The Dyson vacuum cleaner| consumer report reviews and ratings on a great vacuum cleaner

Maker of the popular Dyson vacuum cleaner, James Dyson, in response to the question whether he still vacuums at home claims he "was a metropolitan man before most people were." And no doubt, millions of homemakers both in the U.S. and in his native Britain are happy this 60 year-old inventor tackled this all-too-mundane task. Had Dyson not gotten frustrated with his vacuuming, the Dyson vacuum cleaner would never have been invented.

In 1978, Dyson noticed that it lost suction as the vacuum cleaner bag filled. Dyson, an inventor by trade, set about to discover what caused this undesirable action. When he figured out that as the bag filled, the dust clogged the pores of the bag, blocking the airflow. It took Dyson 5 years and 5127 prototypes before coming up with a solution. If you've heard of "bagless" vacuum cleaners, with cyclonic action -- Dyson is responsible for bringing these concepts into the industry.

He offered his technology to the established vacuum cleaner makers, but they turned him down. They were to rue the day. Hoover's Vice President for Europe, Mike Rutter, later was quoted as saying on UK national TV: "I do regret that Hoover as a company did not take the product technology off Dyson; it would have lain on the shelf and not been used." Lucky we the consumers. Otherwise we'd still be supporting the $500 Million market in vacuum cleaner bags for those machines so identified with one manufacturer that they are called "hoovers" in the United Kingdom.

In 1993, Dyson started mass-producing his Dyson vacuum cleaner in the United Kingdom, bringing it to the United States in 2002. In both countries, the Dyson vacuum has rapidly become a favorite -- and imitated. In fact, Advertising Age profiled Dyson arguing advertising with rival Hoover at the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau in May, 2006. Dyson expressed his frustration how competitors can claim they have the same technology when they have nothing of the kind.

Consumer reports

Nevertheless, Dyson vacuum cleaners seem wildly popular all you have to do is read a review of Dyson vacuum cleaners from a consumer report. Of 25 different models that range from the upright vacuum cleaner and canister vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaners had user satisfaction ratings and reviews of at least 4 out of 5 for21 of the models on popular consumer report opinion site, epinions.com.

Consumers seem equally thrilled in reviews on both U.S. and U.K. Amazon sites. Nevertheless, surveys by Britain’s consumer mag, "Which?" claims that Dyson owners complain more about reliability, including that of Dyson's much-vaunted suction, than that of competitors, save, perhaps, Hoover -- and has been at the bottom of the surveys for six years, as reported in 2006.

The number of ratings from both Amazon and Epinions sites are in sufficient number to not seem the result of "planted" reviews. Perhaps the reliability has gone down? One British journalist suggested that Dyson vacuum cleaners, with a distinct design, may owe its popularity to a certain cache that the machines have.

In the U.S., most Dyson vacuum cleaner models are upright vacuum cleaners, if you include the style that the manufacturer calls "the ball" -- so named for the ball mechanism that enables the machine to maneuver more easily. There is a hand held and a canister vacuum styles well.

What do people like about Dysons?

•  The suction. Dyson's claim to fame.
•  A vast array of attachments, some say it has some of the best attachments of any manufacturer.
•  Stylish
•  No need to buy vacuum bags
•  Lifetime washable filters that rival hypo-allergenic bag vacuums. However, it takes 48 hours to dry the filter out, and some report that the filters only last 3 years.
• "The ball" which aids in maneuverability.

             What are the downsides?

1. * Remember there's no bag? A common complaint with bagless machines is that one would do well to wear a dust mask and wear gloves when emptying -- and/or the subsequent recommended internal cleaning.
2. * Just like folks reported in the "Which?" surveys -- they do get clogged and lose suction.
3. * Weight. While Dysons vacuum cleaners come with long hoses (aka "wands"), this may not be a problem -- unless you need to carry it up and down stairs.
4. * Price. Dyson uses contractual obligations to ensure that dealers don’t undercut one another. However, Dyson is not alone among makers in selling machines for hundreds of dollars. Even Wal-Mart doesn't discount Dyson vacuums.
5. * Remember how heavy the machine is? Well, consider that if you want to take advantage of their 5 year warrantee, you'll have to pay for shipping back to their head office.

Vacuum cleaner reviews and resources

In the end you have to decide if the Dyson vacuum cleaner whether it's a canister vacuum cleaner handheld or an upright vacuum is to your benefit and will work in your home. We here at vacuumcleanerresource.com gather information about the vacuum cleaner reviews, ratings so that you can compare and find the best price for the vacuum cleaner that you choose.