Thanks Jack

[vacuumfreeeke]

Hey Jack (Vintagehoover). One of your videos that I watched a while ago helped me today! I have a friend whose mother just had surgery and he went over to clean her house while she is in rehab. She just bought a Dyson ball model (which I think is too heavy for an old person, but I digress)... she already has a Prolux upright and a few Eurekas, but she just had to have a Dyson. Now, I only have personal experience with the DC07 (sold them at Sears when Dyson first came to US), and the DC14 (I have one).

Today, my friend took a break from cleaning and came with me to check the thrift shops for vacuums (didn't find any ( ) While I was driving he told me he spent an hour trying to get the hose off that silly <<<(his words) Dyson and couldn't figure it out. He's used mine before and didn't see that squeeze button that the DC07 and 14 have. We passed right by a Target so I told him I'd go in and we'd look at a floor model together and figure it out. It gave me a chance to drool over the Dyson blueprint again anyway :O) We found the model his mother had and I looked at it. It was when I saw the red on the top of the wand that I remembered your video showing how easy the telescopic wand is to remove on those models. I didn't even tell him I forgot or didn't know how to do it... I just yanked straight up on the wand and off it came! He said WOW so loud three people looked at us to see why we were having so much fun in Target. I showed him how to take the hose off the wand and made sure he remembered how to empty the bin... I tell you people were beginning to gather as if I were giving a Dyson class. I thought target was going to throw us out!

So... THANK YOU for your great videos and presence on this forum... you saved the day for me and my friend Larry today )

By the way I wanted to ask you a question... I have an early DC14 and I noticed the newer ones have a different handle. It's a different shape and looks a lot more comfortable... just wondering if you know why Dyson made the change? Also, is there some kind of pipe or tube I can put on the bare floor tool so my DC14 is more comfortable? They didn't make the Dyson wand for tall people! Just thought you might have some idea since you seem to be the resident Dyson expert )

 

[vintagehoover]

Hi Bobby, very happy to have helped!

I'm not aware of any official Dyson part on either the US or UK websites for extending the length of the upright wand. The idea is that if you want a wand suitable for extensive hard-floor cleaning, you buy a canister; the upright wand is really intended for stairs, under furniture, high-up areas, etc. Dyson didn't feel it necessary to try and fit a longer wand onto the upright because the DC07/14/17/18/24/25/27/28 are all designed to be used on hard floors in upright mode, with the brushroll off. I use all my Dyson uprights in upright mode for hard floors, and I'm always pleased with the results. The DC14 in particular is suitable for this because it has the large debris channel in front, so it doesn't 'snowplow' debris across the floor.

As to the change in handle design, does the handle on your DC14 look like this?

 

[vintagehoover]

...or like this?

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

It looks like the 2nd one! The one in the first picture looks a lot better.

I find I always get better results with the bare floor tool than with the upright part itself... and I don't want to mess with the clutch too much since I've already had to replace it once, which I did myself thanks to a youtube tutorial.

 

[vintagehoover]

The first handle is the only one we've ever had in the UK! The 2005 'Argos' magazine scan below shows that handle on the DC14 when it was launched, and before the Animal model was even available! It was also on all of our DC15s.

Clearly, Dyson felt the US market warranted it's own handle, because I know US DC15s also came with this handle fitted. I can only guess that since the DC14 is an older model, and will be phased out in favour of the newer models, Dyson are now cutting back on manufacturing costs by producing just 1 'universal' design.

The second handle is closer in design to that used on the DC17 and 18, but without the 'quick-draw' feature. I'd agree with you that the handle in the first picture is more comfortable to use; at least in comparison with my DC18.

I wonder if the 2 designs are interchangeable? If you're planning to keep your DC14 for a long time, it might be worth just ordering the 'new' (ie. old!) style handle!

 

[vintagehoover]

*Mis-read the scan above! Animal and Origin were available from 9th August; All Floors and Allergy were available from 1st September.

 

[sleepdoc]

Tall people

Dyson definitely didn't make its machines with tall people in mind. I still use my DC07 Carpet cuz it's tall. I wanted a DC28, but it wasn't tall enough to use comfortably. The DC17 is pretty good, though. The telescoping wands on the canisters are fine for me, too. I don't even bother trying to clean the hard floors with the upright wands; they're hopelessly short for me.

On that DC14, the handle with the grip on the back side would make the vacuum taller, assuming everything else is the same height between the two. I'd go for that one if I could find one.