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Thread Number: 17693
Dyson DC04 Silver & Lime and Vax 1800W |
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| Post# 191511 7/26/2012 at 13:32 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
Yes, today I picked up a free Dyson. Me, a Dyson! I know...
Anyway, this is where it all started: Yesterday night I saw an advert in Gumtree for "lots of stuff free". The listing didn't say what was free, so I phoned the number and spoke to the man. I asked the obvious question - do you have any Vacuum Cleaners ? The answer was initially "no", then he said "oh, wait, there is a Dyson". My heart sank to be honest, I was hoping he'd say an "old Hoover" but hey ho, it was free so why not. I picked it up at noon today and was led into an out house where he showed me it. A Silver & Lime Dyson DC04 upright in reasonable condition. No brainer, I accepted and then mentioned I collect vacuums. After that he said he had another one too if I wanted it and showed me a half buried bagless Vax cylinder which had a hose but no tubes or tools (not a problem for me) so I accepted that too. When I got the Dyson and Vax home I started about cleaning the bins and filters out. If I were a typical teenager, this is where I'd insert "OMG" I believe. They were CLOGGED with... Wait for it - Garden soil! Who vacuums up soil ? Christ knows, but he did, in both the Dyson and Vax. It took literally an hour to clean out the Dysons pre-motor filters but I got there in the end and put them out on the washing line to dry. Same with the poor Vax, clogged with soil. As for the exhaust filters, the Vax's went in the bin as it was just electrostatic and BLACK, while the Dysons was cleaned as it was also black but until I can buy another one I'll just make do with it. After cleaning in warm water it came up half decent actually. I'll still buy a whole filter set sometime though. I replaced the Vax's exhaust filter with new cut to size electrostatic, but when I turned it on after re-assembly it went black again as I didn't realise the motor was full of soil which was blown out when turned on. Oh well, it hasn't clogged it, just blackened it, so I'm not going to throw it out for that. In future I'll know to run it without the filter first to clear out any dirt. After doing that filthy task, I got to work cleaning the Dyson's body up. Still not very easy as it really was filthy. I took the base plate off to find a belt fitted and it appears to have good tension so although I'll order a pack of new belts, I won't have to change it immediately. I cleaned the brush roll and the cavity it sits in, replaced the base plate (after cleaning it) and cleaned the rest of it with soapy water. No further description required I presume! After that I gave it a going over with a yellow duster and furniture polish to reveal near flawless bodywork. It actually looks great... For a Dyson... :) I did the same with the Vax and it came up like new as well. Since the Vax's filters dried in no time I turned it on as aforementioned and it has GREAT suction. Haven't tested it out yet because the hose is still drying on the line, but I'm looking forward to doing so. I turned the Dyson on very briefly before doing anything to it and it runs fine, but had no suction due to the clogged filters. Once the filters have dried (should be by tonight or tomorrow) I'll test it out and expect half decent performance. Though, it is a Dyson... Umm... What else to say... Don't know really. I'll post some pictures I suppose. A before picture of the Dyson, an after picture of it and an after picture of the Vax (didn't get a before picture, sorry). 
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| Post# 191513 , Reply# 1 7/26/2012 at 13:34 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191515 , Reply# 2 7/26/2012 at 13:35 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191517 , Reply# 3 7/26/2012 at 13:37 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191519 , Reply# 4 7/26/2012 at 13:41 (4,291 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas) | ||
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My goodness Jamie! I guess you are warming up to bagless vacs after all! Lucky for you, you got the dc04 without the brush control, which means easy belt changes. Congradulations on your new dyson! Scott | ||
| Post# 191522 , Reply# 5 7/26/2012 at 13:45 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Well I wouldn't say easy, I looked it up on the internet when I couldn't figure it out and turns out you have to put the belt around the brush roll, insert it, THEN stretch it over the motor pulley ? Is that correct ?
Sounds awfully hard to me, I normally put the belt over the motor pulley then stretch the brush roll into place, but you can't do that with the Dyson, it is impossible. | ||
| Post# 191523 , Reply# 6 7/26/2012 at 13:47 (4,291 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas) | ||
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But it is alot less dificult then taking apart a clutch. | ||
| Post# 191524 , Reply# 7 7/26/2012 at 13:57 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Post# 191525 , Reply# 8 7/26/2012 at 13:57 (4,291 days old) by bagintheback  (Flagstaff, Arizona) |
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| Post# 191528 , Reply# 9 7/26/2012 at 14:00 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191531 , Reply# 10 7/26/2012 at 14:04 (4,291 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas) | ||
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Jamie, you are spot on, that is how I feel about them as I use my dysons ( among others ) as daily vacs. Scott | ||
| Post# 191534 , Reply# 11 7/26/2012 at 14:12 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191537 , Reply# 12 7/26/2012 at 14:32 (4,291 days old) by szymonrules (Philadelphia, PA ) | ||
So.... | ||
| Post# 191541 , Reply# 13 7/26/2012 at 14:45 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191545 , Reply# 14 7/26/2012 at 15:06 (4,291 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191649 , Reply# 15 7/27/2012 at 07:56 (4,290 days old) by szymonrules (Philadelphia, PA ) | ||
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I'll be... | ||
| Post# 191656 , Reply# 16 7/27/2012 at 09:18 (4,290 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Well I used it today and I'm not impressed or unimpressed to be honest.
