Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Looks promising - but the main question is have they achieved the holy grail of a cleaner which can reach the top ranks of the CR tests, without being over aggressive to the carpet?

This technology is a major leap forward for Dyson vacuum cleaners, for it addresses one of the biggest drawbacks of their floating head design: lack of adequate surface contact.  Personally I am still trying to figure out how it works and what kind of components it uses.  Does it use some kind of electric clutch (note the wires in the video), or a variable speed electric motor?  Does the pneumatic actuator draw air from the main airstream?  I am also curious to know how much ground clearance the brushroll will provide once you press the hard floor button which raises the brushroll.  I find this feature very interesting, and I believe that it can eliminate debris being dragged all over your floor (by the bristles scraping against the floor surface), and can reduce scratches on flooring surfaces from contact with the bristles. 

I am very intrigued by "Airmuscle" and I may have to obtain one to see how it works in person (I'll give it to my father who is buying a new home).  Even though this new technology is not as gimmicky, flashy, and strange as "the ball" and their ultra compact DC22 and DC24 model(s), this is far more important in terms of advancement in cleaning performance.  I just wish that they could have fitted the DC28 with Level 3 Root Cyclone (I don't see why not, especially with its bottom mounted prefilter like on the DC17).

On a side note, the DC22 Turbine and Motorhead have been removed from the US website......sales flop averted, perhaps?

First online review... Somewhat...

Click Here

CarmineD wrote:

Conversely, if the new technology [while it looks and sounds impressive] is all sizzle and no substance [to quote a familiar line for the brand when tested by Consumer Reports], its $599 MSRP will tank precipitously.  Recall dyson's DC15 MSRP drop after just a few months on the market,  the ill-fated DC11 with the shortest production run in 100 years of vacuum history, and now dyson's DC22 too.

Carmine D.

DC18 wrote:
Hi Acerone,

Dyson is merely doing what it should although it would have us believe it's done everyone else one better.

Old time religion -- the vacuum kind I mean -- had it that the best way clean carpet was to have it slightly lifted up to the brushroll by the cleaner's suction. The idea was that along with agitation by the brushroll air drawn in through the carpet's backing would better facilitate the removal of embedded material(the grit and dirt down at the base of the carpet fiber. Direct-air uprights like Royal's classic uprights, Sanitaires and clones and Kirby still employ the method. However with the coming of Hoover "clean airs" plus canister vacuum power nozzles the notion may have been left to gather dust on some ad man's desk. As to whether it is fact or fiction I can't say even though I still see old-fashioned Kirby as a benchmark in regard to performance on carpet.

Hoover Dial-A-Matic cleaners were more designed to travel smoothly and not bog down on thick carpeting, the reason for the broad roller behind the brushroll, apparently did a good enough at cleaning. Height adjustment was later.

Electrolux's and most other PNs, first to last, merely ride on top of carpeting as well. Here again, adjustments of whatever type made available are not there to encourage suction to lift carpeting up from the floor but merely to make them easy to push.

That said -- the new design approach apparently left no one complaining as it hasn't changed.

Dyson's cam thing, if I am correctly interpreting what I've seen and read, raises and lowers the brushroll within the confines of the brushroll chamber as opposed to uprights that allow users to manually or electronically raise or lower a clean-air's cleaning head. A nice idea though a little elaborate. Miele has its spring loaded brushroll which does just fine. Sebo X series models won't be going anywhere either. However, in the name of "innovation" the new features may better justify price.

As for the claims about "leaking suction" -- baloney. As long as a carpet height adjustment is properly set there's nothing to lose. Besides which, airflow (good air movement from outside into the brushroll chamber and on to the capture area) is essential for all vacuums to work well and the greater issue is how well it is directed to bring that about.

As for the "heavy cleaner heads" matter, this is another off-the-wall claim. Weight being an essential selling point these days, I know of no uprights that are weighted down for the purpose of maintaining contact with carpet pile.

AND the "improved torque" for driving the brushroll is yet another moot point. A brushroll either turns as it should or does not. Has belt slippage been a major problem for Dyson owners here in past? What escapes me here is why not rethink the brush roll, why not go self-propelled.

Venson

I can appreciate dyson for doing this,but why make it so difficult on the rest of us repair people?

This is  train wreck waiting to happen..

Why is my dc 23 motor screaming its only 1 year old.?

So...

Dyson finally admits that floating nozzles alone aren't the "be-all-to-end-all", thus a 'height-right' control is added.

I find it pretty strange that a "new" cleaner does not incorporate the latest features (level 3 root cyclone?). And what about an electrically driven brush? - not on your life! - they're still messing about with that bloody clutch - albeit a high torque one now! (I wonder if this is to combat Carmine's problem carpets?)

I think Dyson gives a DC14 each to separate design teams, locks them away for months and see what evolves within each team. Not very inspiring, is it?

Oh, I see that the clumsy cleaner head is still present. Clearly they don't think low profile is the way to go.

I'm assuming they want to stick with the clutch to reduce noise levels.

With the new height adjustments, dyson has made all the previous models obsolete.  And their prices should plunge.  Reminiscent of HOOVER when it went from the 2 heights [normal and high on the Convertibles] and self-adjusting head on the Dials to the 3 and 4 manual height adjustments [low, normal, high, shag].  In HOOVER's case it was almost 40 years ago.  The prices of the 2 height convertibles and Dial w/o adjustments dropped until the models disappeared from production permanently.  Sadly, it takes awhile for the newest/novice vacuum makers in the industry today to make the historical connection and significance of these past benchmarks for themselves.

Carmine D.

Another online 'review':

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/15/dyson-announces-the-dc28-animal-we-go-hands-on/