Thread Number: 5013
Has anyone else noticed...
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Post# 55884   12/8/2008 at 10:26 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        

...how much the Dyson DC18 Slim resembles the Airway twin-motor uprights of the 30s? Besides a few visual links (screw your eyes up and look at the picture below!), it seems to be a modern spiritual successor in more ways than one. For instance:

- Both lightweight uprights share compact, slimline profiles
- Visually, the Dyson's floorhead is strongly reminscent of the Airway's
- Both machines allow the user to divert suction down the handle for above-floor cleaning via a change-over valve
- Both have a set of rear wheels for stability which are not in contact with the floor during use
- Both use their unusual manoeuverability as a selling-point

Of course, the most obvious difference, aside from the Dyson's clean-fan design and plastic construction, would be the fact that Airway introduced disposable paper bags, and Dyson launched the system which made them obsolete!


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Post# 55885 , Reply# 1   12/8/2008 at 10:29 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
...

Excuse the mess, I'm in the middle of tidying my room and sorting out my wardrobe ;)

Post# 55886 , Reply# 2   12/8/2008 at 10:31 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Slim

That floorhead looks so retro-futurist. The little extentions at each side remind me both of the Airway, and the Ohio/Ohio-Tuec uprights...

Post# 55887 , Reply# 3   12/8/2008 at 10:33 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
...

Whether you love or hate Dyson, you have to admit it's certainly distinctive-looking!

Post# 55888 , Reply# 4   12/8/2008 at 10:34 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Upright, parked...

...and with rear wheels extended.

Post# 55889 , Reply# 5   12/8/2008 at 10:37 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
...

The whole rear-wheel extend/retract mechanism is very sturdy, made of very tough plastic, and even lightweight metal alloy componants. It actually feels quite sturdy, unlike the version used on the intial DC15 Ball model, which felt flimsy and delicate.

Post# 55890 , Reply# 6   12/8/2008 at 10:39 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
..

I like the way the handle-strengthening ribs are made part of the aesthetic design, and look like cooling fins on a motorbike engine...

Post# 55891 , Reply# 7   12/8/2008 at 10:41 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
It pivots, not a ball...

...but on a short, fat, cigar-shaped roller. I can't tell you how much I prefer this design to the 'Ball'. It's so much more compact, and lower in profile - yet it works just as well.

Post# 55892 , Reply# 8   12/8/2008 at 11:33 (5,607 days old) by williamr1248 (USA)        
has anyone else noticed

You are right. They do look simular. I didn't have a good experience with either of the two Dysons I tried. Both chewed up my rugs. I like the canister design. I didn't care for the bagless design. It was just too messy but it is cool looking machine.


Post# 55893 , Reply# 9   12/8/2008 at 12:47 (5,607 days old) by sbnhvlvr (South Bend, IN)        

The Dyson DC14 that I had did not groom the plush carpet in the family room like a Hoover Does! Went back to the Hoover!!!!

Post# 55903 , Reply# 10   12/8/2008 at 16:50 (5,607 days old) by rolls_rapide (-)        
Speaking of the Dyson DC15

During the summer, mine developed a small fault. The rear wheels fold up and in the process, activate a microswitch that engages the agitator, as it should.

When put back into the upright position, the microswitch disengages and the agitator stops, as it should.

But on mine, it stuck in the 'on' position; so that when using the hose, the agitator kept brushing the carpet!!!

I used WD40 to release the switch. But I came to realise that Hoover and Electrolux had the right idea with their uprights: raise the agitator cavity well clear of the carpet.


Post# 55919 , Reply# 11   12/8/2008 at 18:50 (5,607 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Well it wouldn't be the first time he copied. After all the other Dysons are mirror images of the old Fantom Fury's and so are the canisters.
Too many fiddly bits with those Dysons. Not to mention all the creases and folds and places for dust and dirt to settle into on the casing, after a year or two making them hard to keep clean on the outside. You just can't wipe them down, you'll need a toothpick and pipecleaners to get the dirt out.


Post# 55920 , Reply# 12   12/8/2008 at 19:12 (5,607 days old) by vintagehoover ()        

Pete, the Fantom range were produced licencing James Dyson's own Dual Cyclone technology! And although the same technology was at the core of the early Dyson machines, they're actually totally different to the Fantom cleaners. When Fantom went bust, Dyson had to bid against competitors to buy back his own licence and patents.

I've got an illustrated list of US machines which used Dyson's Dual Cyclone techology - I'll scan it tomorrow and post it here...


Post# 55961 , Reply# 13   12/9/2008 at 16:04 (5,606 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Dyson technology, used under licence

G-Force, Japan, 1986

Post# 55962 , Reply# 14   12/9/2008 at 16:05 (5,606 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Johnson Vectron, 1992

...

Post# 55963 , Reply# 15   12/9/2008 at 16:06 (5,606 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Iona Dry Shampoo, 1989

...

Post# 55964 , Reply# 16   12/9/2008 at 16:07 (5,606 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Iona Fantom, 1992

...

Post# 55965 , Reply# 17   12/9/2008 at 16:08 (5,606 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Iona Fury, 1996

...

Post# 55966 , Reply# 18   12/9/2008 at 16:10 (5,606 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Not sure who made the one on the left...

...the model on the right is the Dyson DC01.

Post# 55967 , Reply# 19   12/9/2008 at 16:10 (5,606 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Johnson Vectron, 1992

...