It picks up surface dirt very well and has great hose suction but you can tell when pushing and pulling it along the carpet it isn't beating it or deep cleaning what so ever. Put it this way, it would be great as a daily "run the hoover over" vacuum, but rubbish for deep cleaning. I'm happy with it though, didn't cost me anything except some hard work cleaning it up. Haven't used the Vax Performance yet though, will do that later or tomorrow and report back with the results of that test. | ||
| Post# 191661 , Reply# 17 7/27/2012 at 09:25 (4,290 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas) | ||
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Well Jamie, I am glad you are satisfied with your new dyson. Do you have the tools for it? By the way, some later dyson models are better at cleaning carpets. Scott | ||
| Post# 191662 , Reply# 18 7/27/2012 at 09:28 (4,290 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191674 , Reply# 19 7/27/2012 at 10:24 (4,290 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa) | ||
Jamie
I am very fond of this particular model as It was the first dyson I owned.While working in Engineering at a well known vacuum company I came across my first dyson, It was the lime green one and had been imported as a sample. Dysons were not available in SA at the time. after it was checked out it was tossed to one side with all the other samples so I asked if I could have it and took it home. This particular model has a very aggressive brush roll. some times after many years the bristles loose their rigidity, I would fit a new brush roll and belt and then try it. This model is also Unique in that out of all the dc04's it has a Unique back hose, a ametek motor and was assembled in Italy | ||
| Post# 191675 , Reply# 20 7/27/2012 at 10:30 (4,290 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Yes the bristles do seem very firm but it still doesn't beat the carpet as well as I'd like.
Oh well, if I want beating, I can use my Hoovers I guess. I'll probably use the Dyson as a daily driver and use one of my bagged units for the Sunday thorough deep clean. That way I'm not putting excess wear and tare on my vintage units and my carpets will get a good enough clean to keep them decent during the week. | ||
| Post# 191677 , Reply# 21 7/27/2012 at 10:49 (4,290 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa) | ||
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| Post# 191681 , Reply# 22 7/27/2012 at 11:10 (4,290 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Nice Dysons Gareth!
Wow... Did I just say that ? Glazing over that, following on from what I said a while ago in another thread about Dyson solving problems that don't exist (in reference to "The Ball" and "Articulated Steering") that appears to be true because my DC04 is very easy to manoeuvre even without a ball. | ||
| Post# 191695 , Reply# 24 7/27/2012 at 13:22 (4,290 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa) | ||
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| Post# 191696 , Reply# 25 7/27/2012 at 13:28 (4,290 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 191698 , Reply# 26 7/27/2012 at 13:43 (4,290 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa) | ||
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| Post# 191702 , Reply# 27 7/27/2012 at 14:00 (4,290 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 192786 , Reply# 28 8/2/2012 at 08:58 (4,284 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Just thought I'd let you guys know I got a reply from Dyson (did I say I emailed them asking for a year or manufacture ?) a couple of days ago and they informed me my DC04 was manufactured on the 19th of February 2001. I didn't know they could be so specific!
Their customer service is amazing I must say, even if their cleaners aren't. | ||
| Post# 192837 , Reply# 29 8/2/2012 at 15:34 (4,284 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2) | ||
 Nat et al - you'll find Jamie's review on Ciao.co.uk regarding the DC04 here:
CLICK HERE TO GO TO sebo_fan's LINK | ||
| Post# 192848 , Reply# 30 8/2/2012 at 16:04 (4,284 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 192852 , Reply# 31 8/2/2012 at 16:27 (4,283 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2) | ||
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| Post# 192876 , Reply# 32 8/2/2012 at 19:56 (4,283 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas) | ||
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I'm sure that I'm the only one who cares, but what about the vax? How is it doing? Thanks Scott | ||
| Post# 192961 , Reply# 33 8/3/2012 at 09:46 (4,283 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK) | ||
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| Post# 192962 , Reply# 34 8/3/2012 at 09:59 (4,283 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 192964 , Reply# 35 8/3/2012 at 10:17 (4,283 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas) | ||
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Oh yikes! I know what you mean! Bleach away my friend. Scott | ||
| Post# 192977 , Reply# 36 8/3/2012 at 11:11 (4,283 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 193019 , Reply# 37 8/3/2012 at 13:05 (4,283 days old) by Scaniabebe () | ||
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So, how's the Vax's Hose doing? Not smelling of s*** anymore, I hope! | ||
| Post# 193026 , Reply# 38 8/3/2012 at 13:15 (4,283 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 193035 , Reply# 39 8/3/2012 at 13:38 (4,283 days old) by Scaniabebe () | ||
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Good! Do report back to us!:) | ||
| Post# 193059 , Reply# 40 8/3/2012 at 14:24 (4,283 days old) by suctionselector (Leeds, England) | ||
Jamie | ||
| Post# 193068 , Reply# 41 8/3/2012 at 14:52 (4,283 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 193181 , Reply# 42 8/4/2012 at 08:04 (4,282 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Well, just half an hour ago I used the 2012 Vax Performance 1800 Watts.
