, but I do think their cordless is one of the best you can buy FOR NOW, for what it does, and the uses that it's designed for. By no means is it a replacement for a regular machine, and I don't think the V10 is there yet either. But none of the collector favorite brands offer something like it. I thought it would be a total flop the first time I saw the Dyson cordless machines. I'll go weeks without using it, but it's nice to have in my arsenal just to clean with. Not to "ooo and awww" over, it's weird because most collectors own machines for certain reasons. However, I feel the same way about my v7 as a non-collector would feel about their vacuum. It just does the job

 

[superocd]

I don't think I'd take a Dyson for free (assuming it was used). It wouldn't be worth my time to disassemble, clean and disinfect, unlike some other vacuums (like an F&G Eureka/Sanitaire, Kirby, Royal metal upright, Hoover Convertible, Kenmore canister, etc. I feel like I'd break something halfway through the disassembly process, as they seem to rely more on plastic snap fittings rather than screws.

If it were new, eh, I'd give it to my wife.

My wife wanted a Dyson for its wow factor but contends that my Sanitaire 7-amp upright is much more powerful and effective and is much less likely to break.

 

[tolivac]

Dyson V8 cordless vacuum-At Best Buy they are selling these for $100 off the normal $699 price.Even for 500 its an overpriced kitchen crumb and doormat vacuum.Give me my Simplicity cordless Freedom vacuum over the Dyson anyday of the week.Cheaper and performs BETTER.

 

[superocd]

Every time I see the Dyson V8 I think about the $20 Bissell stick vacs and $30 BD Dustbusters that serve the same purpose for soooooo much cheaper. Heck, even the $100 stick vacs (which are fancy enough) are probably the better buy.

As far as the brushroll on the V8 is concerned, I honestly think quite a few people are buying these to replace their full-size, corded vac. If I recall, Dyson ran a commercial where a lady took a Dyson V8 out of her closet instead of the fullsize upright next to it to vacuum not only her bare floors, but her thick pile carpets, and with people being people, they fell for it and ditched their vacs for these. They don't want to deal with the cords or the "weight" (geez, even my Kirby Sentria with Tech Drive disabled is not that heavy). I couldn't fathom this and I really feel sorry for their carpets.