Vacuum Cleaners Discussions |
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vacmanuk
Location: Scotland UK
Joined: May 31, 2009
Points: 1162
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Re: The Dyson Ball finally has a competitor: New Electrolux Nimble:full size, full power, fully featured, OBT?
Reply #67 Apr 18, 2011 5:33 pm |
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The new Miele canister stretch extension hose is brilliant, but has the limitation (for the moment, at least) of not being usable with an electric hose/nozzle assembly, but the discussion is still about uprights. Full size attachment kits offer more convenience in the attachment mode but require the conversion, which users complain about bitterly, especially with regard to the Kirby, the most complete and thorough conversion of all, taking in to account reach, number of tasks, and true portability. The separate portable canister offers lighter weight for both machines, since the canister does not need to clean carpets, and does not need wheels, but again, consumers complain about having to go get the second cleaner. The original Bissell LIft Off was a good idea, but it was bulky do to the fact that the bag compartment had to be large enough to accommodate a full size upright's carpet cleaning capability. Taking all of this in to account leads us to Oreck's development of the Edge. They have distilled the on board tools concept down to what people really use it for: quick grabs of stray debris the upright cannot reach. A longer hose and more tools would defeat the purpose. Oreck's research (remember some Oreck stores did repairs on all makes and models) revealed that even with owning an upright with on board tools, a great many consumers still use a separate canister for their above the floor cleaning. Those who do not tend do much less thorough above the floor cleaning. Many, many uprights come in for repair missing their tools, but people still like them for their ability to grab stray debris on the fly. That is the one strength of an on board, instant on hose with an attached wand, that and nothing else. When I tried the Edge, it gripped the carpet better than any other Oreck, ever, on all carpet types. It maneuvered well, and the instant on board hose with attached flex crevice tool did well for what it was intended.
What about canisters? Well, the quick release wand from a power nozzle still leaves a metal wand to lift, and a metal edge to ding and scratch walls if one is not careful. The new Panasonic power head with built in bare floor brush looks brilliant, but the jury is still out on its durability. Some have complained it is difficult to re-insert the brush onto the nozzle base. Separate plastic wands are a good idea, but they don't ride along with the rest of the tools. Telescopic aluminum electric wands offer the best compromise so far, points to MIele, but still not as light as plastic wands.
The debate revolves around a few key points, which is why there is no one best vacuum for everyone. Six people faced with the same cleaning challenges might very well make six completely different choices of cleaning equipment.
1) How many different kinds of cleaning do you have to accomplish?
2) How do you prefer to do them (or not)?
3) What is most convenient for you?
4) Convenience, Power, Price: pick two and compromise on the third
Good to hear from another perspective, however it's more of the "new fangled" swivel that's got everyone talking on an upright vacuum, namely the Nimble. The Miele hose extender/flexhose is a good idea IN THEORY although it has metal coils which can be bent out of shape compared to the standard Miele hose which has none - I know - I have it - the extender hose also snaps back too easily unless you are cleaning with the wand upwards thus allowing it to drop down and when fully stretched, cuts suction power unless the Miele used has the full maximum suction dialled in. You still get reduced suction though when the flexhose/extender hose is stretched out. I think there is a perfect vacuum cleaner - it's just that everyone is in a democracy to choose their own and decide from then what's perfect for them. As for canisters. Never mind bruising the home with metal wands - its the hoses - long hoses that wriggle and bang off painted walls that causes the most damage, a fact that some brands are now taking on board by making the hoses shorter and the tubes long - Bosch for example do this whilst SEBO's electric wand is lighter than Miele's tubing either with the electric wire attached or not. In terms of different choices of cleaning equipment, the debate has already been discussed on another forum I'm a member of - it doesn't involve vacuum cleaners but general day to day aspects. One of the aspects about "modern life," a lot of UK people have noticed is the increase of pollution and dirt in the home compared to the 1970's. Sand and dust seem to be the major concerns, one of the very reasons to why many households nowadays have two vacuums - a cylinder for "cleaning out the car or above the floor line," and a heavy upright if living with loads of carpeting. It may not be in the same in the U.S given the high cost of vacuums generally, but there's very little difference between owning a canister and an upright when you own a dust buster and another vacuum cleaner you consider to be the main machine that collects lifestyle dust. You still have more than one vacuum in the home. It is also the case in the UK that many households still prefer a seperate washing machine and a seperate dryer. Washer/dryer combination machines suffer from elements that burn out too early on, loading problems - particularly from big weight loads the machine can take but has to have clothing taken out for a smaller amount of load possible. Washer/dryers are good for limited space but most people still prefer having the separate units - which makes a lot more sense if you have the space available as well as being less cost in the long term.