Lets just say, it sucked. No, I mean literally! The suction is absolutely astonishing, not just for a bagless, but for a vacuum as a whole. I used it for the hard flooring and the shag rug. During both of those tasks it performed brilliantly and followed me wherever I went without having to really tug at the hose as you do with some cylinders. At times the floor tool stuck to the rug and would barely lift off, that is how much suction it has. Compared to my other 1800W bagless cylinder, the 2004 Panasonic MC-E8011 Twin Bin, it has much more suction. Perhaps that is because all the suction is centred on one cyclone instead of two as in the Twin Bin, but whatever it is, it is great... For a bagless... In comparison to the Dyson, the suction is about double and I'm NOT just saying that because I dislike Dyson, it is the 100% wholehearted truth. The only thing it lacks is variable power, which would be a real asset to the Vax, but hey ho, it is cheap and cheerful and does what it should, so I'm pleased. Doesn't mean to say I'm a bagless convert at all, but I can appreciate a bit of both. | ||
| Post# 193184 , Reply# 43 8/4/2012 at 08:20 (4,282 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas) | ||
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Well, I'll say you got a good deal then. How dirty was the filter after use? Also if you ever need spares, vax does have them. Scott CLICK HERE TO GO TO singingrainbow's LINK | ||
| Post# 193185 , Reply# 44 8/4/2012 at 08:30 (4,282 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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I sure did, I checked eBay afterwords and the same Vax Performance C91 models are listed as Buy It Now for £60-70. That is a damn good deal since I got mine to brand new condition after a clean up. Plus I discovered it has a HEPA pre-motor filter, not that I see that sort of thing as a massive plus, considering I see a dirty fan as good enough filtration!
The Dyson DC04 is also listed for the same price range, so technically I got £120 of vacuum cleaners for the £10 I gave the man as a goodwill gesture. If I was into buying and selling I'd be in for a profit. I haven't checked the filter but since I gave it a good thorough clean I'm sure it won't be covered in dirt again, but I'll check sometime. | ||
| Post# 193234 , Reply# 45 8/4/2012 at 15:34 (4,282 days old) by Scaniabebe () | ||
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Hmm, seems like he's fallen in love with his new Vax. Most likely, making his good old friend, Henry redundent due to a broken floor tool!:( Yeah, don't get rid of the Henry, he'll always be there, when every other vac bites the fluff!;) | ||
| Post# 193235 , Reply# 46 8/4/2012 at 15:38 (4,282 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 193274 , Reply# 47 8/4/2012 at 19:17 (4,281 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2) | ||
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| Post# 193327 , Reply# 48 8/5/2012 at 06:50 (4,281 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 193332 , Reply# 49 8/5/2012 at 07:47 (4,281 days old) by singingrainbow (Texas) | ||
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Oh! But Jamie, it's imature to hit a vacuum! Also, what happened to your henry? Scott | ||
| Post# 193335 , Reply# 50 8/5/2012 at 08:17 (4,281 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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I believe you didn't read the part that said it was a Dyson I'd be hitting!
As for Henry, the floor tool was very worn out so I tried to get it off to find it was stuck solid. I managed to get the actual floor head off, but the part that slots into the tube remained. No matter how I try I cannot get that part off. I've tried WD-40 and 3-In-1 oil but to no avail. ARGH! | ||
| Post# 193375 , Reply# 52 8/5/2012 at 16:14 (4,281 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Oh that would annoy me! Whenever I use a cylinder I'm constantly twisting the handle one way or another in a futile attempt to get it 100% aligned. I'm very OCD about that kind of thing.
On a positive note, I came into a bit of money today so I'll buy a new set of tubes and new floor tool from eBay tomorrow morning! Should have old Henry working again by the end of the week. | ||
| Post# 193407 , Reply# 53 8/5/2012 at 20:13 (4,280 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2) | ||
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Actually Jamie, the Henry floor tool stuck to the tube is exactly what happened to my James model many years ago - what I did to actually prise them apart was to bag up the floor tool and put the whole thing in a chest freezer. Just a day or two is all that is required. When I took it out, the floor tool just came off so easily! Try that, if of course you have a chest freezer to hand, or a neighbours. | ||
| Post# 193469 , Reply# 54 8/6/2012 at 02:28 (4,280 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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No chest freezer here... Did, a nice big 1990s Zanussi beast, but we sold that as it was never filled more than a quarter.
Just have a cheap Currys Essentials counter top freezer now and the one in the Lec fridge, which couldn't fit a jar of jam in it let alone a foot long tube. Oh well, maybe it is a blessing since I never was a fan of those dull tubes anyway and will prefer nice chrome ones! | ||
| Post# 193532 , Reply# 55 8/6/2012 at 14:29 (4,280 days old) by Scaniabebe () | ||
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Good! Glad you're getting some new Wands and a new Floor Tool for it!:) Those Numatics don't like not been used! | ||
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