Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Shark is going after the Dyson Ball pretty hard with the Navigator product.  It claims no loss of suction and claims its just as easy to maneuver as the Dyson Ball.  After acknowledging Dyson as the first to offer no loss of suction, they go for the throat.  They do a direct comparison to a Dyson Ball and state that they are equal in all ways (easy to maneuver, no loss of suction, 5 year warranty) but price.  For less than $200 you can get a Shark Navigator with a free steam cleaner thrown in to boot. 

The UK had auto cord rewinds in the 1980's on many hard box uprights from Electrolux and Hoover including the Turbopower models we had "going under the name of "Autoflex." I believe the U.S had the British models under the name of Hoover "Sovereign."



Hoover however stopped production of auto cord rewind motors in the end of the 1980s and Electrolux also followed suit. The problem seemed to be that the motors inside were forever breaking. Panasonic UK were one of very few brands in the 1990s who kept making uprights with auto cord rewinds but these are now obsolete.

I actually got to see the Navigator at Costco yesterday.  Couldn't turn it on -- no near by electrical outlet -- but got to maul it a bit.  Though not a great fan of bagless vacs, I did very much like the fact that the Navigator easily disassembles.  The bin lifts off with the push of a button and the cyclonics module can be accessed with the press opf a lever.  Another lever on the module allows it to come apart for easy cleaning to maintain optimal performance.

The "shroud" is made of wire mesh and I did wonder if it might be prone to clogging.  There is a large round filter that seats underneath the collection bin. I'd have liked a slightly more sturdy feel but reminded myself, what do you expect for only 170 bucks.  It appears that Costco has hopes for them as I saw a rather large amount of boxed up ones in proprtion to the other models they had out.

Best

Venson

Venson wrote:

Hi Venson:

One of the benefits of the Navigator is the ability to very easily and quickly remove and wash the 21 cyclones [it's called Infinity technology].  A closer look reveals 2 round thick sponge foam washable lifetime pre-motor filters atop a felt non-washable filter.  Lightweight at 15 pounds.  More maneuverable than most full size uprights on the market today, bagged/bagless.  Price is right at $160 but a bit on the chintzy side for my liking.  Nice stiff brush roll tufts but more on the order of a power head brush roll than full size upright. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Why would you think the lifetime filter is any more a lifetime than Dyson's? 

HARDSELL wrote:

Well if it isn't HS from the House of D:  Deez nuts.

• Since I'm old and will never buy another dyson again but will a Shark.  So the filters should easily last for my lifetime. 
• Because the 21 cyclones are washable in the Shark.  Not dyson. 
• Because the form and content of the Shark dual filters [not just one] in the Shark are better than dyson's and will withstand more washing. 
• IF Shark users wash the cyclones, less need and frequency for washing the filters. 

Next.  Pass the nuts please. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Hardshell:

Me thinks you had to many nuts to eat.  Your brain is turned to peanut butter. 

If you can wash and clean the cyclones [as in the Shark Navigator] they perform for a lifetime.  No need to buy a $80 dyson cyclone assembly when the dyson cyclones get filled to the brim with dirt and pet odors.  Looks a little like a nut.  Hardshell but can't get it open to eat the inside.  Or clean it as the case may be.  It's like having a permanent sealed cloth bag that just fills and fills with dirt and you can't dump it out.  In time and with use, no air gets through it.  Just dirt in and dirt out.  On a good note after the Shark patent expires on the Infinity technology [washable cyclones] dyson can steal [I mean copy] the design for its use.  $150 Shark bagless upright with easily removable cyclones for lifetime cleaning.  Remarkable.  Why didn't dyson think of that?

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

You make some interesting points:

1. How in the world does Shark get a patent for washable cyclones?  

2. What does the spring do in the Dyson cyclone assembly?   Supposedly there is a spring inside the assembly that will rust if you wash the Dyson cyclones. 

Hi,

Haven't washable cyclones always been there?  My LG clone's bin and the cyclonics system within it are totally washable.  Thanks to my local Best Buy, where staff delegated for floor cleaning detail uses the first thing within reach, it was easy to see that dust did collect in the cyclonics module at the top of the machine and not just the bin. It was obvious that wahing was necessary.  Dyson is designed differrently but I don't doubt that the same issue may arise.

If indeed the Dyson cyclonic system does not lend itself to easy user maintenance maybe  that was not overlooked but intended.  (By the way, I checked ut Dyson online and reviewed a manual for the DC28.  There's no reference regarding cleaning the cyclonics module,  just an instruction to wash the filters with cold water every three months.)

Beyond filters and the occasional belt or broken part, bagless vacs should have less call for consumables that many manufacturers depend upon to boost their revenue. Or so Dyson appears to claim.  Maybe the module in an abstract way is a less obvious consumable.  However I don't kow the data as to how many are replaced or how frequently.

Venson

Severus wrote:

Hi SEVERUS:

Thanks SEVERUS.  Shark, despite its chintziness at $150 has the edge over dyson on the cyclones.  I'm not an expert on patent filing but I presume Shark obtained the patent for its Navigator with Infinity Technology [washable cyclones] the same way as any/all product makers:  Submitted the proper filings and paid the fees.  Infinity means forever as in lifetime and its symbol which never ends [continuous vertical 8].  The cyclones are the first line of defense for filtering dirt in all bagless vacuums.  Cyclones get clogged with dirt after use and over time.  It is inevitable.  The cyclone clogging degrades vacuum suction and operations.  Keeping the cyclones squeaky clean prolongs the efficiency of the cyclones, filters, and the motor, hence the vacuum operations.  Unlike dyson which requires/demands filter cleaning every 2-3 months, Shark says just a rinsing 2 times a year for filter maintenance.  Shark Navigator's washable cyclones make the difference.

IMHO, introducing water to a dyson cyclone assembly produces a muddy muck that dries rock hard and kills the operations of the cyclones alot quicker than a rusty spring.

Carmine D.