Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

From my reading of the article, all the vacuums reviewed get high marks for their perfomance and size.  None gets knocked down with any cons.  HOOVER EmPower gets the feature views in all the closets illustrated in the article.  And the HOOVER EmPower gets kudos for the hush mode and fold down handle.  This HOOVER model has been around since the spring of 2004 and still very pervasive among all the big box retailers.  It is also a Consumer Reports' pick too for lightweight, full size power and inexpensive price tag.   

I will write Better Homes & Gardens and ask why the Oreck was conspicuously omitted.  Curious to see what they say, if anything.

Carmine D.

No Oreck?  The original and oldest lightweight in the USA.

They will likely tell you that they only recommend based on performance and not the age of the manufacturer.  Years in business does not = best performance.  After many years of being one of the best  we already know how Hoover quality and performance declined to the point that they sold.  Oreck  at it's best can't compare to the worst Hoover.  They should close and quit bilking the old uneducated consumers.

HS:

I'll be sure to let you know if they respond.

Carmine D.

I tried it with a DC14, and did not notice any difference in carpet hugging ability (half-inch pile depth).

Comparing the two unmodified cleaners, DCs14 & 15, I would say that the DC15 has the better cleaning ability on plusher type carpets, and DC14 is better on short pile carpets. If you have a mixture of carpets, then you need a mixture of Dyson cleaners! Absolutely daft.

And thus we come to another little design problem: the lack of a "carpet height right control". From what I gather, auto-floating cleaner heads don't suit all types of carpet, hence the introduction of the pile height adjuster.

If Dyson is treading in Hoover's footsteps (or sweep path!), and it certainly seems to be a case of Dyson re-inventing the wheel, wouldn't it be more sensible to incorporate tried and tested designs that work, that others have already proven?

Many posters here and elsewhere, myself included, have cited the dyson's lack of a rug adjustment as a major drawback.  Especially when you compare with less expensive models which make this feature a standard in the industry.

HOOVER made the self-adjusting rug height claim in the early 60's with the Dial-a-matic.  It was flawed for medium to thick carpets, which made the Dial impossible to use.  HOOVER soon added rug adjustments and even the power feature which is still in use today on HOOVER [and even other brands].

One of dyson's weaknesses is its complete failure to know and apply past vacuum history and experience to its models.  Sub par brushbar on the DC07/14 and lack of height adjustments are 2.  Dyson corrected the first after several years but not the last.

Carmine D.

That does surprise me a little with the DC14 but I suppose with it being a more powerful machine (only slightly!?) than the DC15 plugging that hole wouldn't make much difference!

One thing James Dyson mentioned when he was designing and engineering his first bagless machine (DC01) and still to this day he wanted a machine that was easy to use, no dials and switches to bend down and change so he put the self adjusting floating head on the DC01 and all uprights to follow so far!  I believe the first machine James Dyson designed that was sold in Japan before the DC01 had a switch on the front which was a height adjuster (correct me if I'm wrong!).  I do like the floating head on the Dyson machines but if Dyson were to look at this all his current designs would not work with a carpet height adjuster.  Vacuums that use this are 4 or 3 wheel designs, a design that James Dyson and his team see a flaw with, hence the ball design!  Plus the 2 wheel design that his other models use!

One machine I believe has the answer on the current market is the Sebo X4 with it automatic height adjust that continuely senses the height of the head to make sure it's at optimal level (taking brush bar wear into consideration!) on all floor types!

DC18

DC or anyone,

I have never seen or used a vacuum with this automatic carpet height adjuster.  I the patent (Hoover) shows it using a dedicated motor and gearing.  Does it work?  Does it much additional weight?  Thanks.        DIB

I can not comment on any other that has used a simular auto height adjuster like the Sebo X4.  I've demo'd a Sebo X4 and it seem light in use, and no heavy to pickup than any standard upright!  From the demo the machine adjusted the head cleaning height to the correct height for that floor type.  You can see a demo on the Sebo UK website of this.  The way the Sebo work it uses an onboard computer which is constantly monitor and adjusting the cleaning head height using a centre wheel underneath.  I believe also in conjuction with the brush bar, it senses when the brush bar is in contact with the carpet and adjusts to the correct height (not too low or too high).  The Felix does not have this feature but an indicator tells you if you have the manual height too high or too low!

The Sebo X4 and Felix feels like they has 'self propelled' built in as the cleaner moves\glides forward with minimum effort to push it!

The one thing I used to find on cleaners I've used with manual height adjustment is that there is always a carpet in the house where none of the settings suit.  Too high or too low!  Where as self adjusting there is no issue, but thats my personal opinion from my own usage!

DC18

For the record:  This is the classic sales pitch [exact word for word verbage] HOOVER and its reps used in the early 1960's with the Dial-a-Matic.  The demo to show the self-adjusting head worked like this:  With the HOOVER Dial in the ready position, the rep would get down and with his/her hands positioned on each end of the brush nozzle and lift it up and down.  While saying it self adjusts to all carpet heights. 

At the time, the overriding consideration for the appeal of the HOOVER Dial was its two in one vacuums.  Conventional upright with beater bar for rugs and a full one horse power suction motor for attachment and above the floor cleaning.  The Dial feature was to increase/decrease the one horse power suction motor for both rug/tool cleaning.  6 settings.  3 for rugs.  3 for floors/tools.  Low medium and high.  The User manual admonished users never ever to exceed medium suction for rug cleaning. 

It wasn't long before the Dial was changed to include a 3 position rug height adjuster on the head nozzle.  So much for the self-adjusting floating head [nozzle].

Almost 45 years later with the DC07 pink, I experienced the exact same problem [as the Dial] on my rugs.  Now made worse by the ratcheting noise.  Why?  The supposed self-adjusting dyson brush bar nozzle sinks into the rug and stops the brushbar.  In turn triggering the ratcheting noise. 

Carmine D.

I find (and other people I know, have also found) that the Dysons are awkward to maneouvre over different height levels, such as the threshold strips between rooms. Or trying to go from fitted carpet onto a hearth rug. With a Dyson, you have either to reverse over the height difference, or bend down and lift the head over, or put the cleaner fully upright and lift it onto the rug.

With most other upright makes, one simply presses down upon the machine's handle, the cleaner head pivots upon the rear wheels, push straight over the height difference - and you carry on cleaning.

Simple.

Also, the cleaning hose is a nuisance, having to haul out the aluminium wand in order to use the hose itself. Who is going to use an unwieldy wand, to vacuum around fine ornaments on a mantlepiece? Not me, nor several ladies I know.