Post# 55968 , Reply# 20   12/9/2008 at 18:25 (5,606 days old) by electroluxxxx (……)        

James the one on the left is an amway made by Bissell. these machines were not that popular but very imho faulty.

Post# 56953 , Reply# 21   12/25/2008 at 23:55 (5,590 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Testing, testing...

Since our home is cleaned so regularly, and by so many different brands and models of cleaner (effectively making up for each other's performance-shortcomings), no cleaner ever picks up a vast amount of dirt in a single use, even with a family of 6 treading dirt around, and a dog and a cat shedding hair!

However, on Christmas Eve, the family of a friend of mine asked me to help them clean up ready for their Christmas guests. I took my DC18 Slim with me, because it's always interesting to try out my cleaners on different flooring! The family in question own a Sebo X1, and use it regularly (although I can't say how thorough they are!). The Sebo X1 is a decent cleaner, so you wouldn't expect to find a lot of dirt in their carpets, right?

WRONG! Here's the Slim's bin - I'd already emptied it once, after it had reached roughly this level after doing the ground floor. All this came from 2 rooms upstairs!


Post# 56954 , Reply# 22   12/25/2008 at 23:56 (5,590 days old) by vintagehoover ()        

I'm pleased to report that even when filled past the MAX mark, there was no appreciable loss of suction.

Post# 56955 , Reply# 23   12/25/2008 at 23:59 (5,590 days old) by vintagehoover ()        

Look at the layers! This is only 2 rooms-worth of dirt, remember!

Post# 56956 , Reply# 24   12/26/2008 at 00:03 (5,590 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Last one!

I just had to post these, because I was genuinely impressed with how well it managed - especially considering the DC18 is less powerful that the other Dyson uprights.

Coincidently, the family in question refuses to own a Dyson, solely because the dad doesn't like seeing the dirt, which he thinks is 'disgusting!'

Having cleaned their carpets, I can see why...


Post# 56960 , Reply# 25   12/26/2008 at 02:20 (5,590 days old) by em-tor64 ()        

Jack, That is amazing (and yes disgusting,too) that all of that came out of only two rooms of carpet! When I do use my Dyson DC15 I can do 4 rooms of carpet, the hardwoods, bathroom & kitchen tile floors, a few small area rugs, also dust knick knacks, furniture...etc., 3 large area rugs in the basement + carpeted basement steps and the dirt container is only about 1/2 full... less than 1/4 full of actual dirt the rest is just carpet fluff and a little dog hair.... that's after 1 week of of not vacuuming...(which is rare)....is their Sebo running properly?....belt?...full bag?....clog?
LOL....or is it that we Vac enthusiasts just vacuum much more thoroughly?

My daily drivers are a Beam central vac with various power heads....1 has a VGIII....another has a VGII....and also a Hoover Quadraflex....I also use a Eureka upright mod# 2020 with a VGII.

Interesting post....hope you & yours had A Very Merry Christmas!


Post# 56964 , Reply# 26   12/26/2008 at 06:25 (5,590 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
'is their Sebo running properly?'

Funny you should ask that! In July last year, I gave it a complete overhaul for them. The supposed 'lifetime' belt had broken, and the brush-roll was totally bald! The picture below shows the new brush-roll from the Sebo Felix I owned at the time, and the old brush-roll from their machine (after I'd pulled metres of hair and thread off it!). Scary! I ordered a brand new belt, brush-roll, pre- and post-motor filters and suction wand from Sebo, and fitted them myself.

When I gave it back, it was running like new again, and it should still be working fine. They're fairly good about changing the bags when needed etc.


Post# 56965 , Reply# 27   12/26/2008 at 06:26 (5,590 days old) by vintagehoover ()        

Another view. I've never seen a brush-roll this badly worn before!

Post# 56990 , Reply# 28   12/26/2008 at 23:35 (5,589 days old) by em-tor64 ()        

WOW....I don't think I have ever seen a brush-roll worn quite like that, either...that thing looks like it swept up razor blades or something...LOL

Post# 56992 , Reply# 29   12/27/2008 at 00:45 (5,589 days old) by electroluxxxx (……)        

I had a eureka that had a brushroll like that. however it kinda looked like the brushroll from the dyson only Bald. unfortuneately I trashed the vacuum because it was falling apart

Post# 57285 , Reply# 30   12/30/2008 at 20:00 (5,585 days old) by rolls_rapide (-)        
Bald agitators

I've seen a Hoover 262 that was almost completely bald.

And separately, when I was a youngster in the 70's, my mother had the local vac guy out to check her Hoover 612 that wasn't picking up. Turns out it was bald, too. It probably hadn't seen brushes since the 50's!


Post# 57288 , Reply# 31   12/30/2008 at 20:09 (5,585 days old) by rolls_rapide (-)        
Jack

I think that the amount of dirt a vacuum picks up has a lot to do with how thorough the user is. It is all well and good to run it quickly over if you are in a hurry, but as we all know you have to take your time to do a proper job. What was the Hoover method, seven sweeps then move onto the next section?

Post# 57301 , Reply# 32   12/30/2008 at 23:40 (5,585 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)        

kirbyvertibles's profile picture
The amway was designed by Dyson, or well he had a lot to do with it. Something went wrong and they dropped dyson and so he made what we now know as the dyson cleaner. I am not sure how or when Bissell came into the picture but the Amway started in the later 80's and sold for $600.00. They are still sold today and I am told they are now $400.00. nothing has changed on them. They still aren't a great cleaner.


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