Which vacuum cleaner?
- Thread starter Wolfmancatsup
- Start date
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Our Dyson DC25 Animal has just partially expired. It has a mechanism whereby tilting the handle back from the vertical will engage the motorised brush head (you can also switch it off manually by a button next to the power switch). This tilting and switching started to get a bit intermittent a couple of weeks ago and now doesn't work at all. I presume there's a microswitch somewhere activated by the tilting action, and it has failed. Can't find it.
Went onto the Dyson website and started up a chat with a bot, which quickly turned into a chat with a person, but who might as well have been a bot - perfectly pleasant and trying to be helpful, but not much use 'off-script'. Having declined her suggestion to replace the motorised brush head, twice, I explained that I didn't think it was the brush head which had failed, but a switch somewhere else, and I wasn't about to buy a (not inexpensive) brush head only to confirm that the fault was elsewhere. At this point she explained that the model is out of support and they can't help, but a local repairman might be able to sort it. So, back to square one.
I don't like it (it's heavy and not very wieldy) but the rest still works well, so I may ring around see if I can find a local tradesperson who attends to such things. It's going to be cheaper than wholesale replacement, for now anyway. The only thing I'm sure about is that the replacement won't be a Dyson. Time for a change.
Went onto the Dyson website and started up a chat with a bot, which quickly turned into a chat with a person, but who might as well have been a bot - perfectly pleasant and trying to be helpful, but not much use 'off-script'. Having declined her suggestion to replace the motorised brush head, twice, I explained that I didn't think it was the brush head which had failed, but a switch somewhere else, and I wasn't about to buy a (not inexpensive) brush head only to confirm that the fault was elsewhere. At this point she explained that the model is out of support and they can't help, but a local repairman might be able to sort it. So, back to square one.
I don't like it (it's heavy and not very wieldy) but the rest still works well, so I may ring around see if I can find a local tradesperson who attends to such things. It's going to be cheaper than wholesale replacement, for now anyway. The only thing I'm sure about is that the replacement won't be a Dyson. Time for a change.
Dysons are far too complicated. Get a Henry. It'll outlive you!
Burdy
Active Member
We are on our second Dyson. The first is still going (bought in 2007) but too heavy and bulky to drag up the stairs. We got one of the v15 detect models. Does the job. Nice and quiet too. Only downside is the small dust capacity so it needs emptying often. Hoovering is a lot less of a chore now.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
We have a Henry - well, a George actually (wet and dry) but mostly use that for the wet aspect. We have a dog, who is a dust and hair factory, so a vacuum cleaner with a rotating brush is essential for our purposes. We mostly have hard floors downstairs so the loss of the brush function isn't a huge issue there, but upstairs and in the dining room, where there are carpets, the cleaner sans brush doesn't do a particularly thorough job.
You need the Henry rotating brush attachment. It's not as good as a belt driven brush but it's much better than no rotating brush and does the job.
I was talking to a car valeter the other day and dog hair was mentioned. We bought a car from my wife's uncle years ago, he carried his Labrador in the boot and I don't think we ever got all the hair out. The valeter said the secret weapon is a hacksaw blade. First I've heard of it, don't know how you use it but might be worth a try.
Beobloke
pfm Member
Use it to cut the carpet out and replace it?!
Beobloke
pfm Member
Replacement switch is here for the princely sum of £3.34 as is a video on how to replace it. They use a different model for the demo but they are mostly fairly similar inside.
Vacuum Cleaner Upright Switch | eSpares
Vacuum Cleaner Upright Switch. Order Now - Next day delivery available!
Must be intended for use like a comb. I bought my car 3 years ago from a pal, he has dogs. I've yet to clean out the hair that came free on the inside of the bootlid, my pal reckons some of it may be from his first dog, which died about 5 years ago. I'll try the hacksaw blade trick, if that fails I'll use parcel tape. Maybe even this week, but after only 3 years I don't want to rush it.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Thanks but that's not the switch I think has failed. That's the one I describe as being a button next to the power switch, it's used to switch off the brushes on hard floors, so it overrides the switch that activates the brush bar when the handle is lowered from vertical (stowed) to the normal operating angle.Replacement switch is here for the princely sum of £3.34 as is a video on how to replace it. They use a different model for the demo but they are mostly fairly similar inside.
Vacuum Cleaner Upright Switch | eSpares
Vacuum Cleaner Upright Switch. Order Now - Next day delivery available!www.espares.co.uk
mikemusic
pfm Member
Henry for many years
Had the original mains powered turbo head which was great but needs repair and a mains socket as later Henrys do not have the 2 pin socket for it.
An air driven turbo head is a great addition to any Henry or similar and up until recently was perfect
Enter the latest additions to our dog pack
Still picks up well but cream carpet not as clean as it used to look
Next step
Silicon brush - amazing but needs Henry to clear up
Lateral thinking has me try the hard floor brush attachment - great, almost as good as the silicon brush, but needs hair taken out of the brush too regularly
Not entirely sure of the next move
Had the original mains powered turbo head which was great but needs repair and a mains socket as later Henrys do not have the 2 pin socket for it.
An air driven turbo head is a great addition to any Henry or similar and up until recently was perfect
Enter the latest additions to our dog pack
Still picks up well but cream carpet not as clean as it used to look
Next step
Silicon brush - amazing but needs Henry to clear up
Lateral thinking has me try the hard floor brush attachment - great, almost as good as the silicon brush, but needs hair taken out of the brush too regularly
Not entirely sure of the next move
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Our experience with a dog (black lab, pale bedroom carpets) has been that turbo-driven brushes are ineffectual and, either a belt off the main motor (a la Hoovers since time immemorial) or a separate motorised brush head are necessary to lift dog hairs, regardless of the degree of suction.
Beobloke
pfm Member
Ah apologies - it was only a brief search! I feel sure that eSpares will have the right part somewhere, though.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Taking it to a local appliance repair shop today, will see what they say.
chiily
PFM Special Builder
Many years ago, when we had two dogs and six cats, plus two kids at home we bought a Miele Cat and Dog vacuum. Heavy, a pain to pull behind one, but a great vacuum for cat, dog and children's hair.
Tumeni Notes
pfm Member
I'll wager there's a YouTube video which has the answer ...