Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

A really cool insight to the workings behind the company and how they develop what I believe to be some the most well designed vacuums with overall good-great build quality in history.

A little insight on how I dislike Dyson. On any other vacuum repair that I have done of late , it has been for the consumer to get a fair shake on keeping their cleaner running. A Dyson DC-25  is currently here that needs a brushroll and new end bearings. Normally that is something that the customer would pay between $30-$60 depending on the cleaner. The Dyson brushroll can be bought separate but not the cheap made plastic bushing end caps. The customer is having to pay $75 plus the cost of labor for a bearing and brushroll combo that shouldn't cost the consumer more than $25 . They want you to buy a complete head.  The way the head is constructed and the material it is made with makes me wonder why people would fork over so much money. If people saw the cheapness of the brushroll and bearings  I don't think they would buy one. Hertz and  his well designed vacuum is poorest designed in my book.   CONSUMERS are # 1 and should get quality.                                                                       Procare

procare wrote:

Just out of curiosity, how easy is it to get parts from TTI versus Dyson?   Which companies are best for getting parts and service?

Severus wrote:

Hi SEVERUS:

I went to the HOOVER site and clicked on the parts icon amd then typed in brushrolls and got this:

http://www.hoover.com/parts/?category=vacuumbrushrolls

Brush rolls go from $12 for some current models like the Elite Rewind to $45 for the old metal agitators for concept, spirit and celebrity models etc and everything in between.  The average price is about $25 for the WT. 

I went to dyson site for DC25 clicked on parts and typed in DC25 brushroll but couldn't get anything but jibberish.  Nothing even closely related to a brush roll.  Went to DC07 and DC14 and the same.  No brush rolls just jibberish.  Interestingly, according to the site it claims DC25 has a 5 year parts and labor warranty.  Wonder if the brush roll is covered?

It appears the default for not finding the dyson part is a telephone number.  I'll go back and type in brushbar and see what that does.  No success with brush bar either.  Just a telephone number.

Carmine D.

Carmine ,

   The question I asked my Dyson  repair friend about how long to get a head or any part if he had to order was 10 days minimum. That is too long. The people that brought in the cleaner had a problem early on under warranty and went  to Sears where they bought it and it took 10 days before they got it back. The next time they had a warranty center they went to and it still took 10 days. I got the cleaner Wed. and they will have it back tomorrow.  My Dyson repair center just called me and asked if the customer wanted the head I got off of him or decided not to repair. It happens that he needs one and it will take 10 days to get another one.

                                                                                                                                                                                            Procare

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

procare wrote:

Hello Procare:

Sounds like that particular DC25 may have been a lemon out of the box.   

BTW, just to see the time and cost for shipping from the HOOVER site, I went thru the order on-line process for a HOOVER brush roll.  It says it can take up to 6 days to leave the warehouse and 4-7 days for standard shipping time at $4.95.  So, it appears the min-max mail time is 5-13 days for receipt of the brushroll.  Of course, this is a simple user performed job so there's no cost for labor if someone has and is handy with a standard household screwdriver. 

Carmine D.

One of the regional retailers is selling DC25 All Floors ball refurbs from dyson for $279.  MSRP is $499.  Wonder to myself and others if somehow/way DC25 refurbs/dyson refurbs in general are the reason for the absence of such parts like standard brush rolls on the dyson web site for upright models.  Or, in the DC25 example presented here by Procare, selling the brush roll in conjunction with the complete head nozzle rather than as a separate part.  One way to make money off the sale of routine wear and tear parts not covered by warranty is to force customers/users to buy/pay more for what they actually need.  Seems like a recipe for giving customers a "rear deal."

Carmine D.

PS:  Out of curiosity I went to the dyson web site looking for "remanufactured" models:  Only 3 models are currently available from dyson [although there are 2081 matches]:  DC07 for $269.  DC14 for $299.  DC21 for $339.  All come standard with 6 month warranty.  Appears that dyson, based on this DC25 example, may be giving exclusive sales on some of its refurbs like DC25 All Floors to particular retailers.  Interesting marketing strategy in an industry that has been plagued in recent years with a downward trend in new sales.  Down 3 percent in 2009 and predictions of worse for new vacuum sales in 2010. 

Aviori wrote:

Halo's UV-C technology was unique and leading edge too.  Happy to see ORECK acquire after halo went belly up.

Carmine D.

Dyson in the UK may well be ahead with the "Root Cyclone system," but TTI aren't that far off in supplying similar Dual Cyclone (albeit being far older than Dyson's latest patent) procedures - i.e constant suction with little cleaning to the main filters on board cheaper priced vacuums that seems to be hitting Dyson hard.. However  Aviori - the HEPA system in my experience is a no-brainer for bagless systems regardless of what Dyson would have you believe. HEPA only maintains air that the vacuum has sucked in and filters out clean air, yet for all that HEPA is handy to have, once the dust is emptied out of a canister, you stand to breathe in air as well as re-scent the rooms (most people in the U.S I imagine empty their vacuums outside but in the UK, most use their kitchen bins inside the home) with stale sucked up dust that includes pet hair stench.

How many people do any of us know that are all that much in love with physics?

I don't get the feeling that the important folks, shoppers looking for a new vacuum, actually give a hoot or a holler about cyclonics whatever they are purported to do, however they are designed or whomever made them. This applies to the Dyson brand as well. End-users only care if the vacuum delivers by way of performance and does not give them annoying problems by way of function or economics.

You know, I happened to meet a couple a few days back who bought a bagged Kenmore canister as opposed to Dyson, their first consideration, due to its positioning in the Consumer Reports ratings. Root cyclones weren't on their minds --- cleaning was.

Cyclone talk works well mostly on techno-minded menfolk like the majority of us here at the forum but not so well on those of either gender who just want to get their flooring, etc., clean and walk away.

I'd say that the term cyclonic has been bandied about for so long and by so many that it only brings a blank-eyed, quick let-me-look-like-I-understand type nod from prospective buyer to vendor these days. No customer asks, "What's the level of your systems dirt separation between intake and "dirty air" arrival at the first filter."

And that's what counts. How much stuff -- gritty material, fuzz, lint, hair and pet fur AND fine dust do so-called cyclonic systems glean and retain from the incoming air stream before it goes on to the primary filter? (Also, not discussed is the general small collection capacity of bagless collection bins and how free travel of larger debris for avoiding hang-ups around "shrouds, etc., which can disrupt intended air movement thus causing higher levels of dust to escape the process.) It would be good to learn that Brand A's system brings about x-amount more dust capture -- not at the HEPA but before the pre-filter -- than Brand B's. Those are points of discussion I'd allege bagless vac makers in general are not prepared to broach.

Venson

Venson wrote:

Last I knew and heard Venson, there is no awarding of a Nobel prize for vacuums...........but I'm sure if there were, dyson would be in contention.  BTW I am a huge fan of physics and chemistry but I agree, like you, that when these are applied to everyday products consumers are more impressed by price and performance NOT panache.

Carmine D.