5127 Prototypes Later (Dyson DC01)

Member Name: criple

Product:	Dyson DC01
Date:	06/09/02 (1469 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent Suction, Bagless, Good For Allergies

Disadvantages: Heavy, Filters Need Replacing Every 3 Months

James Dyson, the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner. He not only deserves recognition for his achievements but also for his incredible perseverance. It was through his own disappointment with his current cleaner that he embarked upon the long and arduous task of inventing a cleaner that provided 100% suction.

~~~~ THE MAN HIMSELF ~~~~

Well before the invention of the first Dyson Vacuum (DC01) James Dyson had a talent for creating new and innovative products. While he was studying at The Royal College Of Art in 1970 he invented the Sea Truck' it has sales to date of over $500 million. Most of us will not have heard of this but I am familiar with the award winning 'Ballbarrow' which can apparently go where no other barrow has gone before! It is a red/orange colour with a large ball where the wheel of a Barrow normally is. Now I'm not a regular wheelbarrow user but I know they can be difficult to handle and tip over, the ball at the front eliminates that.

It was in 1978 while he was in the Ballbarrow spray-finishing room that he noticed that the air filter was constantly clogging up with powder particles, just like the bags do in vacuum cleaners.

As a result of this he designed and built an industrial cyclone tower which removed the powder particles by exerting centrifugal forces at more than 100,000 times more than those of gravity (information from the Dyson website)

The question was, could the same principle work in a vacuum cleaner? 5 years and 5127 prototypes later the worlds first bagless vacuum cleaner from Dyson arrived.


~~~~ THE BIRTH OF THE DC01 ~~~~

The first bagless cleaner was launched in 1991 in Japan and was seen as a status symbol. It was named 'G-Force' and retailed for around $2000, so was out of most peoples reach. Using the income from the Japanese licence 'James Dyson' decided to manufacture a model under his own name in Britain. This was the

DC01 and it was released in 1993 as the first in a range of cleaners to give constant suction.

~~~~ HOW IT ACHEIVES CONSTANT SUCTION ~~~~

The bag was replaced by two cyclone chambers, which cannot clog with dust. The traditional bag clogs with dirt and as it acts like a filter, it's suction power reduces when it becomes clogged. Even other bagless cleaners that use filters lose suction to around 70%. With Dyson the dust is kept away from the filters and thus the suction remains. The outer cyclone spins out the larger particles and the inner one removes the minute health-threatening ones so as well as keeping suction it can help with allergies. The newer models now have 8 cyclones making them very efficient indeed.

~~~~ THE MACHINE ~~~~

My main reason for choosing my DC01 was the bag free feature and the fact that it claimed to pick up more dirt and dust and thus be better for asthma/allergy sufferers.

I liked its design and the facility to use a wand for cleaning stairs and it appeared to have plenty of attachments for upholstery etc. There are three versions of the DC01, a cylinder vac and a yellow and blue upright; I am going to focus my op on the standard upright yellow model.

The Dyson is constructed of sturdy plastic and is primarily grey with some yellow features. It has cord storage at the back of the machine but you have to manually wind this up when not in use. Although the cleaner does not have a bag it does have two s-level submicro filters, these are supposed to be very efficient at collecting dust particles. One is placed underneath the clear plastic drum (where all the dirt is collected) and one is encased in a filter holder down the side of the machine. They need to be replaced after 3 months, as it will affect the performance if you don't. It is very easy to do and they are very accessible. You can order them from the website at a cost of £8.00 for 8 filters or from most major reta
ilers. You can buy none Dyson products but of course they don't recommend it. I have used cheaper filters from time to time and they still do the job.

One of things I like about the Dyson is that all the attachments fit snugly on to the vacuum and it is a simple process to use them. At the bottom of the vac you will see two storage posts on each side of the drum. Here you will find the necessary attachments stored. There will be a tool adapter, a long crevice tool, an upholstery brush and one for removing pet hairs etc. When you wish to use one of these it couldn't be simpler. You remove the wand from the back of the machine by lightly depressing a large yellow button that is flush with the handle and located at the front. All the attachments fit easily on to the end of the wand. The wand is long enough to reach the top of most staircases and this saves having to carrying the vac up and down and trying to balance it on the steps.

It has a self-levelling cleaner head so if you move from one room to another with a different height in flooring it will adjust automatically.

