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back to article Brit inventor Dyson challenges EU ruling on his hoover's energy efficiency ratings

Brit inventor James Dyson is challenging the EU's labelling policy for hoovers in court, claiming that it doesn't do his vacuum cleaners justice. Dyson said that the EU's energy efficiency rating system was based on dust-free lab conditions that were completely different to the way that hoovers performed in the home. The firm …

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        1. circusmole
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          Re: Dear Dyson

          >Henry's are shit<

          I would just like to take the time to thank you for your insightful, well considered, thought-provoking and valuable contribution to this discussion.

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        2. AndyC
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          Re: Dear Dyson

          Hmmm, speaking as someone who used to try and sell Kirby hoovers (I actually got people to buy *that* overpriced piece of American rubbish!) I can categorically state that Henry hoovers were brilliant.

          I never got a sale in a house with a Henry. They were cheap and very good at hoovering.

          Dysons, on the other hand, were the most traded in hoover we ever had. We had rooms full of the things. They may look nice in the shop, are very loud (so must be powerful, right?) but they are sh*t at hoovering.

          Style over substance.

          Andy

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      2. JeeBee
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        Re: Dear Dyson

        +1 for getting a Henry, mine just keeps on going. Bags are cheap online too.

        Okay, I did replace the powered head unit because the brush roller broke, but at least you can buy the replacement head units on their own.

        There's a reason that offices use these - they work, keep on working, and they're simple.

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    2. Zot
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      Re: Dear Dyson

      With my old Dyson I just press a button in the top of the handle and carry the plastic container out to the bin, separate it's two halves over the bin and shake out the dust. The drop it back in place. That's not really a messy job.

      I do need to wash the filters every year or so, as it loses suction because a safety valve blows on the side, as I guess it thinks the pipe is block by something, but it's actually the filter that's clogged.

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    3. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Dear Dyson

      You should try a Dyson, I never have a mess when I empty, yes with other bagless I have...

      Just hold in bin, push button, drop all dust goes into bin... tap a few times to ensure its all out, then close and your clean, no bag needed

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      1. Tom 260
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        Re: Dear Dyson

        "Just hold in bin, push button, drop all dust goes into bin... tap a few times to ensure its all out, then close and your clean, no bag needed"

        We ended up emptying each load from our Dyson (now departed to the council tip) into a carrier bag, as the dust and dog hair would just stick to the sides of the bin, and not end up in the lorry when it was emptied.

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I've never quite worked out the benefit of Dyson

    My folks bought an early DC02 and had a lot of trouble with it. Cord retraction, power switch and other quite important features failed, which isn't what you want with a "premium" product.

    It was replaced with a Henry. About as complicated as a potato, but built to last. In the end it was killed after many years when the motor bearings gave out after being used with a filter that had a hole in after being set on fire (long story).

    That henry was replaced with another one...

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    1. Gordon 10
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      Re: I've never quite worked out the benefit of Dyson

      Why didnt you get them fixed under warantee - afaik remember even out of waranttee Dyson have the best customer service I have dealt with - often just fling you out a spare part.

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      1. Anonymous Coward
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        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I've never quite worked out the benefit of Dyson

        I never did ask my folks, but I assume it was because it failed after the usual 12 months and my old man managed to hotwire the power switch to keep it going.

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  3. Sandpit

    Had two Dysons, both shit and didn't last that long, they were early models but I got fed up with them not living up tothe hype. That's a lot of plastic in the land-fill.

    Now I have a Henry, it's lasted much longer than both Dysons put together and has far more power.

    I do agree with his point about fair testing, but lets hope they count the amount of plastic you have to throw away when it packs up too, not to mention the oil needed to ship them in from Malaysia.

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    1. handle
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      I wonder how much of a "British-made" Henry is actually made here, and how much is shipped in from, say, Malaysia?

      I had a DC01 and now have a DC24. The later models are a complete revelation, so don't base your opinion only on experience of earlier models.

