The war is over and the winner is Dyson. I don’t think now that there is any doubt left that the bagless machine of Mr Dyson has superseded the Hoovers of this world and made the paper bag obsolete. The fact that other manufacturers are now bringing out their own versions of bagless machines backs this up.

We bought our Dyson DC01 3 years ago for £250, having tried almost every other make of vacuum cleaner in the past 36 years. The reason that the Dyson was chosen was because a friend had one and swore by it. Also the idea of never having to change a bag again was appealing.

The concept of having no bag is brilliantly obvious. And makes one wonder just how many years ago it was possible to manufacture such a machine. Could it have anything to do with sales of the bags do you think? Surely not. I believe that Mr. Dyson did approach all of the leading manufacturers with his design, and was turned down by all of them, forcing him to go into business himself.

The machine has worked beautifully over the years, fulfilling the promises made in the advertising blurb at the time. It does pick up more efficiently than any other machine we have had. It is easier to empty. It is more hygienic than having bags to change, and it is easier to maintain.

An important point to mention is the fact that the machine has 2 filters. A Bactiguard screen, which requires changing every 3 months, and a Hepa filter which requires changing every 12 months. These must be changed at the times specified, or the machine just will not work. The filters are designed to kill and retain harmful bacteria, which make the Dyson ideal for allergy or asthma sufferers.

The action of the machine can be seen, as the entire collection tube is transparent, and the dual cyclone effect can be seen in all its glory. It is fascinating to see just how much muck there actually is, in what you previously thought was a clean carpet.
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Maintenance of the Dyson is simplicity itself. The majority of blockages can be cleared with the minimum of effort. Should however you manage to pick up a hairclip and 3 or 4 pounds of Scottie Dog hair at the same time, the removal of the base and clearing of the pathways take 5 minutes.

The attachments provided, are exactly those that you would expect with any vacuum cleaner, making the cleaning of upholstery, curtains, stairs etc possible. The hose or lance as it is called uses an ingenious device that makes it very easy to clip and unclip as and when needed, the power being automatically transferred to the lance when in use.

Dyson offer an insurance, which we took out at the time. This gives you the satisfaction of knowing that should anything go wrong with the cleaner, they will collect it from your door, repair it and return it good as new. The only stipulation they make is that you first of all make sure that the problem is not just a blocked pipe. If it is they will, not unnaturally, make a charge. The current cost of this insurance is £35 annually. We used this service after 18 months when the on/off switch began to play up. The cleaner was collected, repaired and returned within 4 days.

All in all I consider the Dyson to be a thoroughly good machine, doing exactly what it says it will do, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.