Monday Saddling Up

Steve got a new toy today! It's a Dyson DC07.

I've lusted after these babies since I read the Dyson story in an industrial design magazine ten-years ago. It may seem strange that a boy would lust after a vacuum cleaner, but these things are very cool. They are also very high-tech pieces of kit. They are what other bagless vacuums want to be when they grow up. The DV07 is one of his older models, but they still manufacture it. I bought a refurb, which is about the only way I could afford one. Their price point has kept me from purchasing one the last two times I've needed to buy a vacuum.

The last one I bought was a Royal/Dirt Devil. I used to have a Big Red Machine, which were excellent little vaccums, well designed and well built. But they no longer make them, which is a pity because what they are making now aren't near the quality of design, manufacture, and use. Which is a sad statement. At the end we were replacing the belt every third of fourth time we used it, and it started leaking grease. Never mind the clogging filters, the annoying way of dumping the thing out, duct taping the hose back together, and that how they designed the power cord lead it to being chewed to hell. I've re-taped the thing, well, I forget how many times. At least five.

I put the Dyson puppy together and did a trial run. First impressions are it's about half the noise level of other vacuums we've owned, and it picks up pretty well. It's a little awkward to use the tools, but that's an acceptable trade off. I love that when upright the beater bar doesn't turn. The hose looks better constructed, and it has an excellent feel to it. So far I think I made a good choice.