Why I dislike Dyson

[myles_v]

niclonnic...

While I certainly would rather use a bagged cleaner instead of a Dyson, I think it is important to realize that the DC07 is quite an old machine relative to how long Dyson has been around. Many changes have been made in 15 years

 

[rdwdcp]

I think dyson is awesome I have a DC07 standard 15 years old still working like new.
Brilliant cleaner.

 

[mike811]

It's important that we don't mix airflow to the suction. All Dyson vacuums have weak airflow.
What I have seen so far being tested: DC14, DC25, DC65, DC40, latest ball models + more.
None of these can't reach even 60 cfm from the cleaning head.
Good bagged vacuums can quite easily get 70-90 cfm from the nozzle.

Dysons usually have good suction and they have tried very hard to compensate weak airflow with the seals in the cleaning head.

So weak airflow is the main thing why I don't like Dysons.
However there is also things to like, but that's another topic.

 

[rdwdcp]

Most of my Dysons have strong suction

 

[speedqueen]

For reliability, the best were the DC07, 14, and 17. No trouble but the clutch on the first two and that pesky seal on the DC17. So many people still have theirs and they are so much cheaper to repair than the newer ones. I won't speak to cleaning, I think they are all pretty poor cleaners, an old Hoover 28 will blow any of them out of the water.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

An old Hoover 28

will shame most.

 

[speedqueen]

@John Long

That's my(entirely arbitrary) test for any vacuum, does it equal or outperform my model 28, if so it is a good cleaner, if not then it isn't worth anyone's time to use. Anything today with modern technology has no excuse for poor performance, but more often than not they are far worse than what preceded them.

 

[repairman]

Marketing

When Dyson came out with the "lifetime filter" gimmick, it really meant that the filters were supposed to last the lifetime of the machine itself.

 

[myles_v]

I always take the phrase "lifetime" with a grain of salt. It almost always means the lifetime of the product, not the owner.

I recently bought a harness for my dog with a "lifetime" warranty. I wonder if they mean my lifetime or the dog's, lol.

 

[shattered]

Well, I can say the same about Built to last phrase.. What does it mean? I'll buy a vacuum and it's gonna work until I'm 80?

 

[mikanic]

I like the way you put it,

Overpriced, overrated, over-engineered and underperforming. I like that a lot and I can relate to every word.

The only way Dyson can make more suction than they already claim, thanks to Vacuum Wars and Vacuumtests for prooving this, is by inserting a microfibre bag!

 

[repairman]

Ironically,

Dyson is doing the same thing that Oreck did where their products don't have to perform well as long as they are marketed correctly. That's why everyone who buys a Shark LOVES it. They don't realize how much of a terrible performer it is because they were brainwashed into thinking a hunk of plastic is supposed to replace every vacuum on the planet. After working on vacuums for the past 10 years, I can tell you Dyson just keeps reinventing the wheel. Why put all that time and money into designing a digital motor for the new V10 when they know it would never hold up to a Kirby. I understand the idea of innovation, but why do you pass off a dustbuster as the replacement for any upright vacuum? I had a Cinetic come in a few months ago that was still under warranty and the motor was toast. Since we aren't a Dyson dealer, the guy had to go to a service center to get the repairs done.

 

[repairman]

Also,

I don't mean to bash James Dyson, I respect him for standing by his work and owning it. I feel that everything but the vacuum were some of his best ideas. I love walking into a bathroom with a Dyson Airblade because I know that filtered air is being blown onto my hands and it doesn't take 5 minutes for them to dry.

 

[jo]

They can’t go everywhere

Quite simply I can’t use a Dyson under furniture, and the canister models and stick models don’t cut it for me because the rotating turbo brush doesn’t do a good enough job on carpet so those style of Dyson are out for me as well. The uprights are very heavy. I prefer Aerus/Electrolux canisters for a heavy duty vacuum and the Shark rocket for a stick and hand vac. With the Aerus, it can always be serviced by an Aerus dealer if something goes out on it and their warranties are generally better. The Shark rocket is priced low enough that if it craps out after the warranty and a replacement part can’t be had, then it can be replaced not too expensively.

I use tools a LOT so having really good multipurpose ones that don’t fall apart and have good bristles is important to me. Dyson brush bristles are not full and natural horsehair like the Aerus. The Sharks are similar to the Dyson and the crevice tool with slide down dusting brush is liked for ease of use but the bristles are wimpy in quantity but functional and not too stiff.

And I’m not a fan of bagless either, not crazy about it on the rocket, but it’s not too bad so far because the one I have the bin is removable and I can take it outside to the trash to empty and it and the filter doesn’t clog too often and is easy to wash out much like washing out a kitchen sponge and it’s not too messy to get it out for washing.

 

[lux_luthor]

I agree, Joe. In my experience they’re OK with low pile carpet and smooth floors. Tool use with a Dyson upright is exhausting because the hose recoil is ridiculous. I think the concept of the design is smart, but it’s not as user friendly in action. If one has pets, a turbo floor tool will not be strong enough to pull hair off of rugs/carpets. It will get some, but not as much as a power nozzle. I don’t understand why Dyson doesn’t put the V series nozzle on the canisters.
I do use a V11 and it’s good for sweeping up my downstairs hard floors and low pile area rug. But it’s frustrating to try to dust with, as it sweeps dust into a pile, no matter which brush and power setting (yes even Max) I use, but it won’t suck that dust pile up unless angled a very specific way after a blood sacrifice. And even then it doesn’t pick up all the dust like any bagged vac or Rainbow would. But of course with all the Dyson “no loss of suction power” it will suck down to the surface and not pick up the debris.

