Thread Number: 1423
plastic brush damage 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 14538   6/2/2007 at 11:55 (6,165 days old) by williamr1248 (USA)        

I wanted to share a bad experience I had with a new cleaner. It has "plastic" brushes that after using only a few times ruined a 9X12 looped rug in the breakfast room and then I noticed it also "fuzzed" the edges of the area rugs in my entrance hall. I have been cleaning these same carpets many times using a Kirby,Electrolux and Air-Way and older Hoover with with no damage. This is an example of "quick" results verses gentle cleaning of horsehair brushes. This was an expensive machine that I took back to the store for a refund.
I am grateful I saw the damage before using on the wall-to-wall carpeting! I talked with the company that put the carpeting down and that told me they are seeing more and more of this happening. Many times the damage does not become visable for several months.

Post# 14544 , Reply# 1   6/2/2007 at 19:03 (6,165 days old) by parunner58 (Davenport, FL)        

parunner58's profile picture
What is the vacuum that did the damage. We have a Karastan (spelling?) type carpet in our bedroom and I noticed that my Dyson Animal has started to pull the fibers out and our Electrolux and our Royal Pony with power nozzles did not do this.

Mike

Post# 14550 , Reply# 2   6/2/2007 at 21:21 (6,165 days old) by williamr1248 (USA)        
plastic brush damage

 Mike,
The machine was a Dyson DC21. I liked the machine except for the damage the brush roll did to my rugs. I also had a Hoover Windtunnel damage my kitchen floor at my old house. I have never had this happen with the older Hoovers, Electrolux or Kirby upright. If you just compare the brush you can see that it SHOULD clean fast but not if it ruins expensive rugs and fuzzes the carpets. To me this seems like a serious design flaw. Shame on Dyson and Hoover! The Electrolux may not clean as fast or fluff the carpet as much but it also NEVER ruined a carpet.

Post# 14556 , Reply# 3   6/2/2007 at 22:31 (6,165 days old) by swingette ()        
yes yes yes

 i remember when the dc17 came out many people warned about the harshness of the agitator. the brushes on some brushrolls caress, some beat, the Dyson's CLAWS! the manual on such cleaners should warn against use on vintage or fine wool rugs.

i suggest a simple test. turn the machine in question on and place the palm of your hand lightly against the tips of the agitator's brushes. if it is PAINFUL against your skin, it's too aggressive for nice carpet.

Post# 14587 , Reply# 4   6/3/2007 at 18:39 (6,164 days old) by andy (Boston, MA)        
Rug damage

 When my Dyson rep brought in the DC17, I hadn't taken but maybe 3 strokes with it across the gray plush in my store, and there was already a ball of carpet in the tank. The brushroll on that machine was just a step below a wire brush in stiffness. Due to the popularity of the Dyson, I know that there will be several people who don't know better who take that machine home and try to clean delicate rugs with it. And when all the carpet fuzz appears in the tank, colored by the other dirt in the rug, they will probably marvel at how powerful their new machine is. That is until their rugs start going bald.

When somebody comes into my store and has delicate rugs, I usually put them into a Miele with a 217 powerhead. To demonstrate how gentle the brushroll is, I turn the powerhead upside down, and run a loop of the electrical cord back and forth through the brushroll while it's running. They usually panic a little until I show them that there isn't even a mark on the cord. Then I spread some kapok and rice over the floor, and pick it up with one swipe. You DO NOT need an overly stiff brushroll to do an effective job of cleaning carpet.

Post# 14617 , Reply# 5   6/4/2007 at 09:24 (6,163 days old) by vac-o-matic (Saint Louis, Mo.)        
Soft bristles

 When I first got my Princess III I was skeptical about the brushroll, which was new, just thought it to be too soft. After using it as my daily driver for a couple of weeks, I can see by the results in the canister that the brushroll is very effective on my older plush carpeting.

Post# 14625 , Reply# 6   6/4/2007 at 19:38 (6,163 days old) by compactc9 ()        

Its not necessarily that the bristles are plastic, its how stiff they are. Plastic bristles can be anywhere from wire brush stiff to feather soft, it just depends on how they are made. All the bristles have to do for proper agitation is move the fibers to loosen the dirt and fuzz, they dont have to scrub (or sometimes claw) at them. One of the best cleaning brushrolls I have seen, the Hoover Quadraflex, also has some of the softest bristles I have seen.

Post# 14629 , Reply# 7   6/4/2007 at 21:21 (6,163 days old) by ohio_tuec ()        
Dyson brushroll

 Yes, I feel the same way about the Dyson brushroll. I got a Dyson DC07 Full Kit about 2 years ago (as a trade-in), and now, I know better than to use it on the oriental rug in my living room. I was disturbed by the amount of carpet fiber in the bin. I really just wanted a Dyson so I could compare it against my Fantom Thunder. In some ways, the Fantom has the edge. Too bad the company folded when it did. I then got a Dyson DC01 off of eBay. The brushroll seems way better on that one. Does anyone know who has parts for that machine in this country?

Post# 14631 , Reply# 8   6/5/2007 at 01:19 (6,162 days old) by compactc9 ()        

The DC01 was never sold here, so I doubt that will be possible to find.

Post# 14718 , Reply# 9   6/6/2007 at 14:44 (6,161 days old) by kirbyultimateg (Troy Ohio 45373 USA)        

Eureka VGI with one row of brushes and one row of beater bars
Eureka VGI with two rows of brushes and no beater bars
Eureka VGII with sleeve bearings
Eureka VGII with ball bearings
Eureka VGIII with two rows of brushes and no beater bars

Post# 14719 , Reply# 10   6/6/2007 at 14:47 (6,161 days old) by kirbyultimateg (Troy Ohio 45373 USA)        

These brushrolls have soft bristles and they clean the floor just like there is no tomorrow.
These are Eureka's best brushrolls!


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