Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Just got a press release this a.m.  Dyson's introducing two new canister "ball" vacs -- the compact, 12 lb. DC38 and the 15  lb. full-sized DC39 which is available in two versions, the "Multi-purpose" and the "Animal" .   http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/01/19/james-dyson-unveils-new-vacuum-cleaner-built-on-a-mini-football-115875-23706045/

Somewhat simillar to prior models, design alterations have made them a little more eyecatching but then you really do want your product to be sexy if you're asking for the kind of money they want.  The DC38 and the DC39 Multi-purpose price at 299.99 pounds in the UK ($464 American approx.) .  The Animal version of the DC39 sells at 399.99 pounds ($618 American approx.) .  No matter the price, the proof is in the puddng.  Can they clean?

The design revamp is rather low-slung so my first question is do they travel over door sills easily. Also, I looked hard but neither read or heard mention of onboard tool storage. The introductory Animal canister model does not have an electrically driven power nozzle but a turbo nozzle that can be mechanically stopped via a trigger on the hose handle.  The "Multi-purpose" employs a new spin on its straight suction floor tool.  It adjusts automatically for hard flooring and rugs.  Though I haven't seen it in action other than on video its at least refreshing to something different in design than the current standard tools turn up.  Dirty capacity for the full-size models is two litres.  The compact machine holds a little over half a litre.

http://www.dyson.co.uk/vacuums/ball/default.asp

Venson

vacmanuk wrote:

Hi vacmanuk,

Even though I've just been reading of a Dyson theft ring here in the U.S., I'm prepared to let the perceived value of the brand rest in the hands of others for the moment and will have to wait to hear what others have to say.  This year's mad money has to be invested in more important areas.  I'm loaded for bear as far as cleaining goes but the laundry's another story.

Besides which, thinking all-purpose, the full-size DC39 only has a turbo-nozzle.  The Dyson canister most current in CR's test ratings, the DC23 Turbine Head, got very good scores for surface cleaning and pet hair pick up but fell way short of the mark as far as deep cleaning goes.  That is not an issue if you know what you're buying -- and why -- but a possible problem for those banking their expectations on a brand name alone. 

By the way, it's claimed that one out of every four homes in the UK has a Dyson in the house.  True?

Best,

Venson

Venson wrote:
HI Venson
Best not to always believe what CR say - if they're anything like Which UK independent testing, they leave a lot to be desired - but I know and see your point. Any vacuum cleaner's successor where the previous model has been poor will always have scrutiny - time will tell.

In terms of Dyson models being in UK homes - most probably - they were originally British and well, you know what the UK are like with their conservative beliefs. But then I know Dyson owners that still have bagless, cordless Black and Decker dust busters that are best well over 10 years old. We don't have a car industry anymore or a large appliance industry where British products like washing machines are being made, so a lot of buyers do still believe Dyson are the best determined by their marketing, claims and advertising and most owners I know don't really care that their Dyson is made in China given that their computers and everything else seems to be made there too. But then whilst that statement bear some truths, Hoover claim that their bagged Purepower upright is the Best selling, Vax claim to have ousted Dyson as a number one seller (*no doubt due to TTI and Dirt Devil U.S beforehand.) and I know what I prefer and it isn't made in Britain! The only appliance I have that's British is our old Kenwood Chef table mixer.

vacmanuk wrote:

Wow!  That's the thing I've been looking for.  I can't keep up with Kitchen-Aid's price point rise and also its countertop footprint.  Kenwood's compact Prospero -- a real stunner -- might well be the ticket but it isn't on the market here.

As for the turbo nozzles, I have used several versions over the years.  They're more or less if all you need to is a light clean.  Due to the nature of their operation they need x-amount supply of incoming air keep the turbine turning the brushroll at a reasonable rate.  That's why they have vents.  Block the vents and rely on air coming through the brush chamber and they begin to stall. However, if your rugs are light and low pile and not subject to heavy traffic you might get by.

Just to mention, Miele cans usually only a score of good for carpet cleaning in CR's test.  The Calisto ranked "very good" this trip.  Why?  They Calisto they tested came with the electric SEB228 nozzle and not the SEB217 that the other Miele's with PNs tested with.  Considering the price of the brand, why one standard power nozzle?  That I don't know but I do know it makes a difference.

Venson

Well, I dont know about the Miele's case since none of the canisters in the UK come with a powered nozzle bar a very highly priced stand alone model. I guess UK buyers are a bit more savvy when it comes to Miele purchases - most know they can buy optional accessories rather than buying an "exclusive" model that comes with a special nozzle.

Which said that the Sebo turbo nozzle did poorly on pet hair pick up, yet I find its wonderful compared to the bulkier air driven Miele floor head. Just goes to show that real time ownership is better than industry testing.

Venson wrote:
Personally Venson, the Prospero is ideal if you have a small kitchen, small baking needs. It replaces the Cuisine model (see below), a predecessor table mixer which was supposed to replace the much loved "Chefette," a hand mixer with a mechanically geared moving bowl and stand. We had a Cuisine and it was awful. Kept breaking down in its gear box and the mixing performance whilst good wasn't any better than chucking the mix into our old Kenwood food processor with the steel blade. In the end I had to buy another Kenwood Chef. Of course they are much bigger than the newer Prospero but at least you can get plenty of spares and you can custom build the old Chef to match your needs with attachments that are universal and cheaper to buy if you know where to look.








As for Dyson -some interesting reading here - http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/dyson-the-corridors-of-brain-power-2266760.html