It has the traditional roller brush and a belt so you need to be careful that you don't run over the cord when vacuuming. If there are any loose carpet threads or fringes on rugs make sure they are either removed or you clean the area with the wand. If you accidentally run over anything like this there is a good chance that the belt will snap as the fibres wrap around the brushes. The belt is fairly easy to replace but you have to get down on your hands and knees, undo some screws and it can be a mucky job. I have found putting back together a bit tricky on the odd occasion as I'm trying to hold the belt in place and click the brush back in.

~~~~ CLEANING ~~~~

In addition to replacing the filters you will need to clean the drum and the shroud. The drum is easily removed and you can empty the contents in to a bin. You don't need to w
ash it ev
ery time and it tells you not to use strong detergents. You must ensure that the drum is thoroughly dry before replacing it. The drum as I call it is referred to as the bin in the instruction manual but I prefer to call it a drum so as not to confuse matters! If I tell you to check the bin, you might wonder what I'm asking you to do, lol

The shroud is a long yellow tube that is like an upside down triangle covered with holes and you can see it clearly inside the drum. This needs to be cleaned from time to time as it gets clogged up with dust. I usually use the brush attachment and dust it off in to the drum. When you do this either wear a facemask (not from Lush) or ask someone else to do it if you have asthma/allergies. You are kind of defeating the object if you go wafting a load of dust under your nose and it can really get on your chest. I often leave this job for my husband.

Periodic checks should be made of the soleplate to remove any blockages. The same applies to the flaps that are at the back of the vacuum. When my Dyson wasn't working properly it was due to a blockage in one of the flaps. A second hand Dyson that I bought for use upstairs was depositing debris all over my carpet after I had vacuumed. This was again due to the soleplate and flaps being blocked and it looked as if the machine had never been cleaned at all. Once the blockages were cleared and the filters replaced it was as good as new.

Occasionally the wand may need clearing, you should look down the wand to check for daylight (don't do this at night! lol) and clean with a stiff wire if necessary. The brush bar will need threads removing regularly as if left unattended it could damage the vac. You simply need to cut them with scissors but be careful as they can be wrapped around pretty tightly.

~~~~ PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING ~~~~

I have been very impressed with the reliability and performance of my DC01. I have never had
to have it rep
aired and it is about 7 years old. When it does need attention it's usually something you can do yourself like unblocking pipes. I tend not to use the brush method on my kitchen floor as it's lino and it makes an awful scraping sound. The best thing to do is to use the wand and one of the attachments. It is excellent for removing both debris and dust from carpets and furniture. As it is an upright cleaner you don't feel the suction as such but you can instantly see the difference in the carpets. The drum where all the debris collects is clear plastic so you can see what you are vacuuming up. It is a real shock when you first use it, as the amount of dirt it collects is quite astounding. If you buy a Dyson you should take this test: clean with your old vac first and then go over it with a Dyson, you will be amazed that it picks up even more. Just don't do it if you have company as you will feel really ashamed at the amount of dirt on your carpet!

You can get relatively close to the edges of walls but not completely; this is where the wand comes in handy again. I normally vac all the large spaces first with it in the upright position and go in to any small areas or against walls with the wand and attachment afterwards.

I find that it is a good height and you don't need to do any bending, this is what I never liked about cylinder cleaners. I do find it heavy though and I think that an older person or someone with back problems may struggle. I have a back injury and I have to be careful, the twisting motion of vacuuming can be stressful for your back. Keep the drum as empty as possible to avoid carrying any extra weight, you will be surprised how much more difficult it is to push with a full drum. It does have a handle so you can carry it up the stairs but again it can be hard work for the elderly or infirm. I keep the second hand Dyson that I bought upstairs for this reason. You may be wondering why I still have
one if it's too he
avy but the truth is that other vacs just aren't as good. I bought a JMB cylinder cleaner to keep upstairs and it just didn't pick up anywhere near as good as the Dyson. It was lighter, but the performance couldn't match the DC01 at all, I ended up giving it away. If there was one thing I would ask Dyson to improve it would be the weight. I don't know if the newer models are any lighter, I'm sure someone will tell me if they are!

If you keep your Dyson clean and change the filters when recommended you really will have 100% suction 100% of the time.

~~~~ DO'S AND DON'TS ~~~~

DO:

Unplug from the mains when not in use
Make sure that hands and feet are kept away from the cleaner and brush bar
Stand 'above' the machine when cleaning stairs
Turn the machine off with the switch before unplugging
Make sure the drum is correctly out back in place after cleaning

DON'T:

Fit anything other than Dyson parts
Do any repairs yourself as it could invalidate the warranty (other than cleaning)
Pick up water with the cleaner or immerse in water
Use the machine if the cord is damaged

ESPECIALLY DON'T

Use the cleaner near a gas fire when switched on. I have done this and it will blow out the fire leaving gas escaping. At the front of the vac air is expelled and it's quite strong, you may not notice the fire going out so it's always best to turn it off.

~~~~ COST AND OVRALL OPINION ~~~~

7 years ago when I bought my DC01 they were around £200-£220 but they have now come down in price. I've seen them from anything from £160- £190. As this model is quite old you may not get many places selling them brand new. I would certainly recommend you buying a second hand one in good working order, as it should last for years. Parts are still available from Dyson and there are no plans to stop selling
them. I think the equivalent new mod
el is the DC04 and this retails for about £200. If you need to know anything about your existing Dyson or a new model you can access the website www.dyson.co.uk where you can download manuals, order parts and read help pages. You can also read about the history of Dyson if you wish to write an op, as I did!


I wouldn't use any other vac than a Dyson now, they just don't compare.

10/10 Reliability
10/10 Durability
10/10 Suction Power
8/10 Design
6/10 Manoeuvrability


Fully recommended

Summary: