A few weeks ago, Alex and I found a Dyson DC-07 in the trash in Squirrel Hill. We, of course, picked it up–it’s a $400 vacuum! It smelled rather musty, and it was caked with mud in a few places; it was also missing the footplate, the hose on the bottom, and the attachments. But it started–and it sucked. So far, so good, I thought.

I took it completely apart (you need a Torx driver to do so), soaked any plastic pieces I could in vinegar water and wiped the rest with the same. I ordered the two replacement parts for ~$30, and put the thing back together. It ran! Sure enough, the canister fulled with hair and dirt as I moved it around the floor. What do you know? Resurrected from the trash to achieve vacuuming greatness once again…

But one question remained: is the Dyson really better than any other “standard” vacuum? Consumer Reports says “no.” But I wanted to try a simple experiment myself. If I vacuum the floor with my regular vacuum, a Sharp “Twin Power” vacuum, and then vacuum with the “much better” Dyson, will I get a significant amount of additional dirt that the Sharp missed?

The results: not really. The Dyson did pick up an additional amount of hair, but I’m not sure it’s enough to warrant spending $400. Consumer Reports says to buy a Kenmore–it’s the best value for the money, according to them. Frankly, I was appalled at how flimsy the Dyson was. Everything on it is plastic. For $400, I wanted to see at least some cheap metal. On top of that, it has *stickers* on it for various notices/warnings. Stickers? Come on, Dyson. I thought the construction left much to be desired. The only innovation I see on the Dyson is the clear dust bin. It’s surely been imitated by every other manufacturer, and it gives you the thought of, “Wow, that was in my carpet?” Previous vacuums assumed you didn’t want to see the dirt, and hid it in a disposable bag. Props to Dyson for figuring out that a clear dust bin sells millions of vacuums.

Back to the test, look at the pictures for yourself, then look at YouTube and Google for others who debate the matter. If it doesn’t help you buy a better vacuum, at least it’s good for a laugh…