What A Sucker! (Dyson DC07 Allergy)

Member Name: thamisgith

Product:	Dyson DC07 Allergy
Date:	25/02/02 (2078 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Incredible cleaning power

Disadvantages: A little heavy, colour scheme may not suit all tastes

INTRODUCTION
The Dyson DC07 is the latest in the now famous line of bagless vacuum cleaners from Dyson. The suction power is provided in the form of a mini cyclone and deposits the dirt and dust into a clear plastic chamber. The theory is that the suction power remains constant during use, unlike a conventional vacuum where the amount of suction reduces significantly as the bag fills up.

Dyson provide you with a lot of theory to explain how their products work (and to justify the slightly higher than average price tag). Some of this is a little difficult to explain without the use of diagrams, so ff you’re interested, visit their website at www.dyson.com. You may also have the chance, by answering 3 questions, to win a free DC07!

SUCTION
The DC07 is based on “eighth root cyclone” technology – basically it has eight mini cyclones instead of the one or two available in earlier models. This produces 45% more suction than the previous dual cyclone models (330 air watts of suction for the root cyclone compared to 230 airwatts of suction for the dual cyclone), and considerably more than other, more conventional cleaners, especially when they begin to fill up with dust. The suction tests which Dyson base these figures upon were conducted in accordance with IEC (International Technical Committee) standard testing methods and are therefore pretty much indisputable – at least for the conditions tested.

To put it another, less scientific but perhaps more illuminating, way – the suction on this thing is awesome. Immediately prior to purchasing the DC07, our house had been hoovered from top to bottom using a conventional upright cleaner from a respected manufacturer which has served us well for a number of years. It was towards the end of this exercise that the decision to buy a new cleaner was made. Anyway, when we returned and set up the Dyson (a 2 minute job) we naturally tested it out immediately. The a
mount of dust and dirt which was extracted, from freshly hoovered carpets previously considered clean, was incredible. Obviously we have been wallowing, albeit unwittingly, in our own muck for years now.

We have a variety of floor coverings throughout the house, mainly thick pile carpets but some medium pile, a bit of lino and also the now ubiquitous laminate flooring in one room. The DC07 performed well on all surfaces and it was noticeably lifting even the thicker pile carpets off the floor when working in the centre of the room away from the carpet restraints at the side.

TOOLS
The unit comes with the following tools supplied as standard:

Stair tool – small flat thing for cleaning stairs
Brush tool – small round headed thing with bristles
Crevice tool – long pointy thing for getting into small areas

Other units in the range come with a large flat floor cleaning tool. You can order additional tools either by mail or by visiting the Dyson web site.

In use, the tools are all securely stored on the body of the cleaner. This means they are always handy when you need them and less prone to being lost. There are three modes of use for the tools:

1. They can be attached directly to the top of the handle. This is then removed from the cleaner body and becomes a 3 foot long wand which you can use to steer the tool. This is the quickest method of use.

2. The handle can be removed and reversed, fitting the handle end closest to the body of the cleaner. The tool is then attached to the straight end of the wand and used as before. This method is useful if the area to be cleaned is too restricted to allow both the tool and the handle of the cleaner to access it – it may also be useful if you have weak hands and need the handle to assist you in steering the tool.

3. The handle can be removed completely and the tool fitted directly to the flexible hose which is attached to
the main body of the cleaner. This is useful for cleaning upholstery or other areas where increased flexibility is required.

The range of use when using the tools is about 15 feet – 12 feet of flexible hose plus the 3 foot long wand. This is easily enough to clean a flight of stairs from the bottom.

When finished, the flexible hose returns to the body of the cleaner very easily.

EASE OF USE AND MAINTENANCE
One of the new innovations on the DC07 is “remote trigger bin emptying”. Basically, in order to empty the dust canister, you remove it from the main body of the cleaner, hold it over a dustbin or binbag and operate a small trigger in the handle. This causes the bottom of the container to open, the dust falls out into the bin and you refit the container into the cleaner body. Easy - no mess, no fuss.

At 11.0 kg, the unit is a little bit heavier than some modern uprights and I think it’s a little harder to use, possibly due to the incredible suction which holds it close to the floor. Nevertheless, it’s worth the effort for the additional cleaning power afforded. As mentioned earlier, the tools are easy to use so this compensates to a large degree.

The unit is supplied with lifetime filters, which should be cleaned every 6 months. This is a simple procedure – just rinse them out under a cold tap. Make sure they’re completely dry before you refit them.
Another benefit, apart from the lack of hoover bags, is that the belt is designed to last for the lifetime of the cleaner, so you won’t have to change this either. This is achieved by the use of an anti-jam brushbar which should cut out if it snags.

The various triggers and latches which release the tools and dust container are all highly visible and easy to use – no fiddly bits.

The fact that both the dust container and the flexible hose are transparent makes it easier to check for any blockages
that may occur. Other potential blockage areas are easily accessible and generally removable.

OTHER INFORMATION
The cleaner comes with a 2 year guarantee as standard. You need to fill out a form and post it to Dyson to activate this.

SUMMARY
The DC07 is an extremely effective cleaning machine with incredible suction power. You will be surprised at how much cleaner your carpets will be once you start using this machine. Anyone who has pets prone to shedding hair, is asthmatic or just wants to have a really clean house would benefit from this machine.

Not content with producing a piece of equipment which cleans better than other units on the market, Dyson have packed this cleaner with genuine innovations which make it easy to use and reduces maintenance and replacement parts to a minimum.

Dyson cleaners are a little bit more expensive than others but they are brilliantly conceived and engineered. They incorporate genuine innovations and represent good value for money. It’s good to see such a fine example of British engineering and hopefully they will expand their product range beyond vacuum cleaners and washing machines in the not too distant future.

Highly recommended.

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