This message was modified Apr 18, 2011 by vacmanuk
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M00seUK
Joined: Aug 18, 2007
Points: 295
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Re: The Dyson Ball finally has a competitor: New Electrolux Nimble
Reply #68 Apr 21, 2011 6:56 am |
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If Dyson is to release an upgraded ‘ball’ model in the near future, chances are it’ll look similar to a flurry of patents made public this week. This shows a design with the air ducting now running through the centre of the ‘ball’. Presumably, each half of the ‘ball’ can turn independently. It’s possible this design would be Dyson’s first to use their Digital Motor; with the ducting they’d really be cramming a lot of components inside that sphere. The patents also mention a revised handle design, with the aim of improving steering. 
This message was modified Apr 21, 2011 by M00seUK
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M00seUK
Joined: Aug 18, 2007
Points: 295
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Re: The Dyson Ball finally has a competitor: New Electrolux Nimble
Reply #70 Apr 25, 2011 7:23 am |
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By the looks of it, the new Dyson Ball will use a slightly enlarged version of the motorhead used on the DC35 stick vac with a smaller motor, and thinner brushroll compared to that of the current DC25.....although these could be patent drawings for the successor of the DC24, not DC25. As with the DC24 / DC25, the cleaner head is fully removable by the user and hence a range of market variants * could* be produced, if required, regardless of what is shown in these drawings. It is a question, if it would be available in small and large models, like with the DC24 / DC25. If it’s using a conventional motor, this would be challenging for a smaller model. But if using the Dyson Digital Motor v2, as used in the Digital Slim, more feasible. Although one further point – these drawings show a post motor filter cover and hence suggest a conventional brushed motor, for a full-sized cleaner model at the very least.
This message was modified Apr 25, 2011 by M00seUK
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iMacDaddy
Electrolux UltraOne EL7070, Bissell BigGreen Deep Cleaning Machine
Joined: Oct 30, 2007
Points: 110
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Re: The Dyson Ball finally has a competitor: New Electrolux Nimble
Reply #72 Apr 28, 2011 12:17 am |
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As with the DC24 / DC25, the cleaner head is fully removable by the user and hence a range of market variants * could* be produced, if required, regardless of what is shown in these drawings. It is a question, if it would be available in small and large models, like with the DC24 / DC25. If it’s using a conventional motor, this would be challenging for a smaller model. But if using the Dyson Digital Motor v2, as used in the Digital Slim, more feasible. Although one further point – these drawings show a post motor filter cover and hence suggest a conventional brushed motor, for a full-sized cleaner model at the very least. I should note that the DC22 canister had a removable, washable HEPA filter, and it too had the Dyson Digital Motor.
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vacmanuk
Location: Scotland UK
Joined: May 31, 2009
Points: 1162
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Re: The Dyson Ball finally has a competitor: New Electrolux Nimble
Reply #75 Aug 28, 2011 7:41 am |
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Test results from Which 2011: "...The Nimble A8602AZ is the first upright vacuum cleaner from AEG. It's bagless, designed to be easy to manoeuvre and carry, and it has a swivel head and an LED headlight to help navigation. We wanted to see whether this nimble vac could tackle heavyweight dirt when we got it to the lab for testing. Read on to find out how it fared in our tests. The Nimble performed brilliantly on laminate and carpeted floors and is a worthy Best Buy. Crevices did prove to be a problem, though, so it's not a great choice if you've got wooden floorboards at home. This vac's long telescopic hose has two positions to let you get underneath furniture and clean stairs. AEG also supplies both a furniture brush and a three-in-one 'Versatool', which bends to clean corners or can be flattened out to clean surfaces and upholstery. Electro brushrollAided by a motor-powered brushroll, which can be switched off for hard floors, the A8602AZ is effective at beating and sucking dust out of carpets, so overall pick-up is impressive. Suction starts high and doesn't drop as the 2.1 litre-capacity dust container fills, but it can't be reduced for cleaning more delicate fabrics or rugs. Unfortunately overall dust pick-up from hard floors is poor. While laminate floors are given a thorough clean, the Nimble isn't able to suck much dust at all out of cracks and crevices in wooden floorboards. Excellent dust retentionFortunately the dust that is collected is all effectively kept inside this vacuum cleaner. The A8602AZ scores five stars for dust and allergen retention, meaning it doesn't spit dust particles back out into the room as you clean. The Nimble fails to live up to its name when skirting round the edges of the floor. It can't get close to walls and corners as the brushroll doesn't extend to the edge of the floorhead. A gap along the front and left hand side may mean you need to revisit some spots with smaller accessories. Great for pet-ownersWhen it comes to pet hair, the Nimble gets top marks. It speedily sucks hairs out of the carpet and the brushroll doesn't take long to clean afterwards. The Nimble isn't difficult to use or maintain and is very energy efficient, but cleaning the electro brush on the floorhead is a laborious process and the handle can't be adjusted to your height. The swivel neck and long flex are bonuses but there are more manoeuvrable vacs available that are easier to use on stairs. Pros: Excellent for carpets, laminate floors and pet hair, energy efficient, long hose and flex Cons: Disappointing on floorboards, electro brush takes time to clean    |
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http://smallappliances.electroluxusa.com/ Highlights: - 14 foot cleaning reach - LED headlight - "Ball-like" swivel action - Metal Soleplate - 5 year warranty - $299
