i wasnt even born when the came out
good LORD, I feel old!
The first Dyson I ever saw belonged to my Aunt and Uncle. My Uncle works in industrial electronics and they always had very high end electricals at home - washer, dishwasher, TV, VCR etc was all the latest stuff. Pre-Dyson, they had a Turbopower u2602. Anyway, my uncle got a DA001 from work - this must've been about 1993. I thought it was the wierdest thing I had ever seen, but being only 4 at the time, I was fascinated by it. I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and loved watching all the dust spin around inside. Mum was less impressed, so when I hinted at us getting one, this was quickly brushed aside.
Now, fast forward to about 1996 - the DC01's were becoming increasingly more popular. The first one I got to use properly and form an opinion on belonged to my friend Karl's Mum. It was this model that I remember using the most and being horribly disapointed. All that dust spinning around in the bin and then I put my hand over the end of the hose and thought the suction was pathetic, especially compared with both the Kirby and Panasonic we had at home at the time.
The following year, my Grandma replaced her Electrolux 610 with a DC01. She also thought it was absolutely brilliant - I suppose purely because you could see all the dirt. The 610 certainly had more suction power and groomed the carpet better. My Grandma has 2 dogs and vacuums on a daily basis. The DC01, even after a few months, was falling apart. The hose release broke, the floorhead friction handle release broke, the baseplate cracked, the hose split. It only lasted 2 years (compared to the 11 years she had the 610) and was replaced with a DC04 in 1999, which I remember thinking was a VAST improvement.
In conclusion, my initial response to the DC01/DA001 was fascination. I suppose, because it looked so radically different to anything I'd seen or used and I spent HOURS with my aunts cleaner looking at all the different features. However, over time and the more I used them, the more I started to dislike them. I remember a lot of people quickly replacing them - even at that young age I was surprised at how short their lifespan was. I also remember my Grandma having to run the thing over the same spot several times, especially where the dogs had been sat (5 Dyson's down the line, she has finally learnt her lesson and bought another brand). It took a while, but I finally saw through the flaws of the DC01. I was, however, very surprised and impressed at the improvements made on the DC04 - I guess everyone has to start somewhere.
