More Dust Removed Just Because I Can See It? (Dyson DC04)

Member Name: aefra

Product:	Dyson DC04
Date:	26/11/03 (1177 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Powerful motor, Easily maintained

Disadvantages: Doesn't pick up everything, No cord re-wind

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br>When James Dyson offered his Cyclon technology to Hotpoint he was told that the project was "dead from the neck up" and I guess that foresight-lacking unbeliever is now packing Hotpoint parts in deepest China. After 15 years of perseverance Dyson came up with the first bagless dual cyclone machine and the rest is a plethora of five star giving reviews on opinion sites.

My best friend is a vacuum cleaner junky and after making all the right noises about her annual purchase of the latest cleaner, I was finally genuinely impressed with her fashionably ugly Dyson DC04. Having been considering an upright for some time although already possessing the wonderful Numatic George, I decided that an order to Comet Online before I changed my mind was timely.

My DC04 is a garish lime green and grey which would only go with anything from Changing Rooms, but as it sits under the stairs when not in use I don't have to look at it very often. That is particularly true as when I need to do some serious housework I retrieve the Numatic and just use the Dyson more or less as a carpet sweeper. I'll tell you why later.

Weighing in at 8 kilos the DC04 is a sturdy machine which I had little trouble assembling and consists of a slightly curved handle above a removable transparent cylinder which takes 4 litres of dust and is removed with the press of a wide switch for easy emptying. The wide base and business end is designed for edge to edge cleaning so that the whole width of the cleaner picks up dirt right to the edge of skirting boards. There is no need for manual adjustment of height from the floor as this is automatically taken care of.

With a 1200 watt motor and a dual cyclone system which accelerates the dust inside the cylinder, the power is impressive. Before I first used the Dyson my carpets appeared clean, yet the cylinder filled in moments. I was horrified at the dirt which my carpets had contained and th
rilled at this first result. The acceleration inside the cylinder does mean that dirt and dust are not sent into the air as happens with a normal upright, which has to be good for those suffering from dust allergies.

Behind and beneath the handle is attached a long clear concertinered hose which extends when the handle is released by a simple press. With an attachment added stairs can be cleaned without having to lift the cleaner from the lower floor. I do find that replacing the hose in its socket is a little fiddly in much the way that a very long concertina would be in order to be closed. Afterwards just snap the handle back on and that is that.

Attachments come with the appliance and include a crevice tool, upholstery brush and lint picking tool. I keep the upholstery brush always attached to the top of the handle and the crevice tool in a slot just above the hose. It needs a little practice to attach these as they press in plastic to plastic. Although a heavy machine, some parts seem a little flimsy and I take care. An example is the small clip which holds the long flex. This innovative machine doesn't have a cord rewind.

I do find an advantage in not having to buy bags and the lifetime filter will not need to be replaced. With ease of inspection there are no hidden blockages and should there be one it can be easily removed. When needing to carry the DC04 upstairs there is a large handle at the front of the upright to aid lifting and balance. James Dyson does seem to have thought of everything for convenience.

Since this marvel of dust-sucking can now be obtained for as little as £139.95 on offer from Comet at the moment, why am I about to give it only three stars, and why wouldn't I buy another? There is no doubt that the Dyson sucks up dust brilliantly and the results can be seen instantly as they whirl around the clear cylinder. But then my Numatic cylinder cleaner does a good job ( I don't use
a bag in it anyway) but doesn't show me the dirt collected until I open it. I am not suggesting that actually watching the dirt rise gives a psychological advantage to the DC04, but it has crossed my mind. No, the problem is that I don't find it sucks up much more than dust. In other words the stuff that shows.

My lounge carpet is new so the pile is not flattened, yet I have yet to be able to pick up a single dog hair from the floor. I am not talking thick german shepherd hairs that come out in clumps during the moulting season, but little white jack russell hairs. Should lint or cotton fall on the floor, forget it. The cleaner just runs over them and I have to bend down and pick up with my fingers. However careful I am to remove boots in the porch I bring in straw on my socks. That is not to say that my hall looks like the stable, but there are generally some pieces marring the carpet. I pull out the Dyson and run it over the floor, but am still left to hand pick some bits. That is why I use this cleaner just for a quick go over for tidiness and carry the old Numatic George downstairs when I really want to clean.

This is a vacuum cleaner which for me hasn't come up to expectations once the novelty wore off. Maybe the more powerful multi cyclone Dysons are more effective for my needs, but I shan't try them. Partly because of my experience with the machine I have and also because, although the British workman helped make James Dyson's fortune, he took the whole caboodle to Malaysia where the workforce ask only half the wages they do here.

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