Picked up a used DC50...am I expecting too much?

[nicktechtalk]

Hey all, I want to start out by saying I really don't know much about Dyson uprights ever since the DC07, that was the first and only Dyson upright that I've ever owned. I do have a V6 and V7, but I only used those for quick pickups and I think they work great for that. Anyway, I just moved down to Florida for college and brought a Fantom Fury with me, but I went into a pawn shop that is near my apartment and found a DC50 in "ok" shape for $39. Everything is intact it was just very dirty. I cleaned it up the best I could for now without doing a complete disassembly, and I tried it out. I have to say that I was very unimpressed in both its build quality and performance. I thought Dyson's were built well, as the DC07 was sturdy feeling (but that was a long time ago). This one just feels flimsy and cheap. I always have to pull the dirt out of the bin when emptying regardless of it actually being full or not, dirt gets stuck at the top of the bin assembly where it meets the top of the cyclone (see picture), and I feel like it's not really performing as much as I thought it would. Did I over-estimate this vacuum? Or is this how Dyson uprights are nowadays? Like I said I've only ever owned a DC07 a long time ago. Any comments greatly appreciated!!

Nick

 

[nicktechtalk]

I want to add, I'm not trying to bash Dyson in any way, I am just sharing my experience with this vacuum and am looking for some other opinions on it.

 

[vacuumdevil]

Malaysian child labor ain't what it used to be.

@nicktechtalk I have found the dc50 to clean sufficiently.
I would like to mention that the brush rollers wear out extremely fast on that model I would highly recommend changing it with a generic brand one.
Dyson has never been known for their quality stateside.
Maybe this video could help as well.

 

[huskyvacs]

Getting it from a pawn shop it's only going to be checked if it runs, they don't completely dismantle it and give it a deep clean.I got a Kirby G6 2001 from a pawn shop and they didn't even empty the bag (and the previous owner didn't even use bags in it)

You might want to unscrew the cyclone assembly and make sure it's not packed solid with dirt, they tend to do that when people ignore the max fill line. That might be an explanation for the suction being bad, other than that it's got a small brushroll so it won't have too much power overall. This vacuum is from their more slim and compact Ball series vacuums so they might be more underpowered than your Dyson DC07 due to the smaller cyclones and bin size.

 

[mike811]

I have DC40 mkII (Ball 2 Multifloor).
Pick up performance is good, but not good as the Sebo Felix.
Overall I am quite pleased to it, but there is some things what bothers me.
Handle is made of VERY flexible plastic. When I turn it the whole handle twists a lot before the vacuum starts to turn.
It's actually so bad that it regularly causes bin to vacuum seal leak and make a hissing noise.
Another is the overcomplicated cyclone system what will put motor to "overwork".
Just try to run the Dyson with and without the bin and you will hear the difference.
With the bin on motor runs faster because of the cyclone restiction.
That can't be good for the motor lifespan.

 

[nicktechtalk]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I probably will end up getting a new brush roller and filters, but I don't want to put more money into this vacuum than its worth. I think its great for my 2 bedroom apartment, and I don't want to put much wear on the Fury.

 

[suckolux]

I have worked on two of these, works fine on floors, the suction at the hose is less than thrilling, but it is quite small