 

[shattered]

it won’t suck that dust pile

Really? I find my upright amazing when it comes to dusting. We also have V8 and it works fine too.

I do agree with turbo tool though. Tangle free turbine doesn't really pick up ground in hair. It takes many passes to clean the surface but at least it doesn't tangle like Sebo's mini turbo brush.
I dislike Sharks very much and wouldn't want to own any but I do like Dysons.
It really makes me wonder though why people complain and trash them that much. You don't like bagless then don't use it. We always empty ours outside and never get any dust clouds like some people say. Quick wiping of the bin with a dry cloth after emptying and it's nice and clean.
I know people who don't use the vacuum according to the manual, don't wash filters, don't empty before Max and then when it stops working say that Dysons are rubbish..


I don't really think that an average person cares about removing every little bit of dust from their carpets. Kirby might be an amazing cleaner but I would never choose it as my vacuum, can't really understand why it's being praised that much.

In UK the newest upright costs 199 which is not much comparing to Lift away Sharks with Duo clean.

 

[lux_luthor]

It will gather a line or pile of dust along the dust brush bristles but it won’t pick up. The upright does better. The turbo tool I was describing above was the canister vacuum floor tool. The tangle free turbine for upholstery is useless for cat hair for me. The static electricity causes hair to stick to the side and the top of the tool and little is picked up by it.
I tried the different Dysons because I like to try different vacuums. I was hoping to like them more than I do. The V11 is convenient for other cleanings but not dusting. I realize there’s always something left behind when vacuuming, but any vacuum should remove visible dirt regardless of dust collection type. UK does get better pricing than US for machines whose parent companies are in Europe.

 

[lesinutah]

Hmm

This is a rather long thread.
I'm not going into details but original poster of this thread is whom I'm suggesting this too.
I think the vacuum worked fine it's the circumstance that followed using it for 6-6 years may be one of the reasons you spite it so much.
I don't have much experience with Dysons so I can't say anything credible.
I've had incidents in my life I noticed changed what I thought of certain items.
Im suggesting and I may be wrong. There seems to be a lot of people agree with you.
Les

 

[niclonnic]

Les

Yes, my Dyson did work fine as a daily driver for the first 5-6 years of its life. It's one of those situations where you like a vacuum for a long time, but upon closer inspection, realize it's not that great despite the hype. Even when the Dyson was a daily driver, I was irked by some of the aforementioned aspects listed above, namely the subpar carpet cleaning performance, along with the dusty smell given off for the first 5 minutes of use, which would then go away. Even my mom, who took this vacuum with her right after my parents divorced, got annoyed with how heavy it was.

I'm surprised that this thread is still going, a year after it was "archived." I do appreciate reading everyone else's opinions. Perhaps I shouldn't have been too harsh on my review, but it took me a while to come up with my points of criticism on the Dyson.

 

[shattered]

dusty smell given off for the first 5 minutes of use

The smell can occur on bagged vacuum as well.
I bought a second hand Sebo Felix some time ago. Changed filters, bag and wiped with with a damp cloth but it still absolutely stinks of dog.

From my experience I can tell that smells in Dysons come when you vacuum something damp or some water. If you wash filters and empty frequently it shouldn't smell.

I think Dyson lost its hype in UK. Shark is the vacuum that seems to be the best vacuum most Britons ever used. Many of my friends on Facebook ask for vacuum recommendation when they need a new one, about 90% people say Shark.. I really don't know why.. What's so good about it? You got a Lift away but the floor head is really bulky and you can't vacuum under your furniture properly.. I suppose it's better than with Dysons where you need to purchase extra tools..

 

[niclonnic]

Shattered

For the record, I (or anyone else in my family) have NEVER vacuumed up anything wet with the Dyson. Even after washing the pre-motor filter and replacing the HEPA post-motor filter, the smell lingered until I washed out the cyclone assembly.

As I've stated in my OP, dog smells build up inside the inner cyclones, and cleaning them involves disassembly of the cyclone pack, which can be a pain.

 

[Absolute Rainbow]

We can all agree that Dyson current customer support is DOWNRIGHT ATROCIOUS! I'm not sugarcoating it, even though I'm simply a simple guy who agrees with objective reviewers and I'm absolutely not a Dyson fan(boy). Dyson's award-winning support has rotten at near-lightspeed and it's become a living hell! And recently community.dyson.com is COMPLETELY DOWN! FUCK!

 

[Absolute Rainbow]

Selling the sizzle....... but where's the steak?

Dyson products in my opinion are much like Apple computer products. The design makes it look cool, and it has a price tag that not just any schmoe can afford. However, when it comes to total value, there are certainly products that can deliver more performance for less money.

James Dyson is a charismatic figure who just wants things to "work properly" and it gives some consumers the warm fuzzy feeling. As a bagless vacuum, some feel like they are saving the earth by not throwing away bags, (not thinking that they'll have to dispose of the whole vacuum several times over.)

For us who think with our data sheets, tests and numbers.... Dyson is just hype. We want the machine that outperforms all others and delivers the best clean based on our favorite criteria.... preferably a machine that will last for many many years with little maintenance.

If true, then the SINGLE optimization problem through design failure with the launch of the V16 (as @Vacuum Facts and @frickhelm pointed out) is the current logical extreme at this point (not too mention how people hated the new dual-cone roller). Though to be fair, technology marches on. So... no comment on that, @vexorgtr