Sorry for the late review; I have been rather busy. The Dyson Airmuscle DC28 is basically the upright many people have been asking for during the last several years; a machine that has individual floor settings, and can clean deep clean with a proper brush roll. The closest Dyson has come in regards to improved floor cleaning was with the DC17; a machine that performed well enough on carpets to earn a "very good" rating from Consumer Reports. However, its brush roll is far too aggressive, and has been noted by many consumers that it pulls up excess carpet fibers, damages delicate carpeting and rugs. Thus, the DC17 is not the ideal choice for everyone. But with the DC28 comes a far more advanced design that will improve upon the good attributes of the DC17, and eliminate the negative traits that the DC17 displayed. The DC28 is the successor to the DC17, with many retailers like Target and Best Buy liquidating their DC17 stock to make way for the DC28. With this new model comes new technology and features that enhances cleaning performance.
The big deal about the DC28 is that it is the first Dyson upright to come equipped with a manual height adjustment system to accommodate virtually every type of floor surface. The manual height adjustment system consists of four key components: the "Airmuscle" pneumatic piston, electronic cam system, electronic clutch, and the illuminated height selector system. When the user turns the machine on, the "Medium pile" button will illuminate, for it is the default preset. Should the user want to change, he or she can preset "Deep pile", "Low pile" or "Bare floor". Depending on the selection, the electronic cam system will automatically raise or lower the brush roll as the Airmuscle pneumatic piston pull the floor nozzle inward, effectively pushing the sole plate deeper into the carpet. The electronic clutch is activated and disengages the brush roll when the handle is pushed into the upright position, or when the user presses the Bare floor button on the height selector. With these added features, I noticed right away that the performance of the DC28 was superior to that of the DC14. In the clear bin, I notice more cat hair, and heavy grain sand.
Vacuuming the high traffic areas again and again revealed even more and more sand being picked up. I can't remember the last time I saw sand in a DC14 clear bin, if ever. This enhanced performance can definitely be attributed to the heigh selector tech, however, the design of the brush roll definitely comes into play here. The DC17 utilized a large roller that consisted of tufts of very stiff bristles that proved damaging to more delicate carpets; however, the DC28 uses the same size roller with thick tufts of longer, slightly softer bristles that is easier on carpets. This gentler brush roll design allowed for excellent deep cleaning without pulling up much carpet fibers into the clear bin, a very delicate balance that prolongs carpet life. Generally, I vacuum with the "Deep pile" setting to deep clean my thicker plush carpets as much as possible. I'm sure those with less dense carpeting like Berber would get more use out of the "Medium pile" or "Low pile" settings.
The DC28 performed well on bare floors as it did on carpets. With the "Bare floor" setting, the clutch disengages the brush roll, and the electronic cam system lifts the brush roll up even higher than with the "Low pile" setting. This is done to ensure no debris is trapped between the floor and the bristles. Personally, I like using the included "Flat-Out" tool when cleaning bare floors with area rugs. This Flat-Out tool is a super low profile nozzle that can simultaneously clean bare floors and carpeting without having to change any settings on the nozzle. The nozzle is so low-profile that I can clean under closed doors, the small gap under couches, beds, and all other low areas in your household.
When cleaning stairs, furniture, and my car, I liked using the small Turbine tool that was also included with the DC28. This recently redesigned Turbine tool is much smaller than the previous design, and far less bulky, although you lose the ability to shut off the brush roll. This nozzle is very small, fits well in your hand, and feels no more different than using the standard stair tool. It does a good job at removing debris from surfaces, however, with thick cat hair, an additional pass is needed to remove it. I think the brush roll could benefit from slightly stiffer bristles, however, that would most likely reduce the RPMs altogether, hampering its ability to lift embedded filth.
On paper, the DC28 has a power rating of 245 air watts. That makes the DC28 more powerful than the last <b>eight</b> US Dysons released over the span of four years. I'm betting that the Airmuscle system makes good use of some of the airflow, and is the reason why this machine needed more power than previous models.
As I stated here previously, I feel that this model is more refined, with improved fit and finish over previous models. Parts like the shell that holds the pre-filter slides into place nicely with a nice tight fit; its basically a design similar to that of the now defunct DC07, but fits better with no incremental nudges and pushes to get it to snap into place. The removable U-Bend tube has been replaced with a see-thru trap door that allows you to see if an obstruction is present. I also like the inclusion of snap-on tools that secure nicely thanks to laminated seals in the telescope tube, and at the end of the stretch hose.
I'm sure some people out there may be wonder why this machine doesn't have Level 3 Root Cyclone, and why it uses a clutch rather than a dedicated motor. I have some thoughts on both of the topics.
Root Cyclone over Level 3 Root Cyclone
• Level 3 may be more efficient, but it takes up so much space inside the clear bin to accommodate the added oversized cyclone.
• The DC28 Root Cyclone has most likely been tweaked for better performance; with the total handful of sand my DC28 has vacuumed up, the pre-filter had around ten visible grains of sand on it, with little fine dust. Definitely an improvement over the DC14.
• With 3 month filter cleaning cycles, is it really worth taking up bin capacity for the Level 3 System that would yield similar performance to the DC28 Root Cyclone system?
Clutch over Dedicated Electric Motor
• The clutch may be more able to protect the electronic cam system by quickly disengaging the brush roll immediately after an obstruction.
• An electric motor can exert great amounts of torque that can possibly damage the cam system by trying to power through obstructions in the cleaning head.
Overall, I am satisfied with the DC28, and I hope Dyson will promote this machine to the fullest extent (in the same manner as their Ball line). The only thing left to question is the durability of the cam system; whether or not obstructs can damage it, and if the clutch can function as a damage deterrent for the cam. Only time will tell. Check out the quick video I threw together this morning, as well as the pictures for a more detailed look.
Dyson DC28 in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSun4jcP8Yg (New Link...I had to re-edit to correct a typo)
[img]
This message was modified Jun 12, 2009 by iMacDaddy