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  4. SirDigalot

    i don't care about efficiency

    make the gosh forsaken things quieter!

    never had a dyson, but cannot really imagine they are any different, our current cyclonic rip off style machine that I just replaced for less that $30 online does a good job... the filters, which also clog up like the toilet in a nightclub, cost around the same to replace... disposable life much?!

    but my worst complaint is the noise, they all make this god awful racket. We bought a wet dry vac and it is about 1/2 as loud as the upright and has more suck then a $100 pro...well you get the idea...

    the wife hates it too even though we have tile floors, she also insists on using the upright out back on the lanai even though we have the wet/dry vac for that reason! (well ok we bought it because our fridge water pipe sprung a leak one day but still)

    I would love a nice quiet vacuum cleaner I cannot hear the washing machine at all even spinning surely they can make something that does not sound like it is about to explode***

    *** I think I heard a rumour somewhere that they did once experiment with the whole "quiet" thing, and in a survey people thought that thr quiet one was not as powerful as the loud one even though they were the same power and suck... not sure if this is true but would make sense in a weird trick-cyclist explainable way

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    1. Tom 7
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      Re: i don't care about efficiency

      I dont do hoovering - partly because I'm lazy but mainly at 6'5" there is not a single one on the market tall enough for me to use comfortably and not set of my 'ooh my back I'm off down the pub' problem.

      And Dyson can rot in hell for glueing the carpet thing on the end of the pipe so you cant use if and the pull out 'expandable' plastic hose that's as giving as a rally suspension coil.

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    2. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: i don't care about efficiency

      My girlfriend just bought a new Bosch hoover and on the lowest power setting it is remarkably quiet - perfectly possible to have a conversation while it is on - and yet it is still quite capable of picking up all the detritus it is required to.

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  5. Marvin O'Gravel Balloon Face

    "The EU wants to give hoovers an energy rating from A to G as part of its efforts to meet carbon emission cut targets".

    Of course they do. The world's gone mad.

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A to G

    What's wrong with the kwh or joules used during a standardised test?

    What does the alphabet bring?

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    1. handle
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      Re: A to G

      Some understanding to the 95% of the population who don't understand what kWh and joules are. (And it's likely to have absolute figures like that in small print next to the energy rating anyway, for those who want them.)

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  7. Lottie

    Title

    We have a dyson and it's very meh. Not a great deal of suction and seemingly more noise and bluster than work being done.

    I used to have a cyclonic one made by VAX and that was superb. Shame I lost it during a house move :-(

    Anyway, he has a point. I wonder if, like the suggestion about bags, we were to add in other environmental issues such as "shipping to the EU" how the figures would look?

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  8. MJI Silver badge

    Dyson Vacuum

    Well ours is OK, given to us as the owner found the pipe too short, my wife fixed it by extending it!

    Clean blue filter monthly, dismantle cyclone over few years and air blast it clean.

    Pretty good, the worst bit is the power heads tend to wear out their brushes and they do not do the brush as a spare.

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  9. James Hughes 1

    Vote from me for Dyson

    Been very impressed with the two I've got (long story). Both the ball ones - a small one and a big one. Fantastic suction, really manoeuvrable with the ball, neither has ever gone wrong (oldest is >5 years I think). Easy to empty, one button, no mess. Only problem is they are a bit heavy, and the smaller ones cable is a tiny bit short for our house.

    Occasional filter cleans and they are back to top performance. Note, I do not have any pets (except a small fish - does that count?)

    Also have a Henry. Fine on hardfloors, as you might expect, but no-where near as good as the Dyson on piled carpets.

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  10. J.G.Harston Silver badge

    "James Dyson is challenging the EU's labelling policy for hoovers"

    Why? If if's a Hoover labelling policy it's irrelevant to Dysons.

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  11. J.G.Harston Silver badge

    22 years ago I bought a Hoover vacuum cleaner. It fell apart after about three months. I replaced it with a Mecedes. I'm still using it. It's the Kalashnikov of vacuum cleaners. Pop the motor off, dunk the case in the sink, wipe it clean.

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  12. JeffyPoooh
    Pint

    Is price reflective of embodied resources, energy & manufacturing inefficiencies?

    If so, then the Dyson at $600 is three times worse than a $200 machine.

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  13. Pavonefan

    Dyson do not make Hoovers and Hoover do not make Dysons!

    I have owned 2 Hoovers and a Dyson. The Hoovers were a washer/dryer and a fridge/freezer. I still have the Dyson which is a brilliant hand-held vacuum cleaner. The filters do need cleaning periodically, but it's no big deal.

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    1. Not That Andrew
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      FAIL

      Dyson make hoovers, just not Hoovers, it's not rocket science.

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  14. andy 45

    Methinks Mr Dyson doth protest too much

    The post is required, and must contain letters.

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