Dyson Vacuums-Do they live up to the hype?

The Dyson company began in Britain in 1993 with one man’s idea of how to create a vacuum cleaner that never lost suction.  James Dyson, the creator, found that most vacuums (including the brand that he was using at the time) would slowly lose their suction power as the vacuum bag got full of dust, dirt, pet hair, and other items that are picked up off of the carpet, and therefore the bag really needed to be changed even though it was not technically full yet.  However, Dyson vacuums are designed so that this does not take place.  They use cyclonic separation, which is a method used to remove particles from the air. 

Dyson vacuums are very popular with consumers because of their ability to keep their suction.  Perhaps the only other vacuum company with such loyal users are those of Oreck Vacuums. Another reason that they are so popular is that they are bagless, and more consumers are moving away from vacuums that require bags, finding them to be dusty and dirty in many cases, whereas the bagless vacuums are thought to be cleaner.  The cleanliness and the strength and stamina of the suction are the main benefits that the consumer will receive when purchasing a Dyson vacuum cleaner, but there are other benefits as well.  Customer service is good on the Dyson brand, warranties are upheld, and the company employs many people in the town that the company was founded in - Wiltshire, England.  The company was initially criticized in the past because some of the production was outsourced to Malaysia, but James Dyson used the increased revenue from cutting production costs to upgrade at the Wiltshire facility and employ more people than he had before the outsourced. 

There are many Dyson brands, and all of them appear to be popular, but some are more popular than others.  The DC15, DC17, DC18, and the Dyson Handheld DC16 are the newest and most popular models of Dyson vacuums.

Released in 2005, the DC15 is designed with a universal joint and a ball, instead of a wheel like a standard vacuum cleaner.  This revolutionary design allows the user to steer the vacuum simply by twisting the handle either left or right.  In addition, the DC15 uses the same cyclonic technology that its predecessor, the DC14, used - which was exceedingly popular with consumers.   

By contrast, the DC18 is Dyson’s slimline version of the DC15.  It has been scaled down to make it more mobile and lighter weight, coming in at 14 pounds - preferable to the DC15’s 20 pound weight.  The other main change to the DC18 is that the large ball has been replaced by a thin roller that allows more space for air to get through, thus keeping the motor cooler.  Along with these changes the root cyclone system has been trimmed down and the capacity of the holding container is slightly smaller.

The DC16 is the first handheld vacuum that has been put out by the Dyson company.  It is based on the same type of cyclonic technology that Dyson used in its DC14 and DC15 upright models.  The handheld model also states that it does not lose suction, and claims to be the only handheld vacuum that can say this.  Style-wise the DC16 shares much of its look with the upright and cylinder vacuums that Dyson has created. 

There are both pros and cons with the Dyson vacuums.  The fact that the vacuums never lose suction and the sleek and stylish look that they have are definite pros.  However, the Dyson vacuums are also rather expensive, usually within the $400 to $500 range, which turns many consumers off.  Some of these consumers feel the vacuum cleaners are too expensive, and others simply cannot afford them.  Despite the price, however, those that own Dyson vacuums are generally satisfied with the quality and would purchase from the company again.